Sears-Kmart: Comeback or Deja Vu?

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Sears Holding Corporation, the parent of both Sears and Kmart stores, is apparently coming to life after what they admit has been two years of “lying in the weeds.” Over the past year, there have been whispers that Sears Holding Corp. was a potential bidder for everything from Home Depot Inc. to Anheuser-Busch Co. — although nothing yet has materialized.

However, they have rolled out their first major marketing campaign involving the Kmart side of the business. Maybe you’ve already seen their new mascot — a talking light bulb called “Mr. Bluelight.” Remember their old “blue light specials”? I wonder if it’s wise to move backward in order to move forward? Time will soon tell.

Sears, on the other hand, will promote their brand in commercials and ads under their new tag line: “Sears: Where it begins.” Sounds like a real barn-burner, doesn’t it? Makes you want to jump up out of your La-Z-Boy, throw the family into your car and burn rubber to get to your nearest Sears outlet, doesn’t it?

We all know that ad companies charge a fortune to come up with these ideas of “talking light bulbs” and catchy slogans such as the one mentioned above. Don’t you think a very cautious and critical public expects much more than they’re about to receive from two major organizations who were at one time the #1 and #2 retailers in the country?

I’m somewhat shocked that they haven’t moved sooner than this. However, after hearing their strategy, I wonder if they shouldn’t wait even longer. Maybe they should have considered a national campaign built around a competition urging smart shoppers from coast to coast to create a slogan that best describes the new mission of this potential retail giant. The grand prize: One million dollars. Sound ridiculous? Maybe not.

  • They would grab the attention of the entire nation by revealing the grand prize.
  • They would have to share their new mission so those creative shoppers would have an idea how to create the proper slogan.
  • Potential shoppers would have to pay attention to the new mission if they hoped to compete.
  • Sears Holding Corp. would be tapping the creative juices of the entire country.
  • Hundreds of thousands of potential customers would be involved in hopes of winning that money.
  • Announcing the winner nationwide would create a lot of publicity.
  • The prize money of one million dollars would be much less than the price paid to the ad company for the “talking light bulb” and the four-word slogan that leaves you wondering “Where what begins?”

Regaining credibility in the eyes of today’s shopping community is going to be a tremendous challenge for these two one-time retail giants. Things have changed drastically since Sears and Kmart towered over all other competitors … the economy, jobs, politics, gas prices, consumer mind-sets, and a whole new competitive field of very strong retailers. They simply can’t afford to come back with the same tired strategy they used before joining forces. Again, time will tell.

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.

Do You Remember?

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As a youngster, I had many heroes, idols, and role models. They included past Presidents, movie cowboys, rock singers, sports icons, astronauts, and many historical figures we read about in school. Remembering the very long list of people I looked up to during my childhood, I couldn’t help but wonder about today’s generation and who they might consider worthy of their respect and admiration. Based on what I see on TV, hear on the radio, find on the Internet, and view on magazine covers and newspapers, the list is very slim. Think about it: Rock stars on the way to rehab or prison, sports stars on drugs or in jail, politicians creating new scandals daily as they prove to be everything but leaders. I began to wonder if today’s young people had anyone left to look up to.

Then my spirit was renewed as I reviewed USA TODAY‘s most recent “Commemorative Top 25 List.” For weeks now, I’ve suggested that you check out the Monday editions of USA TODAY as they offer a different list each week to celebrate their 25th Anniversary. You can find their full-page specials in the paper or online every week from now until September.

This week’s feature focused on 25 very special people who have inspired us over the last 25 years. They made us care, cheer, and even cry. Our lives were enriched by these special people who moved us in so many ways. Most of these people were famous, but some were very ordinary folks who found themselves in extraordinary situations. Many became accidental leaders, even heroes. Most will live on in our memories forever. I’ve listed those 25 people below, but I recommend you check out the article itself for greater details as to why each is so very special. Here’s still another article in the series that is certainly worthy of a family discussion after dinner tonight. There are far too few of those taking place in this country at a time when we need them more than ever before. Why not do what you can to change that trend?

