We all saw the memes* last week of Bernie Sanders at the Inauguration of President Biden, right? Off topic, this is my favorite; but they were good and I started to think of how our news cycle and, in fact the election, was largely guided by memes and decided I needed to have one of my own.  So here it is.

….and here’s why.

All the cool kids are doing social media. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tik Tok, is Snapchat still a thing? But if you think it has surpassed the old dinosaur of email marketing, you are way off…

"I'm as proud of many of the things we haven't done as the things we have done. Innovation is saying no to a thousand things." ~ Steve Jobs

We have a strange relationship with the word “No.” From childhood, we don’t like hearing the word, and as business people, “No” often signals the premature end to opportunity. Hearing a refusal can be painful.

Unfortunately, our dislike of the word too often means many of us have problems saying “No” ourselves. We have a bias to taking on tasks, of saying “Yes” when at all possible. As a result, we overcommit our time and limited resources. Trying to be positive and agreeable, we find ourselves increasing our own overhead beyond a safe…

The swimming pool in my condominium complex has reopened again with certain restrictions pertaining to social distancing. I slip into the water by 9 am every morning and, with one exception, have the pool to myself. My swimming buddy is Frankie “Cheech,” who spends the summer months in New Jersey. (Maybe that is why we understand each other so well while sharing a similar sense of humor.)

The other day Frankie called my attention to four words he learned while in the service. (Rest easy. They are acceptable in social settings.) We have come to refer to these words as the “Four D’s.” I have positioned them as my guiding reminders. They keep me on track, and help me stay focused while I train for an…