Rise Again – You Can Overcome!

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I spent the better part of last week in the Gulfport-Biloxi area of Mississippi on what was once the beautiful coastal beaches along the Gulf of Mexico. I had the distinct privilege and unforgettable pleasure of working with the incredible staff of the HOPE Community Development Agency.

On August 29th of 2005, the entire 60-mile coastline of the Mississippi Gulf Coast suffered 10 hours of unequaled destruction by Hurricane Katrina, resulting in such cataclysmic loss of life and obliteration of homes and possessions that the entire area eerily resembled dawn after a nuclear winter.

Just two days after Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Gulf Coast, in response to dire and immediate need to coordinate and support relief and recovery efforts, the East Biloxi Relief and Coordination Agency was created with the goals of sustaining hope and providing relief and comfort through synchronized action and helping the community regain control over its future. This group later evolved into the HOPE Community Development Agency.

Partnering with local churches and local volunteer organizations, it provided immediate food, shelter and basic medical care to the thousands of families whose homes were destroyed by the hurricane. In the following months, the event and those involved faded from the national headlines and many across the country wrongly assumed that everything was back to normal. Not true … by a long shot!

Five years later, I found myself piloting my rental car through various neighborhoods stunned by what I saw. While all of the casinos have been restored, I found many homes, retail establishments, fast food locations, and concrete bridges looking as though the initial devastation had occurred yesterday! I was astonished to say the least.

HOPE eventually evolved into a full-service resource center for residents—a place where residents come to share their aspirations and concerns regarding the rebuilding effort, to participate in planning for both the immediate recovery and long-term prosperity of their community, and create a shared vision for the future of their community.

This extraordinary team has rehabilitated more than 650 homes, with roughly 200 salvageable homes remaining; new construction of homes totally destroyed by the storm lags behind, though Hope has rebuilt approximately 35 new homes and has more than 70 in the pipeline. The homes themselves have been rebuilt in standard design while others boast futuristic designs perched high above the sands on steadfast stilts. The rental units have yet to receive attention.

In short, much has been accomplished and yet much has yet to be done five years after the initial tragedy. Talking with local residents you can sense the spirit of love, teamwork, respect and sense of loss they have shared in their quest to rise again from the mass destruction brought about by that massive force of nature. The unbending spirit of generations of shrimpers, fishermen, and other coastal families will insure the rebuilding of their homes as well as a limitless future.

It was indeed an honor to meet and work with those who have survived such devastation and emerged to rise again with an undying spirit. In a very short span of time, they taught me lessons I’ll never forget. For doing so, they have my undying gratitude and heartfelt thanks.

Our country has experienced many challenges over the past few years and many have lost much. We must endure a variety of obstacles and rise again to regain and maintain the greatness we know we possess.

Share this short video with friends, family and associates to realize the challenge we face, the potential we possess and the rewards which await us.

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

Share the Wealth

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I just returned from a five-day adventure on the Gulf of Mexico. It wasn’t a vacation, it was work … hard work! However, I choose the word “adventure” because I’m very fortunate to have a career doing something I love to do. I appreciate the fact that I find it adventurous the majority of the time. I learn something new every single day of my life. I make it a point to do so and enjoy the rewarding challenge. Not everyone can say that, and I appreciate the opportunity.

The first leg of my trip took me to Tampa Bay, Florida, where I had the opportunity to work with students on the beautiful campus of Hillsborough Community College. I then flew up to Gulfport, Mississippi, to work with a very unique team of individuals of another generation. These fine folks focus on the continued efforts to restore life to the Biloxi area after the Katrina tragedy of 2005. Yes, it’s far from over. I’ll share much more about their challenges in future articles here on the blog.

One of my major lessons from this adventure is very simplistic … as are most good lessons. I realized once again that our very talented, technologically-blessed youth, Gens X & Y, have so much to offer the Boomers and Traditionals. At the same time, the latter generations are a tremendous asset, providing a wealth of information and experience to those facing the challenge of restoring this great country to its rightful status of world leader.

The challenge we all face is bringing the generations to a common ground where so much can be shared and everyone can benefit from the experience at a time when we seem far too overwhelmed by the chaos of everyday life to do so.

Here’s a prime example: YouTube! Here’s a short background of this current phenomenon. YouTube is a video-sharing website on which users can upload and share videos. Three former PayPal employees created YouTube in early 2005. The following year it was bought by Google, Inc. for $1.65 billion and is now operated as a subsidiary of Google. The company uses Adobe Flash Video technology to display a wide variety of user-generated video content, including movie clips. TV clips, and music video as well as amateur content such as video blogging and short original videos. Most of the content on YouTube has been uploaded by individuals, although media corporations including CBS, the BBC, UMG and other organizations offer some of their material via the site, as part of the YouTube partnership program

HERE is the valuable lesson. The above paragraph is very basic, everyday common knowledge bordering on the mundane for millions of our two younger generational groups. Conversely, the above paragraph may as well be written in a foreign language to millions of us in the two latter generations. They have no idea of anything noted in that paragraph.

