The Best Paperboy in the Whole World

Readers of my newsletter were introduced to a boy named Chris back in July. You will want to take a moment to refresh yourself with his story before continuing. Click here to read Chris' story.

So Sunday morning I pull up to my favorite coffee shop on Cape Cod and there is Chris. He remembers my name, where I was from and says he was hoping he was going to see me.

Seems that the summer was good. He is up to 45 papers per day and was able to buy a laptop with his summer earnings. Seems that offering folks reading with their coffee and telling them what was in the paper paid off handsomely for Chris and The Cape Cod Times.

But here was the best part. I offered to buy him something to drink. He declined; someone inside was buying him something.

A couple comes out of the coffee shop. He buys the newspaper from Chris; she hands him his smoothie.

"Not bad" I said. "They're buying the paper from you and they're buying you drinks."

"He is the best paperboy in the whole world" the woman tells me. "Have you heard his spiel."

I just chuckled and said "Yeah, I'm kinda familiar with it. I was there when he came up with it."

Chris looked at me with a silly red face. It was priceless.

Drill Heads Not Oil!

So now we get to see how smart Americans really are.

Gas prices have come back down over the past month. Now some say it was the government while others say it was demand and consumption went down. Rather than argue over who is right (the government never tells the truth anyway, but one more time let's give them some benefit of the doubt), let's assume it was a combination of both.

So just looking at the consumption piece, here's what it means................... We used less oil to get things done. We filled our cars when needed. We stayed closer to home. We did not make unnecessary trips. Our life did not come to an end.

So as you can see we don't need to drill Alaska, we need to drill the above fact into people's heads.

A phrase heard in the hallways of many companies today is "do more with less." How encouraging! The people who have come up with that line should be shot. The people who are reverberating those words throughout the organization need to have their dirt smudged window offices taken away from them. Do More With Less? What kind of stupidity is that? How about "get creativc and do more with what you have?"

As your resources get cut and taken away, how can you do more with what you have? That's the drilling that is needed!

I'm taking my bike to the beach today, not my car.

So I Paid Double. That's Not Why I Showed Up.

Had dinner with seven colleagues last night; the purpose was to discuss Public Relations and working/partnering with the media.

It was a typical "networking" evening; some people willing to give information and others hoping to get lots of information while not contributing a whole lot. At points, some people were tuning themselves out; some were tuning others out.

Well I never saw such chaos when the bill came. Should we ask for separate checks? Who should pay for what? Should this one pay more? He didn't drink? She drank like a fish! I drank too much, let me pay for more.

Just split the damn thing 8 ways!

We're professionals; business owners. If I pay more than I should, so what. I was not there for dinner, I was there for the advice, friendship, guidance, sharing and idea generation that this dinner event was offering - which I did receive. Thanks Jerry, Bonnie, Ronnie, Robin, Noreen, Juan and Alice! So I probably paid double my meal value; it was my choice not to drink. (I can't stand wine anyway) I walked away with a great idea, an idea that could be a lot of fun, offer a needed solution to my market and most likely earn me a "few" bucks more than dinner cost. Is that worth an extra $10, $20, $50, $100?

But it reminded me of a dinner event years ago with 9 women - it was a salad bar. When the check came the chatter about who drank what (coffee/soda was not included) was getting insane. I was seated next to a woman named Phyllis. Phyllis was a feisty sixty-something who was a no-nonsense type of woman - I loved her. Phyllis turns to me and she says "this is why I don't go to dinner with a group of women." I just laughed as I have seen men do the same thing, but felt it was my obligation to protect the male species. Phyllis takes $20 from me and $20 from Lori, who was seated on her other side. She tosses $60 down the end of the table and tells the group to have a ball fighting over the bill. The three of us got up and left. Twenty minutes later we were in the parking lot talking and laughing - we think the bill was still being discussed inside, or perhaps their disgust with us.

Why do you gather with people? For friendship? networking? information? camaraderie? ideas? Or to fight over a few bucks?

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An Easy Way To Be Reminded Of Your Past! But A Good Reason You Should Search It Out.

Okay, this is kinda cool............. Last week I finally offered myself to the world on Facebook. I've had a presence on LinkedIn, but after a short time there I realize it is not social networking; business networking yes, but not social networking; and I still do not know of many people who can trace business back to LinkedIn. Do you?

So I post my Facebook page. I allow Facebook to read my personal database to find people already Facebooked. Not many. Or maybe I know the wrong people? Maybe I'm not connected to the "in" crowd; only the LinkedIn crowd?

But it seems that Vinny was Facebooked and he found me. I received a message from Vinny almost immediately after signing up. Now the question becomes does Vinny spend way too much time on Facebook or was it meant to be????

