Changes in the wind…

Some very exciting changes in Joelmeister land.

Over the next few days I’ll be updating my blog and social profiles regarding some professional and business changes in my world!

These changes could involve you!

Note to self: quit neglecting Joelmeisterblog!

Remember blogs have feelings to! Post many of the musings that end up on your social stream here and they will end up there! Nite!

Our Potential Is Our Prosperity

My post today is the simple acknowledgment that the more I give the more I receive.

During my stint @joelmeister I have always had an open door policy and over the years have provided many opinions on others ideas (and certainly some times not the opinions others have wanted).

I do believe that as a result of this open door approach to sharing insights and relationships I have truly been the recipient of more opportunity than I can personally manage or deserve.

OPiOP has meant a number of things for me.

OPiOP LLC (Our Product is Our Process) is my consulting business which I founded in 2008 as a survival mechanism after a 3 week period that found both myself and wife unemployed with 3 young children and a faltering world economy during the economic down turn.

I started this process/cause consulting, referral/relationship management, product development/representation firm a primary engagement engine/legal entity to utilize for collaboration and connecting companies and individuals as a way to monetize my network, provide services I was capable of performing and putting bread on the table.

After 6 years and multiple ventures and contracts as a consultant last year I accepted a position and now create opportunities for merchants and organizations as the Director of Business and Market Development at Spindle, MeNetwork and Yowza!!

I have enjoyed a fairly charmed life (all things considered) with an amazing wife and family and an exponentially growing network of trusted friends and associates.

My point is, even though I am now gainfully employed I still have many individuals and entities that ply me for my opinion.

Even though my professional responsibilities at Spindle and personal familial duties occupy most of my waking moments, I still provide my opinion and I continue to find myself receiving a windfall of opportunity on my table.

As a member of the board of the http://slcircle.com and by maintaining an office at the http://slcoffice.co I now enjoy the luxury of being able to vette opportunities that now present themselves to ME and give them to OTHERS if my bandwidth does not allow or if the opportunity is not a good fit for what I do.

The lesson I have learned in this is the simple phenomenon I mentioned above and share with http://causebrands.org founder Scott Windes…
“The More I GIVE The MORE I Receive”

Truly I Believe, Our Potential IS Our Prosperity – all of us have the potential ability to give…

DO IT, give freely of your time whenever you can – it will come back to you in more ways than you think possible

BHAG 2014 #7 “Never forget your roots” Five Years and Five Wives

5 years ago I was unemployed…. the economic downturn had left my wife and I both without jobs with a new daughter, new mortgage and little opportunity…

Fortunately others remembered my skills, my phone rang and consulting opportunities provided me the ability to provide for my family.

One of those phone calls was from a stranger, a referral from a previous client who had a need, a specific need to create a call center from scratch in a little less than 3 weeks.

With our early team we accomplished this and even more lofty goals…

Those early days led to the now thriving PlusOne Company – an amazing performance based contact center with 3 centers in southern Utah and one in Draper.

On this Christmas Eve I express appreciation to Marion Timpson, his father and family and the many additional team members that comprise this amazing community which I shared 4 wonderful years (and we are still very friendly) which brings me to Five Wives….

Ogdens Own is a distillery which bottles Five Wives vodka and the Underground.  They have been an early believer and support of the MeNetwork launch efforts in the Utah Market, much of this I attribute to my past life…

In conversation with Steve Conlin (Ogdens Own) we mutually discovered we had a mutual friend in one Chris James.  Chris was the bar manager of the two joints next door back in the 80’s when I had a very different profession… Bar Man…

I am convinced that maintaining my roots, my relationships, and most importantly where I came from has assisted me with who I have become and continues to power my current adventures.

What is common with these two “fives” is that “remembering my roots” has made what could have been a difficult period much easier to deal with (yes there have been struggles) and going into the new year, I hope to maintain and share this philosophy…

Some Great Quotes on the subject….

