Writing is hard. It requires work. And discipline. And a freakin’ idea. But writing it is the best thing I can do with my time. Here’s why: “Thinking is the hardest and most exhausting of all labor; and hence many people shrink from it….Thinking is growth; you cannot think without growing. Every thought engenders another [...]
Gratitude makes everything better because gratitude, without fail, serves to improve our attitude. And isn't our attitude what really matters? How many apparently unhappy people do you see driving very expensive cars? Or complaining that their soup is too cold? Or too hot? How many times do we grumble about our lot in life just [...]
Go to any diner in New Jersey and order a salad. Odds are the salad will come with olives. Odds are those olives will have pits. Olives with pits are not a bad thing. In fact, I enjoy them. The issue is more of a social one. To eat the delicious olive, I must first [...]
I am endlessly fascinated by creativity in the real estate world. I had the opportunity to spend some time recently with John Sims, Chairman and CEO of Marketlogics, a firm that provides creative real estate market advisory services for residential home builders. John's personal philosophy is simple, "People want to feel special. We figure out how [...]
Seth Godin has been saying for years that scaling and mass-production are things of the past, for the simple reason that we have gotten so good at it. We can take any methodology or process and make it more and more efficient. What matters today, according to Godin, is art, honest expressions of individuality and [...]
Online retailer Bonobos, not to be confused with the eponymous simian, wants to be the Amazon of Pants. Men's pants, specifically. [I perused the Bonobos website. They indeed have a wide variety of men's pants. If you live in the West Village. Of if you are built like Adam Scott. The actor or the golfer, take your [...]
In marketing, it sometimes helps to frame yourself based on what you are not (or at least how you do not want to be perceived). For example: "You know those contractors who never get back to you? And don't show up when they say they will? And don't finish the job on time? Yeah, we [...]
It is a sad state of affairs in professional services. Many are real pros that use their ingenuity and creativity to serve their clients. Sadly, some professionals fall short. Here are some reasons why: They don't stretch themselves. If they haven't done it before, they don't want to do it. Or even hear about it. The [...]
I got a call from a friend. My physician, actually. One of his employees was trying to buy a house and was getting into fine physical condition from all the hoops the lender was making her jump through. Her legs were never firmer. The latest vault? The bank needed a certification that a fuel oil [...]
In a recent post I talked about my friend Big Artie and his son, Little Artie and their latest real estate venture. Here are some additional lessons we can take from this exchange: The money in real estate is made on the buy. Your basis in a deal will dictate your outcome. Don't ever count [...]
Negotiation via e-mail is a waste of time and bandwidth. Getting everyone in one room takes time and resources, but in the end it is most efficient way to strike a deal.
In a effort to make my drive time more productive I started listening to podcasts. It has worked well, my head stays full of positive thoughts and I have learned a lot. I have had to create ways to safely take notes in the car (more on that sometime soon) but I have a treasure trove [...]
If someone claims to have a "surefire" marketing/sales system, walk the other way. Here's why: The system is unlikely to be a fit for your business. Or for you personally. The system will force you to do and say things that are unnatural for you. Even if she is not conscious of why, a potential customer will [...]
Do you think that your income as a [insert profession here] is limited in some way? If you think so, you are absolutely correct. You will never exceed that number. Except by accident.
I am a big fan of LinkedIn. It is a great source for news, business and personal improvement tips, marketing, networking and job seeking. But I can't help notice that some people just don't seem to get it. Here are some examples: If you are serious about your business or profession, let me suggest that photos [...]
