I’ve followed Zappos for quite a while now, simply because companies that are willing to organize themselves around the customer are rare and can potentially teach a lot.  Two weekends ago, while on a trip with friends to Vegas, I got a chance to see the headquarters first hand.  Zappos is actually in the process [...]

We made it!  Our plane left MPLS a half hour early and we arrived in the Liberia airport at roughly 2:30.  After that we went to Vamos Rentacar and picked up our Mitsubishi 4×4.  I knew coming here that we’d need to pick up something with four wheel drive as there seems to be some [...]

I was reading this post from Seth Godin (who I still read religiously) today and it hit me, something I’ve thought about before, it’s just the internet.  His post is talking about how habits have changed.The centralization of information and news and all other things magically digital mean that finding things to be interested in, [...]

When you look at salaries of many professionals, especially people at the top rungs of the organizational ladders, it can be eye opening and somewhat hard to swallow.  Especially for folks in the lower or middle of the pack when it comes to income.  Growing up, the idea that someone could be paid millions of [...]

Politics are always a tough subject to broach with people.  We are very divisive on the liberal/conservative spectrum and have a tendency to demonize whatever side of the fence we happen to not be on.
During an election year, especially the months leading up to November, it becomes increasingly difficult.  It’s on everyone’s mind due to [...]

Since basketball has ended and my beloved Timberwolves retired to their dens to lick reopened wounds, I’ve been mulling about the apartment with less to do.  It struck me the other day that my habits have changed a great deal.
My youthful pursuits included wakeboarding and tubing, basketball, videogames, ladies, kicking it with friends, frisbee golf [...]

The times they are a changin’.
Especially at this point of the year with the olympics, it’s obvious that the way the US and world are consuming media is changing drastically.  Twitter launched in July 0f 2006, basically six years ago.  That’s not a lot of time, yet it is prevalent in how many consumers interact [...]

The other day I was reading an article on schools and how they are attempting to find additional revenue.  They are starting to look at advertising.
For the record, it’s a sad state of affairs that schools can’t afford to keep teachers.  Of all the public works we spend on, schools should be very high on [...]

There’s an adage in business, whatever or wherever you work, your job is to make your boss look good.  Or make your boss happy.  I’ve heard both.If you’re not in business that might sound really odd.  And it is.  ”Make your boss look good” is almost never in a job description or how you’re actually [...]

It saddens me to see so many local businesses copying the big brands.  The burrito shop that tries to be Chipotle, or the local sports store that copies Dick’s Sporting Goods.  So many small businesses and their owners tend to follow what has been successful at scale in hopes that their business will follow suit.There [...]