Categories
Happiness Odd Stuff Self Managed Company

Why I left Godaddy and now use Google, Hover and Stable Host

Today, I finally cut the GoDaddy cord forever.

This is a big deal for me because, at one time I managed over 1,500 domains with their services for various clients, but today I have successfully moved my last domain away from GoDaddy.

Once a Great Titan, Now a Fossil Of Its Past Greatness:

Godaddy, at one time in history was the darling of the domain registrar business. I mean where else could you get your domain for under $10?

But in my opinion they’ve lost their way. From up-selling the living crap out of its customers to the point were you cannot even buy an expired domain without them putting you in an auction against sharks and domain trolls.
They’ve handicapped their support staff and spend more time annoying customers than helping.

Here are some of the pitfalls to using Godaddy and why I think Google Domains or hover.com maybe a better choice.

Site speed:

Godaddy, in my opinion is one of the slowest domain sites out there. Just trying to buy or sell a domain takes forever. Not only because they consistently try to up-sell or side-sell, but the site itself is painfully slow.

Then if you buy their site services such as web-design, your site will more than likely not even meet Googles’ minimum standards for indexing.

Companies like Google itself and even inexpensive hosting service such as Stablehost.com, can increase your site speed by 2 to 10 time over Godaddy.

Helpless customer service staff.

In my opinion, the staff at Godaddy mean well, but they’ve tied their hands to a point were they cannot help.

Their suggestions go unheeded and it frustrates them immensely.

For example, I had a situation were I paid their service to bid on my behalf to win a domain, but their service failed and I lost out on a domain I was trying to get for more then two years.

But customer service could do nothing, except suggest to management that they fix the problem “So it doesn’t happen to the next customer.” When I asked if anyone would listen, the poor customer service rep apologized and said “NO”.

It’s sad that the management  has hobbled their employees that much.

I recently put a call into GoDaddy and felt frustrated by the layers of questions, not one of which matched my concern.
However I called Hover.com another domain service choice and received a human customer support person with the power to do ANYTHING I needed on the spot. What a difference. I really believe that the auto attendant phone system has got to go.

Up-Selling

Honestly the up-selling that goes on at Godaddy has become the most annoying thing ever. It impedes what I am trying to accomplish to a point where I am relieved to be using Hover and Google primarily.
Its like watching a movie on commercial tv VS watching on ad-free Netflix. Netflix is just easier.

Bastardizing the Domain Business like a 70’s used car lot:

Godaddy is famous for buying domains that you search for then putting it up for auction. I had this happen to me, which is why I was inspired to write this. I wanted a domain for my book business, it had expired so I paid for their service to acquire the domain. A week later I was informed that the domain was put up for auction by them and I was now a bidder. They gave no expiration date or what to do next other than say we will let you know if you have been outbid.

Which of course I was at the last second by a domain troll and now am being held hostage for the domain. Thanks Godaddy, that truly sucked.

You have turned the domain business into the wild wild west where average people are prayed upon by people you wine and dine.

Why I recommend Google Domains instead of Godaddy.

Google domains is like a utility program, that is easy to use and makes sense. Surprising for google there are no ads and they only offer you upgrades after you make your purchase.

I believe you get a little SEO bump or at least quicker recognition of your new site because its already on google’s servers.

Why I recommend Hover domains instead of GoDaddy.

Amazing customer service, Zero bate and switch and amazing DNS reliability. Almost zero down time.

 

I am not paid or have I received any compensation for recommending the above services.

Categories
Bootstrapping Business Travel Self Managed Company

How to Travel for Speed Not Weight

I just started traveling as part of my new business Dealer Simplified, and realized right away that I needed to learn fast how to travel light. Here are some tips from the web that I found today.

Stop using that crappy old suitcase.

If you’re still using a suitcase your mother loaned you, it may be time to invest in some new lightweight luggage.

Business Travel LightManufacturers like Eagle Creek, American Tourister, Samsonite, Briggs & Riley, and Tumi all make super lightweight luggage, so more weight can be dedicated to what’s inside. Most 22″ wheeled upright bags labeled as “lightweight” weigh in around six pounds; traditional bags of the same size can be almost four pounds heavier. What’s more, while spinner bags—the kind with four wheels on the bottom instead of two—are incredibly agile and easy to maneuver, they don’t fit as well in aircraft overhead bins as two-wheeled bags. Consider spinner bags for checked luggage, but opt for two-wheeled bags or duffles for carry-ons.

