Falling in Love
What is it about small business owners that causes so many of us to fall in love with the people we hire? I don’t mean...
Throwing The Heat
“Every weed has to be removed, every burnt spot has to be repaired, and every divot has to be replaced every day. You never know...
Ask Different Questions
We can learn much about ourselves and business from people we’ve hardly met. In this instance, I’m referring to applicants interviewing for a job with...
Island Vacations
After being invited to attend a business conference in Australia a while back, my wife and I took the opportunity to extend our stay and...
Move the Needle
One of the positive attributes of most entrepreneurs is that we dream big. We have little patience for small dreams or even thinking incrementally about...
The Impact of Gratitude in Business
Most of us learn at an early age that it’s polite to thank others for the kindnesses they extend to us. Saying “please” and “thank...
In Praise of Janitors
When I was in my mid-thirties, I was working with Butch Balaun, a customer who owned several successful restaurants in our area. On one occasion,...
Looking Beyond Our Own Con
When thinking of con artists, famous ones probably come to mind, like Bernie Madoff, the American financier who bilked billions of dollars from unsuspecting investors...
Rookie Mistakes
My wife and I had spent a beautiful late-summer weekend removing planks from our deck and paneling from our family room to prepare for a...
It’s All About Timing
The weekend had been a busy one. My wife and I had lots of family in town and staying with us. Among them were six...