Too Many Cooks in the Kitchen

There’s an old saying “too many cooks in the kitchen” that describes an organization overpopulated with leaders or decision makers.

I just have to ask…how many is too many?

While I would never discourage the use of advisors, gurus or experts, I must believe that at one point or another there are too many hands in the pot, too many conflicting opinions and too much advice. So what’s the point of oversaturation and how is that measured?

You don’t, after all, want to dilute your brand. On the other hand, you can’t expect one advisor to be the all-knowing, universally applicable phenom (although I’m sure there are many out there who would like to claim that they are).

So the question I’m trying to ask here is: what’s the threshold? Surely it’s different for every company and every situation, but a list of hirable experts in my mind seems like an endless roll call of industries.

I’ve heard that back in the days when sailors still traversed vast uncharted territory they would either carry one clock with them or three to tell the time. After all, if you had two and one was wrong, how could you tell?

I think in the end it boils down to this—you don’t have to know it all, you just have to know where to turn when you need the help.

Our Honor Defend...

...We will fight to the end for O-HI-O!

My favorite football game of the whole year is tomorrow OSU vs. U of M. Though I don't have tickets, I'll be there in spirit, and have the pleasure of meeting up with some of my old roomates this weekend.

A couple shots of Ohio Stadium:

Rushing the field after our victory against M*ch*g*n in 2006




Let's Go Buckeyes!!!

Best Week of the Year

…at least if you’re a die-hard Ohio State Buckeyes fan like myself. Time for celebration, time for tradition, time for the heated and widely recognized rivalry versus that team up north.

Probably one of the most amusing tributes to this time honored tradition is a pair of commercials made by ESPN… “without sports, this wouldn’t be disgusting” (there's a second one that follows which is also hilarious).

See below and enjoy…and of course GO BUCKS!!!

I Rescued a Human Today...

I received this from my friends at the Peppermint Pig Thrift & Gift today and it really puts pet adoption into perspective. This is the promise we all make to our beloved pets...and they make to us...

I rescued a human today.
Her eyes met mine as she walked down the corridor peering
apprehensively into the kennels. I felt her need instantly and knew
I had to help her. I wagged my tail, not too exuberantly, so she
wouldn't be afraid.
As she stopped at my kennel I blocked her view
from a little accident I had in the back of my cage. I didn't want
her to know that I hadn't been walked today. Sometimes the shelter
keepers get too busy and I didn't want her to think poorly of them.
As she read my kennel card I hoped that she wouldn't feel sad about
my past. I only have the future to look forward to and want to make
a difference in someone's life.
She got down on her knees and made little kissy sounds at me. I shoved my shoulder and side of my head up against the bars to comfort her. Gentle fingertips caressed my neck; she was desperate for companionship.

A tear fell down her cheek and I raised my paw to assure her that all would be well. Soon my kennel door opened and her smile was so bright that I
instantly jumped into her arms. I would promise to keep her safe. I
would promise to always be by her side. I would promise to do
everything I could to see that radiant smile and sparkle in her
eyes. I was so fortunate that she came down my corridor. So many
more are out there who haven't walked the corridors. So many more to
be saved. At least I could save one.
I rescued a human today.

Support the Peppermint Pig Thrift & Gift and Safe Haven Animal Sanctuary at their event this week, November 18-22nd.
Fabulous Fall Finale!
1 Free book per (paying) customer per day
buy-one-get-one-free shoes/boots (equal or lesser value)
buy-one-get-one-free on clothing (except coats and formal wear)

All proceeds from the Peppermint Pig go to support Safe Haven, a no-kill animal rescue. Every Saturday is adoption day- come out and make a new best friend!
8255 Beechmont Ave, Cincinnati OH

11/13

Santorini, Greece

My lackluster blog presence can be wholly attributed to a whopping case of laryngitis that has rendered me squeaky and a bit foggy, so enjoy a picture (and memory) that is certainly making me feel better...Santorini!

Customer Service is more Important than Ever

In a struggling economy, it’s important for businesses to make each sale that much more accommodating to the consumer.

People are spending less, and budgets are tight…and when they do go out to spend money, they want to make it count. Admittedly, this should always be the number one rule of the b2c service industry, but often gets swept under the rug during an influx of business.

As one of my clients so keenly noted in an interview, “if a family is going to only go out to dinner twice a month instead of four times, they’re going to spend a little more and really enjoy themselves.”

I would argue this statement is pretty applicable to other service industries across the board. If people are going to cut back, they want to make sure that the few times they do indulge will be worthwhile.

My rant follows a highly anticipated but disappointing experience at a sandwich joint that resulted in a meal consisting of about 75 pickles wedged in between two pieces of burned, crumbly bread. What sandwich maker would allow a meal of that sort to pass out of the kitchen and represent their brand?

A truly successful brand must have a consistent image conveyed through every individual at the company…right down to the guy who slaps some mayo (and a reasonable number of pickles) between two pieces of bread.

Every interaction is important to your success and brand dissonance=dissatisfaction.

VOTE!

I hope you had the chance to get out and vote today!!

...Apparently I don't have any patriotic pictures to commemorate this day, so you'll have to live with a shot of the Grand Canyon I took on my road trip a few years back along with my apologies for neglecting my photo of the day routine.

A Great Beginning

Can you believe that it's November already?!

Despite the fact that we're about to embark on the chaos that is the holiday season, the month is off to a great start. Please allow me to share two successes...

Employaid founder Barbara Poole lends her advice to this morning's NY Post:

ROUGH JUSTICE
WORKERS ARE SUING THEIR EMPLOYERS IN GROWING NUMBERS, BUT MANY HAVE CAUSE TO REGRET IT
By BRIAN MOORE

..."When a reference check is done and a lawsuit surfaces, they're going to find a reason to knock the person out of the box," says Barbara Poole, who now runs employaid.com, an online resource site for corporate employees.

Poole advises plaintiffs who are looking for a new job to be up-front with potential employers about their legal actions. It's better to put a positive spin on the matter - "I want to work here because my research shows that this company treats employees with respect and pays them accordingly" - than to have HR discover it independently.

See the full story:
http://www.nypost.com/seven/11032008/jobs/rough_justice_136552.htm



The Peppermint Pig in the November issue of Cincy Chic:

Any Tuesday through Saturday: Shop for a Cause

Peppermint Pig Thrift and Gift

11 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Tuesday to Friday), 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Saturday)

Celebrate National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week this week (Nov. 1 to Nov. 8) by giving yourself some time to shop and support the Safe Haven Animal Sanctuary, a no-kill animal shelter. "All proceeds from the sales at the Peppermint Pig Thrift & Gift go towards animal care and the purchase of a brick and mortar facility for the Safe Haven Animal Sanctuary, whose current roster of adoptable pets reside in loving foster care," according to the store's Web site.

This Anderson Township consignment shop also has some sales coming up, including the "Fabulous Fall Finale!" (Nov. 18 to Nov. 22.) and "Happy Holiday Hoopla!" (Dec. 9 to Dec. 13). During the Finale, each paying customer will receive a free book and can buy clothes and shoes at a buy-one-get-one-free deal. At the Hoopla, customers can enjoy the BOGO deals when clothes, books, drinking glasses, mugs and vases will all be buy one, get one free.

http://cincychic.com/content/view/1411/1/

Happy November!