Alan Weiss’s Monday Morning Memo® – 12/30/2024
“Gluttony” is defined as “habitual greed and excess in eating.” Such people are called “gourmands” or “trenchermen,” as well. According to the CDC, over 70% of people in the US are considered “overweight” or “obese.” In a New York Times article this past weekend, there was a report that over 40% of Americans considered themselves to be overweight.
I bring this up because I’m increasingly seeing not smaller portions in restaurants but larger ones, dishes that would give a hibernating grizzly bear some pause before trying to digest them at one sitting. (“Do I have time to eat this before the frost sets in?”) The famous philosopher Miss Piggy, of Muppet performances, observed, “Never eat anything you can’t lift.”
I’ve told several restaurant owners I know that they could reduce the sizes of the appetizers, entrées, sides, and desserts and not reduce their prices at all. They won’t listen. They tell me that their patrons expect huge helpings, as if it may be their last meal. Yet we see diners leaving restaurants precariously balancing “leftover packages” that are soon going to require wheels on them, like airport luggage. (After a while, untouched for a week in the refrigerator, the contents break through the containers and begin to take over the adjoining shelves, like The Blob or The Invasion of the Body Snatchers. This requires professional removal by a disaster recovery team and the purchase of a new refrigerator, after the HVAC people are done.)
Perhaps the restaurants’ helpings are meant to be usufructuary, but I doubt it. I think they are propelling the gluttony bandwagon. We are all at fault.
I would elaborate further, but the crumbs from my third cinnamon donut are falling on the keyboard and the keys are sticking.
Gluttony and idleness are two of life’s great joys, but they are not honorable.—Julie Burchill
Gluttony is not a secret vice. —Orson Welles
Gluttony is an emotional escape, a sign something is eating us. —Peter De Vries
Evidence of defendants’ lavish lifestyles is often used to provide a motive for fraud. Jurors sometimes wonder why an executive making tens of millions of dollars would cheat to make even more. Evidence of habitual gluttony helps provide the answer. —Alex Berenson
Zoom Workshops 2025: Don’t miss the first one, only $450 to make your year: January 7: High potential marketing for 2025. The key market segments and avenues to reach them. February 4: Fearlessness. How to be bold and assertive in any situation. March 4: Conversation with a star. A candid conversation with a success in my community. April 8: Creating unsolicited
An Alan Live Experience: Beyond Success: What happens when you’re meeting your aspirations, when your lifestyle is fabulous, and your prospects are excellent? How much is “enough”? Is there a “retirement”? How do you change (or sell) your business and IP? Are philanthropy, volunteering, and service right for you? Are you able to care for family and important others? What will keep you excited and positive—and “youthful”?
We’ll explore this and more over two days of intense discussion and exercises in a small group. We’ll get together in Los Angeles for two 9-to-4 days, June 11 and 12, including a reception. As you know, you’ll learn a lot from your colleagues and peers in that room. $7,500. https://alanweiss.com/
Master Master Class 2025: I’m happy to once again offer the unique Master Master Class in 2025. It will be in the exquisite Newport area on March 12-13, two full days of learning, experimenting, and building new collegial relationships.
We will achieve:
- New offerings and IP for a volatile, No Normal® world.
- A consistent “voice” of expertise in your market—a “go to” magnetism and attraction.
- The identification and evaluation of your existing “body of work” to be repurposed and exploited for passive income.
- A book idea—commercially published or self-published, hard copy or electronic, written by you or “ghosted”—that will establish and perpetuate your stature. • The HOV lane for advisory work with high fees and low labor.
- The confidence and presence to deal successfully with anyone at any time in any environment. (Very special role plays.)
This will be all new material from prior Master Classes. The fee will be $15,000 which includes lodging and most meals and a reception. (This will probably be the last Master Class I conduct in person, on site. No, I’m not kidding.) I have three people already attending simply by hearing me discuss this informally. My limit is a dozen people. It will not be recorded, but you may attend by Zoom, although I caution you on the intrinsic disadvantages of so doing. Attendees may record the session on their own.
The fee will be $15,000 which includes lodging and most meals and a reception. (This will probably be the last Master Class I conduct in person, on site. No, I’m not kidding.) Write me to apply: https://alanweiss.com/
Thought Leadership Quarterly: This is a Zoom series based on my popular Thought Leadership Workshops. I’ll be presenting ideas, based on current events and predictions, that will propel you to the forefront of recognition in your “public square.” This will be highly interactive and questions are welcome in advance. This will be 90 minutes and repeated twice to accommodate various time zones, once at 8 US eastern time and once at 5 US eastern time the same day.
March 18 June 17 September 23 December 18 $2,000 for the series. https://alanweiss.com/
Million Dollar Consulting® for the World: I’ve provided 14 modules with videos from me, from your colleagues globally, slides, and text. They include everything from launch to self-esteem, proposals to fees, closing business to creating a brand. No upsells! It’s only $115. What do you think about a 10,000:1 ROI? We have over 500 people from 47 countries. https://
Million Dollar Consulting® for the World ADVANCED: The new program contains over 60 videos and has 15 modules focusing on what to do in the buyer’s office, overcoming crises, financial planning, and much, much more. https://alanweiss.com/
Million Dollar Consulting® for the World GRADUATE: Another 12 modules with videos by me and your peers on contemporary issues such as Raising Fees Aggressively, How to Be Consistently Interviewed, Maximizing Happiness, and Managing Multiple projects. Join the people from 57 countries who are availing themselves of this inexpensive way to dramatically grow their businesses in any economic times. How does 100:1 ROI sound? https://
