The Power of a Smile…
Have you ever noticed that a smile from someone can just make your day? When I was a phone operator at Nordstrom (I’ve had almost every job at Nordstrom), we used to talk about having a smile in your voice when you answered the phone. Have you ever noticed how much more approachable a friendly voice is rather […]
Be Like Mike
“When you’re screwing up and nobody says anything to you anymore, that means they’ve given up on you.” ― Randy Pausch (The Last Lecture) In loving memory of someone who made me try harder… We continue to enjoy good fortune in the marketplace. As I wrote yesterday, happy clients and perfect quality work create a virtuous […]
Help, I need somebody!
“Help, I need somebody!” There are lots of books about holding people accountable, oftentimes these books focus on the clarity of the responsibilities, measurement, or structuring conversations that cut through the excuses. Yes, these are all important things to focus on. What I don’t like about many of these books is that accountability is more […]
Beware of the Ides of March
“As we live, we can learn” – Ruth Bader Ginsburg Happy Birthday, RBG! “Beware of the ides of March” I am sure many of you remember this phrase from Shakespeare’s play, Julius Ceasar. First whispered by the Soothsayer, then falling into the dialogue between Brutus and Ceasar, finally, Ceasar dismisses the Soothsay as a dreamer and […]
The Difference Between Average and Exceptional Experiences
“Don’t let the fear of losing be greater than the excitement of winning.” – Robert Kiyosaki We live in a time of change where the established patterns of consistency and sameness are being challenged. The new mediums of the web and social media are positioning everyone to contribute to the next big cause, the next […]
Showing That You Care
Saturday evening, I was traveling home in an Uber after a long day. I was tired and ready for a good night’s rest. My best friend had given a podcast on meditation, mostly related to the mind-body connection. The two hosts had those dreamy, serene voices that you’d expect when talking about meditation. Although tired, […]
The Pivotal Moment
In every sporting event, there is a pivotal moment that determines the outcome of the competition. While that moment may seem a matter of luck or stoke of greatness, it is inevitably the byproduct of years of hard work. We celebrate the wins, but what we should be celebrating is the tireless effort and dedication […]
Persistence
“No problem can withstand the assault of sustained thinking.” – Voltaire Hi All, As I walked into the office the day before yesterday, there were two gentlemen waiting at the front door to speak with me. They were from a bank that has been wanting to do business with Tahzoo for some time. I haven’t been available to […]
Are You a Chicken or a Pig?
When I was working at Microsoft, I organized a large project called the Geospatial Data Gateway. It was a database project with all the orthoimagery of the US Department of Agriculture coupled with all the tabular data associated with a common land unit. In one system, you could visualize a plot of land and have […]
Make Your Bed
“There are two types of people who will tell you that you cannot make a difference in this world: those who are afraid to try and those who are afraid you will succeed.” – Ray Goforth There is an old saying… “The difference between people is the books they’ve read and the people they’ve met. I just […]