Ultra Light Tech:

For years the only thing I ever brought on the plane is my MacAir. But lately I have been experimenting with a iPad with the Logitech Ultrathin Bluetooth Keyboard Cover which essentially converts your ipad into an ultra light laptop. This thing is a life changer and you don’t have to worry about the guy in front of you on the plane slamming his reclining seat into reverse and crushing your 17″ massive screen.

I Recommend light gear:

What clothes to bring?

If you find that you return home from trips with a bag half full of clean clothes, it’s time to start packing less. To take on this easier-said-than-done task, follow these tips:

• Only pack mix-and-match outfits. Pick a color palette and stick with it. Make sure that every pair of pants and shoes and every shirt matches several other items in your suitcase.

• Don’t bring a coat. Opt for layers instead of a bulky coat. Your luggage will weigh less and more layers mean more options. Bring a lightweight windbreaker, flannel shirt, or shawl instead of a down parka. In general, give preference to clothes made of lighter fabrics.

• Lay it out. Before stowing everything in your carry-on, lay it all out. This is a good way to quantify your outfits and will likely result in you returning a few items to your closet.

• Tread lightly. Wear one comfortable “all-purpose” pair of shoes and, if you must, pack a second pair. If you need to bring something heavy, like hiking boots, wear them while traveling to save space in your suitcase. (You can always pack a pair of flip-flops to change into.)

• Stick with trial size toiletries. Bring only the most basic supplies and only in travel-size quantities. If you’re staying in a hotel or aboard a cruise ship, soap and shampoo will be provided. Though not always the case, you can frequently buy what you need wherever you’re going.

• Consider a laundry service or bring detergent. Many hotels and cruise ships offer reasonable laundry packages. Take them up on it (though beware overpriced services), or simply bring a few travel packs of detergent to do hand laundry in your hotel sink.

Learn to fold your clothes the right way

Believe it or not, the way you fold your clothes matters. Many expert travelers swear by the rolling method, which helps to reduce wrinkles as well as save space. Be sure to stick rolled-up shirts or socks into shoes. Other travelers prefer packing in zip-up mesh cubes with underwear in one cube, shirts in another, etc. Alternatively, try Eagle Creek’s Pack-It Folder, which creates crisp folds in clothes to help save space.

Pack a Collapsible Duffle for the Return Trip

Souvenir lovers will be familiar with the problem of getting all their purchases home at the end of a trip. Pack a lightweight, foldable bag or tote at the bottom of your luggage to load up with your goodies (and dirty clothes) when it’s time to head home. Depending on where you are, it might also be cost-effective to ship your souvenirs home using FedEx.

Categories
Happiness Mentoring Self Managed Company

“THANK YOU”, the Most Important Words in Human Language?

Thank You for Reading my Blog

“Thank you for reading this article, it means a lot to me.”

“Thank you for visiting SavvyBrain.com, I hope you find it useful and informative.”

See what I mean, it just feels good to be thanked. No matter where you are a sincere thank you means a lot to your friends, family, co-workers and customers. As with anything there is a right and wrong way to say thank you. In this article I hope to give you tips and ideas that will take your thank you message to the next level.

Start with being grateful for what you have.

If you are truly grateful for what you have, saying thank you becomes easy. For many of us, your job includes the task of going out and thanking customers. For some this task is a chore. The result is a half assed thank you message, honestly you are almost better off not talking to the customers at all.

If you think about it your customers are one of the main reasons to be thankful, because their buying power is your business. The best Thank You’s are a sincere and grateful sharing of positive attention. I suggest that you do the following:
1. Before you begin to say thank you, think of why you are saying it. Then share the why with your customer, friend or co-worker.

“Ted, Thank you so much for coming in today, we really hope we have exceeded your expectations.”

2. Shake hands and hold eye contact while saying thank you.

“Laurie, you really did a great job on that report. Thank you for making my job so easy, you are a awesome person.”

