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You might expect someone approaching his 81st birthday to be taking it easy, watching TV in a nice air-conditioned room. “Not Me,” says Paul Pagano, who will reach that age on August 3. “The Good Lord keeps me healthy, and as long as I can, I will continue making people smile.” Pagano, who lives in St. Louis, is better known to the public as Father Time. He has been…

After attending a Cardinals game last week some friends and I walked over to the traditional Redbirds post game celebration at a pub called Patty O’Brien’s. Not surprisingly I had my nametag ripped off two times in a three hour period. I must say, that still amazes me every time it happens. But it’s interesting to me that in 1,654 days; ONLY WOMEN have ripped my nametag off. And…

I truly believe in the value of the email signature. It’s our duty to make ourselves and our businesses accessible and easy to reach. After all, that’s what approachability is all about. But it’s frustrating when an email contains a signature that’s utterly pointless, provides no value and often confuses the recipient. Here’s an example: “Microsoft isn’t the evil software company everyone thinks they are. They just make crappy…

Every year I submit my proposal to the Guinness Book of World Records for “Longest Time Consistently Wearing a Nametag.” Not surprisingly, it was rejected again. Here’s what the nice people at Guinness World Records had to say: Dear Mr. Ginsberg: Thank you for sending us the details of your recent record proposal for Longest Time Consistently Wearing a Nametag. We are afraid to say that we are unable…

I recently finished Ivan Misner’s book, It’s in The Cards: Getting the Biggest Impact from Your Smallest Ad. It’s a fantastic book. It’s fun, informative and full of color pictures of classic business cards. Misner is the CEO of Business Networks International (BNI), and he takes the reader through a comprehensive look at the value of business cards. He also recommends various business card resources, one of which caught…

I just finished a brilliant article in the June 2005 issue of Psychology Today called “The Superpowers.” It discusses the X-factors such as charisma, chutzpah, joie de virvre and grace. Here are some of the highlights… * * *“X-factors are enviable dispositions that defy easy definition; even as they are immediately recognizable in people we admire…they project a positive energy that radiates beyond the person who embodies them. Only…

I recently spoke at The Turnaround Conference at the St. Peters Church of the Shepherd. My keynote address pointed out the dichotomy of Unforgettable First Impressions. In other words, GOOD Unforgettable vs. BAD Unforgettable. Judging by the audience’s response, the speech went excellent. They were volunteering, echoing, clapping – everything a speaker hopes to hear. I also had the opportunity to meet many attendees afterwards who shared stories and…

I picked up some delicious Popeyes chicken a few months back, and I’d agree that their recipe is one of the best. But here’s what I found to be slightly annoying/inconsistent with the particular store I went to… I approached the counter to order. The clerk was busying herself in the register, not even acknowledging my presence. Eventually she closed the drawer, looked up with a scowl and impatiently…

I’ve already blogged about ways to leverage your voicemail greeting, but now it’s time to discuss the name announcement. This is the recording someone hears when you leave a message on his or her phone, i.e., “Next message…received on March 21st…from…Scott Ginsberg.” When you set up your new voicemial program, the operator usually says, “Please record ONLY your first and last name after the tone. When you are finished,…

A few weeks ago I finished Self-Promotion for the Creative Person: Get the Word Out about Who You Are and What You Do, by Lee Silber. It was fantastic! Here are some of my favorite one-liners: If nobody knows you exist, it doesn’t matter how good your work is. The most effective form of self-promotion is tooting your own horn, loud and clear. Talking, speaking, having a website, writing…