Had a business lunch at the Crooked River Grill on Thursday. Melody was our waitress and she greeted us with warmth and enthusiasm. She engaged us in conversation and her interpretation of the menu was nothing short of epic! I had to stop her half way through her explanation of the menu that she’d interpretated as [...]

I was at lunch today with another woman business owner and we were talking about the different generations and their approach to communication, business and customer service. She’d read that this newest generation was taking on traits of their grandparents; embracing the homemade handicrafts. “They are looking to learn how to make or purchase things [...]

Yesterday I was sharing Jeff Nischwitz’s thoughts on networking to build relationships in which he said it is more important to be INTERESTED than interesting. I was reminded of that fact when thumbing through an old, worn copy of How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie, copyright 1936. In the section Six Ways to [...]

Do you still view networking/after hours events as a race to see how many business cards you can gather?  I just recently went to such an event where the host gave a gift to the person who’d obtained the most cards.  How can you build relationships when all you really want is the card.  And [...]

There is nothing that makes me angrier than being ignored.  Well, there are a few things but as a CUSTOMER, being ignored is unforgivable.  It’s rude.  It makes me question my loyalty. Yesterday I stopped by the local Wal-mart where I’d ordered photo prints via the Internet.  The pictures were supposed to be completed by [...]

I need to move two pieces of furniture from the basement to a room on the first floor.  I can’t do it alone and my son has gone to college.  The last time I moved I used Two Men and a Truck and wondered if they would come and help me out. Conveniently they have [...]

I was just attended a fair at which a number of people sat at a series of long tables advertising workshops and classes they were going to be teaching this week.  There were classes on philosophy,scrap-booking, yoga and sailing.  They ran the gambit of education to entertainment; crafting to communication. My Mom and I walked [...]

Remember this scene? Tom Cruise’s self-absorbed character in the movie Jerry McGuire has finally realized what is important in life. Renee stops him before he cries her a river and says “You had me at hello.” Don’t we wish our customers would feel the same way? The first impression we give; our location, our merchandise, [...]