Like most people--I've always enjoyed reading about managers who talk the talk and walk the walk.  Men and women who have the resume to demand respect--and one of the most respected CEO's is none other than Jack Welch (GE's former CEO). With todays conflux and focus on Big Data managing and how to best evaluate employees, Mr. Welch has a great piece about the balance of using numbers and qualities to judge performance. While he doesn't like the term, rank and yank  with year end evaluations taking place--he offers some insight into how best use what numbers such as quota's, etc in a total evaluation profile. Here's Jack's own words from an Opinion piece in todays' Wall Street Journal: Every now and again—like just this week, for instance, with the announcement that  Microsoft   MSFT  -0.12%  will be changing its performance-appraisal system—some news event unleashes a fresh round of debate about the management practice dubbed ...

BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU THROW OUT FROM YOUR OFFICE!  He was the "rock star" of the Depression-era. America's Public Enemy #1 that helped promote the image of J. Edgar Hoover's FBI. He was a robber, murderer--who idolized Jesse James. He robbed from the "wealthy" to big to fail banks that were hurting the little guy. One half hour before he was shot--he signed an autograph for a young girl who thought he was a dashing Hollywood movie star as he was leaving the Biograph theatre in Chicago. The little girl was attending the Biograph's feature "Manhattan Melodramea" and didn't know who he was--but assumed he was someone famous. The little girl was Francis Ethel Gumm--better known as Judy Garland. The above pics are the original Kansas City Star that I found in my grandfather's family Bible--dating from 1895 (see pic below--along with grandfather and mother's pic circa 1938).   Also discovered, we're two stock c...

BUSINESSMAN, POLITICIAN & FARMER WASHINGTON’S ENTREPRENEURIAL EXAMPLE I have always loved history and trying to put my self inside the shoes of those early Americans to see the world from their perspective—and what we can take away to apply today. In the coming months—I’ll be posting various blogs about historical Americans to give us a sense of life in their time—and what we can learn for our lives. I don’t believe in “puff” pieces—we get enough of that from the media today—but something of real interest that we can learn from and apply in our lives. Several weeks ago I watched a PBS history of Lady Diana Spencer’s family. The Spencer name goes back 500 years in England—and it was her great-great-great grandfather that helped the family of a needy friend, Lawrence Washington—by letting his family stay in one of their homes. Lawrence Washingtons’ heirs came to the new colonies in Virginia—and, the rest is history. By all accounts—George Washington and his ...

As 3-D gradually becomes the new “next” technology we embrace…stunning logos are now possible, along with incredible film experiences. See new 3-D logo (below) Learn more about how The Wizard of Oz was transformed into 3-D, coming to an IMAX near you! According to a Wall Street Journal article several months ago: Run every millimeter of a 1939 film like "The Wizard of Oz" through today's advanced visual effects processes, and you're bound to expose its flaws, reveal its hidden beauty and maybe even bury a conspiracy theory once and for all. "The Wizard of Oz" has been converted to 3-D for a one-week national IMAX theater run beginning Sept. 20 and a (slightly early) 75th anniversary Blu-ray set due in October. First, the urban-myth debunking: The visual-effects professionals who have enhanced the film are prepared to state unequivocally that there was no distraught Munchkin hanging himself from a tree at the end of the first Tin Man sce...

From 1100 A.D., the Viking “Ubsbrecht” logo on their swords. Today— 3-D logo’s and animation can be done very affordably to make your website POP! One of the earliest known “logos” was by a Scandinavian craftsman who produced the "Ubsbrecht" —the first double-edged sword used by the Vikings (ouch! picture). Embossed across the length of the sword, it became a “brand” that the Vikings became associated with—plenty proof of that!  Today—with the advent of computers and software, graphic artists are able to do 3-D logos as well as animating them (pictured above).  You may see animated version of our logo at www.ondemandadvertisingsolutions.com.   Here’s a fun,   history of the logo   post from our friends at British Design Experts. Enjoy! http://visual.ly/history-logo-design If you'd like more great advertising ideas and tips-- CLICK HERE and subscribe to our FREE monthly Marketing & Business Update e-newletter! If you like this po...

Years ago I had the pleasure of attending a Friends of Chamber Music program called, What Makes It Great with the Kansas City Symphony Chorus—conducted by high-energy music professor, Rob Kapilow (I swear he could be Opie Taylor’s double!) Kapilow and the chorus performed several versions of the Messiah, Hallelujah Chorus to demonstrate what makes it great—-and what makes it not so great. Handel wrote the Messiah near the end of his life as he was broke and his health was failing. But what does this have to do with building your business’ brand? Just this…Kapilow demonstrated how Handel “could have” had the chorus sing, “Hallelujah”. They sang it in a monotone…”Hall-Le-lu-jah….with equal inflection on each phrase. It sounded like a droning and boring. But, in Handel’s time—a composer had ONE SHOT to make his reputation, his brand known. Kapilow called it the STICKY IDEA.  So, Handel—just like a business brand had to come up with something that would STICK. He had one opp...

  A NOVEL IDEA--CREATE A PRE-RECORDED JAZZ SHOW--AIR IT WEEKLY ON A LOCAL RADIO STATION--THEN FEATURE THE BAND FIVE NIGHTS EACH WEEK AT YOUR VENUE! Dick Hawk, the owner of the Gaslight Grill in Overland Park, Kansas is an entrepreneur's entrepreneur. From owning a five-star luxury hotel in the Ozarks to an insurance company and now a beautiful restaurant--he's demonstrated how to do it right. The centerpiece of the restaurant is "Lyn Zimmer and the Jazz Band"--heard five nights a week at the Gaslight Grill's back room. Not only are the guests "way above average..", (a phrase Dick Hawk uses often) but the food and service are excellent. The Gaslight Grill advertised with me on our classical station which aired his Dick Hawk's Jazz Show as well several other stations I worked with at Entercom--such as KMBZ. One of our afternoon personalities had enjoyed going to the Gaslight Grill and hearing the music. We ended up...

"In order to do it right--you'd have to get a backhoe and dig up a ten foot section of the front yard...remove the pipe and replace it with a new section. Or...you could hire a guy like me to do it. And I'm not cheap..."  I'd come to know Dick Ray Jr. through handling his father's advertising account on our classical radio station back in the 80's. Owners of Shawnee Mission Plumbing, Heating & Cooling since the 50's--their quality service and reputation are unmatched by many competitors in the Kansas City market. Today, Dick Ray Jr. continues that quality since his parents passing years ago. What distinguished their advertising--was the familiar voice that intro'd all of their ads...."This is Dick Ray the master plumber..." In a casual midwestern drawl , he'd meticulously talk about his time in the Navy, the quality of products they carry--and the fact that nobody...BUT NOBODY has more parts on his truck, than Di...