BETH’s BLOG – Charting Success: Vistage Chairs Beth Adkisson / Rick Leckey

Your Imaginary Scapegoat…. D-Day Leadership Lessons…..Henry Ford on Steroids……The CEO and the Five Hour Workday……Econ Recon: Long Housing, Short Autos….UK=OK

June 11, 2017

Week of June 12, 2017 “Neither a wise man nor a brave man lies down on the tracks of history to wait for the train of the future to run over him.” Dwight D. Eisenhower Supreme Commander of…

Decision Factors for H@ 2017

June 4, 2017

Edification & Entertainment

Renowned economist Brian Beaulieu draws on the last six months of Vistage/WSJ data to provide valuable insights on navigating the second half of the fiscal year. Decision Factors for H2 2017 Key points: Economic outlook forecasted to stay positive through…

Millennial Facts…Reconsider Your Expectations….The Fisherman and the MBA….Econ Recon: No Stinkin’ Bubble

June 4, 2017

Edification & Entertainment

Week of June 4, 2017 “Beginning today, treat everyone you meet as if they were going to be dead by midnight. Extend to them all the care, kindness and understanding you can muster, and do it with no thought of…

“Love the One You’re With”….Defy The Gap!……How to Plan a Coup….More on That Sucking Sound….Econ Recon: Pendulum and Pricing

May 15, 2017

Edification & Entertainment

Week of May 15, 2017 Happy Mother’s Day! “All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother.” Abraham Lincoln “God could not be everywhere and therefore he made mothers.” Rudyard Kipling…

Are you in Day 1 or Day 2? …..Retail Maneuvers: Part 2…..Your Business and the Bomb…..The Long Game, Properly Understood……Econ Recon: Return of the Flippers?

May 2, 2017

Edification & Entertainment

Week of May 1, 2017 “It is our attitude at the beginning of a difficult task which, more than anything else, will affect its successful outcome. The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his…

Path to the C-Suite?……The Dream: “Over, or Just Ailing.?”.… Retail Maneuvers: The Death of Branding?……Econ Recon: “Look Out Above” ……Look Out Below

April 24, 2017

Edification & Entertainment

Week of April 24, 2017 “Never join a pile-on; always hit ’em when they’re up. Don’t criticize the person who’s already being attacked. What’s the fun in that, where’s the valor? Hit them when they’re flying high, and it…

Have You Peaked? …..No Experience Necessary…….”Tommy Boy” on Sales…

April 16, 2017

Edification & Entertainment

Happy Easter! Week of April 17, 2017 “The whole business thing is predicated a lot on the tax laws. It’s why we rehearse in Canada and not in the U.S. A lot of our astute moves have been basically keeping up…

Inequality-Not What you do, but who you do it for…..Tectonic Tech….Extorted Apple…Bad Stats….. Econ Recon: New Pres; Same Economy….Debt Clock Revisited

March 26, 2017

Edification & Entertainment

Week of March 27, 2017 Chuck Berry Rock and Roll Innovator and Entrepreneur Born: October 18, 1926 Died: March 18, 2017 Inequality-not what you do, but where you do it Income inequality has become one of the defining social and…

Crimes Against Pizza…… X,Y and Now Z….The Useless Class…Good Advice: From Stanford…. .Econ Recon: A Dovish Hike…….Unintended

March 20, 2017

Edification & Entertainment

Week of March 20, 2017 “Thank God every day when you get up that you have something to do that day which must be done whether you like it or not. Being forced to work and forced to do your…

A “Hit or a Myth”?…….About that 80/20 Rule……Are You Constrained?…… Econ Recon: Are You Driving the Next Depression? The Real Reason for the Bull Market

March 5, 2017

Edification & Entertainment

Week of March 7, 2017 “Never allow someone to be your priority while allowing yourself to be their option.” Mark Twain Do You Have a “Hit or a Myth?” Every business wants a competitive advantage but few actually have one, including many…

If Honest Abe had a Press Agent….Age and Treachery…… Attitude vs IQ…. Econ Recon: Keep it Simple Stupid.