3. Listen to them after the thanks. This maybe basic, but I see it all the time at restaurants where the manager is required to say thank you, but then does not stick around to actually listen to the customers concerns.

Say Thank You in Public.

Saying thank you in a meeting or at a party for the whole group to hear has the added bonus of positive peer pressure. Great managers reprimand in private and congratulate in public. The same holds true at family gatherings.

“Everyone, I just want to say thanks to my wife Mary for preparing this awesome meal. She has a knack of whipping up a dinner for 20 without breaking a sweat. Thanks Hon.”

It is Never to Late to Say Thank You!

When weeks go by, it feels weird to send a card of thank you, but in reality it is never to late. I recently received a thank you after a year and quite frankly it was a relief because I was feeling a little under appreciated. You simply start by saying things like. “This thank you is long overdue, what you did for my family in May was over the top” or “a month has past since you visited me in the hospital, and upon reflection, your visit meant a lot to me.” You get the idea.

Why a thank you note should always be hand written?

Everyone loves a hand written note, especially if it is hand written. I use a blue pen as a rule and usually type out what I’m going to write first so I can get the feel and spelling right. I have ruined many nice cards before I made this step a rule.

• Nice card stock is another important factor. I like to go to Ollie’s Bargain Outlet, because sometimes you will get lucky and find amazing card stock at the $1-5 price range.
• Use blank card stock. I know there are lovely thank you cards out there but the idea of a true hand written thank you should be in the body of the letter not on the cover.
• Three Sentences is a rule that I have used for many years. Just writing the words Thank You and posting it does not convey a true thank you. Put some thought into it.
Example:
“Emily,
The wedding gift you and Mike gave us was so thoughtful and caring. Every time we have a glass of wine using your glassware, we will be thinking of you.
We really enjoyed your company at the reception, and the kind word you said about us during dinner was over the top.
You are a true friend, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for being there for us.
Your pal,
Sally”

Use Only Positive Sentence Structure.

Bad example: “Thank you for dinner, sorry I was late.” Wrapping a thank you letter with an apology is not good etiquette in my opinion. Simply stick to the positive of the thank you and keep the sentences uplifting.

“The dinner was so nice and the restaurant was amazing. Thanks for taking me there on my birthday, you are so thoughtful. Love K.”

Sign with a flourish:

John Hancock is still famous hundreds of years later because his signature was so flamboyant. Don’t be afraid to add your own flare to your signature line. Don’t take the look of your signature for granted.

What are some thank you gift ideas?

1. Gift cards: Gift cards are a sort of sterile way to say thank you. Lets say you are looking for a gift for your child’s teacher or babysitter. While I think gift cards are the “Safe” gift, they do not elicit the appreciation you are trying to convey. Gift cards for me are a way to help someone out. An example of this is: a Wegmans gift card to someone who just lost her husband and is struggling to pay the bills.

Smiles all around when you give flowers2. Flowers: You really can’t go wrong with flowers, especially if you have them delivered. The important thing is the note, make sure you get the extra pop from saying the right words on the card.
3. The Spa: Giving the gift of being pampered is truly a great gift because it has special feeling of caring that many gifts do not give. It is important to make sure that the spa is close to their work or home. Use the Spa gift as a great apology gift or as a belated gift because the wow factor is priceless.
4. Personalized Stationary: Everyone loves stationary and if you take the time to personalize it with their name or with a quote that they use, they will be thrilled.
Wine: If they are of drinking age, wine is an awesome gift. I like to go on line and look up the winery and find something special to say about the winery or blend. You can even print out the about us page from their site and include it with the bottle. If you are looking for that $100-ish gift, a case of wine can be a great WOW. I like to find wines in wooden cases that sell for $9-$12 per bottle then after the case discount, we are right at the $100 level.

