THE FOLLOWING IS AN EXCERPT from my forthcoming book with the working title, With a Good Heart: Kindness Afoot From LA to Brooklyn. At this point in my 2018 walk across America, I am 2500 miles in and weeks away from completion. I’ve grown used to heat and solitude, and for most of each day I’m lost in memories and contemplation. On this particular day, the … Continue reading Hold On
When I said yes to an employment opportunity in Spokane, I wasn’t seeking a reason to move or close my consulting agency. I adored where I lived and my business was doing just fine. Better still, I was happy. I was making money doing what I truly loved to do—training teams, developing people, and brainstorming innovative futures. But after a long-term on-site gig with a … Continue reading Behind My Mask
On January 15, I took a hopper flight from Spokane to Seattle to participate in Belletrist Magazine’s 2020 journal release party at Vermillion in the Capitol Hill neighborhood. As an attending author with work in the new edition, I found myself reading alongside an all-star lineup of fellow writers including David Long, Arlene Naganawa, Greg Jensen, Christopher C. Crew, and more. My piece, Friendly Fire, … Continue reading Friendly Fire
What did you do today that matters? Did you spend time listening? Maybe offer up a complimentary comment to a stranger? Did you remind someone how much you appreciate them? Love them? Did you take a deep breath and feel your lungs inflate, then allow your shoulders to relax as you exhaled? What did you do? If you didn’t do anything yet, there’s still time. … Continue reading Your Story
It’s really hard for me not to mix my business with pleasure. Mostly because my business is customer service, and like everyone else I am constantly frequenting places where customer service should be a priority. On the rare occasion it is, I’ll sing the business’s praises from the highest mountaintop (I am equally happy to share when it’s bad, too). Usually, however, the service I … Continue reading Sorry, There’s Nothing I Can Do For You…
This year I drove to The Running Event (TRE) in Austin, Texas. Amounted to just over 2500 total round trip miles from my home in central North Carolina. Part of the route followed the same stretch I walked earlier this year. And though that was a nostalgic highlight, it’s not what I came here to write about. TRE, per usual, was a giant reunion. I … Continue reading Trust and Authenticity
Every retailer wants to know how to hire good people. But not just good people, good people who can also do high-quality work. Too often we hire candidates only to find they have one of these traits or the other, rather than the ideal combination of both. Often they are great people with ho-hum selling skills, or they are somewhat impersonal but can sell the … Continue reading 10 Ways to Find the Right Staffer
Last week at The Running Event, the keynote speaker uttered words every single business owner needs to hear—He said, “Love and business…there’s plenty of room to cultivate both.” Love and business. Two terms that typically don’t get much playing time. Not together, anyhow. But this guy insisted that any business’s future relevance depends on both working as one. The speaker was Walter Robb, former CEO … Continue reading Love and Business
Specialty retail is a performance, and there’s a giant difference between a ho-hum experience and one that earns rave reviews from the harshest critic. Your people wear metaphorical “makeup” so folks can see them from the back row. They exaggerate their movements and animate gestures to make a solid impact on the entire audience. Hopefully they don’t overdo it. Maybe your show’s been running for … Continue reading Unforgettable Retail Performance
