Public TV has a strange business model: Give the product away until the customer decides to pay for it. Try that with HBO or Netflix. Amazing, isn't it, how the public TV service is an engine for our minds? Sesame Street. Downton Abbey. NewsHour... I caught my first glimpse of Monty Python's Flying Circus on the Chicago PBS affiliate. I was probably 13 or so. My wife long ago surpassed me in …
The Cold Truth About Age
I’m not sure when we start applying the lessons of age. It’s a big deal turning five and heading to kindergarten, remember? Sixteen is significant in many cultures. You can vote at 18. There are benchmarks at 21, 25, 39, 40 and 50. By sixty, hopefully, you're okay with more zeros. In 40 years you'll be 100. I don't think that I have met an octogenarian, but three 95 year old's come to …
Most Wonderful Time of the Year Started 9 Months Ago
Christmas is when faith and faith come together. If you know anyone in retail, you’ve probably heard about their love-hate for the holidays. A wondrous time of year if you can avoid the nail-biting that many mom and pop retailers face. They make decisions in February that affects their December. As a group, their anxiety about a new year is probably more than I can handle. They are intrepid, …
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What’s Cooking? Grocer Wars Roll-up in Your Driveway
Karen is an awesome checkout chick. She glides groceries over the scanner effortlessly. Small talk, no problem. Coupons, produce or bonus card questions all in stride. I shop for groceries in a couple of places. Karen's store is my mid-line grocer. They are closest, and usually have everything that I want without the commotion. "We're starting home delivery for the holidays," Karen …
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Toe to Toe with Destiny – whoever she is
What do you do when someone takes aim at your business? They want to destroy you. Take food from your table. Humiliate you. They’re telling customers that they don’t deserve you. Do not ignore them. If President Trump has taught us anything, adapt fast. Don’t be sure that conventional methods are your best way out. Chesty Puller, the legendary USMC general, radioed to HQ that he was …
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Moving the Furniture While You’re Sitting in the Room
The gig economy means that we're all hustlers. My neighbor turns heads as a barber. He needs a six pack of customers every day to keep the lights on. Actors and musicians are those people by nature. Every show closes. You know what I'm talking about. We know the stars names, but what about the veteran character actors that keep the production moving forward. You're that guy. You know, been …
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