A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots.
Marcus Garvey

The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet.
Aristotle

The roots of all goodness lie in the soil of appreciation for goodness.
Dalai Lama

If art is to nourish the roots of our culture, society must set the artist free to follow his vision wherever it takes him.
John F. Kennedy

Merry Christmas! and don’t forget to drink the kool-aid and enjoy five wives!

BHAG 2014 #8 “Never judge a book by it’s cover” The Beauty of Imperfection

BHAG 2014 #8 “Never judge a book by it’s cover”

In the face of the current controversy surrounding the same sex marriage ruling in Utah, today I share a marvelous post about a trait I try to instill in my children, my friends and myself.  Never judge a book by it’s cover, you are likely to miss a gem….

Enjoy!

The Beauty of Imperfection

By Jill Konrath

After I shared this story in today’s newsletter, many people asked me to post it on my blog so they could share it with others. So, here you go …

I first met Mary, my husband’s youngest sister, shortly after we started dating.

She was the first person I’d ever known with Down Syndrome. To me, she looked funny, she talked funny and she chewed with her mouth open. It made me uncomfortable.

Back then, kids like her weren’t mainstreamed. They didn’t exist. And I had no experience dealing with this human imperfection. So I kept my distance, not wanting to interact with this flawed individual. But Mary wouldn’t let me do that. She refused to give up on me. And her charm worked as she wormed her way into my heart.

The truth is, my life was blessed because of Mary. She gave me a whole different perspective through which to view my life and taught me a lot. Let me share a few stories:

Mary’s favorite holiday was Christmas. She delighted in opening her gifts. But she left nothing to chance. Every Thanksgiving, she pulled me aside to review her very specific list. When I gave her the Fresh Apple Anti-Bacterial Moisturizing Hand Soap that she requested, she chortled in glee.

But I’ll never forget the year I bought her the wrong Steven King novel. (I’d searched six stores for the one she wanted, but they were sold out.) Her shock and disappointment in me were plainly evident. She let me know it. The following year, I shopped for her gifts as soon as I got the list.

The lesson? Ask for what you want, expect people to deliver and fully appreciate it when they do. But if they let you down, be clear on that too.

Mary loved looking through Victoria Secret catalogs. But unlike most women, she didn’t get one bit depressed comparing herself to all those gorgeous sexy models — even though she was short, pudgy and hunched over from arthritis.

Do you know what she saw? Herself, wearing all those revealing outfits, prancing around and posing in her beautiful body. Because to Mary, she was beautiful. Just as drop-dead gorgeous as those cover girls. She never once bought into the marketing messages that bombard us on a daily basis, telling us we need to be something we aren’t.

The lesson? Never let anyone tell you you’re not perfect, just as you are. Appreciate yourself.

Over the years, Mary developed major crushes on different celebrities like the Oakridge Boys and Michael Landon — but only one at time. Every day, she’d write them a fan letter. She’d buy all their albums, dance to their music, read all their books and watch all their movies.

One of her final loves was Prince, the hugely popular singer & songwriter from Minnesota, where we live. While she never did get to meet him personally, she was invited to take a personal tour of Paisley Park, his recording studio. It was one of the highlights of her life.

The lesson? Be persistent. Go after what you want and enjoy doing it. Life isn’t always about achieving goals. It’s about living.

Mary had tons of health problems. She had severe diabetes which had to be monitored constantly. She was hobbled by arthritis. Her kidneys were failing and she was on dialysis several times per week. She never complained, despite the pain and the restrictions on her life.

She let people serve her because she needed their help. She did it gracefully and appreciatively. She saw their “goodness” and that’s what they gave her. She made them feel valuable.

The lesson? Complaining doesn’t make anything better. People really do want to help you — if you let them.

I think you’re getting the picture. A little imp. A lot of love. So much we can learn from her simple, uncomplicated ways.

And to think that I thought she was flawed. Who was I to judge? A hard-charging, self-motivated achiever who was making my mark on the business world. Someone who was constantly comparing myself to others and falling short.

