This is a good exercise. Grab a piece of paper. Turn off the inputs and interruptions. In through the nose, out through the mouth. Namaste. Now answer the question: “What can I change, improve upon, upgrade, do, or fix in just one or two minutes, that will have a lasting impact on my work?” A Read More…
Category: Nothing to do with wine in particular
A seven year (payment) plan
How far forward do you plan? Some very smart people insist that five year and ten-year goal setting is not realistic. That there is no way to project that far and know what will happen with the economy, your industry, or even the state of the world. I see their point, but they are wrong. Read More…
Looking backward …
… rarely helps. Yes, you can learn from the past. But you can also think too hard about it, too often. Try this: think about the past and the mistakes you or your company made (“We hired that lazy good for nothing that derailed the team and sucked down morale”). Make a full list. It’s Read More…
Being relevant
To be relevant in an industry is the simple goal for most workers and most businesses. To be a restaurant that gets mentioned in the “top 10” lists. To be a wine that retailers are asking for, not being loaded upon. To be an employee asked for an opinion on an internal matter. To be somebody Read More…
You have permission …
… to take the simple path instead of the complicated path. … to take time off to rebalance and think big thoughts. … to find success while others struggle. … to put your own name and identity out there before your company. … to take a break after reaching goals. … to work smarter instead Read More…
The Bourdain Tragedy
Foodies, chefs, and lovers of all things food and wine got the terrible news on the morning of June 8th 2018: Anthony Bourdain was no longer with us. That it was suicide was particularly tough to hear and made it all the more frustrating and heartbreaking. Bourdain was one of those great characters on the Read More…
Screwing up (gracefully)
You dropped the ball. Screwed up royally. There are no excuses. Somebody is going to be mad. The owner’s manual on screwing up gracefully reads pretty simply: Own it. Don’t make excuses. Don’t try to hide. Apologize. Hope for the best. Then apologize again. Too bad more people don’t have a copy of the owner’s Read More…
What work should you do today?
The answer is pretty simple, really. Do more of the work that proves to work well for you. Do less of the work that proves to not work well for you. More of what works, less of what doesn’t. Take the time to think about that as you make decisions on how to spend your Read More…
Bird Brains: Proof that there are always haters
If you try to appease everybody all the time you eventually spend an inordinate amount of time appeasing the lowest of the low. In the wine business, there are legendary thugs and bullies that own liquor stores around the country or buy wine for such shops. They harass, they intimidate, they threaten, they position themselves for Read More…
Simplifying networking
“Connection points” and “synergy” are terms often bantered about when it comes to networking. Heck, there are easily 12 other overused buzzwords I could list here. There are whole books, blogs, video series, and courses based on the Art of Networking. At its core networking sounds so easy: The idea that you can help them and they Read More…
The chemistry of learning something new
Let’s put brain chemistry to work for us in the wine sales industry. No, I’m not talking about even more sampling and drinking. I’m talking about learning. Turns out the release of dopamine in the brain — the trigger that happens when you have the first sip of a really great wine, or hear coins Read More…
A simple formula
Here’s the simple formula for success: Exceed expectations. Again and again and again and again and again. There. Done. Simple as that. (Moral of the story: you don’t have to complicate things to achieve success in business.)
Typos vs. Proofreading (vs. Shipping)
My morning routine is to awaken early, before anybody else in the household, feed the cat, start a pot of good strong coffee, and get to work. Creative and positive and clear thoughts fill the morning before the static noise of the day begins, so I like to fish while the fish are biting. If the Read More…
A simple gift
A simple, honest, no-strings-attached, inexpensive, and targeted gift might be one of the most valuable items in the world. A DVD of the last Rush tour for your customer that loves the band. A block of top grade watercolor paper for the restaurant manager who mentioned what she does on off days to relax. A pair Read More…
Ignoring the to-do list
The daily “things I have to do” list is familiar to every single one of us. It’s about urgency. What has to happen TODAY. What has to happen NOW. It’s about checking off boxes and crossing things off that list, and that feels good and triggers a little endorphin rush in the brain and makes Read More…