JOHN T. PETERS

JOHN T. PETERS

Startup Advice — Fail Quickly, Fail Cheaply, and Fail Often

April 3, 2019 No Comments

I’ve written a lot on the topic of startup advice, but it’s still a hot issue in today’s business world especially as it relates to entrepreneurs and startups, so I’m writing about it again. The topic? The speed required by startups versus speed in the world of Corporate America. Read on. I remember speaking with a friend with whom I had worked before at two different organizations. One was my own startup, which I later successfully sold, and one was a large, well-established company. He had been having some challenges at his place of employment, specifically with the speed at which things were getting done (read that: “not done”).  We had some fun talking about the startup environment and how it differs from Corporate America. It was an interesting conversation, and I thought I’d share some of our discussion points and startup advice. Startup Advice — Speed is Everything I’ve now sold two startups, so I’ve worked in everything from small companies with less than ten employees to big, public companies with tens of thousands of employees, so my startup advice comes from the trenches. One thing is for sure, there’s nothing like the speed of a startup to keep you engaged and motivated. It’s like a special kind of drug, and one that entrepreneurs thrive on. Have an idea on Sunday, discuss it Monday morning, do a bit of research and flesh it out on Monday afternoon, start ideating on Tuesday, and start developing on Wednesday. A short time later, you launch. Sure, more complex ideas and builds take longer, but you get the idea. When things get done at this speed, you get to try things, lots of things.  If they work, great!  If something doesn’t work, fix it. If it still doesn’t work, toss it and start over. I’m someone who likes to keep things moving. Stagnancy is excruciating to me which is why I’ve always included at the top of my list of startup advice this adage: “Fail quickly, fail cheaply, and fail often.” Let me explain. Startups and Corporate America — And How They Are Similar Whether you’re running a startup or working in Corporate America, the reality is that there are often many similarities. Especially when it comes to having great ideas, implementing them as quickly as possible, and evaluating the results. Failing quickly is critically important. When it comes to failing, what you don’t want is one of those long, painful, expensive failures. Chances are good that you’re nodding about here, because you’ve found yourself in this position before. You know what I mean. The project that swallows thousands of people hours and hundreds of thousands, or even millions of dollars. Worse yet, during that time, the company isn’t really trying anything else, because everyone at the company is so focused on the project, they let their collective brains take a vacation from creativity. Then one day comes the realization or actually, it’s more like a validation, that the company’s brain-child isn’t going to be the great success everyone had hoped. Worse, there will be some people who will want to keep it going to save face until a more “suitable” time is found to kill it. Having found myself in this situation in the past, with data in hand, I would politely and appropriately and yes, sometimes even passionately, voice my concerns and offer alternative points of view. Sometimes my points were taken into consideration, sometimes not. In the end, you win some, you lose some. So goes the life of being an executive in a big company. Accomplishing Digital Transformation in Corporate America Doesn’t Have to Be Difficult As evidenced by my statement above, when I’ve worked as part of a large organization in the Corporate America world, I’ve never lost sight of the fact that being a good corporate citizen is a critical component of success. This is especially true if you’ve been hired in a role that requires you to disrupt the status quo, move the company in new directions and essentially be a “Change Agent.” Human beings inherently don’t like change, and if that’s your job, understanding how to navigate through the process of digital transformation and culture transformation is essential. The best way to do that is with a people-centric focus, working to build the proper, internal partnerships, working together to define and establish goals, gather support for your projects and initiatives, and get them approved and in motion. Getting them over the finish line? Another important goal, and you’ll have buy-in from leadership and your team supporting you on those initiatives, which will make a big difference. A Story About Innovation and Disruption: From a 150-Year-Old Company One thing I’ve learned from my experiences is the size or age of a company doesn’t predestine it to over-complication. I ran digital strategy and business development for Rand McNally, the maps and directions company. Though it was a 150-year-old company, things ran pretty quickly there. As proof, they acquired Tripology (where I was the CEO), soup to nuts, within two and a half weeks. Trust me, this 150-year-old company could move quickly and understood the importance of disrupting the business-as-usual mindset. As is often the case, this aspect of speed came from the top. Dave Muscatel, Rand McNally’s CEO at the time, understood the need for speed and how speed drives innovation. As a result, he was relentless. He pushed me and the rest of his executive team to keep things moving along at a good clip, and we did. Everyone (okay, almost everyone) was on the same page—business teams, engineers, the operations staff, and even the attorneys. Obstacles and roadblocks were dealt with quickly, together, as a team. I really enjoyed my time at Rand McNally and one of the reasons was the culture of innovation and disruption fostered by the leadership team. It felt like working at a startup, even though it wasn’t. In today’s business world, that’s often not only what you need to thrive and grow,

