Season's Greetings:

You gobbled-down a “nosh” in November, so now is the time to savor December’s delights before the New Year diet begins!   Quick thoughts, ideas, observations or remembrances.  Some tried-and-true; others from the suspect recesses of my mind; many from who knows where?  Hope there’s a tasty morsel that doesn’t cause indigestion!

• Not sure if I read this, heard or dreamed it – we’ve all seen the annoying audio or video clips playing from a gas pump as we filled our cars, right?  What if the local newspaper sponsored local news and information (not advertising) and served it up (whatever that might mean) each time you plugged in to recharge your EV?

(FYI.  If you assume there are just SIX pumps to every gas station/convenience - most definitely a low-ball estimate - store that means there are approximately 1,008,000 gas pumps in the U.S. as opposed to only 160,000 EV charging stations.)

• Kurtz’ Law remains one of my favorites:  There’s usually an inverse relationship between something you think will be hard to do and how easy it ends up being!   Every time I find myself procrastinating this “law” comes to mind.
• Here’s a fun fact from Michigan and something I never thought I’d type - Poop scooping is easier in cold weather.
• Want to bridge political and ideological differences?  What about encouraging elected offices to craft legislation to eliminate spam calls.  The recent AI driven upsurge of these complete wastes of time is getting out of hand.  Come on Congress, do something!  Sure everyone would agree?!  This has bipartisan written all over it!
• I’ll say this again – It HAS to be an infinitesimally small number of people who want to be “managed.”  On the other hand, being led by an inspirational boss who instills a purpose and makes you feel like you are a part of something bigger?  THAT’S a winner!  Lead, inspire; do NOT manage.
• Reverse Matherization – Reward long time subscribers!  (Egad!)  Yes, at the very least thank them.  Acknowledge their two or 10 or 35 years of loyalty on their auto-generated renewal notice for sure.  But how about smaller increases or increases with less frequency.  Give your best something that recognizes their longevity!
• “Make no little plans.  They have no magic to stir men’s blood and probably will not themselves be realized.  Make big plans, aim high in hope and work, remembering that a noble, logical diagram once recorded will never die, but long after we are gone will be a living thing, asserting itself with ever growing insistency.”  Thank you, Daniel Burham.
• Have you heard of B.L.A.S.T.?  Hard not to like this!  The letters stand for Believe / Listen / Apologize / Solve / Thank.  Guess where I first saw this exhortation?  This “reminder” was on the kitchen wall of my nearby, locally owned McDonald’s franchisee.
• Each day and during all our tasks and most certainly on every sales call, ALL of us should channel P.O.T.Y. and friend Leonard Woolsey’s optimism and the words of Bruce Springsteen as he started the show when I last saw him ~ ~

“…g*ddamit, we’re going to deliver the BEST show you’ve ever seen!”

Which naturally leads me to encourage you to have the BEST Holiday Season you’ve ever had and to kick-start 2024 like it’ll be the most successful, enjoyable year on record.

Happy Holidays!