Michael's Blog

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) Why Beethoven? He was a curmudgeon, boor, and as erratic as they come, according to most accounts. He was also kind, generous, and caring in turn. Still, without Beethoven there would not be modern music as we know it.  He was the bridge between Mozart and Haydn most directly, and between Bach and Handel once removed. Essentially, between all that came before and after -- in Western music anyway, centered in Europe throughout the 17th - 20th centuries. I'm no musicologist, so I can't explain the ins and outs of how and why. I just know it to be the case after listening to a lot of music over the years, across genres and eras.  Bach laid the foundation for classical music.  Handel gave depth to its spiritual and oratorial aspects. Haydn and Mozart perfected it. Beethoven revolutionized it.  Expanded it. Gave it all it needed to move into the future. Power.  Subtlety.  Emotion. Scope. Innovation.  Meaning . And he did th...

You didn't think I'd just write about things like Marketing , Leadership , and Managing , in this blog did you? While suitable and engaging topics, none can hold a candle to the big Kahuna: Death. Now, why ? you may inquire, write about such a "morbid" and "depressing" topic? And my response is, what else is there to really write about? Immutable. Inevitable. Unknown. The greatest mystery of life, and so on. Let's examine and try to go deep (as deep as I can anyway) and see where it takes us. I'm getting older. I've had cancer over the past several years. Um, I'm a human (at least the last time I checked). So naturally my own mortality is, let's just say, becoming a bit more obvious; it's on my mind more. That being said, I've been contemplating death and dying for many years.  My rumination began in my mid-30s when I came across The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying . A good read about the overall place death has in the course of...

You're not managing other people, dummy! You're managing yourself first and foremost. Start there and you've already begun to be a better manager. Reams and reams have been written, podcasted, video'ed, blogged, and social media'ed about this crazy topic. So ramble a bit again and get to a place of serenity.  Huh? 1 Self-Awareness : We are all blessed with this to varying degrees but it can, like most things, be improved as a skill. Before you say or do anything of consequence, ask and consider the following (at first you may fumble through this exercise for minutes and, if in mid-conversation with someone will look like an idiot); eventually it will become second nature and much smoother): Why do I want to say or do this, that, or the other thing before I think about it? Let me examine my own internal drivers, motives, and history for a second or two before saying/doing anything . Then.... Once I think about it, now what do I want to say and/or do? There is alwa...

This topic has been rattling around in my head for years. Why, you ask? Several reasons. First, it was rare to encounter good, never mind great, leadership during my career.  Second, I spent hours in various leadership trainings and seminars, read countless articles and books on the topic, discussed the subject often with friends and colleagues, yet still failed to see the strong leadership that the "rank and file" desired, even craved. So, as with most things, I was curious and asked myself "Why?" I have a theory of course (shaped and influenced by my own personal experience as well as many ideas and concepts I've been exposed to over the years). It may be on the mark, or off. Not sure. But here it is. My Theory on What Happens : Most people who rise to positions of authority or leadership in most organizations are primarily driven by their own individual motives. You know, to boil it down to the basics: more power , more control , more money . There's n...

Before I forget (mostly) everything I've learned, screwed up, experienced, and done in my career, I might as well start with work-related stuff. Hence the topic of my very first blog: Marketing. It's not rocket science or brain surgery no matter what anyone tells you. Sure, like most things Marketing has changed significantly over the past decade or so -- you know, due to major advances in technology, data gathering and analysis, artificial intelligence, etc. Before that it was always evolving but perhaps not changing quite as quickly. The basics, for me at least, were always a combination of creativity, tactics, and strategy. And here's how I've come to think of it after being immersed from 1998-2024 (applying one of my most important rules of marketing: The Rule of 3 ): WHO do you want to reach/wants to know about what you have to offer? (I guess this would be your Target Audience). WHAT do you want to say to them/what do they want to hear/need or want? (Um, your V...