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13 Best Tips for Traveling with Kids in 2019

March 12, 2019 No Comments

I’ve written about this before, and I have a feeling I might catch some heat again.  However, before you throw stones at me, read the whole post. For years, I’ve been traveling on planes listening to screaming, misbehaving, and crying kids. I must admit something very dark; I hated kids on planes. Just the sight of them made me cringe.  I would spy them in the waiting areas and try to judge how misbehaved they’d be and what my odds were that they would be sitting within one row of me or worse, next to me! I’d also look at their parents to see how attentive they were. I recall one flight when I was sitting next to a man (he in the aisle and I in the middle seat – so, as you can imagine, I was already pissed) and the two children behind us wouldn’t be quiet and were amazingly rambunctious. The man next to me continued to read his Wall Street Journalas if there was nothing wrong.  As the kids bounced and yelled, he kept reading.  Then the kids started playing “go fish.” As they did, they threw their cards, proceeded to slam the tray table connected to my seat repeatedly.  All the mother did was kept repeating “Calm down, you are bothering the nice man in front of you.”  (Ya think?) However, after one hundred times of saying this, I’m sure all the kids heard was “way to go, make more noise.” One last slam and I turned around and said to the mother something like “Look, I’m normally a nice guy, but the fact you continue to sit there and do nothing while your children bang on my chair is unbelievable to me.”  Her response? “Sorry, but they’re only children.” The slamming stopped for a few minutes, and I turned to the guy sitting and reading his newspaper.  (Note: he hadn’t moved and, to my amazement, was still calmly reading.) I commented to him, “Do you believe this?”  His response? “I’ve got four kids at home. This is nothing. I honestly don’t hear a thing.”  I couldn’t believe his response and thought for a moment that he might have been their father. You know, a dad who travels with the family but acts as if he doesn’t know them? As for me at the time, I never thought I could deal with kids on a plane. That is, until my wife became pregnant with our first child. I knew, at that moment, I was going to have to grow up and get with the program.  One thing I learned from my travel experiences was 90% of a child’s behavior on the plane was in direct proportion to the effort put forth by the parents. Yes, Mom and Dad, your children are your responsibility on planes or in hotels or anywhere else for that matter. Ignoring them in your own home is fine, but ignoring them while they significantly effect someone else’s travel by slamming the back of someone’s seat isn’t. TIPS FOR TRAVELING WITH CHILDREN Fast forward many years, I now have two children, 12 and 10. Both are avid flyers, and I wanted to share our tips, especially for younger children. The following is a list of what we did when our children were younger to make sure we, and the people around us, had a good experience. It’s not a foolproof plan, but it worked for us, so here goes. Plan. Plan out the trip and leave yourself extra time to get around, get to the gates, etc. “Winging it” with small kids is never a good idea. You’re better off being early than frantically trying to make a flight. And speaking of flights, try to time them so the kids will be sleeping. I’m not suggesting the red-eye flights, but early morning or later flights always worked well for us. Snacks! Kids love snacks. Pack plenty of them (stick to finger foods) and not the messy kind. (Think pretzels, gold fish). Since you can’t take fluids with you through security, remember to buy extra bottles of water after you get through security. Stay away from the sugary juices so they don’t get more active. Plus, drinking extra water on flights is beneficial to people of all ages to prevent dehydration.  If your children prefers milk, make sure you purchase some of that too since the drink cart on the plane doesn’t always have some. Packing. In general, don’t overpack like crazy. Yes, you’ll see me say below to bring extra clothes, but don’t go crazy. Kill Germs. Airports and planes are dirty. Bring disinfectant wipes and wipe down everything around your child on the plane: arm rests, tray tables, wall, window shade – everything. Carry Purell and wipe/disinfect their hands and yours regularly. OK, germs killed. We still do this today as a way to keep us all from getting sick. Bring Extra Supplies. For younger kids, the diaper bag has to be filled, complete with any supply that might ever be needed for any possible reason.  Extra diapers and supplies (30% more than you think you need – just in case of delays), paper towels, a cloth towel just in case you have to mop up a spill, plastic bags and Ziploc baggies and an infinite supply of wipes. Plus don’t forget and extra change of clothes.  Bring a little air-freshener too. Trust me, you may be used to your little-one’s spit-up smell, but everyone around you won’t appreciate it. My wife also has a toiletry bag that she stuffs with basic medication, just in case. A small supply of things like Tylenol, Benadryl and anything else you’ve used is good to have. You don’t want to have to find a 24-hour Walgreens at 3:00 a.m. with a sick kiddo. Keep ‘em Busy. Children’s attention spans are short at a young age.  When the kids were younger, I planned the 15-minute activity list; one surprise activity per 15 minutes. Keep them busy and they are