20 Awesome Ways to Say Thank You!

1. If it weren’t weird, I would have sent you a picture of myself. Because I look totally grateful right now.
2. Great gooey gratitude. Thanks so much for your gift!
3. This Thank You is So Important I’m not sending it from my iPhone.
4. You are my superhero. Thank You.
5. Two words: Endless gratitude & Thank you. Ok four words.
6. You score phenomenally high in the kind-o-meter. Seriously, I checked.
7. Your version of shine is a searchlight. Thanks for spreading so much good.
8. You’re kind of a big deal. Don’t believe me? Ask anyone.
9. You = awesome. Me = grateful.
10. Move over Gates and Buffett, there’s a new philanthropist in town, thanks for the donation.
11. Start practicing your autograph, you’re a RockStar
12. Thank you kindly for your gift.
13. Amazed. Inspired. Grateful. That’s how your generosity makes me feel.
14. When it comes to making an impact, you rule.
15. Thanks for igniting something amazing.
16. a) A peach b) Bee’s knees c) Cat’s pajamas. You’re d) All of the above. Thanks for your bigheartedness.
17. You’re what making a difference looks like.
18. You’re a lifesaver. Literally. And thanks for believing in someone you don’t even know.
19. Is there no limit to your awesomeness? Thank you!
20. You can’t see me but I’m totally doing a happy dance.

There is a word for thanks in every language.

Categories
Bootstrapping Self Managed Company

Is Holacracy®, The Self Managed Company on a whole new Level?

real_org_chartThe buzz word Holacracy® has been batted around lately to describe a company structure that is not hierarchical in nature, but instead allows the managers to self manage and distribute authority to achieve company goals more efficiently. The term holacracy is derived from the term holarchy, first mentioned by Arthur Koestler in his 1967 book The Ghost in the Machine.  Holacracy replaces the outdated strategy of top-down predict-and-control with a culture of achieving success by distributing power. I think of it as modern operating system for business operations similar  to what cloud computing (distributed) was able to accomplish vs the office server (Hierarchical).

In a culture of urgency and rapid evolution Holacracy’s  a core idea allows companies to pivot and evolve faster then traditional top down management. One of the reasons, I believe, is because in a hierarchical system top down managers are not in-tune with the issues at the core of their business. Employees at the bottom of the organizational chart may not feel empowered to present issues or are snubbed as troublemakers when they do.

A Holacracy takes the idea of a self managed company to a whole new level by insisting that teams regularly discuss successes and failures and work on solutions with a clear understanding on who has the authority to act. When Zappos decided to manage its company based on the highly successful Holacratic city system, they knew they had found a way to solve important issues with traditional management.  In a normal city system, research shows, that as the city grows, innovation and productivity grows 15% but with hierarchical companies grow, employee productivity, urgency and innovation diminish. The Dave Allen Company, (of Getting Things Done GTD fame) learned that cities have been successful for millennia because innovation thrives within districts and entrepreneurship expands within neighborhoods. If they could create teams within divisions that had the authority of self-employed entrepreneurs, they could innovate faster and out smart the slower top down managed competition. The founders of Dealer Simplified (a provider of simplified software for car dealers) wanted their company be “self organized as in a city, by creating a culture of Holacracy, which allows their teams to act like entrepreneurs and self-manage their work instead of reporting to a disinterested boss.”

Hierarchy-vs-Holacracy

Categories
Odd Stuff

Amazing Facts that Will Make You Look Smart

1. Chocolate milk was invented in Ireland.
2. You can’t breathe and swallow at the same time.
3. The girlfriend of the guy who founded Match.com left him for a man she met on Match.com.
4. To Gollup is to eat fast, or of course a great Book about a giant named Gollup
5. Ketchup used to be sold as medicine.
6. The oldest person on Earth was born closer to the signing of the United States Constitution than to now.
7. Also, when the oldest person on Earth was born, there was a completely different set of people on the planet.
8. Coconuts kill more people than sharks every year. So do cows.
9. German is the second most spoken language in North Dakota.
10. Norway once knighted a penguin.

11. The official state VEGETABLE of Oklahoma is the watermelon.
12. The official Space Jam website has not changed since 1996.

13. A day on the planet Venus is longer than a year on Venus.
14. If you are in a room with 23 people, there’s more than a 50% chance that two of the people have the same birthday.
15. A TI-83 calculator has six times more processing power than the computer that landed Apollo 11 on the moon.
16. This is what an eclipse on Earth looks like from space:

17. Cambridge University is older than the Aztec and Inca empires.
18. And Harvard University was founded before calculus was derived.
19. George Washington was 48 years old when Beethoven was born.
20. The last veteran of the American Civil War died in 1959, long enough to see the atomic bomb dropped in Japan.
21. There are more ways to shuffle a deck of cards than there are atoms on Earth.