The FACT is that YouTube, while being common knowledge to some and totally unknown to others, is a fantastic technology which can benefit everyone regardless of your age or technical abilities! If you’re familiar with YouTube, make it a point to share its potential with those are aren’t. If it’s new to you, check it out yourself or ask someone who is familiar with it. You’ll be glad you did.

Here’s an excellent example of its value. Here’s an example of the wisdom of the ages being shared with the potential of today’s youth in a very touching, short offering of what some of us have learned over the years. Visualize this wisdom as being shared by someone important to you who has passed in the last decade … if they could return for a short time, they’d probably share these thoughts with you. Take a little time to appreciate the wisdom.

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

New AchieveMax® Book Reviews Section

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After a six-month process, we are finally able to introduce our new book reviews section. Our “Top Ten Book Reviews” are now in a new blog format.

Our recommended books and book reviews section is one of the most visited sections of our site. In order to help our readers, we are providing this new format to allow our readers to more easily:

  • Find book reviews on a specific topic.
  • Comment on book reviews.
  • Search for book reviews.
  • E-mail a book review.
  • Share a book review with friends.
  • Share a book review on Facebook and Twitter.
  • Subscribe to the RSS feed.
  • Subscribe to the book reviews mailing list.

Professional speaker and consultant Harry K. Jones has written 200 book reviews for:

About Melanie L. Drake

Melanie L. Drake focuses on the publishing and marketing sides of the AchieveMax® company. AchieveMax® professional, motivational speakers provide custom-designed keynote presentations, seminars, and consulting services on change management, creativity, customer service, leadership, project management, time management, teamwork, and more. For more information on AchieveMax® custom-designed seminars and keynote presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

Irony Poorly Timed

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The older I get, the more irony I find in my day-to-day activity. This morning, I picked up a copy of USA Today in the terminal to read on my flight. I boarded the plane, got comfortable in my seat and started reading prior to take off.

There, in the center of the front page, above the fold, was a photo of a large U.S. passenger plane taking off into the wild blue yonder. Directly below the photo, in very large, bold red print, was the number 65,000! The headline under that impressive number read: “U.S flights with maintenance problems have taken off anyway.” Now that’s a confidence-building statement, isn’t it?

Here’s where the irony sets in. I’m buckled into my seat on a plane that very much resembles the one I’m looking at on the front page, and I’m wondering if I’m on one of those 65,000 flights! Odds are pretty good that I am.

The story goes on to explain that USA Today recently conducted a six-month investigation which revealed that substandard repairs, unqualified mechanics, and lax oversight by airlines and the FAA are not at all unusual! I’ll spare you the details, but suffice it to say that this story covered half of the front page and all of the second page!

Trying to remain positive and get my mind off that encouraging story, I turned to the Money Section of the paper. I should have known better. Right in the center of the front page of that section was the photo of another airplane and a baggage handler tossing a bag into the belly of the aircraft. The headline read: “Do airlines improve bag handling when fees rise?”

The article covered half of the front page and two thirds of the second page, focusing on the recent increases in baggage fees by most every airline. The major thrust of the article revealed that very little, if any, of that money ($2.7 billion in the last year) collected was used to reduce the number of lost and damaged bags or enhance the technology used to track our bags. It also pointed out that mishandled bags cost the airline industry $3 billion last year!

None of this information really shocked me as I’ve been hearing it for quite some time now. However, I couldn’t help but chuckle at the double irony. First, I’m reading this depressing information while strapped helplessly captive in one of those poorly maintained aircrafts that will more than likely lose or damage my bag after charging me an increased fee for that privilege.

Secondly, the only airline NOT charging a fee of any kind for your first two bags happened to be the ONLY airline in the nation to earn a profit for the past year! Hello-o-o-o? Need I mention that it was Southwest?

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

To Ask or Not to Ask … That Is the Question!

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The Associated Press reports that Americans spend about $34 billion annually to visit therapists support when they are going through difficult times … family troubles, relationship issues, school and/or work challenges, etc.

While there are a wide variety of treatment strategies, many therapists use the power of questions to identify and sometimes arrive at a method of treatment.

This approach can also be utilized to a certain degree in our everyday lives as well. While I would never recommend this strategy in lieu of professional treatment, it can certainly assist us in areas of personal growth and self-realization.

