Week of September 12, 2016
“September. 11, 2001 seems destined to be the watershed event of our lives and the greatest test for our democracy in our lifetimes.”
Lt. Col. Shelton F. Leskford, U.S. Marine Corps
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This is the 15th Anniversary of the September 11 Attacks
Remember those who died that day and those that served afterwards in the Middle East
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The Hero with the Red Bandana
There is no shortage of stories of heroism from 9/11. Featuring just one feels like an injustice to all the others. However, I don’t want to let the day pass without introducing you to one you probably haven’t heard of; and I do so because in many ways, he may be not that different from you. WSJ columnist and former speech writer to Ronald Reagan, Peggy Noonan, tells us his compelling story in a brief column. Take a minute to learn about the hero with a red bandana.
A 50 Year Winning Streak
Last Thursday was the 50th anniversary of the debut of the original Star Trek television series. Creator Gene Roddenberry should also be referred to as “entrepreneur “ given the economic value (estimated at over $5 billion in revenue) created through five television series (and a sixth to come in 2017) and 12 feature films; plus most importantly, legions of die-hard fans. As a business, Star Trek has been an extraordinary success.
However, the original show’s impact is not limited to dollars and cents. One writer traced the show’s impact on various persons and events over the years. Check out this Vanity Fair article “50 Things That Happened Because of Star Trek.” Some will seem unimportant to you; some will make you glad Mr. Roddenberry pursued his dream of a new kind of science fiction series.
Aside from making money, is YOUR business inspiring anyone?
Become a Knight in 20 Easy Lessons
We occasionally hear that “Chivalry is not dead,” but this cliché would not exist if it were a habit everyone had. One person trying to make it fashionable again is actor Ethan Hawke. One day he and his wife concluded that they needed rules for raising their children. This inspired the creation of a bit of historical fiction about his ancestor, Sir Thomas Hawke, and a letter the knight wrote to his children on the eve of a battle in 1483 in which he perished. The letter sets forth “Twenty Rules for A Knight”. Here’s a list of them with a brief explanation of each.
Which of these traits do you see in the young people in your life; and if not what should you do about it?
Exit Strategy, properly understood
As the Boomers age, many business owners and CEOs are looking for the exits and hoping they time their departure right. One CEO understands that exits happen, but has some interesting things to say about how the C-Level team and owners should be thinking, and talking, about them. This CEO’s email to his employees in response to a question about his exit strategy may help you craft your response when you get the question (and you will, especially from Millennials).
Econ Recon: An Economic Elixir
Friday was a tough day in the markets with the Dow down over 300 points from recent all-time highs. Many say that the pull back is due to speculation that the Fed will be raising rates. Economist Brian Wesbury has a different take. He feels the stock market and Fed are important but they are not the world. Check out his latest blog posting for an explanation of why all money the Fed has created is not an elixir for growth .