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New Authorization Required for Travel to Europe!

March 9, 2019 No Comments

(This post has been updated to clarify that the ETIAS authorization is not a “visa.” Rather, the application process is for travel “authorization.”) As American citizens, we’re spoiled. We’ve got an incredibly strong passport and traveling to Europe has always been easy; just book and go. As long as you’re going for fewer than 90 days, there’s no paperwork and no hassle. Well, that’s about to change. In 2021, less than two years from now, US citizens will need a three-year, ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorization System) authorization. The ETIAS authorization is technically not a visa, but rather it is a travel authorization to enter most European countries, including Greece, France, and Italy (full list of the 26 countries below). Apparently, it’ll be a simple online process to be done, and paid for, in advance through secure online payment. To get an authorization to enter these countries, you’ll have to apply online at the ETIAS website. To enroll, you’ll need a valid US Passport (valid for at least three months beyond your intended stay return date), a credit or debit card and a valid email address (to be able to receive the ETIAS confirmation). You’ll also have to enter a valid street address for your permanent residence and valid phone number during registration. The cost is said to be roughly $8 (eight dollars) per person, so no big deal there. According to the ETIAS website, the authorization will be multi-entry, meaning you can use it multiple times in the three-year validity period and you’ll be able to use the same authorization to visit more than one country. This authorization will specifically apply to the 26 European countries of the ETIAS Schengen zone. These include: Austria Belgium Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Finland France Germany Greece Hungary Iceland Italy Latvia Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Malta Netherlands Norway Poland Portugal Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden Switzerland The EU countries of Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia, Cyprus and Ireland are not part of the Schengen Area and have their own regulations regarding visas, if required. The ETIAS website states there will be few restrictions on the applications to “promote tourism while maintaining a high level of international security.” I’m all for international security, believe me. However, I’m fairly certain this will hurt European tourism, because this isn’t just for US citizens. This impacts travelers from 60 countries to which this new authorization requirement applies. Now, you’ll tell me that many people around the world are accustomed to having to apply for visas to travel, even Americans traveling to certain places. Then you’ll tell me that having am authorization system in place indicates a higher security level. That may well be true, but I still think this will hurt European tourism – though just a bit. After all, we enter our basic contact information and credit card pretty regularly online to shop on sites like Amazon. Travel however, is a little different. Having to take out your passport and apply for an authorization online will deter some people. We’ll have to see how the traveling public will react. If I were (still) an international tour operator and yacht cruise line company, I’d be preparing to make this as easy as possible for my clients. I’d immediately start working with every single middle-man vendor and travel partner in the travel booking process, to make sure the application procedure (with links) are mentioned everywhere online and with travel agents. I’d even offer tele-support assistance for the application process, despite it apparently being an easy online form. For my travel friends, all I have to say is let’s get organized and make a, hopefully, easy application even easier for travelers. For my fellow travelers, a simple online authorization application is but a small, extra step to see some of the most beautiful places on earth and have an experience of a lifetime. For more and updated information, visit the ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorization System) site for updated information.