February 19, 2017

Edification & Entertainment

Week of February 20, 2016 Monday, February 20 is Presidents’ Day “I hope I shall possess firmness and virtue enough to maintain what I consider the most enviable of all titles: the character of an honest man.” George Washington “Nearly…

Seinfeld on Success……”I, Pencil”…….Conversation Rehab…….Econ Recon: The Plow Horse Plods On…..2017: Looking Good

January 23, 2017

Edification & Entertainment

Week of January 23, 2017 “Man is pushed by drives, but pulled by values.” Viktor Frankl Psychiatrist and WWII Concentration Camp Survivor Author of “Man’s Search for Meaning” and “The Will to Meaning” Seinfeld on Success Jerry Seinfeld made TV history…

Warren Buffet’s 50% Rule…..The 3 People You Meet at Work …..The Parenting is Just Beginning…..SMART Goals or WISE Goals?…..Econ: Recon: Trump Bump Revisited

January 8, 2017

Edification & Entertainment

Week of January 9, 2017 “If we are intended for great ends, we are called to great hazards.” John Henry Newman 1801-1890 Essayist, Novelist and Theologian Warren Buffett’s 50% Rule We think of Warren Buffett’s success as being due to…

The Shenanigan Zone….Rifles or Shotguns?…….” Networking is NOT Working”…..Econ Recon: A Trump Bump? … A Gratitude Sampler

November 21, 2016

Edification & Entertainment

WEEK OF NOVEMBER 21, 2016 “There is one day that is ours. Thanksgiving Day is the one day that is purely American. “ O. Henry American Short Story writer ******* “When a person doesn’t have gratitude, something is missing in his…

McDonald’s BEFORE Ray Kroc……Will you be 1 out of 3? ……Reading Your Prospect’s Mind…

November 7, 2016

Edification & Entertainment

VOTE!! Week of November 7, 2016 “A conservative is a liberal who’s been mugged; a liberal Is a conservative who’s been arrested.” Tom Wolfe Author of the “The Right Stuff” and “The Bonfire of the Vanities” ******* Lessons from McDonald’s…

Are You Becoming a Professional Wrestler?……The Eventual Millionaire……Look For Work, Not a Job- Part 2………Econ Recon: A Long Way from Tight and The Year Ahead

October 30, 2016

Edification & Entertainment

Week of October 31, 2016 “This is the true joy in life; being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one; being thoroughly worn out before you are thrown on the scrap heap; being a force…

An Hour of Power……For Your Kids: Look for Work, Not A Job…..An AI Primer….Disruption or Innovation?……Econ Recon: The End of Growth? Guarded Optimism…

October 24, 2016

Edification & Entertainment

Week of October 24, 2016 “Flatterers are the worst kind of traitors, for they will strengthen thy imperfections, encourage thee in all evils and correct thee in nothing.” Sir Walter Raleigh Explorer, Soldier, Poet 1552-1618 An AI Primer The…

Where to Go, Where to Grow…..The Countess of Computing……..Not as Bad as You Think….Funnel 2.0….Econ Recon: No Going Back…Ready to Rise

October 16, 2016

Edification & Entertainment

Week of October 17, 2016 “There are two things to aim at in life: first, to get what you want; and, after that, to enjoy it. Only the wisest of mankind achieve the second.” Logan Pearsall Smith Where to…

The Edge of Stupid…… Retiring at 40: Ordinary People, Extraordinary Habits…… Stand and Deliver 2.0……Econ Recon: Not Great, But Good Enough…….Inching Optimism….or NOT

October 10, 2016

Edification & Entertainment

Week of October 10, 2016 “You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich. You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong. You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift. You cannot lift the wage earner up by…

Stacking Your (sales) Deck………For Your Child: Where the Money Is…….Are YOU The Next Wells Fargo CEO?….Econ Recon: Your Next Nightmare….It’s Not Magic

October 2, 2016

Edification & Entertainment

Week of October 3, 2016 Stacking Your (Sales) Deck The only thing worse than sitting through a boring sales presentation is the realization that you’re presenting it. If you don’t want the big question in your listener’s minds to be…

PRE-suade before you PER-suade…..Authority vs Autonomy….Meeting Survival Tricks…..Econ Recon: Crisis? What Crisis?….A Glass Half Empty..

