Posts by Mark Morgan Ford
Procter & Gamble Is Finding Out What You Already Know
“There is far more opportunity than there is ability.” – Thomas Edison Some major manufacturers are smartening up about traditional (image) advertising. “Despite spending billions on traditional advertising,” The Wall Street Journal reported, Procter & Gamble believes that the 10 seconds when a customer sees the product on the shelf may be one of its…
Read MoreBeating Cancer: Does Early Detection Help?
I’ve often wondered whether modern medicine’s approach to cancer makes any sense. The usual routine: You have a pain. Your doctor sends you to a specialist for diagnosis. You are told you’ve got a deadly disease. And the rest of your life is ruined by surgery; chemotherapy, radiation, and the horror of thinking you are…
Read MoreWhich Type of Business Is Right For You?
On Monday, I gave you some advice to help you choose a career. Today, I’m going to talk about something else that might help you make that decision. At the very least, I hope it gets you to think about jobs and careers in a new way. Whatever you intend to do for a living…
Read MoreHow to Choose a Great Career
They say there are three critical decisions in life: 1. What you choose to do. 2. Who you choose to do it with. 3. And where you choose to do it. Today, we are going to talk about the first one: your career. Whether you’re just starting out or are considering making a change, what…
Read MoreHave You Done That One Great Thing? What Are You Waiting For?
Time passes so damn quickly. And as you get older, it speeds up so much that, if you don’t do something about it, your life will take place without including the person who’s buried deep inside you. You know the person I mean. The dreamer. The bright, starry-eyed optimist that was once in charge of…
Read MoreHow to Learn Almost Anything Better
“It’s never too late to be who you might have been.” – George Eliot Most of my academic accomplishments have occurred outside of school. Learning to speak French, for example. I did that in a six-week, nothing-but-French, total immersion program in Africa. The knowledge I have of the history of the English language, of enjoying…
Read MoreSlow Down to Smell the Roses, Part 2
As I said Monday, if you want to not only achieve your goals but also have time to enjoy the “little” things in life, you need to eliminate your energy-sapping time killers. I mentioned obvious time killers – like watching TV, playing video games, and surfing the Net. But I saved the worst one for…
Read MoreSlow Down to Smell the Roses, Part 1
“Have regular hours for work and play; make each day both useful and pleasant, and prove that you understand the worth of time by employing it well. Then youth will be delightful, old age will bring few regrets, and life will become a beautiful success.” – Louisa May Alcott My father died last year. Several…
Read MoreThe Arrogance of Competence
“I remind myself every morning: Nothing I say this day will teach me anything. So if I’m going to learn, I must do it by listening.” – Larry King Often, the biggest danger we face in our careers is not the challenge of our competition nor the envy of those we surpass but what happens…
Read MoreShould You Borrow to Invest in Real Estate?
“Buying a home is usually a wise financial decision because it allows you to invest your hard-earned income in a real asset that builds equity.” – Lamar S. Smith SC, a good friend, has been reading what I’ve been saying in Automatic Wealth about investing in real estate. This morning, he e-mailed me with this…
Read MoreConfidence and Overconfidence: Getting the Formula Right, Part 2
On Monday, I explained why overconfidence in taking on new initiatives may lead to failure: You are likely to jump into projects that have little or no chance of succeeding, But I pointed out that under-confidence, too, can lead to failure. In this case, because you pass up good opportunities, fearing that you don’t have…
Read MoreHow to Make Business Deals That Last
If you think business is about driving a hard bargain and writing a binding contract, you just don’t get it. Yes, you may be able to bully and/or dupe your way to getting what you want. But you’ll turn what could become a good, productive lifetime relationship into a one-time gain – and damage your…
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