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Creating Strategic Partnerships using LinkedIn

March 4, 2019 No Comments

Throughout my entire professional career, I have focused on creating strong, mutually beneficial, strategic partnerships. I’ve done hundreds of them. I have partnered with companies of all sizes, both public and private, for a variety of projects.  Most partnerships were successful, though some were clearly not. Even in the cases where mistakes were made, I have learned from all of these experiences and I believe I have “partnering” down to a science. Partnering is part of my professional DNA and I’ve always looked to create a culture of partnerships, both external and internal, to help me accelerate growth, drive innovation and improve the customer experience. Creating partnerships has always made perfect sense to me. Lately however, I seem to be bumping into people who don’t know how to partner with other companies or worse, people of the “I can do this myself” mindset. So, I thought I’d write about why and how to create a successful strategic partnership and include key components where I not only use, but rely on, LinkedIn.   WHY PARTNER? There are plenty of great reasons to create a strategic partnership with another, complementary organization. A good strategic partnership will allow you to: Quickly create a larger following Grow your business and drive revenue Get access to new markets, new ideas, technology, innovation and resources Speed up the time-to-market timeline for your product or service Improve customer satisfaction Spread and enhance reputation Provide extra brainpower Reduce risk Reduce costs (through economies of scale) Obtain an alternative point of view Think about it; you likely have a great idea to build, launch or promote something. Ideally, you want to do this as quickly, economically and as successfully as possible, all with the least amount of risk. What better way to accomplish this than with the help of a partner or multiple partners? Before you do however, there are some key points to consider.   UNDERSTANDING YOUR MARKET Before you start pitching a partnership idea, you have to be sure you have a solid understanding of your market. I know, your first response is “Of course I do!” Well, let me be clear; this is one of the most important aspects of a good strategic partnership. If you’re a startup, you may very well have some initial research you included in your investor pitch deck. If you’re working for an established company, you may have some applicable (but possibly dated) information. Either way, while these are good starts, you’ll need even more information and more data. Make sure your research is up to date and as complete as possible. There’s nothing worse than a partnership proposal with dated or incomplete data. It kills the validity of your proposal.   FRAMING THE CONCEPT OF THE PARTNERSHIP Picking the right partner is key. However, before you actually approach anyone about a strategic partnership, you have some work to do. You’ll first want to clearly define your goals and they shouldn’t be vague. Rather you’ll need to clearly articulate specific goals as this will make your partnership proposal more meaningful and more attractive. More importantly, they will also allow you to decide which potential partners to approach. Then, you’ll need to identify your strengths. What are you good at? What is easy for you to do? What are the best parts about your IP. This is what you’ll be bringing to the partnership and what the potential partner will most be interested in. If you walk into a partnership proposal with nothing but a list of “wants and needs” but nothing to offer in return, you’re setting yourself up for failure. The goal here is to make the proposal win-win! Next, you’ll have to be completely honest with yourself and identify your biggest weaknesses. They may be technological, financial or having to do with customer acquisition, etc. These weaknesses are your gaps and it is these gaps which will help you identify the best potential partner. In other words, you will be most successful if you find a partner who will fill as many of your gaps as possible. Remember, you’re looking for synergy here. Keep in mind you may have to partner with multiple companies to fill these gaps, even if it is for a single project. Note though, adding more than one partner at a time for any given project makes things a little more complicated. After you’ve identified your gaps, start thinking about the type of company you would like as a partner. Is it a big, established company? Is it a smaller, more nimble one? Is it a company with a large social following? Would it have to be local or could you partner with a company in another state or even another country? Taking all this information into context, you should now be able to brainstorm and make a list of the companies which fill your gaps and with which you would like to partner. Or, at the very least, you’ll have the criteria for potential partners.   INTERNAL FRAMING OF THE INITIAL, BASIC PITCH  For your initial outreach to potential partners, you’ll need basic bullet points for conversations and emails. You’ll want to concisely convey enough information about the potential partnership to get them interested, but not so much that someone else could take your idea and run with it. You also don’t want them to simply judge, from your first outreach, they’re not interested. Make sure you mention the basics of your idea, what you bring to the table, how you would like them to be involved, and how they (the company) would benefit. Remember, the goal here is to secure a time for a short, initial conversation so you can convey an exciting opportunity, over the phone or in person.   FINDING THE RIGHT PARTNERS The first thing you’ll need to do once you have a preliminary list of potential partners (or at least the criteria for potential partners) is to start your research. Clearly, the best way to do this is