September 25, 2016

Edification & Entertainment

Week of September 26, 2016 ” ‘This time, it’s different’ are the four most expensive words in the English Language.” Ludwig Von Mises Economist, Leader of the Austrian School of Economics 1881-1973 PRE-suade before you PER-suade “What’s well begun is…

Got “Why”?…… The “Bard” on Your Board?…… A Social Media Primer……..Shameless Self Promotion

September 18, 2016

Edification & Entertainment

Week of September 19, 2016 “Talent is a wonderful thing, but it won’t carry a quitter.” Stephen King American Novelist, Author of “Carrie,” “The Shining” and “Hearts in Atlantis” Got “Why” Simon Sinek (see his five minute TED Talk)…

The Hero with the Red Bandana…..A 50 Year Winning Streak…..Become a Knight in 20 Easy Lessons……Exit Strategy, properly understood…Econ Recon: An Economic Elixir?

September 11, 2016

Edification & Entertainment

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 **** This is the…

YOU: Lucky or Smart?….The Memo You Should Have Written….Labor Day Entrepreneurship…A Mentorship Moment…Econ Recon: Your State’s 800 lb Gorilla’s….And the Bull Runs On!

September 5, 2016

Edification & Entertainment

Week of September 5, 2016 “No man needs sympathy because he has to work, because he has a burden to carry. Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.” …

The Self Reliance Myth……The Future of Work….. The REAL Reason for Self Driving Cars…. Econ Recon: Tight…or “Less Loose”; The New Economy is here

August 30, 2016

Edification & Entertainment

Week of August 29, 2016 “You cannot do a kindness too soon; for you never know how soon it will be too late.” Ralph Waldo Emerson 1803-1882 The Self Reliance Myth We glorify the lone entrepreneur (Bill Gates, Steve…

Do NOT Follow Your Passion….Maybe they’re NOT slackers!!!…High Tech, Low Tech, No Tech …..Marketing in Four Steps……Econ Recon: Trading Up

August 22, 2016

Edification & Entertainment

“When you are in any contest, you should work as if there were, to the very last minute, a chance to lose it. This is battle, this is politics, this is anything.” — Dwight D. Eisenhower, Supreme Commander, Allied Forces in Europe during…

C-Suites and the “Strong, Silent Type”…..The Cubs’ REAL Problem…..30 Paths to Value…… The edge is the EDGE…….Econ Recon: “Seduction, not punishment”

August 14, 2016

Edification & Entertainment

Week of August 15, 2016 “Every now and then a man’s mind is stretched by a new idea or or sensation, and never shrinks back to its former dimensions.” Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. 1841-1935 Supreme Court Justice C-Suites…

The Price of Nice…..4 Ways to a Second Chance….. The Longevity Economy….Econ Recon: An Recovery Worthy of the Name?…..Now THAT’s an Application Letter!!

August 8, 2016

Edification & Entertainment

Week of August 8, 2016 FOR YOUR EDIFICATION AND ENTERTAINMENT: The Price of Nice It’s been said that we don’t get a second chance to make a first impression. Legendary Alabama football coach “Bear” Bryant shares a compelling story of…

When Behavior Trumps Performance

July 26, 2016

Leadership

When Behavior Trumps Performance July 11, 2016 by Charles V. Firlotte For several years now a good friend and I have been running on a well-established trail in his town. Our conversations are far ranging, from politics to the…

Don’t Just Do Something! Stand There!……Are You a “Cheetah” or “Lamb?……Trust on One Page….. Do You Know Dr. Deming? …..Econ Recon: Sugar Highs and ‘Trouble with the Curve’

July 25, 2016

Edification & Entertainment

“It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all.” J. K. Rowling Author of the “Harry Potter” books “Avoiding danger is no safer in…