Mary taught me about the “beauty of imperfection” — that you’re wonderful simply because you exist with all your glorious warts and shortfalls. She helped me appreciate what I had, not what I was missing. And finally, to know that’s all I truly needed.

A FINAL NOTE

Two years ago, on December 23rd I was wrapping Mary’s Christmas present when we got the call that she’d fallen into a coma. My husband immediately raced up north, leaving the kids & I behind. She passed away the next day. As you might imagine, it was a tough holiday.

Several days later, I came across her unwrapped gift, Barbara Streisand’s new CD. When I opened it up and read the lyrics to one of the songs, I felt like Mary had left us a her final message …

HERE’S TO LIFE

No complaints and no regrets
I still believe in chasing dreams and placing bets
And I have learned that all you give, is all you get
So give it all you’ve got.

I had my share, I drank my fill
And even though I’m satisfied, I’m hungry still
To see what’s down another road, beyond a hill
And do it all again.

So here’s to life
And every joy it brings.
Here’s to life
To dreamers and their dreams.

Funny how the time just flies
How love can go from warm hellos to sad goodbyes
And leave you with the memories you’ve memorized
To keep your winters warm.

But there’s no yes in yesterday
And who knows what tomorrow brings, or takes away.
As long as I’m still in the game, I want to play
For laughs, for life, for love.

So here’s to life
And every joy it brings.
Here’s to life
To dreamers and their dreams.
May all your storms be weathered
And all that’s good get better.

Here’s to life
Here’s to love
And here’s to you!

Please share your story too on Jill’s Page. It will inspire us all to be better human beings.

---

Jill Konrath is an internationally recognized sales strategist. As author of two bestselling books, SNAP Selling and Selling to Big Companies, she’s a frequent speaker at sales meetings and conferences. For more fresh ideas, download her free Prospecting Toolkit.

BHAG 2014 #9 “Increase these lists to 10/23” All the 9 Payment Enabling Technologies & 22 Illustrative Companies

BHAG 2014 #9 “Increase these lists to 10 and 23 respectively”
“do my part to affect industry recognition through market development and product adoption that results in inclusion in these type of conversations”

All the 9 Payment Enabling Technologies & 22 Illustrative Companies – Lets Talk Payments.

Posted in Coupons , In-Store Check-In , Mobile Wallet , mPOS , NFC ,Payments , QR Code / Bar-Code By Amit On October 4, 2013

At Lets Talk Payments, we keep analyzing all the data, payment news and insights we are generating to see if we can understand some broader trends.Here is an attempt to look at almost two dozen startups and companies we have profiled in the past.

We are looking at them from the viewpoint of understanding various enabling technologies that they are using in their solutions –  NFC, QR codes, SMS/USSD, RFID, Sound Wave, Bluetooth BLE, and others. We have tried to cover mostly providers or payment companies but in some cases the merchants or implementers (such as Starbucks) could not be ignored. Starting with the 30,000 ft view first, followed by a drill down to companies wherein each picture is clickable and takes you to that company profile. Below is a chart that puts all the payment enabling technologies and all the companies together at one place.

Chart showing selected payment start-ups, Year Founded, Total Funding till date and Enabling Technology:

Source: Lets Talk Payments

Lets discuss the payment enabling technologies being used by various companies in the payments space:

1) Near Field Communication (NFC): NFC is in its most common avatar is a Tap & Pay solution that can be used for retail offline payments, transit, entertainment and numerous other touch points. Any unattended payment situation such as a parking lot presents huge opportunity. For e.g., clipper card or any cashless cards being used today for public transport can be integrated into the ubiquitous phones itself thereby making the public transport payments easier. Below we have Tapit and Disney’s wristbands  (Click on the pictures to view our article on the company)

 