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What a trip to Whole Foods will teach you about branding and company culture.

November 18, 2017 No Comments

A few weeks ago I went food shopping at my local (but regional chain) grocery store. I shop for food in a few places as I can’t seem to find one store that offers me everything. I wandered the store gathering my items when I realized I couldn’t find this one type of snack my daughter likes. I swear I went up and down every aisle, but no luck. I finally found an employee walking my way and I asked politely if she knew where these snacks were. “Aisle twelve I think” and she kept walking. She was polite enough and clearly had someplace to go, but she wasn’t very helpful. I went to aisle twelve, again, but still no luck. I was exasperated and left without the snacks. My experience definitely soured me on the store and the brand. This got me thinking about branding and how clearly the company hadn’t aligned their brand building efforts with their customer service actions. But what is a ‘brand’ really? What is a Brand, Really? So, what is a brand, really? There are many definitions of ‘brand’ of which you might be aware. Since you’re not likely branding your cattle (the older definition of brand), let’s focus on what people think is the newer definition. A brand is a logo and what it stands for – what comes to mind when people think about a company or something it offers. Think search engine, think Google. Think fast internet product delivery, think Amazon Prime. Think organic, think Whole Foods. You get the idea. Here’s the problem. The older definition of brand limits us to what people see. The newer definition of a brand limits us to what people think. Guess what? They’re both wrong as far as definitions go. They’re wrong because they only focus on perception, on what happens in the eyes of the customer and potential customer outside the company walls. But your brand is more than your logo, more than what’s in your ads, more than what’s on your website and more than what’s in your sales presentations. Your brand is who you are, what you believe in. It’s the relationships that you’ve made; both internal and external. Your brand is how your employees feel when they show up for work. Your brand is your operational processes. Your brand is your core purpose and this is something you can’t broadcast, rather it is something that is believed and built by everyone working at your organization and by every one of your customers and potential customers. Your Brand is Who You Are You ARE your brand. You might not think so, but every single employee has a role to play in working together to build your brand. From the front-line folks to the back-office staff to the team out in the factory to the executive management – all of you are your brand. How you talk to and interact with customers, how you treat employees – THIS is your brand and this goes far beyond the cool logo and website you’ve created or even the unique service you offer that you think people care about. How Do You Build That Brand? So how do you build a brand, that brand, the brand that personifies you and your company? You do it by working together to deliver unique value. Doing that in a polite, responsible, meaningful way is the only way to build your brand. Don’t forget, each day your customers are besieged with ads, calls, emails; literally thousands of messages. And, if you don’t have the budget to outspend your competition on marketing, you can compete with value. But in the end, what really matters is this: People will remember how you made them feel more than they’ll remember what you said. People like to do business with people they like. So, in addition to offering a wonderful product or service that your clients need, you can build your brand through the experiences you offer customers. How were they treated when they called your office? How were they treated when they had a complaint? Did you deliver on your promises? Did you make them wait days or weeks for an email response or transfer their call three times? Did you, even once, point to some fine print during a customer service issue? It all comes down to human insight. Do you really know your customer? Do you know what drives them? Do you have the human insight to really connect with them? You have to tailor your approaches to clients based on their personality and ambitions. You already know you have to offer value, but you have to do so in a way that makes them feel good about doing business with you. When you understand your clients on a human level, you can create win-win relationships based on who your customer really is. Again, this can’t be broadcast. Your marketing is purely a way to begin a dialogue with customers. Then you have to deliver value with every interaction, not just value for money, but value for their time and value for their trust. Make them FEEL special. THIS is your brand. So, how do you build your brand? It starts with you. It starts when you believe you ALWAYS have to be at your best to truly offer value to your customers. Being at your best takes insight, it takes empathy and imagination on how you might connect with customers better, on how you’ll make them FEEL. Why a Trip to Whole Foods Can Teach You About Branding Last week I went to my local Whole Foods store. As I walked in, I was greeted by the person behind the juice bar. As I shopped, I realized (again) that I couldn’t find something so I asked someone who was stocking shelves; “Excuse me, do you know where the fig bars are located?” I waited for him to tell me they were in aisle twelve, but instead he stopped

