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A is for ATTITUDE B is for BREAK PATTERNS C is for CONSISTENCY D is for DISCIPLINE E is for EVOLUTION F is for FRIENDLINESS G is for GOOD WITH NAMES H is for HAPPINESS I is for IDEAS J is for JOY K is for KNOWLEDGE L is for LAUGHTER M is for MUNDANE N is for NAMETAGS O is for OFF BUTTON P is for PAINT YOURSELF…

My Grandpa Frank always told me, “A chicken ain’t nuthin’ but a bird.” For years I struggled with the meaning of that phrase. I even googled it a few times it and had no luck discovering its origin, other than the song by Cab Calloway. So I asked him one day. “Scotty, age is nothing but a number,” Grandpa reminded me. “Especially when customers or coworkers don’t take you…

OK, so, maybe you’re not an extrovert. Maybe you’re not the life of the party. And maybe you’re not the type of person to just go up and talk to anybody. Does that mean you’re headed up Approachability Creek without a paddle? Not at all! Especially when you bring creativity to the table. Because creativity is magnetic. Let me say that again: CREATIVITY. IS. MAGNETIC. For example, think about…

I’m pretty much obsessed with The Secret. You can’t argue it. It really is a cool movie. Smart. Poignant. Inspirational. And of course, deliciously hokey. Which isn’t to say it’s bad. Just because something is hokey doesn’t mean it’s ineffective. I’ve personally applied several visualization tips from The Secret and seen some incredible results in my personal and professional life. But, (and this is a BIG butt, here)… The…

Thanks to Ye Olde Google Alerts, I stumbled across an article written by Matt Sussman discussing tomorrow’s NCAA showdown between Oregon and Miami of Ohio (my alma matter). I wont quote the whole article, but I about laughed myself out of my desk chair when I read this section: For a school stowed away in Southeast Ohio’s armpit, Miami sure has a lot of famous graduates: Woody Hayes, Weeb…

Read part 1 here! Read part 2 here! Read part 3 here! Mmm…Chocolate Frank Mars was a candy salesman. But he needed something new. Something nobody had ever tasted before. At the time (1923), the chocolate malted milk was the most popular drink in the nation. So he wondered, “Why not put that flavor into a candy bar?” Then he did something no other candy maker ever attempted: he…

People want to do business with (and be around) other people who have their own philosophy. Their own unique approach. To business. To life. A way to treat customers. Online and off. How they roll. Alone and in front of others. Your own philosophy = approachable. For the past seven years, I’ve been perfecting mine. If this is your first time here, it goes a little something like this:…

“Writing is the basis of all wealth.” Those words were first taught to me by my friend/mentor, Jeffrey Gitomer. And while you can take that statement into many directions, today our focus will be on journaling. Journaling is your friend. Journaling is your resource. Journaling is your ticket to success. According to a 2007 report from QuintCareers, journaling possesses near-unlimited power. It can lead to: o Increased awareness, sharper…

(Read part one of this series here!) Sometimes all you need is one good hour. To get to know someone. To catch up with someone. To stay in touch with someone. A month ago, I got a surprising email from a woman named Lena West. Lena lives in New York, which explains why I was so surprised. See, she invited me to have lunch with her. A VIRTUAL lunch….

Studies show. Research proves. Scientists say. Psychologists report. Experts believe. THEY say. There’s an old story that says. I’ve heard from a lot of people say. Most people agree. It is said that. Critics say. Statistics show. Somebody once said. The reviews say. No. No, no, no! None of that is good enough. Not in a conversation. Not in a speech. Not in an article. Not in a blog…