Posts by Early to Rise
Secrets of Effective Listening
“Not communicating saves energy; it keeps people from worrying about things they cannot do anything about; and it eliminates an enormous amount of useless talk.” – Edwin Newman (Strictly Speaking, 1974) Communication experts are big on the importance of active, empathetic listening. And maybe they should be. But as someone who can’t seem to…
Read MoreYou Can’t Run A Profitable Business By Making “Fun” A Priority
“The fly that prefers sweetness to a long life may drown in honey.” – George Santayana (Dialogues in Limbo, 1925) Inc Magazine says Doug Hall is “America’s top new-product idea man.” Hmm. I thought I was. One of Doug’s most popular “new ideas” — the basis for the book that made him famous in the…
Read MoreF 1 Investing in Real Estate
“An acre in Middlesex is better than a principality in Utopia.” – Thomas Babington Macaulay (Lord Bacon, 1837) Last week, we talked about wealth building in terms of “five secrets”: Secret #1. Get to work an hour early. Secret #2. Practice a financially valuable skill devoted to profitable endeavor. Secret #3. Make an above-average…
Read MoreWealth Building Secret #4: Invest In What You Know
“The first man to fence in a piece of land, saying ‘This is mine,’ and who found people simple enough to believe him, was the real founder of civil society.” – Jean-Jacques Rousseau (Discourse on the Origin and Bases of Inequality Among Men, 1754) Yesterday, I explained my approach to balanced investing: Divide your investing…
Read MoreHow To Solve America’s Educational Problems: Two Solutions
“Was putting a man on the moon actually easier than improving education in our public schools?” – B.F. Skinner (Beyond Freedom and Dignity, 1971) Warning: The following piece may contain irony, sarcasm, or exaggeration. Please read with caution. I’m not much for businesses with pompous mission statements that call for saving the world. Most of…
Read MoreSeven Ways To Fire Your Good People
“So long as some are strong and some are weak, the weak will be driven to the wall.” – W. Somerset Maugham (The Summing Up, 1938) Yesterday, we talked about the importance of firing people. If you make pruning — getting rid of your weakest employees — a regular habit, your company will be stronger,…
Read MoreThank Your Customers Over And Over Again
“Gratitude is the most exquisite form of courtesy.” – Jacques Maritain (Reflections on America, 1958) Most of our time is spent figuring out how to get new customers. But some of it must also be spent thinking about pleasing the ones we have. So, today, let’s spend a few minutes thinking about your customer. Not…
Read MoreNow Let’s Talk About Something Serious
“A woman is a dish for the gods, if the devil dress her not.” – William Shakespeare (Antony and Cleopatra, 1606-7) What’s with these new patterned pants women are wearing? When it comes to women’s fashions, I have a very wide palette. Take a 5-foot-10-inch supermodel, wrap her in almost anything, and I — like…
Read MorePractice E-mail Etiquette
“It is much easier to be critical than to be correct.” – Benjamin Disraeli (speech, January 24, 1860) This is not the first time I’ve talked about e-mail etiquette (see Message #180, “E-Mail and Return Buttons”), so if you have already heard this little speech, please forgive me. I’m inclined to bring it up again…
Read MoreInteresting Stuff From The Harvard Business Review
“A wise man recognizes the convenience of a general statement, but he bows to the authority of a particular fact.” – Oliver Wendel Holmes (The Poet at the Breakfast Table, 1872)I didnt find that one compelling idea that I always look for and expect to find in everything I read (nonfiction, that is). But I…
Read More“Inward” Vs “Outward” Business Management
“Everything which is properly ‘business’ we must keep carefully separate from ‘life.’ Business requires earnestness and method; life must have a freer handling.” – Goethe (Elective Affinities, 1809) According to Inc. magazine, Ed Ossie built MTW Corp. (a consultant to web-based businesses) into a very successful company by creating a “people-first” culture there. “People-first” management…
Read MoreHow To Have A Great Memory
“I never forget a face, but in your case I’ll be glad to make an exception.” – Groucho Marx Wouldnt it be great if you had the type of memory that would never let you forget a name . . . or a birthday . . . or an appointment, not to mention where you…
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