Niche Brands are the new Kings of Retail

July 20, 2016

Edification & Entertainment

Your Personal Titanic…….Big Data Part 3 (The Scary Part)……The First American’s Success Strategy…… ……..Econ Recon: An Improving Trend…but a Lack of Confidence

July 17, 2016

Edification & Entertainment, Leadership

image credit: Getty Images “Don’t cling to a mistake just because you spent a lot of time making it.” Aubrey DeGrey Author and gerontologist The First American’s Success Strategy Benjamin Franklin has been called “The First American.” By any…

The Man Who Rented Cars……You and Big Data ….Does This Man Have the Future “Wired?”….Econ Recon: The Four Ways to Create Wealth

July 10, 2016

Edification & Entertainment

image credit: Pensacola News Journal Week of July 11, 2016 “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” Arthur C. Clarke Author of “2001: A Space Odyssey” who pioneered the concept of the telecommunications satellite. The Man Who Rented…

The Big “Why” of the Fourth of July…..Expertise Not Required…..Mr Milken Explains it All….Memo to Your CIO….Econ Recon: In Praise of Uncertaint

July 4, 2016

Edification & Entertainment

Week of July 4, 2016 “When the people fear the government, there is tyranny. When the government fears the people, there is liberty.” Thomas Jefferson *** “Freedom is nothing but a chance to be better.” Albert Camus The Big…

Millennials

June 28, 2016

Edification & Entertainment, Videos Worth Watching

The Price of Nice …..HR, Are You There?…..Dueling Commercials…..Econ Recon- Brexit Briefing

June 28, 2016

Edification & Entertainment, Leadership

image credit: Shutterstock Week of June 27, 2016 “The secret of a long life is double careers. One to about age sixty, then another for the next thirty years.” David Ogilvy Founder of advertising giant Ogilvy and Mather The Price…

Daddy Data…..Are You a “One Per center?”…How LinkedIN Lucked Out……Lessons from Coach Yo-Yo……The Life Altering Power of the Small….Econ Recon: A Brexit Primer

June 19, 2016

Edification & Entertainment, Leadership

image credit: Corbis Week of June 20, 2016 “My father didn’t tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it.” Clarence Budington Kelland American writer and journalist “Daddy Data” Something as important as fatherhood…

Stand and REALLY Deliver ( 46% more) …..Queen Mary’s Annual Address….Hacking Yourself…….Econ Recon: Elections, Politics and Stocks

June 13, 2016

Have You Heard?

Image credit: OpenCulture Week of June 13, 2016 “There is no better test of a man’s ultimate chivalry and integrity than how he behaves when he is wrong.” G.K. Chesterton British Author and Essayist Author of the “The Father Brown…

How to stop screwing yourself over…

June 7, 2016

Videos Worth Watching

Take a moment and watch this inspiring video:

Finding a Kinder Tide – Week of June 6, 2016

June 6, 2016

Edification & Entertainment, Leadership

Week of June 6, 2016 Monday, June 6 is the 72nd Anniversary of D-Day: The Allied Invasion of Europe “This operation is not being planned with any alternatives. This operation is planned as a victory, and that’s the way it’s…

The Most Dangerous Service

June 3, 2016

Edification & Entertainment, Have You Heard?

Week of May 30, 2016 MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND People sleep peacefully in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf. Attributed to George Orwell, Author of “1984” ——————— Heroism is…

An interesting blog to follow

June 3, 2016

Leadership, Useful Financial info

Please do yourself a favor and follow Terry Liebman’s new blog: https://terryliebman.wordpress.com/ Terry Liebman is the founding member of Liebman Group Advisors, LLC. Mr. Liebman has almost 35 years experience in commercial and single-family real estate space, business leadership…

Congrats to all the Graduates!

June 1, 2016

Edification & Entertainment, Have You Heard?, Organizational Thoughts

Congrats to all the Graduates! Week of May 16, 2016 “We have never assumed here that a senior with a diploma is an educated man. Who, indeed, ever is? He is a potentially educated man, who knows how to continue his education…