Rich's Blog

Playing with Turtles

Rich — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 10:54:09 +0000

Now that the Dangerous Kitchen blog is up and running, I’m sure to be posting there much more than here. Please spread the word. And so, here’s a post about the danger of playing with turtles…

The Winter Olympics (a haiku)

Rich — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 13:31:56 +0000

Nations send their best But who goes home with the gold — Champions or brands? * When national athletes train in distant lands; when they become ex-patriots just to get into the games; when the pressures and benefits of sponsorship outweigh those of the competition itself, you can’t help but wonder if maybe some of our Olympic integrity [...]

The iPad (a haiku)

Rich — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 11:17:57 +0000

Elegant design. Form. Function. Simplicity. And yet, we complain.* * Apple unveils “the next big thing” to some critical…disappointment. As best as I can sum up the reaction as I’ve seen/heard it: “Yeah, we like the iPad, but it’s just a big iPod Touch. Or an iPhone without the phone, or the camera. We don’t see this as the [...]

It’s Not A Frackin’ Bus

Rich — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 11:18:33 +0000

Disclaimer: I have yet to read Jim Collins’ “Good To Great,” and so, forgive me if I offend anyone’s sensibilities. But, this morning I started writing a blog post (on another subject), and this thought came to mind, so I decided to write about it instead… Many people have quoted Jim Collins’ “who before what” analogy [...]

The Start-up (a haiku)

Rich — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 15:46:43 +0000

Big thinking, small funds. Long days and multiple hats. A labor of love. Written at 3AM this morning, as I lay awake planning next steps for Dangerous Kitchen, the new go-to-market agency founded upon many of the principles in this blog.

What Are We Talking About?

Rich — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 13:58:49 +0000

I’m reminded of the following story after attempting to explain our new business’s value proposition to a fellow early-morning dog walker yesterday. She offered up some excellent feedback: “It wasn’t until you [finally] put it in Malcom Gladwell terminology that it became totally clear to me.” Which means I still need to work on the pitch. So, [...]

Playing Office

Rich — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 14:33:30 +0000

My grandfather was the owner of a prosperous coat manufacturing company. When we were young, my siblings and I would often go on a magical trip to “the city” (NYC) and visit “the place.” Too much fun running around the joint, getting lost in the racks of fur coats and playing “office.” 40+ years later, I’m [...]

The Digital World (a haiku)

Rich — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 13:32:17 +0000

The Digital World Pundits, naysayers, voyeurs The clamor of LIFE* * Conversation at lunch yesterday included how cacophonous the online world is. True. But, in this truly global medium, where everyone is an expert (at least, in the moment), everyone has a say (even if their opinion is based on empty thinking) and everyone can pursue their heart’s desires (to [...]

Go To Market Paradgim – Revised

Rich — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 12:39:24 +0000

After some rumination, I realized there was a critical factor missing from my treatise on the go-to-market paradigm: Experience. No small omission there, since customer — and staff — experiences with your products, services and business itself are so important to profitability and sustainability. Check out diagrams 4 & 5…

Casual Friday (a haiku)

Rich — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 13:06:46 +0000

Casual Friday. Denims and no ties in sight. Sweats? Flip flops? Midriffs?* * How casual is too casual? Rachel Zupek from CareerBuilder writes about it here.

Carnegie Deli Jumps The Shark

Rich — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 12:15:32 +0000

My wife and I recently had the pleasure of lunching in NY with my esteemed friend, Peter Firestein. Because of timing and prxoimity we decided to dine at the venerable (and touristy) Carnegie Deli at 7th Ave and 55th. This place is legendary. USA Today has called it “the most famous deli in the United States.” [...]

Dancing On The Ceiling

Rich — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 15:05:40 +0000

Every company has a ceiling, or a number of ceilings, which prevent employees from reaching new heights. Whether it’s a function of the org chart, or the limitations of internal systems, or lack of new and different work, people are going to hit some stopping points and make some choices: Push at the extremities Coast Look for an exit There’s [...]

Swimming Upstream

Rich — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 13:19:32 +0000

Success doesn't always mean struggling against the current.

Every Dog Needs A Job

Rich — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 13:09:26 +0000

Your dog sits at home, biding her time until your return. But then… Hey, look! Someone’s coming! It’s The Letter Carrier! He’s not One Of Us! I have to protect hearth and home! Bark! Bark bark! Bark bark bark bark bark! Bark bark bark bark bark bark! Yay! He’s leaving! Yay! My barking worked! Just like the last [...]

The Art Of Giving Thanks

Rich — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 12:45:02 +0000

“Thank you” is a powerful means of communication. It completes a connection between offer and acceptance. It embodies an appreciation for gifts or value bestowed. In essence, it expresses an awareness of connection between one person and another. And “thank you” is not just a phrase. Giving thanks can take just about any form of appreciation, from a few [...]

Hard, Harder, Hardest – Finding, empowering and working with an agency

Rich — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 12:53:12 +0000

Looking for a marketing agency? Some thoughts to consider… Hard: Finding an agency that gets it. We’re living in a noisy era of message saturation where the customer is, more often than not, in control of who, what, where, when, why and how they allow brands into their communication stream. Agencies that simply try to bolt new [...]

Avoidance Behavior

Rich — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 12:45:13 +0000

I once worked at a company where everyone — and I mean everyone — avoided the IT department. The IT people were incredibly hard to work with, had a major attitude problem and generally said “no” to every reasonable request (at least it certainly felt that way). Sound familiar? Now, before one of my IT friends sends me [...]

Downsizing (a haiku)

Rich — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:51:54 +0000

Pink slips and furloughs. Cost cutting through attrition. Solvency? Doubtful.* * According to the Wharton School of Business: “Research has shown that if a company announces a downsizing without a broader reference to a strategic plan, its stock price will, on average, drop 5% to 6% over the next several days, according to [Michael Useem, a management professor at [...]

Dissing The Hired Help

Rich — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:19:23 +0000

My wife and I recently ate dinner at a lovely restaurant in Vancouver. Excellent food. Fabulous view of the sunset over the water. Our server, Beth, attentively took us to our table, chatted us up in a friendly way and discussed the pallet of options. Very nice woman. The manager, Scott, stopped by to pay a cordial [...]

Agency Prenuptial Agreement

Rich — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:45:34 +0000

Ruminations on an agency “prenuptial agreement” with its clients… As your agency, we have one, primary goal: to help you make money by doing what we do best. So love us for our brains, not just our big paint brushes. We aim for results — “killer” creative and awards are merely a by-product. As happy as we are to [...]