Monthly Archives: December 2011

December 6, 2011 · 9:53 am

Is On Your Own Right For You?

Today marks four years to the day that I’ve been without a real job. Oh, I have lots of work (although more is always appreciated – you know where to reach me!) but I haven’t held down the sort of job I had for the previous 30 years prior to that day. To commemorate the occasion, I’ll be lunching with the same group of friends who accompanied me that cold December day to welcome me into their world of self-employment. They’re lawyers, consultants, financial advisors – top-shelf professionals who decided that the rewards outside of corporate life outweighed the risks.

I’ve been very fortunate over the last four years to have done my entrepreneurial thing.  If you’re wondering if maybe you could be doing the same, here are a few things you should think about. Continue reading →

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December 5, 2011 · 11:00 am

Let’s Dabble In The Concrete

Let’s start with a quote this week:

In 2012, marketers will need to focus more sharply on hard metrics to gauge digital and social marketing ROI. They will be pushed in this direction by economic and competitive forces, and by rising expectations from internal stakeholders who are more interested in the bottom line than in creative experimentation. Up until now, marketers have been content to dabble in digital and social marketing out of curiosity or peer pressure. But as stakes get higher, these media will have to provide concrete business benefits.

That’s from eMarketer.  I agree wholeheartedly, and here’s why. Continue reading →

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December 2, 2011 · 11:10 am

Dirty Hands

Our food theme today is getting one’s hands dirty.  I thought about this last night as I was watching “Chef Hunter” on The Food Network, a show I really like.  Basically, it’s a job interview for two chefs who want to run a restaurant.  Each chef is given the run of the kitchen for a service and the management evaluates how well they manage the kitchen, the menu, and their food costs.  The chefs also create some special items for the day and the caliber of their cooking is part of the equation.

In last evening’s show, which took place in Hawaii, one chef  generated some interesting comments by the other members of the staff.  The one that triggered my thought may be unfamiliar to you, as it was to me, but it points out an interesting business lesson:  the chef had a high maka maka attitude. Continue reading →

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