Archives for July 2015

Is Time Passing You By?

July 30, 2015 by Mike McRitchie Leave a Comment

Getting older.

It happens.

We try to deny it.

We hide from it.

But it keeps coming. Like a freight train headed down the tracks in our direction. And we’re on a collision course with that destiny.

So what does that have to do with me? So what if I’m no different than anyone else in that regard? Why is that something I even need to think about?

Well there is an upside to this getting old thing. And it is very important. And it is about you.

You have experience. You have skills. You have knowledge.

Whether you’re now a 20-something who has just successfully navigated high school, college, and getting your first job.

Or if you’re in your early 40’s and made it through the turmoil of job-hopping and your career progression.

Or a 50- or 60-something who has made it successfully in your career or managed to raise healthy, happy, productive kids. Or you didn’t and you have some great stories to tell.

Wherever you’re at in this life, you have a story to tell. You may have skills you’ve honed as an employee or entrepreneur that you want to leverage in a new direction.

Whatever the case, time is still ticking away. Now is the time to jump in. Now is the time to figure out what your contribution is going to be. And to pursue it with gusto!

Too old? Check out these people who went for it anyway.

Susan Boyle singing her famous British American Idol audition song at 48 years old.
Ben Franklin signing the Declaration of Independence at 70 years old.
Ray Kroc (McDonalds founder) starting that venture at 52 years old.

And that is what I wish for you too. Life is too short to leave your best self undiscovered.

You need to seriously look at what you’ve created over your lifetime so far. And decide how you will make the most of it over the next 5, 10 or 20 years or more.

It isn’t up to anyone but you what that will be. Or why it matters. Or if it is worthy or not. That is all up to you.

True, you may have nay-sayers telling you things that are no good – and some ideas may suck. That is okay. Just move on. But don’t always assume your friends, relatives, and family members know best.

They may want you to succeed. Or they may not. They may just want you to stay the same as you are today. And if you decide that is the best for you and your life, then you have no need to change it.

But if you do decide your current direction is not the best, you have every right to pursue something different. Yes, you probably still want to be responsible if you have family to provide for. But that doesn’t mean you can’t balance that with some additional life experiences.

So get out there. Look at where you’ve been. Celebrate that. Look at what interests you and where you’d like to take the next chapter of your life. Then go for it. The journey is definitely worth the ride.

And if this connected with you I’d love to hear from you. How are you writing the next chapter of your life’s book?

Are You Making the Same Social Media Mistakes as Cecil the Lion Killer?

July 29, 2015 by Mike McRitchie Leave a Comment

Hunting.

Is it necessary? Is it barbaric?

The lion. A beautiful animal.

It conjures up many emotions.

People love animals. And lions – as the king of the beasts – rises above the rest.

So the story of Cecil the Lion and the hunter-dentist who killed this beloved animal hits home with many. It went viral with the Jimmy Kimmel Live! show.

https://youtu.be/_LzXpE1mjqA

And people have been commenting about the horror of it and pointing their ire at the dentist.

Is it right? Is it fair? Are those who are opposed to the lion’s killing going to far?

Cecil the Lion Killing Backlash

An interesting question.

Not just because of this particular controversy. But because with the advent of the internet. And later FaceBook, Twitter, and gossip-oriented quasi-news channels, emotions rule. Public opinion rules the day.

And that can be both a good and bad thing.

A good version is when Susan Boyle auditioned for the British version of American Idol and stunned the world with her amazing voice. She benefited…and the world did too.

In this instance the opposite happened. It is highly likely that this dentist (besides possible criminal prosecution) will lose his dental practice. Who wants to get their teeth worked on by “Cecil the Lion” killer?

And that is the challenge in today’s fast-paced, instant media opinion world. Information flows fast. And both good and bad publicity often turn into public awareness and action.

And I think this also brings focus to the fact that your actions have consequences. And particularly in this age where YouTube videos, social sharing, and an assumption that if you are comfortable with posting something online, everyone should be – is dead wrong.

The world is a big place. But not that big. And bad deeds or poor choices can truly haunt you for a lifetime.

When you’re putting that next picture on FaceBook. Or tweeting your next rant. Or texting that “private” message for someone special. Realize that someone other than you, your friends and loved ones, might end up seeing it. And there could be consequences – either good or bad – depending on how it is viewed.

Looking back at the Cecil the lion story I’d assume the dentist would have gone another direction had he known the full consequences of his actions.

How will you take this knowledge and make good decisions in your life?

Why Donald Trump Defies the Pundits

July 25, 2015 by Mike McRitchie Leave a Comment

So today I was watching “Gutfeld” on Fox News. Yes, for liberals that is the anti-Christ news media.

But tonight it is about DISAGREEING with Gutfeld, his sicophants, and the entire news media.

They just don’t get it…at all.

They were talking about the McCain comment by Trump about McCain not being a war hero.

It is not different than saying he hates Mexicans or immigrants.

What it comes down to is Trump just says what he thinks, hates people who criticize him, and just deals with it…albeit without a lot of tact (which of course everyone knows IS Donald Trump).

So that is why Trump can say what he thinks and not hurt his poll numbers.

It is about EXPECTATIONS -and everyone expects that kind of behavior from Donald Trump.

