"When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man
around. But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished at how much he had learned in seven
years." - Mark Twain
www.amarkmoment.com
02/23/2011
My Father
www.amarkmoment.com
10/13/2010
Is this effective advertising?
What do you think? Is this effective? What would you change?
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09/04/2010
Hold the peanuts please! That would be just too much!
Hold the peanuts please! That would be just too much!
I am 30 min from landing in Phoenix on a flight on US airlines out of Cancun. I am so hungry and so annoyed that I am not even sure what to say. It is clear that airlines have lost their minds. This flight was scheduled for 4 hours and 43 minutes. The truth is by the time we get off this plane we will have been on it for about 5 hours and 20 minutes. And for anyone who has not flown internationally recently you better believe I was in the check in line 2 hours earlier. Here is the bottom line. I have not eaten in just over 7 hours. I paid a couple hundred bucks for this flight but apparently that only covers one cup of orange juice. No snack, no lunch, nothing. Am I the only person who thinks this is insane?
If you are a marketing executive in an airline at this point your job could not get any earlier. I have been on about a dozen flights this year and I am sooooo tired of not knowing what I am going to get. I remember the days, though admittedly the memories have grown faint, when you got on an airplane and you received headphones, a snack (or lunch if you are crossing half a continent!) and even a juice or maybe even two! Admittedly in those days you have no idea if the food was edible but at least it looked like they tired. US Airlines is not even trying!
At this point the next time I am looking for flight and it was $50 more but I was certain I would get a snack and a drink I would be sold! And there is not way it cost the Airlines $50 for a pack of peanuts or one of those legendary lunches. I never would have thought there would be value in peanuts.
For the record not all airlines are this bad. US airlines has truly taken the number one spot of the worst airlines I have flown this year. I am certain I will not be here again.
Throw me a bone or at least a pack of peanuts.
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08/10/2010
Leadership practical, applicable in 44 words!
Leadership practical, applicable in 44 words!
1) Know the goal.
2) Listen to all levels. Ask: how can we achieve this goal?
3) Empower others
4) Adjust the approach as needed …do not derail away from the end goal.
5) Stop worrying about the popular path chooses the right one.
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07/24/2010
Moments of Challenge
The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort, but where he stands in moments of challenge and conteversy – Martin Luther King
06/12/2010
The de-evolution of shopping brought to you by Walmart
Ok … first I have always been a huge fan of Walmart. Their background logistics, worldwide sourcing, world class data collection and ability to analyze shopping patterns, predict consumer needs are unparalleled.
Here is my rant of the month!
This week I walked into the Walmart close to my house and as I approached the till I noticed a new Interac payment unit. (for people outside of Canada Interac payment allows us to pay directly from our bank account and is one of the most popular methods of payment in this country) As I stepped up to the unit with my wallet in my left hand my bank card in my right I tapped the lit screen thinking it was a touch screen but nothing happened.
Then I saw something that gave me a flash back 20 years ago. Attached to the unit was a pen! The screen was only activated by the tethered pen. I had to put my wallet down (I never put it down I am afraid I will leave it) to free up my hand which was annoying and added seconds to the transaction. Now seconds may not sound like a big deal but as a brilliant consulting friend of mine said to me “always look for wasted seconds, wasted pennies” and this is why.
If the average transaction takes 20 seconds and you simple add 2 more (this pen deal added 3 to 6) to that time. That is a 10 percent increase in costs.
Or to put some soft numbers to it. If you have 5 tills open for 16 hours a day before the change that is 80 man hours a day. After the change you need 88 man hours. Over the year this is huge!!
Before the change
80 man hours a day
365 days a year
=29,200 man hours
After the change
88 man hours a day
365 days a year
=32,120 man hours
That is a very conservative increase of 2920 hours if the average employee costs $10 per hour that is an increase of $29,200 in labor.
In the competitive world of supermarkets where self check out is the winning trend this is a loosing choice. I have already not shopped there 2 times this week as I did not want to wait in the longer lines and when I am at the checkout I will always have to put my wallet down to grab the pen.
There are too many places I can shop for me to accept this change and in a world where the consumer is getting used to being treated like kings don’t pawn a pen on me.
www.amarkmoment.com/
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05/07/2010
You have to love these people! Sure they can be annoying at times but in the end you want to be around them right?
For years I spent so much time trying to get things done that I did not stop to enjoy the process or better yet be the joy in someone elses process. Weather you are the front line sales person and interact with your clients everyday, creating their experience. Or you are the leader of the pack and spend your days amongst your employees remember one thing. Be enjoyable to be around.
Happy people may be annoying at times but they are far more attractive then angry and annoyed people.
Be happy! It is a simple choice that will pay off huge!
www.amarkmoment.com/
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05/06/2010
Do you think this will work?
So often the “To Do List” seems greater than the number of hours in a day. The fact is time is the only thing that is fair in life. Look at your “To Do list” I am certain you will find many useless urgent and extremely unimportant things that you always get done. Think of one incredible hard goal you want to achieve and break it down into actions you can do daily that will take you there.
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Put those steps into your daily plan and stick to it. Just as a body builder has to consistently go to the gym and eat properly and a scholar must study constantly for you to achieve what you want you have to take consistent action. It may not be urgent but it is important so get to it!
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05/05/2010
"Happiness lies in the joy of achievement and the thrill of creative effort." - Franklin D.
"Happiness lies in the joy of achievement and the thrill of creative effort." - Franklin D.
Roosevelt
Roosevelt
www.amarkmoment.com/
I enjoy hearing your feedback! Leave your comments or e-mail me anytime.
Thanks for all the retweets!
I enjoy hearing your feedback! Leave your comments or e-mail me anytime.
Thanks for all the retweets!
05/04/2010
"Treat others as ends, never as means." - Dag Hammerskjold
"Treat others as ends, never as means." - Dag Hammerskjold
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Thanks for all the retweets!