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The greatest email you’ll ever send.

November 20, 2014 No Comments

I was recently on a plane. This isn’t unusual for me as I’m on a plane a few times a week. I proudly use “Road Warrior” as a description of myself because I’m in travel, so you can say I practice my trade all the time. Like most road warriors, I’m always surrounded by people, though amazingly, it’s still very easy to be lonely while traveling. Days, weeks and months pass (airline miles and hotel points rack up) and time seems to disappear before your eyes. While I consider myself pretty good about keeping in touch with people (via phone, social media, etc.) I started to think about all the things I’d want people to know in the event, well, that I wasn’t around anymore. I know, it’s a bit morbid so hear me out. In the event you weren’t here on this earth tomorrow, what would you want the important people in your life to know? So, I started to type an email. I imagined not being able to ever speak to anyone ever again. I typed and poured my heart out and I kept typing. I’m not going to give you all the details, but the evolution of the email was pretty amazing and what I’m going to do with the email might interest you. I started with my wife. I reminded her about all the things I love and admire about her.  I reminisced about when we met, how I felt, etc. Mostly, I thanked her and told her how much I appreciated her, because I don’t do that enough. I imagined we were having the last conversation we’d ever have, and these were my notes. I also reminded her of my washboard abs and long flowing hair, not because I actually have those, but I wanted to be sure she’d smile. You can imagine, the words kept flowing from my brain onto the screen. Then I wrote to my children. Both under ten years of age, I needed to keep it relevant to their lives now. I wrote about how much I love them and how proud I am of them, especially how kind they are. Then I thought I should write things that would be pertinent to them as they grew up. Again, I told them how much I loved them, but now I added things like how they needed to cherish one another and yes, take care of Mommy. As I kept writing, I had to change my tone, giving advice for the things I know were likely to happen as they grew up; love, heartbreak, picking the right friends, the right job and making all sorts of decisions. Then I wrote to my parents. I told them about how much I loved them and I thanked them for everything they’ve ever done for me. I also apologized for nearly burning down the house when I was a kid, but that’s another post. Then I wrote to my sister and then to my extended family and then to my best friends. Then, I even wrote my last social media post entitled “If you’re reading this, it was nice knowing you.” When I thought I was done with the email, I re-read it and made changes. Turns out, this continued for many flights.  Honestly, I’m still not done, but I have to say, writing this email has been an amazing experience. I have since taken the time to call people just to tell them I love them, to thank them and basically tell them everything I wrote, using it as a script. So what am I going to do with this email (after a few more additions)? I’m going to send it to the people I love. Why wait? What is worth saying, is worth saying now. Breathe. Think. Type. You’ll enjoy this as will the people you love. 