Find a comfortable seat and make certain you have a legal pad and pen at your disposal. Take a look at the following questions and choose a few which you feel might address a current challenge in your life. While doing this alone, you should have no fear or reluctance in answering each question truthfully. Failure to do so would certainly defeat the purpose of this exercise.

Read your question of choice, think about it for a few moments and then jot down all thoughts which may come into your mind. Don’t evaluate your responses at this point, just record them. Upon completion, you may want to add additional notes or revise some content upon further thought.

If you are perfectly honest in your answers, I can assure you that you’ll discover some personal insight you might find not only revealing but, in some cases, even surprising. Your data may lead you to additional research, conversation with a trusted source, or even more professional counseling should you feel it necessary.

Here are just a few of the important questions you might consider:

  1. What one decision would I make if I knew it would not fail?
  2. What one thing should I eliminate from my life because it holds me back from reaching my full potential.
  3. Am I on the path of something absolutely marvelous, or something absolutely mediocre?
  4. Am I running from something, or to something?
  5. What can I do to make better use of my time?
  6. Who do I need to forgive?
  7. Of the people I respect most, what is it about them that earns my respect?
  8. What would a truly creative person do in my situation?
  9. What outside influences are causing me to be better or worse?
  10. In what areas do I need improvement in terms of personal development?
  11. What gifts, talents, or strengths do I have?
  12. What is one thing that I can do for someone else who has no opportunity to repay me?

By the way, you may not like the answers … but you need to hear them!

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

I’m Proud to Be an American

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Politics, the economy, health care, big business, media bias, unemployment, global warming and the list goes on and on. It begins to weigh on me, and I’m ashamed to admit that frustration sets in from time to time.

However, when I most need it and least expect it, the clouds part, the sunlight diminishes the darkness as it warms my heart and reminds me that we have the ultimate privilege of living among the best people on the face of the earth.

Based on your personal beliefs, credit God, Allah, angels, destiny, fate or any of the many other cosmic influences which invariably appear to save the day. I recently experienced several unanticipated adverse situations within a single week which resulted in somewhat of a frustrating mind-set for me. I was fast approaching a serious “feel-sorry-for-myself” depression when I came across a short but powerful story in our local newspaper. It was certainly a bonafide mood changer for me.

The article focused on a small local Mexican restaurant, Los Gringos, which has recently fallen on hard times. It’s far from any of the major brand name chain restaurants. In fact, it’s situated on an out-of-the-way, seldom traveled, forlorn stretch of city street on the edge of town. After 34 years in business, financial hardships were threatening to close its doors. The problems started about 2½ years ago when the local economy began to reduce its customer count. The owners of this neighborhood “taco and home-made salsa palace” owed a $4,300 unpaid tax bill which was only 10% of what they actually owed the state. Then, four days after Christmas, a robbery was the “straw that broke the camel’s back.”

Word quickly spread that the beloved restaurant was on the ropes and the donations suddenly started pouring in. The very first donation was a $100 bill from a man who had been in the restaurant only once prior to the donation. It didn’t take him long to learn about the fantastic food and the love shared by the “most wonderful, kind-hearted people” who operated this quaint establishment.

Obviously, many others shared this love and respect for the owners as they quickly decided this restaurant was simply “too lovable to fail.” Loyal customers quickly raised the entire $4,300 to pay the tax bill that was due the following Monday!

This from a city within a state dealing with a 14.7% unemployment rate and shuttered auto plants at every turn! It is truly amazing what the American spirit can render in times of need! This wasn’t a government bailout generated by politicians with cynical motives. This was a determined group of American citizens sharing an intangible force which is immeasurable by any standard.

In the face of distress the American spirit has brought us courage; when uncertain, it’s brought us optimism; when sad, its filled our hearts with love and serenity. We Americans are bound together by this invisible, dynamic and enduring force. It’s tenacious when challenged, indestructible in times of hardship, but best of all, it’s the driving force behind the America that we know and love.

It doesn’t matter if it’s a small picturesque Mexican restaurant in the heart of a mid-western city or the devastated countryside of Haiti … the American spirit is there to serve and support those in need.

So the next time you’re discouraged by the consistently negative headlines in your local newspaper, pause for a moment to check for the story beneath the fold that will bring a tear to your eye, a lump to your throat, and warmth to your heart as you discover the true power of the American spirit!

If you’d be interested in joining those assisting the fine folks at the restaurant in their attempt to raise the remaining 90% of what they owe the state, send a check to: Los Gringos Restaurant, 6030 S. Martin L. King Jr. Blvd., Lansing, MI 48911

They’ll appreciate your donation and you’ll feel better for having provided it. And if you’re in the area, stop by for a fantastic taco!