22. 111,111,111 × 111,111,111 = 12,345,678,987,654,321.
23. Cows have best friends and they tend to spend most of their time together.
24. Horses cannot breath through their mouths.
25. The names of Popeye’s four nephews are Pipeye, Peepeye, Pupeye, and Poopeye.

26. In the ’60s, Australia lost a prime minister and could not find him. He disappeared and was never found.
27. If you folded a piece of paper 42 times, it would reach to the moon.
28. Light roast coffees have more caffeine than dark roasts.

29. There is a basketball court on the top floor of the U.S. Supreme Court Building. It’s known as the “highest court in the land.
30. A pig’s orgasm can last for 30 minutes.
31. The day of his assassination, Martin Luther King Jr. got in a pillow fight in his hotel room.
32. New York City is further south than Rome, Italy.

33. Scotland is as far north as Alaska is.
34. Not only is Reno, Nev., west of Los Angeles, but so are six other state capitals.
35. If you’re in Detroit and you walk south, the first country you’ll enter will be Canada.

36. A “butt load” is an actual unit of measurement, equivalent to 126 gallons.
37. There are more people living inside this circle than outside of it:

38. France is the country with the most time zones in the world — more than the U.S. or Russia.
39. There is less time between the existence of the Tyrannosaurus Rex and the existence of humans than there was between the Tyrannosaurus Rex and the Stegosaurus.
40. Crocodiles are more closely related to birds than to lizards.
41. Africa is bigger than the United States, China, India, Spain, France, and several other countries combined.

42. Butterflies taste with their feet.
43. A jiffy is an actual unit of time, not just an expression. It’s equal to 33.3564 picoseconds.
44. The lint that collects in the bottom of your pockets has a name —gnurr.

45. A cubic inch of bone is about four times as strong as concrete.
46. You can get a rough estimate of the temperature by counting the number of times a cricket chirps in 15 seconds, then adding 37.
47. There are more lakes in Canada than in the rest of the world combined.
48. The feeling you get when something is so cute you can’t help but want to squeeze it is called “cute aggression.
49. “Will Will Smith smith?” and “Will Smith will smith” are sentences that make complete sense.

50. There are more public libraries than McDonald’s in the U.S.
51. The voices of Yoda and Miss Piggy were done by the same person.
52. AOL still earns more than $100 million every few months from dial-up subscribers.
53. There are more tigers living in Texas than in the rest of the world.
54. This is how a ladybug flies:

55. It’s possible to sail a boat from Pakistan to Russia if you sail in a completely straight line.
56. On average, astronauts are two inches taller in space.
57. Shakespeare and Pocahontas were alive at the same time.
58. And Charles Darwin and Abraham Lincoln were born on the same day.
59. There are some trees alive today that were alive before the pyramids were built.
60. Air Force One is not the name of a specific plane, but the name of any plane carrying the president.
61. Ohio is the only U.S. state that doesn’t share any letters with the word “mackerel.”

62. When you yawn and stretch at the time, you are “pandiculating.”
63. It’s impossible to hum while holding your nose.
64. The current American flag was designed by a 17-year-old as a class project. He received a B-.
65. Wombat poop is square.
66. Albino snails exist:

67. The United States is an older country than Germany.
68. The Mongolian navy consists of seven people and one boat.
69. There is enough iron in your body to make a 2-inch nail.

70. When you receive a kidney transplant, instead of the affected kidney being removed, it’s left in and a third one is put in your pelvis.
71. One million seconds is 11 days. One billion seconds is 33 years. A billion is a lot.
72. And, just in case you forgot, the brain named itself.

73. Dragonfly in Spanish is libélula 

Categories
Happiness Mentoring

Be positive, you have a great life

Look for a better wayThere is always something to be thankful for:

I want to get you into a positive state of mind. I want you to remember that there is always something to be thankful for. No matter what your current life situation is, you can be grateful.

Sometimes it helps to put things in perspective. Remember…
Someone has it harder than you.
Someone has less than you.
Some people seem to have nothing at all…
… yet against all odds they prove to the world that they can achieve anything they desire.