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Upset? Stressed at work? Read this.

October 22, 2014 No Comments

If you’re upset about something at work or if you’re otherwise stressed about your commute or something someone said, this post is for you. The other day, I was on a Delta flight. It was a small plane (maybe 15 rows in all) flying from Ithaca to Detroit to connect to Chicago. It was a short, smooth flight. The flight attendant (a woman who I guess was in her early 60s) was expertly and quickly serving beverages. It’s Breast Cancer Awareness month, so she was wearing a pink ribbon pin. The female passenger sitting in front of me asked the flight attendant “Are you a survivor?” Her response, delivered with a smile, was “Twice!” The passenger then said “I just lost my sister last month…” and they proceeded to have a quiet, personal conversation. As they conversed, the flight attendant continued prepping cups with ice, etc. but not in a way that was disrespectful. They talked for a few minutes. I saw the flight attendant put her hand on the woman’s shoulder and the passenger’s head leaned towards the flight attendant’s hand. It was a raw, beautiful moment between two strangers who found an immediate connection. Just then, the man sitting behind me, who couldn’t hear the conversation, started complaining to his seatmate about the slow service. I turned around and said “There’s a reason they’re talking, just chill a minute.” His response? “I can only imagine.” Well, I thought, no you can’t. There’s a lesson here; we need to take a step back and evaluate what’s really important in life. I have family members who are ill and friends who are ill and friends who have lost their spouses. You think they care about anything other than getting better? No, because they’ve been given a glimpse of reality. They know health is the most important thing. They know life is fleeting. You’d think we too would learn to appreciate life more. We see these things and for a moment, or an hour or a day, we do, but sooner or later, we forget. I’m blessed with a special needs niece who has taught me more about what’s really important in life than most other people. You want to get a better perspective on life? Spend time in a children’s hospital. You’ll *never* look at your work email inbox the same again because, and here’s the point of this post, in the scheme of life, it’s irrelevant. That person at the office who always disagrees with you? Irrelevant. Being upset or annoyed about most anything work related? Irrelevant and a waste of time and energy. I’m not saying you shouldn’t be passionate about what you do, but take it all in stride. Do your job to the fullest, be passionate but don’t sweat the small stuff. I proudly serve on the board of Make-A-Wish (Mid-Atlantic region) because helping children is a priority of mine. Plus, it grounds me. So, if you know me, you know I don’t take myself too seriously. You know I inject humor in most everything. You know I love my family and doing just about anything with my kids, including sewing patches on my daughter’s Girl Scout uniform or making funny art with breakfast food just to make the kids smile. Some people at work may think I come off aloof sometimes, but really, I’m listening to you complain about something so stupid, I only wish there were some way I could help you see what you’re missing. The truth is, it’s hard. We’re so embroiled with our days. It happens to me too. The other lesson here is you never know what is going on with someone. If someone is being an idiot at the office, maybe they just had a fight with their spouse or maybe they’re in financial trouble or maybe someone they love is sick. Hey, its life, it happens. So, before you rail on them, pause. Don’t attack, just relax. Don’t complain, just explain. You’ll likely find there is more to that person than you realize. You may even find an opportunity to be there for them, like the above mentioned flight attendant. Sure, they may genuinely be a toxic, negative person. That happens too sometimes. If that’s the case, just walk away and forget it. Let it roll off your back, just like water off a duck. The thing to do with these people is avoid them. Then, call your spouse and tell her or him you love them. Kiss and hug your kids. Call your parents to say you love them. You never know what tomorrow will bring. Breathe. Enjoy today. Enjoy now.

