I’m on the free-throw line with five seconds to go in the big game against Saint Patrick’s. Saint Cecilia’s eighth grade team trails by a single point. It’s all up to me. I look up at the stands, where there are at least a dozen fans rooting me on. I spot my mother, …
If you want a practice run on your level of patience, I advise you to make a quick dash from Midway Airport in Chicago to Boiling Springs, Pennsylvania. I did so this weekend, thinking my 647-mile trip would provide an enjoyable 10 hours of bringing back the memories of my …
My friend Ray Bard sent me a wonderful little book of his. It’s called Fired Up! Selling: Great Quotes to Inspire, Energize, Succeed. Over the years, I’ve looked through dozens of books made up of famous quotes. This one is different in a number of ways. First of all, the …
At my age, you’d think I’d be smarter in a lot of ways. After all, years represent experience and experience should convert to wisdom. It hasn’t worked that way for me in all matters. I keep thinking people will automatically think the same way I do – that they will see and …
I’ve been spending too much time at the Riesen House Saloon in Gold Hill. It’s a drinking spot for out-of-luck miners and a few political hacks who come up from Carson City. One of those guys is Orion, who wears fancy boots and an oversized cowboy hat and claims he’s the big …
Running a successful company for 33 years required a bunch of stuff coming together. When strangers ask me how it happened, I smile and give a vague and easy answer: “Good luck and great employees.” That’s an okay answer if I just want to move on quickly to catch a plane …
My dear mother, Irene, thought it would be a great idea to give me a confirmation name. She chose Francis after the famous Saint Francis of Assisi, the guy who is always pictured feeding birds by hand while squirrels play around his feet. I was 14 when my friends started …
Why did I hang out for two hours yesterday in the parking lot of Save Mart grocery store in Carson City? The drama started weeks ago when I wrote a draft of a blog post claiming I had completed an academic study of shoppers’ behaviors with respect to what they do with their …
The Change Companies® has completed a much-needed film and audio studio to provide support for our national publishing company. Our brilliant team asked if I might be an early guinea pig by talking about the history of The Change Companies® dating back to 1989. I’m a team …
It’s been over two months now since Washoe Valley has had a smoke-free day. The California fires and an easterly wind have caused air quality to be in the danger zone most days. Quite often, the dense smoke does not allow me to see the mountain ranges – or even my neighbor’s …