This is what I read to myself whenever I am having and off day.

Signs you are doing better than you think

  1. You are alive.
  2. You are able to see the sunrise and the sunset.
  3. You are able to hear birds sing and waves crash.
  4. You can walk outside and feel the breeze through your hair and the sun’s warmth on your skin.
  5. You have tasted the sweetness of chocolate cake.
  6. You didn’t go to sleep hungry last night.
  7. You awoke this morning with a roof over your head.
  8. You had a choice of what clothes to wear.
  9. You haven’t feared for your life today.
  10. You have overcome some considerable obstacles, and you have learned and survived.
  11. You often worry about what you’re going to do with your life – your career, your family, the next step, etc. – which means you have ambition, passion, drive, and the freedom to make your own decisions.
  12. You live in a country that protects your basic human rights and civil liberties.
  13. You are reasonably strong and healthy – if you got sick today, you could recover.
  14. You have a friend or relative who misses you and looks forward to your next visit.
  15. You have someone with whom to reminisce about ‘the good old days.’
  16. You have access to clean drinking water.
  17. You have access to medical care.
  18. You have access to the Internet.
  19. You can read.

Shout out to www.marcandangel.com for creating this great listing.

Categories
Bootstrapping

I’m Broke, How Can I Publish?

Listen to my Podcast Interview on Rocking Self Publishing

Self Publishing with No Money

I ran into a friend the other day that heard about my book, Gollup the Woods. She is surviving on little income with health issues.
She said to me, mid conversation,

“I wish I could afford to write my novel.”

Then I was on kBoards (after a recommendation from the Rocking Self Publishing Podcast) and found a blogger talking about the death of Tom Clancy. The blogger was encouraging everyone to write, as a legacy to their family because you never know when you are going to be taken from this world.
So to my friend I said:

“Given a enough time everything is possible, you could totally boot strap this project and do it for next to nothing.”

Her face lit up, then she frowned again.

“But My computer is so old!”
Could you ask your boss if you could come in to work an hour early and use theirs.
I see you have a smart phone, you could write it there.
Could you go to the library?
Have a friend fix up your old PC?
“But my old PC doesn’t have MS Word!”
Publish My Book BrokeThat’s great news, use google’s free software Google Doc’s, this way when you get to work early you can pick up right where you left off.
Save the book to Free DropBox and  this way when you have a free moment you can edit with your phone.
“But I don’t have the time to write, I work two jobs!”
Can you find an hour a day, every two, once a week? Read the book “Other 8 Hours” it teaches how to maximize your off hour’s, even though you don’t have 8 hours off, you might have 20 minutes here and there, and if you love to write, then it could be your hobby.
“But I can’t afford an editor.”
Could you use the reader built into your computer or phone to have the story read back in monotone? if you can afford $10 buy the app “Voice Dream” then listen to your story using it. Use the free version of “DropBox” so your book is available everywhere and Voice Bream will be able to play it.

Bottom line: Road Blocks are just Excuses Wrapped up in Pretty Packages.

Now get writing. Write for your family. Write for yourself.

Listen to my Podcast Interview on Rocking Self Publishing

Categories
Odd Stuff

Cool Words Everyone Should Know.

Neon wordsAcquiesce Submit or comply silently or without protest.

Ailurophile A cat-lover.

Ameliorate To make or become better, more bearable, or more satisfactory

Assemblage A gathering.

Becoming Attractive.

Beleaguer To exhaust with attacks.

Brood To think alone.

Bucolic In a lovely rural setting.

Bungalow A small, cozy cottage.

Callipygous Having beautifully proportioned buttocks.

Cathartic Inducing catharsis; purgative.

Chatoyant Like a cat’s eye.

Comely Attractive.

Conflate To blend together.

Crestfallen Dejected; dispirited; discouraged

Cynosure A focal point of admiration.

Dalliance A brief love affair.

Demesne Dominion, territory.

Demure Shy and reserved.

Denouement The resolution of a mystery.

Desuetude Disuse.

Desultory Slow, sluggish.

Diaphanous Filmy.

Dissemble Deceive.

Dulcet Sweet, sugary.