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Business Travelers: I insulted someone this week.

February 25, 2014 No Comments

Business travelers! I insulted someone this week and learned a lesson; one I believe you’ll want to know about.  I travel a great deal.  I’m in hotels 200+ nights and fly over 150,000 miles a year. Want to know something else? I think I do my share of tipping. I have believed for a long time that we in the travel industry and those who are road warriors, need to set an example for everyone else when it comes to many things “travel,” tipping included. Let’s start with the taxi drivers. I tip 20% for rides where the taxi was clean, the driver courteous and the ride smooth.  Dirty taxi? You lose 5%. Drive like Mario Andretti and make me nauseous? I’ll ask you to slow down.  If you don’t, you lose another 5% or more. Does your car reek of body odor or too much air freshener or cologne? You lose a couple of points there as well.  If the ride is under ten bucks, I tip 25% and start with the same deductions.  If you do something extraordinary, like say “Please” and “thank you” I offer more of a tip.  Help me with my bags? That’s a couple extra points as well. By the way, the lack of service in most taxis is why I use Uber as often as possible (though I’m disappointed to hear of recent price gouging accusations). Next is hotel maid service.  I tip $3 a day when I stay in a hotel, leaving the money on the desk in the room before checking out.  I think this service is overlooked by many.  Sure, it “comes with the room” but why do these folks get shorted by most people?  They work hard to clean our rooms and make our beds; they should be rewarded for good service. Here is where I learned a big lesson last week; tipping hotel porters and doormen.  Yes, I tip these folks as well.  I have one hotel at which I spend a great deal of time; more than 120 nights a year. The other day I arrived at the hotel, and the hotel porter, an older gentleman in his 60s, offered to take my bags.  I said “That’s okay, but thanks for asking.” I then offered him a few dollars because I watched so many people turn his service down.  His response: “Sir, thanks for the offer, but please let me earn it.”  There it was; by offering a tip, a truly honest gesture of goodwill, I insulted the man.  This was a man simply trying to earn a living, yet I offered charity.  I felt horrible.  I immediately placed my bags down, and said “I’d love for you to help me with my bags – thank you.”  Inside the lobby near the check-in area, he asked if I’d like help getting my bags to my room.  I, of course, said yes. All I have when I travel is a small roller bag and a briefcase (both with wheels) and I really did not need any help.  I navigate obstacles, shuttle busses, moving walkways and airplane aisles with ease (though remind me to tell you about an unfortunate accident where I skewered my own privates in a horrific escalator dismount).  Yet, by asking for help with my bags, I offered an opportunity for a older gentleman to earn a tip and prove, to all who watched in the lobby, that doormen and porters are still a useful hotel service.  What did I tip?  $8, about $1 for every minute he was with me. I wanted to give him more but I worried I’d insult him again with an over-tip. The lesson?  While wheeled luggage makes it so easy for us to get around, we in travel and those who travel need to tip more. Let’s take care of the people who help us and those who work to preserve hospitality services we all remember so fondly. Somewhere, someplace, we made a maid smile and made a hotel porter feel like a man. What advice do you have for tipping while traveling?

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Remembering 9/11

September 11, 2013 No Comments

Remembering friends and neighbors lost. Remembering not knowing where my wife was for hours and feeling so relieved when I heard her voice. Remembering wondering if my cousin and other friends made it out. Remembering finally realizing who didn’t. Remembering finding out about those who charged in to help others out, but who never made it out themselves. Remembering my next door neighbor who sat on the front stoop for days waiting for her husband who never did come home. Remembering those jumping from the towers to avoid the flames. I remember the smell of NY. I remember 9/11/01 and I will not forget it. Ever.

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