As you read this post there are less than 130 days to go in 2008–130 days until the clock strikes midnight and we all welcome in 2009–130 days to make something happen this year. Clearly the state of the economy is very challenging…maybe the most challenging readers have ever faced.
As August comes to a close, you might be missing your goals. Frankly you might be missing your goals by a tremendous amount. You might be missing your personal goals by a ton and have absolutely no chance of hitting them or even coming close… or at least it feels that way. My reaction to the past few sentences is “so what?” Maybe all that is true, but until December 31, 2008 is upon us and you go to sleep, you never know what can happen. Sometimes surprises happen. There have been so many times I have been involved with a proposal or a piece of business that I thought we never had a chance to win and lo and behold when the client made the decision we were the victor. Things can turn around quickly as long as you keep focused, keep trying to make things happen.
It is very easy to throw in the towel when you believe your goals are not within reach. It is very easy to not work as hard as you did in the beginning of the year because of the economy or what is happening to your clients. I say do the hard thing. Keep working as hard as you did early on and who knows? At the end of the year you might surprise yourself and your company.
At the end of the year no matter what the numbers may suggest, I want to make sure I can look myself in the mirror and say that I did everything within my power to have a good year. If I am able to do that and we miss our numbers I will be disappointed but not angry with myself. My hope is that everyone at M/A/R/C Research can do and say the same thing.
So I ask you, “Can you look yourself in the mirror at the end of 2008?”
I look forward to your comments and thoughts.
This past year I celebrated traveling my 1,000,000th mile on American Airlines. I have always traveled a great deal and probably have flown over 2,000,000 miles in the past 25 years. I used to love to travel and can still remember my first big business trip I went on way back in the 80’s when Marianne Schafer and Field Facts sent me to the AMA conference which happened to be in Palm Springs, CA. What a GREAT spot!
At the end of the flight, let any kids who want to, take a picture with the captain in the cockpit. I think my kids would like to do this. It would be easy to do. When you land, make a quick announcement and ask those interested to stay seated until everyone is off the plane. Then they can come up and meet the captain and take a picture. I don’t think it would take a long time, and it would probably give the kids a memory forever.
When I was asked to be a guest blogger, I was torn on the subject of my entry:
It was the unbelievable attention to detail when it came to the vision and creativity that went into the conception, planning, and execution of this massive production. I was captivated by the details in the story it told and how it all unfolded and the transitions it made between all artistic forms: performance art, choreography, costume, colors/lighting, timing, music, illustration, technology, martial arts etc. It was awe-inspiring, and just the thing that made me jump up off the couch and run to the computer to blog about it.
In a few months, the colder weather will be upon us. For folks who are fortunate to live in Texas, that means it will be 85 degrees and beautiful. It also means that the conference season is here as well. Within an eight week period, the 
A few weeks ago I got an email (thanks BM) that at first looked like a criptoquote. I looked at it again and to my amazement it was something a little different. This gave me time to pause and think about how the human mind works.
When you see a piece about athletes in the newspaper, on ESPN SportsCenter, or in online articles, chances are it has a negative spin. The athlete did something wrong. Frequently we see sports athletes getting arrested or accused about something. Like most of you I am tired of it! Let’s focus on something a little different today.
A few weeks ago I was playing (or trying to play) a game with my kids. Not sure but it might have been Go Fish or Concentration. During the game we were joking around and laughing when all of a sudden a new TV show comes on (apparently one of their favorites) and so long to Dad and the card game. I tried to be rational with two boys under seven by saying "you have to finish something that you started". Clearly that didn’t work, and now they were mesmerized in a trancelike state as they were watching 
For the past 5+ years I have been on the Market Research Association (MRA) National board. During that time, I have had the opportunity to work with and be led by some great presidents.
This president that I am referring to is Jane Cook. She is much more than just a past president of the MRA. She is a daughter, wife, mother, business executive and friend. Jane is that one person you COULD always count on to be there for you. Jane listened to you when you were down and gave needed advice that usually was right on. She is one special lady who always had time for everyone. She is beautiful on the inside and out and has a smile that would always force you to say yes no matter what she asked. She is always even-keeled and has so many other special qualities it would take me hours to list each and every one of them.