2) QR Codes and Bar Codes: A Quick Response (QR) code is a 2d readable barcaode designed originally by DENSO Corp. in 1994 for Japanese auto-makers to track parts. With smart phones, and QR codes, customers can stores their banking account information on their phones, go into a store pick out an item, and instantly scan its barcode and check out. Below we have Ensygnia, Frontflip, Kuapay, Paydiant, and Starbucks (Click on the pictures to view our article on the company)

3) Soundwave: These are payment systems that use sound waves to connect smartphones with another device. Secure payments are made over the cloud with the help of sound based technology and data is exchanged through smartphones’ microphones/speakers. Microsoft’s Dhwani and Verifone’s Way2ride in New York are great examples. Clinkle is expected to be using sound wave technology similar to Verifone’s Zoosh. Alipay recently launched a sound wave mobile payment system in Beijing Subway.

4) BLE (e.g., iBeacons): Bluetooth low energy (BLE or ‘Bluetooth smart’) is a wireless computer network technology which allows connected devices to communicate with each other while keeping the energy consumption by the devices at a very low level. Apples iBeacon and PayPal’s Beacon are the front runners in the adoption of this technology.

5) Mobile Card Readers: These include Mobile card readers, Chip and Pin card readers that insert into the audio jack of the phone. Some of the companies in this field that have been covered by LTP.

6) Email/chat/Phone: 

You can transfer money through email (Dwolla, Paypal, Google), through Chat (Wechat from Tencent), and phone (Dwolla, others).

7) Facial Recognition: 

How convenient would it be if you could make payments through facial recognition? A new trial project introduces a payment system which recognizes customers by their first name and “picture” via a mobile application.

8) SMS/USSD, Mobile Internet: In SMS (Short message service) and USSD (Unstructured supplementary service data) based transactional payments, customer sends a payment request via an SMS text message or an USSD to a short code and a premium charge is applied to their phone bill or their online wallet.

 

9) RFID: Radio frequency identification (RFID) is the wireless non contact use of radio frequency electromagnetic fields to transfer data, for automatically identifying and tracking tags attached to objects. The tags contain electronically stored information. According to researchandmarkets , the global RFID market is expected to generate revenues worth $3,925 Mn in 2016, increasing at a CAGR of 29.3%, from a value of $1,087 Mn in 2011.

LTP View: What we are trying to understand is the whether there is a dominance of certain enabling technologies or business models. The above data shows that QR codes (currently) seem to be more frequent choice of more number of companies than other technologies. In terms of how payments companies are projecting themselves as a business – we see a lot of them calling their solution as a mobile wallet or app. If you look at the companies that came up in the last couple of years, the focus seems to be on new enabling technologies such as NFC, Sound waves and others.

We will be adding more to this analysis as we go (e.g., size of the bubble will represent traction, volumes, revs). We would also look at the companies from different angles, other dimensions (like the X and Y axis in the chart) in the coming weeks. In the meantime we continue to profile companies. For analysis, more the merrier. So stay tuned!

About Author

Amit is a cashless payments enthusiast and advises companies in this space. He runs a successful Payments/ICT consulting firm (www.knowledgefaber.com) that serves Fortune 1000 clients and growing firms globally. He is an early investor and regular author for Lets Talk Payments. He is helping LTP become the biggest and most useful payment resource in the US, Asia and Europe.

Thoughts?

Name(required)

Email(required)

Website

Comment(required)

Submit

Δ

This Weeks JAMM (just another mentor monday)… Konrad X Rotermund @kxrotermund

This weeks JAMM (Just Another Mentor Monday) victim?…
– a day late due to holiday break and a sick daughter –

Konrad X Rotermund

World Traveler, Business and Character Modeler, Event and Idea Producer Extraordinaire, Friend.

My wife and I had a deal that once kids became a reality no more late nights at Sundance, multiple fingers of scotch and late nights.

In early 2000 after the EPT stick confirmed fatherhood was imminent,  I bowed out of the fast life and spotlight of managing the largest, most happening night clubs in Utah after nearly a decade and a half to join the ranks of fatherhood and responsibility.