Ebullience Bubbling enthusiasm.

Effervescent Bubbly.

Efflorescence Flowering, blooming.

Effluence The act or an instance of flowing out.

Elision Dropping a sound or syllable in a word.

Elixir A good potion.

Eloquence Beauty and persuasion in speech.

Embrocation Rubbing on a lotion.

Emollient A softener.

Ephemeral Short-lived.

Epiphany A sudden revelation.

Erstwhile At one time, for a time.

Ethereal Gaseous, invisible but detectable.

Evanescent Vanishing quickly, lasting a very short time.

Evocative Suggestive.

Fetching Pretty.

Felicity Pleasantness.

Forbearance Withholding response to provocation.

Fugacious Fleeting.

Frisson A moment of intense excitement.

Furtive Shifty, sneaky.

Gambol To skip or leap about joyfully.

Glamour Beauty.

Gossamer The finest piece of thread, a spider’s silk.

Halcyon Happy, sunny, care-free.

Harbinger Messenger with news of the future.

Imbrication Overlapping and forming a regular pattern.

Imbroglio An altercation or complicated situation.

Imbue To infuse, instill.

Incipient Beginning, in an early stage.

Ineffable Unutterable, inexpressible.

Ingénue A naïve young woman.

Inglenook A cozy nook by the hearth.

Insouciance Blithe nonchalance.

Inure To become jaded.

Labyrinthine Twisting and turning.

Lachrymose Given to tears or weeping.

Lagniappe A special kind of gift.

Lagoon A small gulf or inlet.

Languor Listlessness, inactivity.

Lassitude Weariness, listlessness.

Leisure Free time.

Lilt To move musically or lively.

Lissome Slender and graceful.

Lithe Slender and flexible.

Love Deep affection.

Loquacious Talking or tending to talk much or freely.

Mellifluous Sweet sounding.

Moiety One of two equal parts.

Mondegreen A slip of the ear.

Murmurous Murmuring.

Nemesis An unconquerable archenemy.

Offing The sea between the horizon and the offshore.

Onomatopoeia A word that sounds like its meaning.

Opulent Lush, luxuriant.

Palimpsest A manuscript written over earlier ones.

Panacea A solution for all problems.

Panoply A complete set.

Pastiche An art work combining materials from various sources.

Penumbra A half-shadow.

Petrichor The smell of earth after rain.

Plethora A large quantity.

Propinquity Proximity; Nearness

Pyrrhic Successful with heavy losses.

Quintessential Most essential.

Ratatouille A spicy French stew.

Ravel To knit or unknit.

Redolent Fragrant.

Resplendence Splendid or dazzling in appearance.

Riparian By the bank of a stream.

Ripple A very small wave.

Saccharine Overly or sickishly sweet.

Scintilla A spark or very small thing.

Sempiternal Eternal.

Seraglio Rich, luxurious oriental palace or harem.

Serendipity Finding something nice while looking for something else.

Soliloquy The act of talking to oneself

Summery Light, delicate or warm and sunny.

Sumptuous Lush, luxurious.

Surreptitious Secretive, sneaky.

Susquehanna A river in Pennsylvania.

Susurrous Whispering, hissing.

Talisman A good luck charm.

Tintinnabulation Tinkling.

Umbrella Protection from sun or rain.

Untoward Unseemly, inappropriate.

Vespertine Relating to, or occurring in the evening.

Vestigial In trace amounts.

Wafture Waving.

Wherewithal The means.

Woebegone Sorrowful, downcast.

Zephyr A gentle breeze.

Categories
Mentoring

How Would Obi-Wan Deal with Trouble Customers-Employees?

“These are not the arguments you are looking for!”

these are not the arguements.fw

The rePhrased Photo Copier technique.

Over years we have all heard the line “Repeat their words back to them” as a method to calm down an upset client. I strongly disagree, repeating their complaint can come off as condescending and unnatural as a photocopier. Instead consider a rePhrase  of what the other person says, in other words, put it in your own words.  This makes them realize you’re listening and actually digesting their issues, that your really interested in what they’re saying. It makes them feel validated. Obviously, you don’t want to overdo this, once per complaint is usually a good balance of managing their needs.

Play on the need everyone has to help others.