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

Roadside Chicken

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You might want to sit down for this one. This story is a cross between creativity and change. A powerful combination to be sure! Millions of dollars in ads, just as many tickets and fines, and far too much time and effort have fallen short in the never-ending campaign to get us to buckle our seat belts—a short and simple act that can and does save lives every day!

The increased probability of surviving a car crash hasn’t persuaded enough South Carolinians to buckle up, so the state’s highway patrol has turned to a more reliable incentive: Chick-Fil-A coupons.

The South Carolina Highway Patrol recently started rewarding free chicken sandwich vouchers to seat-belted drivers in three counties around Charleston. So far, officers have distributed 1,200 coupons.

But the coupons aren’t reserved for do-gooders. Officers typically size up drivers for seat belt use when they’re pulled over for moving violations, which means a South Carolinian caught speeding could end up with points on his license, a hefty fine, increased insurance premiums and a hand-breaded boneless chicken breast on a buttered bun.

Officers are also giving out coupons at seat belt checkpoints, and one officer reports he’s gotten into the habit of rewarding coupons to drivers who pull into gas stations with their seat belts buckled.

The program seems to be working: Local police officers say drivers, obviously aware of a seat belt’s worth, are now demanding Chick-Fil-A coupons when stopped.

The Highway Patrol hopes to take the program statewide next year.

South Carolina has lost 394 people on its roadways from not wearing their seat belts. Now citizens know the South Carolina Highway Patrol wants you to wear your seat belt, and Chick-Fil-A wants you to eat more chicken. It’s obviously a win-win-win situation, and it appears to be working. Congratulations to everyone involved.

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

Is Customer Service “Falling Down”?

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I recently saw a late night re-run of a terrific action/crime film starring Michael Douglas and Robert Duvall. This 1993 film, Falling Down, centers on Douglas’s character, William Foster, who is a recently divorced and unemployed former defense engineer.

The film follows him as he goes on a violent rampage across the city of L.A. trying to get home in time for his daughter’s birthday party. Along the way, a series of encounters, both trivial and provocative, cause him to react with violence and make sardonic observations on life, poverty, the economy and commercialism.

One particular scene takes place as the main character finds himself in a fast food restaurant after several extremely stressful events on an unusually hot summer day.

What happens next is classic, and I’m certain viewers will immediately identify with his frustration with the total lack of customer service he receives from the staff and the manager of Whammy Burger. We’ve all been there, we’ve all felt the same, but fortunately we avoided responding the way Foster did.

This short clip will have you sitting on the edge of your seat while realizing this scene could occur most anywhere at any time in today’s chaotic environment. I’ve shared this clip with many seminar audiences while defining the term “Vigilante Consumer.” I can’t think of a better way of explaining this term and demonstrating the possible consequences, although extreme in this case, of poor service.

The title of the film, referring to Foster’s mental collapse, is taken from the title of the nursery rhyme London Bridge is Falling Down, which appears several times during the film.

Watch this clip and see if you don’t relate to his frustration at not being able to order breakfast two minutes after they switched to the lunch menu. You’ll also laughingly identify with his comparison of the skimpy unattractive Whammy burger in his hand to the thick, juicy, scrumptious photo on the menu board.

If customer service is critical to your success, you might consider sharing this clip with your staff followed by a discussion of how Foster might react after a visit to your establishment.

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

Inevitable Retail Hits

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We knew it was going to happen. Just glance out your car window as you pass your local strip malls. Try to walk 25 yards through your local mall without seeing boarded up stores. The 2009 holiday sales period was one of the worst on record. That, coupled with very little change in the nation’s economic situation and the growth of e-commerce revenues, made it quite obvious that our retail industry would have to adjust to consistently poor performance. The looming question at this point is “who’s next?”

“24/7 Wall Street,” a Delaware corporation set up to run a financial news and opinion operation over the Internet, looked at a number of large retail companies to see which had the largest fall-offs in same-store sales in 2009.

The list below includes the eight store chains most likely to close a significant number of locations this year and an estimate of the number of outlets they will have to shutter.

Zale fired its CEO and the two senior retail executives who work for him. Zale has 1,930 outlets operating under the names Zales Jewelers, Zales Outlet, Gordon’s Jewelers, Peoples Jewellers, Mappins Jewellers and Piercing Pagoda. Zale will have to close its 200 worst-performing stores before the year is over.