Having just finished successfully webcasting multiple “A” list acts and turning the room twice daily at Harry O’s (keep in mind this was 2000, not a ton of broadband to be had), I joined ProWebCast, (the team that had produced live footage of Sammy Hagar, The Cult, The Holy Mackerels with Les, Claypool with Trey Parker and Matt Stone, Third Eye Blind and many others) and jumped feet first into the world of streaming media…

Which is where Konrad comes into the picture.

I ended up flying to LA to meet with someone who lived a mere 4 blocks from me in Salt Lake City and my life will never be the same….

Konrad immediately challenged me with different ways to think, I remember vividly a manifesto he introduced me to “Lovemarks” created by Saatchi & Saatchi which still captures much of what he embodies as a CHEF (Chief of How Everything Functions)

Lovemarks thinking is the unique way we look at the relationships people have with products, services and entities. Lovemarks are the future beyond brands because they inspire Loyalty Beyond Reason.

Lovemarks transcend brands. They deliver beyond your expectations of great performance. They reach your heart as well as your mind, creating an intimate, emotional connection that you just can’t live without.

Take a brand away and people will find a replacement. Take a Lovemark away and people will protest its absence. Lovemarks are a relationship, not a mere transaction. You don’t just buy Lovemarks, you embrace them passionately. That’s why you never want to let go. They are about Mystery, Sensuality and Intimacy.

Konrad is not that much older than me, but I was floored by his stories about the events he was already producing, his plans to be a major part of the 2002 Winter Olympics (his company ISP Inter Sports Productions managed the Deer Valley freestyle venue), and his vision of the convergence of media, messaging and video on demand that is now commonplace in a world of OTT (Over The Top) streaming access to content across multiple platforms like Netflix, Amazon and YouTube.

Konrad saw this all coming long before anybody else…

Konrad is a world traveler, with the type of racked up mileage to exotic locations in the pursuit of creating bigger than life events in hostile weather (and sometimes political environments) so that athletes and spectators can view footage and attend venues that are planned for years and only in place for days.

My favorite story to put him on the spot about revolves around how many (and color) of lights you need on your specific Mercedes to successfully navigate your way about Russia (trust me, if we ever have coffee with Konrad together for introductions, it will come up and it is entertaining)

A brilliant business modeler, who can see a concept and map out how said idea can be crafted into reality all the while anticipating expense and time with uncanny accuracy.

Konrad has also crafted the development of literally hundreds of youth athletes as well. For decades the youth and future of freestyle skiing in America have been provided the opportunity to advance to higher levels of competition thanks in a large part to his efforts and organization of qualifying events, venues and communities (visit one on of Konrad’s websites http://urtur.com “You Gotta Come Here To Get There” for an example).

When I needed an event and launch coordinator a few years back for USDTV (a startup pay TV company I was the director of channel marketing for) Konrad was a no brainer phone call to come on board to assist us with launching a road show including Dallas/Ft. Worth, Albuquerque, Las Vegas and Salt Lake City.

Flawlessly executed (and improvised in certain cases) multiple ballroom events and receptions, TV live shots and ribbon cuttings were executed behind the scenes as the executive team and entourage moved from metro to metro with no idea the problems that had been solved for them.

At one point in the last couple years I had been second guessing my abilities and some professional decisions I had made and Konrad made me sign a pledge he found online that was spot on and exactly what I needed for motivation at that time… (obscenity alert for the easily offended)

I, Joel McKay Smith, hereby swear to abandon all fear; to question everything; to trust in myself; to honor those before me as I excel, and to support those who follow as they ascend. I swear that I will never accept another’s standard for success, as I set mine one measure higher. When I am finished, no one will ever fucking look at the World the same way again.

This pledge is a perfect example of how in his quiet way Konrad coaxes greatness out of many he encounters and interacts with.