But that doesn’t explain why he is at the top of the polls.

That is a different, but at times related, reason.

Donald is vocal, opinionated, America-centric, and a hard negotiator who doesn’t play nice in the sandbox.

And that is what is so appealing to so many Americans. They’re tired of being the punching bag to the world (just as they were when Ronald Reagan was running for President).

They’re tired of political correctness. And bending over backward trying to not offend everyone from illegal aliens to terrorist to communist countries.

They’re tired of the media and government protecting their donors and special interest groups.

They’re tired of the government and the media trying to manipulate us.

They’re just fed up.

And although the current crop of Republican candidates are leaps and bounds ahead of Republican Presidential candidates of the past several elections, they still barely move the needle in terms of star power or interest to the public.

They play the same games by the same rules that past candidates have played. And as a result, they get little traction with the public. But Trump doesn’t. He plays by his rules.

So the funny thing to me is how the Republican party is reacting. They think they can control the rules. And to a certain extent they can. But if they think they can railroad Trump out of the race, they’re sadly mistaken.

He’s a solid negotiator – and keeping the “Third Party Option” alive gives him additional leverage with the Republican party. He’ll use that as a scorched earth policy either as a threat or a promise if they try to kick him to the curb without the public dumping him.

But it is funny that the news shows (minus Hannity) seem to think that one or two bad gaffes by Trump will ruin his chances and cause his poll numbers to plummet.

They’re sadly mistaken.

Will Trump win? Who knows. But at a minimum he is showing that his message hits home even if he’s not a perfect candidate.

And that brings me to a recent commercial I hear often on the radio that advertises for foster parents.

They give an example of a father who can’t throw the baseball, makes farting sounds at the dinner table, wears two socks of different colors…okay they had different examples. But the basic scenario is he sucks as a parental figure. He’s not all put together and awesome.

The tagline is “You don’t have to be a perfect person to be a perfect parent.”

And that is what I think hits home with Trump. He isn’t perfect. Not by a long shot. But he gets it. He believes a lot of what we believe. And he fights back. And that is what many Americans have been longing for. And as conservatives and hardworking Americans, Trump is that lightning rod that is needed.

Now I know it is easy to watch others fight the fight for us. And us to sit in our homes and watch them on TV. But are you fighting your own fight in the marketplace? Are your ideas getting out? Are you making human mistakes but pressing on? Or are you too worried about what others will think that you remain bland?

Food for thought…

Transported Back to Old Italy?

July 21, 2015 by Mike McRitchie Leave a Comment

Every once in a while you come across something unexpectedly unique.

This weekend was one of those times as I checked out Acqua e Farina, an Italian restaurant in Hayward, California.

Now I’ve been to many Italian restaurants over the years. You have everything from the pizza joint to the standard family fare, to the high end restaurants that cater to a discriminating palate.

What was unusual here was the combination of reasonably priced food and an unexpected ambiance.

Stepping in from the outside into the waiting area, with the bar you pass next, it has more of a cafe or unassumingly casual feel.

However, when you get to the back you find something else entirely. It is like you are transported to another world. The Italian street-scene murals painted on the walls hearken back to a slower simpler time in old Italy.

The Italian opera music continues drawing you in.

Then the food. Delicious as well. I chose the Gnocchi della Casa – with a smooth, tomato-cream sauce. They just melted in your mouth.

And just when you didn’t think anything more could complete the picture, an adjacent group eating nearby were speaking Italian. This is a first for me. Lots of Italian restaurants but I haven’t been to any where people were speaking Italian…I know I must have lived a sheltered life.

So for a spur of the moment decision. I am definitely happy to have discovered Acqua e Farina and would recommend it to friends.

You can find them on Yelp to check out their menu and also on FaceBook. Both sites have plenty of reviews and pictures to give you a sense of the place.

Anything I would suggest to improve things? The biggest thing I see missing is their story. I would love to see that on their websites. People love stories. How did they come to start their business? What inspired the menu and the ambiance? Where did the owner or chef come from originally? Anything to bring all the pieces together.

Other than that I think they have a great concept that delivers. Go check it out.

What are the Rewards and Challenges of Running a Small Business? Take This Survey

July 18, 2015 by Mike McRitchie 2 Comments

Should I start my own business?

That is a question that is often asked by people struggling in jobs. They either don’t like working for someone else. Or they’re bored and want a new challenge. Or they see the money the business is bringing in and say to themselves, “I can do that.”

So whether you’re at that point of decision now. Or if you made that decision a while ago and are now in the midst of running your own business. Or if you’re just curious why someone would do that and what the challenges are.

Go ahead and take this survey.

A version of it was done by the Gallup organization and provides some interesting results. I modified the survey a little to provide a little more depth of information that may be beneficial to you. I think you’ll learn something about yourself and your business when you take this quick 5-10 minute survey and you’ll be helping others with your insights.

If you want to know the overall results of this survey, just subscribe to my ezine and I’ll provide the results in upcoming weekly ezine articles.

Don’t have 5-10 minutes to do this? Then check out this video by my friend, Julie Broad, who shows you how to get more done so you get more accomplished in your day.

Go ahead and Take this survey now.

Enjoy!