Abercrombie & Fitch posted the worst same-store sales results of any large retailer in America during 2009. Caris & Co, the research firm, recently expressed strong doubt about how it might recover. The firm operates a number of brands including Abercrombie & Fitch, abercrombie, Hollister, and RUEHL. The company has 1,129 outlets and will have to retreat to its early 2007 store count of 950.

GameStop, the massive video-game retailer, said its holiday 2009 results were a disappointment.The entire video game industry is in trouble. GameStop has 6,200 stores worldwide and 24/7 Wall Street expects that at least 400 of those will be closed.

Barnes & Noble, the largest book store company in the U.S., is up against a rapid increase in book sales over the internet which is dominated by Amazon and includes large retailers such as Wal-Mart. The rise of the e-reader and e-books is also in the process of undermining “bricks-and-mortar” book buying traffic. Its peer Borders recently closed 200 of its Waldenbooks outlets and fired 1,500 people. Barnes & Noble has 775 outlets and 636 college bookstore. Barnes & Noble will have to push online sales, marketing of its Nook e-reader, and close at least 100 stores.

Hot Topic shares were recently downgraded as the firm posted awful results last year. The company operated 681 Hot Topic stores in all 50 states and Puerto Rico and 156 Torrid stores. Hot Topic says the” idea behind the Hot Topic concept essentially began in the 1960s with bootleggers selling tee shirts at concert venues.” It had better go back to the original model. The company is in such bad shape it will have to close 200 stores this year.

Dillard’s has 315 stores in 29 states. It will end up closing at least 25 to stay in good shape.

JCPenney is still profitable, and its only real problem is that it is spread too thin. The firm has just over 1,100 stores and needs to “right size” itself to the economy by cutting 75.

Retail experts are predicting things will get worse before they get better. Only the strong will survive and even those retailers will have to make drastic changes to do so. Those who sit and wait for things to get better will soon disappear from the scene. This reality is sad but true and has already proven to be true.

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

The Perfect Storm

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A “perfect storm” is an expression that describes an event where a rare combination of circumstances will aggravate a situation drastically. And that’s what’s happening today across this great nation.

While so many organizations are simply sitting dormant waiting for things to get better, others have decided to take action in an effort to make things better.

The rare combination of circumstances coming together today include chaos, competition, and creativity … all leading to major CHANGE you probably thought you’d never see … and yet current news releases inform us that many changes are already taking place. Here are three you might find interesting.

Burger King Planning to Sell Beer

Yes, it sounds like a whopper, but it’s true. The burger chain already has a Whopper Bar at Universal Citywalk near the theme parks in Orlando, Florida, and it plans to open others in Miami Beach, New York City, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas. The beers will be mostly domestic, such as Bud and Miller, and will be served in aluminum bottles selling for about $4.25. Burger King is also experimenting with several combo offerings.

McSaloon Will Offer Win Coolers

In an attempt to counter Burger King and maintain its position as the #1 burger chain on earth, McDonald’s has announced that it will start selling wine coolers at its South Beach locations in Miami beginning the middle of March this year. Interestingly enough, that kick-off date correlates with Spring Break. Called McWineCooler Swirls, the alcoholic beverages will be served during McHappy Hour from 4-7 p. m. daily at the McSaloon section of the restaurant. The beverages will not be served in the main family area of the restaurant.

Kroger Get Creative

Creativity isn’t limited to the fast food industry. Kroger has seen the benefit of expanding its offering as well in hopes of weathering the Perfect Storm.

Kroger Marketplace in Frisco, Texas, has opened up a new 123,000-square-foot store that greatly expands upon the products the supermarket typically sells. In addition to everything you would expect to find in a Kroger store, this one also sells home furnishings like dining room sets, bookshelves and lamps as well as toys, jewelry and more. Oh, and if on the way out you suddenly experience the urge to splurge on a diamond pendant or pick up an engagement ring, a Fred Meyer Jewelers is conveniently located at the front of the store. (It turns out that Kroger, the country’s second-largest grocery chain, also owns the Fred Meyer Jewelry chain, which happens to be the nation’s third-largest jewelry retailer).

Target Targets Food

If you haven’t already noticed, Target has been expending its line of food products for the past several years and the response has been very positive. So much so, that it is now testing fresh meat products in a number of test stores. If it catches on like its other food products have, Kroger may be concerned.

You can bet there are a host of competitors watching what happens as a result of these creative attempts to survive and thrive. If they fail, you will hear a chorus of “I told you so.” If they succeed, you’ll suddenly see a lot of them scrambling to do the same. However, there’s a good chance that it will be too late.

To succeed today, you’d better be willing to do what it takes to weather that “perfect storm” that confronts us all! Get creative, take a chance, put forth an effort or pay the price as you simply sit and watch!

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.