This past spring my niece got married.  Konrad let me use one of his sound systems so we would have a PA and sound system for announcements, background music etc. For some reason the initial system did not work, and even though he had provided me gratis a system that would have cost hundreds to rent (let alone man).

Konrad didn’t even blink, asked for directions to the venue (my parents backyard jungle >30 miles from where Konrad lives) and had me up and going within a couple hours and the wedding went off without a hitch!

An incredibly dedicated family man, Konrad dedicates the same passion for life to his wife and daughters as he does to business and concept creation at his company http://mainstreamcs.com, nothing half assed, always pushing the envelope and no detail left unaddressed.

Konrad, I am a better man for the example you set, the ideas you force me to ponder and your frank honest assessment of what can (and should) be.

Thank you.

That wraps up this weeks JAMM post, consider yourself warned, upcoming victims will include @bassamsalem @davidbradford @jesse @adventuremomtv @scobleizer @causebrands @orli @scottwindes and others…

You have influenced, I appreciate it and I will share!

@joelmeister out!!!

Parker, Mike and Donie… An Easter Post

Mortality has weighed on my mind lately.  

The last year has been a particularly rough one on my circle of friends with many passings of contemporaries. The loss of three friends in particular resonated with me for vastly similar and different reasons.

Parker was the first to go, leaving behind an amazing legacy of a pranker with a heart of gold, a marginally talented air-keyboard pseudo musician, a visionary business man, a soccer lover and a father/husband beyond compare.  His service was touching, funny and sad beyond belief, affording me the opportunity to grieve with and catchup with decades old friends back to the eighties… which brings me to Mike.

Mike sat with Geese, Scolie, Merrill, others and I at Parkers services…  we consoled one another and shared many memories on a beautiful spring day, who would have predicted that in a few short months Mike will have left us in a tragic plane crash that took two others.  

Again an amazing man who quietly affected 1000’s (his service was held at Rice Eccles Stadium in a very large event room which filled to standing room only).  Another testamant of life, accomplishments, love and again fatherhood.  Which brings me to Donie.

Donie was a bad boy who I paid my silent tribute to this week, he was a prankster as well as an amazing musician that lived life to the fullest as James Dean, Elvis and Jim Morrison wrapped into one as the rock-a-billy inspired “Mad Max” persona as he lived the dream playing gigs with his three sons the “Wild Ones”.  

I ran with Donie in the eighties and had lost touch as will happen with changes in interests, careers and families, but I considered him a lifelong childhood friend and as the loss of Parker and Mike hurt immensely, the loss of Donie resonated the most as he most closely parallels my life and has provided a wakeup call that I hope to maintain.

I have lived a life of excess. Those that know me are aware I will generally work tirelessly on the latest project de jour with my own health and family suffering from my tireless efforts to get the job done.  

I have had numerous friends and family chide me about my diet, sedentary lifestyle and need to embrace healthy living for my own/families benefit.  Donie’s passing hit me like a ton of bricks that only I can affect what I “Can” or “Can’t” control and I am in the 8th day of making a concentrated effort to exercise, meal plan and spend quality time with family and long lost friends.  

Life is too short, and my family is young (as were Parkers, Mikes and Donie’s), I am going to do whatever necessary to be able to extend my life expectancy by making a concentrated effort to take better care of myself and also take steps to better provide for my family.  

I am acutely aware of the pain of a fatherless child with the passings of these three friends, and want to assure my children to have me in their lives for a good long time (even though I cramp their style on a regular basis)

Easter is all about redemption, renewal and unconditional love all qualities that I will continue to attempt to eschew.

Pay-It-Forward Trumps ROI Where Social Is Concerned

Great Article from Forbes, Original Link

I’ve begun to wonder whether the question, “What’s the ROI on Social?” is a kind of post-modernist Zen koan . It’s one of those questions that is often asked, yet that has no rational answer.