Start off your conversation with “I need your help.” People don’t like the feeling they get when they don’t help someone out. Think about it which one sounds better, “do this for me” or “Can you help me with this issue?” The words “I need you help” improves your chances of getting your task done and having the other person enjoy the experience of being your “Helper.”

The power of nodding.

A nod is one of the most powerful aspects of body language. You can use it to help others and to help yourself accomplish goals in conversation.

Example: I have been in meetings where half the people in the room are texting and the other half are nodding off. I find that the speaker then starts to struggle, like a comedian that gets no laughs, a tough audience. One thing you can do to resurrect the meeting is ask questions and nod at the replies (so long as you actually agree) if done correctly you will see others in the room give slight nods as well. Be careful not to look like a brown-noser.
This also applies to getting people to agree with you. Its really basic body language: If you want someone to agree with you, nod while you talk. This gets the other person to nod too, and they begin to subconsciously agree with you.

Use body language to determine if people are actually interested in what you are saying.

Look at a single point in the room, nod or look at your watch. If someone is observing you, they will likely mimic you or react at the watch move by asking “Do you need to go?”

The power of their name:

This is one that I personally struggle with; I let my mind move on to the conversation before I take the time to commit their name to memory. You need to pause and repeat the person’s name at least once, then start sentences with their name or end questions with their name. Example; “What do you think of the project Kevin?” Use their name sparingly

Stand to one side when someone is angry.

Being next to someone is a completely different set of body language than standing in front of them. Whenever someone is angry and confrontational just rotate your body slightly so that you are not face to face.  Standing next to him or her you won’t appear as so much of a threat, and they eventually will calm down.

Sit next to people you have trouble with in meetings.

This is a follow up to the last point about standing to one side, never sit across from an adversarial person in a meeting. Find a way to sit to their right. This is the body language equivalent of “we’re buddies” and will usually prevent a percentage of bad karma .

Categories
Odd Stuff

Many of My Favorite Quotes, come from H. Jackson Brown Jr.

“Be brave. Even if you’re not, pretend to be. No one can tell the difference.”

“Don’t allow the phone to interrupt important moments. It’s there for your convenience, not the callers.”

“Don’t be afraid to go out on a limb. That’s where the fruit is.”

“Don’t burn bridges. You’ll be surprised how many times you have to cross the same river.”

h-jackson-brown-jr-always-kiss-your-children-goodnight-300x279“Don’t forget, a person’s greatest emotional need is to feel appreciated.”

“Don’t major in minor things.”

“Don’t say you don’t have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Pasteur, Michaelangelo, Mother Teresa, Helen Keller, Leonardo Da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, and Albert Einstein.”

“Don’t spread yourself too thin. Learn to say no politely and quickly.”

“Don’t use time or words carelessly. Neither can be retrieved. Don’t waste time grieving over past mistakes Learn from them and move on.”

“Every person needs to have their moment in the sun, when they raise their arms in victory, knowing that on this day, at his hour, they were at their very best.”

“Get your priorities straight. No one ever said on his death bed, ‘Gee, if I’d only spent more time at the office’.”

“Give people a second chance, but not a third.”

“Judge your success by the degree that you’re enjoying peace, health and love.”

“Learn to listen. Opportunity sometimes knocks very softly.”

“Leave everything a little better than you found it.”

“Live your life as an exclamation, not an explanation.”

“Loosen up. Relax. Except for rare life and death matters, nothing is as important as it first seems.”

“Never cut what can be untied.”

“Never overestimate your power to change others.”

“Never underestimate your power to change yourself. Remember that overnight success usually takes about fifteen years.”

“Remember that winners do what losers don’t want to do.”

“Seek opportunity, not security. A boat in harbor is safe, but in time its bottom will rot out.”

“Spend less time worrying who’s right, more time deciding what’s right. Stop blaming others. Take responsibility for every area of your life.”

“Success is getting what you want. Happiness is liking what you get.”

“The importance of winning is not what we get from it, but what we become because of it.

“When facing a difficult task, act as though it’s impossible to fail.”

H Jackson Brown Jr  is an American author best known for his inspirational book, Life’s Little Instruction Book, which was a New York Times bestseller. Wikipedia