What’s That Sound?
If all you do is boast of your successes and never share your failures I'm not very interested in your successes. I call these "drive-by brags." Someone you rarely hear from zooms in, tells you their latest great feat, and
You May Be Wrong, But You’re Also Annoying
I asked a woman at a pro bono speech I was making what kind of value she provided. She stammered and then said something uninteresting. I suggested some ways to change her approach and mentioned four elements. "Oh, I don't agree
A Bight of the Apple
You've got to love people already complaining about the new iPhones without even having them in hand as yet. If you don't like them, don't buy them. But don't sit there whining that Apple hasn't made its new product exactly
Keep Your Pets on A Leash
A pet is something that receives particular favor, as in "teacher's pet." A peeve is an irritation that one feels, real or perceived. Hence, a "pet peeve" is a particularly welcome irritation, giving someone reason to complain. If you have enough of
DASM: Why Not Just Burn Your Money?
A sandwich shop franchise is usually between $200,000 and $400,000. The sandwiches are probably about $7 on average, and with drinks and chips figure about $10. If salaries, taxes, benefits, rents, utilities, insurance, supplies and so forth cost another $300,000,
See, It’s Called “Profit” and the Opposite is “Loss”
Many years ago my wife started a small business creating customer-designed exercise outfits and accessories. At one point she brought me a small piece of artwork she had been working on for an entire day. "Do you like it?" she
Why Am I So Stressed?
Pressure and stress undermine your voice, gestures, even mental acuity. And most of the pressure we face we create for ourselves.
A Case for A SWAT Team?
On the outskirts of Providence, right next to Interstate 95, is a giant blue bug on the roof of an exterminating company. It's a termite, 427,000 times larger than life. (I am not making this up.) The company which was
The Pain of the Dentist
I visit every four months. I haven't had a cavity in ten years, my gums are in good shape, and thanks to the wonders of cosmetic dentistry, I have very straight, white teeth, which my parents couldn't afford to provide
Would You Like Your Coffee Black and Blue?
A critical trait for success is flexibility. When I see a Starbucks fanatic who can't start the day with any other coffee, and/or who brings it into a restaurant to order breakfast there, or into a meeting or someone's home where