Social Media Music, credit: SAP

I shared this thought the other day with Todd Wilms , one of our social media experts at SAP . “The problem with the ROI question,” he said, “is that traditional ROI formulations revolve around pretty simple questions: For every $1 I invest, what will I get back in revenue or my bottom-line? But the question misses the real value of social, which can manifest itself in a variety of ways that seldom connect directly back to a Facebook posting or forum response. Social can reduce your sales cycle times, create new opportunities for upselling and cross-selling, increase customer loyalty, even create a sense of personal engagement with a company that might not otherwise exist in the same way.”

Indeed, what we tend to forget when we think about social networks and business is that business has always been about social and always been about networks. Put another way, it’s always been about relationships and the investments you make in those relationships.

Think about it: it really matters less what you’re selling than whether you’re meeting your customer’s needs. Sometimes what you’re selling is exactly what the customer needs; sometimes, though, you add even more value simply by listening and paying attention to your customer’s desires.

Winning with a losing bid 

I know of a man who once found himself in a sales situation that he could not win. For various reasons, he knew he would not be able to underbid his competitor (who was sitting across the table from him during final negotiations). But rather than throwing in the towel and walking away, he sat at the table and diligently went through the motions of preparing a final bid.

When it came time to submit those bids, this man passed a “bid” across the table that consisted of a note politely explaining that he could not offer a lower price than he had offered previously. At the same time, he went on to explain, by making it appear that he was prepared to offer a lower bid he knew that he had forced his competitor to lower his bid even further, thus engineering a situation in which the client would be getting the best possible deal on the merchandise they were seeking.

He walked away from the table without the deal he’d flown halfway around the world to get—but his clients knew what he had done and that gambit resulted in a relationship that has led to much more business in the long run. He looked out for his clients, even though he could not meet their ostensible need, and that consideration has never been forgotten.

Paying it Forward 

Investing in social involves a similar gambit, a kind of pay-it-forward approach from which rewards will accrue. Social gives you an opportunity to engage with customers, just like corner store shopkeepers used to, but this time on a global scale. You can interact with customers from around the world, to listen, get their opinions, to form a more intimate relationship with them than you might otherwise be able to.

You may not need — or even want — to sell aggressively in social. Simply by looking for ways to meet new and existing customers’ needs, to become a “friend” and trusted advisor — whatever the domain area, and without regard to whether their needs can be solved directly by your products or services — you increase the value that you deliver to your customer. They may then turn to you first with belief, loyalty, and hope that you will provide a suggestion or recommendation that meets their needs.

 

Seven for Forty Seven (7447)

This years birthday reflection is now posted!

As I enjoyed Eric Idle, Freddy Mercury, Brian May and British Musical Mastery and the Olympics closing ceremonies I pondered my pending 47th birthday (which is today)

As B-days bring reflection I have made it tradition to solicit YOUR help for guidance in my new year!

This years Epiphany? 7447  “Seven For Forty Seven”

4–Four Hours a day (every day) must be dedicated to family or self
0–Zero Tolerance for Intolerance
S–Solving Problems begins with Listening and Understanding what is Broken
E–Education only occurs WHEN the Student is willing to Learn
V–Value should be based on consensus, not market
E–Everyone Contributes to the Whole (thanks rachEL)
N–Never, Ever Give Up… (props to Winston Churchill for that one)

– – –

Last years Epiphany? 46! SFFS “Six For Forty Six”

S-Serendipity is attainable
I-Infinity is a good target
C-Children keep me young
K-Kristin is my rock
S-Simplicity is underrated

– – -Thanks for you input everyone!

• Denise Pyper and Konrad X Rotermund like this.
• • 

    Maggie Evans Cardon ‎4-ever YOUNG!!!

    August 12 at 9:28pm · Unlike · 1
  • 

    Rachel Knudson ‎4- Family
    0- Excuses
    S- Silly with the Kids is a Must
    E-Everyone contributes to the whole
    V-Vernacular keeps growing 😉
    E-Educate the world!
    N-Never back down

    August 13 at 8:26am · Unlike · 1