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The right strategy for shopping centers and malls

admin — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 16:03:08 +0000

I am impressed by the refined marketing strategy of the Americana at Brand mall. They are using a combination of smart techniques to a) make it a destination worth of going to for all sorts of people, b) make it attractive and convenient to stay there, c) make it easy to get around, and d) incentivise and encourage shopping participation. Its no small feat to be sure, but if shopping centers and malls around the nation could learn and duplicate their efforts, it might just be what gets America shopping again.

Read the full AdAge article here.

Old Sayings are Old for a Reason

admin — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 16:48:26 +0000

It’s easy to make fun of tired cliches and old adages – the only problem is these saying usually become cliches because they are, in the most part, true. Or at least, they express something just right, better than most other words you could come up with. Think about it.

“Do as I say, not as I do.”
“You don’t always get what you want.”
“The best defense is a good offense.”
“What goes around comes around.”
“It is what it is.”
“Monkey see, monkey do.”
“Ignorance is bliss.”
“Let bygones be bygones.”
“Never bite the hand that feeds you.”
“Rome wasn’t built in a day.”
“Variety is the spice of life.”
“Better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.”
“Don’t judge a book by it’s cover.”
“Actions speak louder than words.”

Granted, not every cliche is good or accurate. Many people are too quick to use them and it can get old hearing them. But before we cast them off as simple annoyances of speech, maybe we should take the time to re-evaluate why they became colloquial staples and think about how we can integrate the lessons they teach into our daily lives.

The Power of a Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

admin — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 17:55:30 +0000

The power of positive thinking. In hard times it is more important than ever to remember how thinking can effect behavior, and ultimately outcomes. You see, it starts with attitude. And with controlled, purpose-driven thought. I have seen this bore out in the last few months of my life and I believe it to be true for all people, all of the time. Now I am a realist, so let’s do a reality check. Happy thoughts don’t always lead to happiness. And good things happen to bad people. But as a rule, we need to focus on the things we can control and abandon the rest.

Thoughts–>Actions–>Change

You have to start at the beginning: the starting line. Thoughts are a precursor to behavior. Focus with intent on good things, and things you can control, and things you want to be or do. Then translate that thought into actions. Often times this will happen naturally. And those actions will be the catalyst for change.

In other words, keep you head up and keep moving forward. You will come out at the end of the tunnel blessed by light.

If You Will Owe Money to the IRS, File an Extension

admin — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 21:17:07 +0000

There is no point in giving the government your money sooner than you really have to, especially in these economic times. It’s easy to file an extension and you can even do it online now – no need for a CPA. A shout out to a friend (Founder & CEO, Ryan Thompson), FileLater.com is quick, easy, and cheap. It was recently highlighted by Killer Startups. Don’t miss it.

Back from the Dead!!

admin — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 19:58:16 +0000

Ok, so maybe my timing isn’t the best. Needless to say, shortly after announcing my blog I let it quietly slip by without activity. I suppose life just got in the way… Well enough of that! I am going to do my best to resume my posts and continue to communicate regularly with all of you. We’ll see how it goes.

Will .MAC finally get its act together?

admin — Fri, 30 May 2008 19:07:39 +0000

The latest to hit the rumor mills as we approach Apple’s WWDC is a potential name change and revamp of their long stagnant .mac system. .Mac has offered web mail and online storage for quite some time now, but with bare features and limited storage capacity it has fallen way behind the curve. And at $99, it’s no bargain either.

Several sources are currently reporting the story, but apparently Deep Apple was the first to do so and found references to the name change in the OS X 10.5.3 update. The .mac name changed to a placeholder and developer comments in the code confirmed that the name has been (will be) changed.

The speculation is that Steve Job will announce a revamp along with the name change during is WWDC keynote speech – just one of possibly many announcements, including the much anticipated 3G iPhone. No one really knows what these changes could entail, but we can hope. Apple has long had the ability to innovate in the area of online storage and syncing; I can only wonder why they have ignored “the cloud” for so long. My wants: unlimited storage, revamped, full featured and fast web mail, syncing of contacts and data across multiple macs, pcs AND mobile devices, data sharing, etc. all with ease-of-use and elegance Apple is known for. Oh yeah, and make it free with the purchase of any core Apple product.

10 days and counting until Steve Jobs will unveil whatever is up his sleeve…

A Reason to Write

admin — Sun, 18 May 2008 21:00:34 +0000

Blogging. I was completely aware of it from its birth and along its path to mainstream status. But it wasn’t for me. It was for people that had a lot of time on there hands… too much time. Or maybe for narcissists that just needed another outlet to talk about – you guessed it, themselves. Well, fashionably late as usual, I have decided I am now ready to jump on the train and write periodic posts for the world to read. And yes, I said world even though I realize that my Mom may be the only one to subscribe to my musings; or at least the only one to do so without making fun of me in the comments.

Why the change of heart?

I’ve got plenty to say.
I forget things and blogging is the perfect way to organize and archive my thoughts.
It’s a good way to have a conversation with a lot of friends and colleagues about topics I am passionate about – a conversation that I otherwise would not be able to hold on such scale.

So here’s to my first post. I hope you enjoy my thoughts on business, philanthropy, politics, and life.