Vinny and I went to high school together; he was one year ahead of me; sat near each other in calculus. He still looks the same. Sucks when some people don't age. Although maybe he is posting a picture from high school like people do on dating sites; not that I would know. That night Vinny sees Kenny at his photography exhibit; (you can check out Vinny's stuff here: http://vrod62.blogspot.com/.) Kenny was a great friend in high school, an usher in my wedding, my FBLA partner; but we all know how things go; people lose touch over time.

So now Kenny contacts me - the bastard still has his hair; although it is graying. Bald or gray? Which would you rather be? Let me know. Two days later Kenny sees a haunting from my past - Dave; or as we used to call him - Guido. Now Dave and I are back in touch.

In the matter of three days I am back in touch with three people who I actually liked; and will hopefully see in the near future.

But what does this have to do with anything? I think at times we forget not only how the past shaped us, but who in our past shaped us.

So today I blame Vinny, Kenny and Dave for being a part of my refreshing sarcasm, playful attitude, and irreverence. Thanks boys. My audiences thank you too.

And for the rest of you............go get a presence on Facebook. I'll be your friend, but it is very cool to see who in your past might come back to haunt you.

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The View from Third Shift

Third Shift. Most avoid it. Many spend years working their way off of it. Yet there is one person who loves third shift.......................................

The other day I met Steve. Steve is a third shift worker. He works with the handicapped. And has he put it to me the other day, he spends his night changing diapers.

Now while some reading this might think his comment is horrible, let me offer some perspective. I have had the opportunity to speak to Fortune 10 Corporations, small businesses of 20 employees, and everything in between. If you ever need some perspective, live a day in the life of a health care or health and human services provider. Now I am in no way denouncing what employees of Fortune 10 companies do, but I would like to see them roll over a handicapped developmentally disabled person at 2:00 AM and change their diaper - yes literally change the diaper. So many people think they've got it tough. I don't know.

But here was my favorite part of the conversation. I asked Steve to come clean and really tell me why he stays on third shift all these years later when opportunities have been plentiful to work a more traditional workday. He said, "Rich, on third shift I don't have to worry about my handicapped co-workers, and making sure I am not part of the trouble they are forever getting themselves and others into."

Yikes! But perhaps true? Maybe third shift has its benefits?

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Are your employees looking at all that is right with their job or all that is wrong? Give them a dose of Rich. It's time to laugh at workplace craziness, not get crazier. Get in touch with Rich right now

How Not To Become A Rumor

Ever feel like you're just trying to save your reputation? Ever wonder not what people are saying about you, but why? Ever wish you could stop the rumor mill? Here's how I do it.......

Step 1: Be clear that your actions are always honest, sincere and understood.
Step 2: Never open your mouth in front of the nosiest person you can find. Never ask their thoughts on anything. Just say hello and let them do all the talking. Then tell them to have a nice day. Now this could be tough since I know there is an office or neighborhood gossip within earshot of you right now.
Step 3: Document all your actions for public release. Perhaps buy a billboard.
Step 4: Sit back and watch what happens; because no matter how much you try at some point in your life you will be part of a rumor.

Okay, so that is not exactly what I do. Although I have thought about the billboard. It is fact, at some point in our lives we all have had a negative label attached to us; we have all been a target or victim of a rumor. In my Permission to Speed program I address this issue and toss out the idea of finding out what we did to attain that label and the steps we can take to remove it.

Or you can take the other approach..............plot your revenge!

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How To Start A Rumor

Today I offer you a lesson in how to start a rumor.

Step 1: Observe or question something of which you are not certain.
Step 2: Find the nosiest person you can find and ask their thoughts on what you observed. I know there is an office or neighborhood gossip within earshot of you right now.
Step 3: Do not ask the person you observed what they did or what happened. I mean let's face it; that would be the right thing to do.
Step 4: Sit back and watch what happens

Try it today. Try it in your office. Try it at home. Try it at your next social or professional networking event. Try it with your neighbors.

It's amazing how many people are getting fired, overdosed on drugs, are cheating on their spouse, are alcoholics or gamblers, are not capable of maintaining a relationship, are stealing and not telling the truth. With all these terrible people amongst us, we should consider ourselves fortunate to be in the state that we are in.

The other night I watched a neighbor being loaded into an ambulance. I went over to see if I could do anything, like offer the family member a ride to the hospital. I also found out what was actually going on. You'd be shocked at what people had told me they heard by the next morning.

When asked what happened I suggested they go ask and get the real answer direct from the source; because that's how rumors otherwise get started.

Stay tuned until tomorrow; I'll be writing about how to not become a rumor.