Archive for March, 2008
Mar
31
Sprint
Posted by: | CommentsI saw a great commercial last night. The CEO of Sprint, Dan Hese, actually stepped in to promote his product. Not only did he make a proactive decision to be the voice for his product, which is important these days, but is encouraging consumers to contact his office directly. I read about a guy who contacted Dan the day after he saw the commercial and got an auto-response. No update as far as whether he’s received direct communication as of yet. But I’m talking about the MOVE Dan made by communicating to the marketplace.
httpv://youtube.com/watch?v=ni-VeMEx6pA
This takes me back to the time at Penton with David Nussbaum at the helm. I believe the CEO’s office should always be open for their employees. David Nussbaum was easily accessible. Whether it was through an email, telephone or a face-to-face meeting when he was in town for Executive meetings. He communicated with his employees and recognized their worth. After Prism purchased Penton Media nearly a year ago, it all changed. Our new CEO, John French, isn’t nearly as available as David was.
Sprint has seen its share of hard times. They lost over 330,000 subscribers in 2007′s third quarter fiscal alone. But this commercial is a wise move for Sprint. Yes, it’s blatant PR overload, but it is a move that sparks communication. Sprint is looking at their portfolio and realize they have to change the way they bring their message to market. Dan Hese took responsibility….
Mar
30
Spare Room
Posted by: | CommentsDo you have one of those, “I don’t know what to do with it” spare rooms in your house? You know the one. It’s where you put your miscellaneous items. The “temporary” home for stacks of mail and magazines or boxes of clothes you intend to bring to GoodWill. All the items you don’t have a place for anywhere else in your home. Although I’m known as a Clean Freak amongst my circle of friends, I had one myself. Through no fault of our own, it eventually becomes a trash can with windows.
I bought my house in August of last year, and have been going back and forth on what I wanted to do with the second bedroom. Being that it’s just me here, it wasn’t a big priority. It transformed into an unorganized catch all and the room had no energy whatsoever. Yesterday I decided to tackle the project and clean it out . I went deep into the room; cleaning windows and the closet. I even took the door off to open the space. Let me say this. If you have one of these rooms, and you’ve had it for awhile, I GUARANTEE 90% of what’s in there can probably be thrown away. I had 2 garbage bags full by the time I was finished.
Now I’m not claiming to be the next Nate Berkus, but it was such a nice feeling when it was finished. Cleaning the closet was a cleansing ritual. It was the last of my “old life.” I found shoes that I’ve had for at least 10 years, old letters from Ex’s and ratty old pillows. When I came across the pillows, I was disgusted. I have no idea where they came from! After the room was totally cleaned out and open, I had a clear vision of what the room could become. It’s looking like a creative space. My office.
So, if you have one of these rooms, try setting some time aside to at least clean the clutter out. Once the room is open, you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the possibilities.
Stay tuned for updates on the Spare Room on Fir..
Mar
28
My Muse…My Teacher…
Posted by: | CommentsIt’s extremely difficult finding someone to admire these days, but after many years of searching for inspiration and passion, I found a Muse. My song and voice. He has transformed my body and soul.
The journey started in my early 20′s. I dove deep into the practice of Yoga and was introduced to my first Muse. A Catholic Priest who introduced me to art, philosophy, chanting and Kundalini. He is also a certified Yoga teacher. **Note**: the limitations the Holy Church places on physical relationships is crazy to me. He began to see the limitations in his life as a priest, and eventually filed for divorce from the Church. Unfortunately, he had other duties that called him away and we lost touch.
After my first companion took the “high” road, I created a mental check list when it comes to finding a Muse.
- Connection – spiritually
- Passion – aspires to become a better version and improves their students lives
- Communication – bouncing ideas off each other and sharing experiences
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Motivation – pushes me
After many years of practicing Yoga, I decided to take a physical fitness hiatus. There wasn’t really a particular reason for the break, there were just other areas in my life I wanted to focus on. But as I approached 35, I knew it was time to step up my game and take care of myself. This was when I walked into White Cloud Studios and met my second Muse.
All four credentials are officially checked off. Each class when I lay on the reformer, I feel his energy. Classes have been even more exciting lately. He’s been focusing on classical Pilates, the way Joseph Pilates intended. There is so much hype in the Physical Fitness world. Boot camp, endless exercise equipment infomercials, Yogalates, Hot Yoga, Naked Yoga, it never ends. It comes down to one rule of thought. If you’re looking for an ideal fitness practice, start searching for your Muse. Look for a real connection with a teacher. When he or she walks into your life, everything changes.
Homer, in Book I of The Odyssey
“Sing to me of the man, Muse, the man of twists and turns
driven time and again off course, once he had plundered
the hallowed heights of Troy.”(Robert Fagles translation, 1996)