Lives of Indelible Impact

  1. 9/11 heroes … passengers, police officers, firefighters, citizens, medical personnel, etc.
  2. Nelson Mandela … South African President, Nobel Peace Prize winner, activist.
  3. Princess Diana … the “people’s princess.”
  4. Space shuttle Challenger astronauts … seven who died in 1986.
  5. Lance Armstrong … seven-time winner of the Tour de France.
  6. Christopher and Dana Reeve … Superman and his Lois Lane who lobbied for spinal cord injuries.
  7. Pope John Paul II … first Polish Pope who crusaded for many causes.
  8. Ryan White … HIV victim who became a positive symbol of the illness worldwide. Died at 13 from a blood product used to treat his hemophilla.
  9. Man at Tiananmen Square … Unarmed, he stood down tanks at pro-democracy protests in China.
  10. Mother Teresa … Nobel Peace Prize-winning nun who touched the world.
  11. Oprah Winfrey … from poverty to riches, her own TV show, books, movies, and TV studio.
  12. Terry Schiavo … whose controversial death prompted greater use of living wills.
  13. Michael J. Fox … TV and movie star who started a foundation to lobby for more research on Parkinson’s disease and embryonic stem cells.
  14. Arthur Ashe … African American who won three Grand Slam titles in the white world of tennis. Spoke for AIDS sufferers worldwide. Finally died of AIDS from bad blood transfusion.
  15. U.S. Women’s Soccer Team (1999) … won World Cup title on U.S. soil, energizing girls in sports.
  16. Megan Kanka and Jessica Lunsford …whose tragic deaths led to Congress passing laws that require sex offenders to be registered.
  17. Mattie Stepanek … spokesperson for Muscular Dystrophy who started writing poetry at three and died at 13 after publishing five books, three of which were best sellers.
  18. Bono … U2 lead singer and activist for Africa, trade, debt relief, and AIDS awareness.
  19. Pat Tillman … who gave up a multimillion dollar pro football contract to join the Army after 9/11. Died in combat after serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.
  20. Muhammad Ali … Three-time World Heavyweight Champion. Suffering from Parkinson’s, he champions humanitarian causes such as poverty relief and hunger.
  21. Steve Irwin … The Crocodile Hunter from Australia who starred on TV and in movies.
  22. Jessica McClure … Fell into a well at 18 months. Freed from an 8-inch-wide-pipe by rescuers after 58 hours.
  23. “Baby M” … first child of a surrogate mother. Legal battle ensued. Today a college student.
  24. Matthew Shepard … gay 21-year-old college student who died of a hate crime in 1998.
  25. Elian Gonzalez … 5 year old who escaped Cuba and survived on an inner tube to reach the U.S.

Your children and grandchildren will probably hear little or nothing about these people who contributed to our history in many different ways. Take a minute and tell them what you remember about each situation.

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.

Money Mania!

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If you’re an average American today, you know money doesn’t stay in our pockets very long. It’s gone before we know it. Money is also one of those many, many things we take for granted every day. As a result, we actually know very little about it. Let me bring you up to date on what you’ve been missing.

The life span of the average one-dollar bill is only 18 months. Most one-hundred-dollar bills remain in circulation for nine years.

The U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing makes $696 million a day!

It’s illegal for U.S. currency to have the portrait of a living person.

Between the Fort Worth, Texas, and the Washington D.C. facilities, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing uses about 18 tons of ink per day.

The only woman ever depicted on United States paper currency was first lady Martha Washington, on a silver certificate.

Afraid of ending up with counterfeit money? Fear not! Only 0.01% of the $750 billion in circulation is actually counterfeit.

Currency is printed on cotton, not paper.

If we laid each current U.S. bill printed side by side, they would stretch around the earth’s equator about 24 times.

Contrary to popular belief, pennies contain only 2.5% copper — they are mostly made from zinc.

There are five million millionaires in the U.S.

The ridges on the sides of some coins have a name — reeding or milling.

People used to save their cash in kitchen jars made of a clay called pygg, and people called them pygg jars. Later they became known as piggy banks and were made in the shape of pigs.

There is about 500 billion of U.S. currency in circulation and most of it is held outside of the United States?

There are only nine engravers in the whole U.S. who do all the engraving for the Bureau of Engraving and Printing.

All engraving plates used by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, have been engraved in reverse.

If your money is mutilated and if you can account for 51% of your bill, the Office of Currency Standards in Washington, D.C. will gladly replace your money.

It only costs 4.1 cents to make a $1 bill. It costs the same thing to make a $100 bill.

In the early 1900s, you could return dirty money to Washington to be cleaned. If the bill was in good shape, they would wash it, iron it, and reissue it.

When bills finally wear out, they are sent back to the Federal Reserve Banks where a machine sorts out the good, the bad, and the counterfeit. The counterfeit bills are sent to the Secret Service. The worn-out bills are pulverized and buried. They used to burn old bills, but because of the lead in the ink, they are now buried.

Prior to using paper money, Americans used buckskins for money. This is where we get the term “bucks.”

There are 4 automobiles and 11 light posts on the back of the $10 bill.

If you use a magnifying glass, you can see Abraham Lincoln sitting at the
Lincoln Memorial on the back of a penny.

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.

USA TODAY Shares “Eureka” Moments

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In early April, I wrote an article urging readers to monitor Monday editions of USA TODAY as they began a series of articles of “Commemorative Top 25 Lists” to celebrate their 25th Anniversary. You can find their full-page specials in the paper or online every week from now until September. Thus far, they’ve been very informative and entertaining.

I find their content to be terrific material for discussions between parents and their children and/or grandchildren. For instance, this week the full-page coverage focused on “25 Years of ‘Eureka’ Moments.” They point out that we’re a nation of inventors from neighborhood garages to corporate labs, creating gadgets and services that have changed the world. Some delight us and some drive us crazy, but they’re all very memorable. USA TODAY chose some of the most unique inventions that have surfaced since their arrival on the scene in 1982. Below you’ll find a list of those distinctive choices, but I suggest you visit the USA TODAY web site for a more descriptive explanation of each. This particular article is excellent research material for teachers as well. It’s really interesting to see all 25 on a single page as you suddenly realize how things have really changed in such a short span of time. Check it out yourself and continue monitoring this very informative series each Monday. They’re doing a great job.

  1. Cellphones
  2. Laptop Computers
  3. BlackBerrys
  4. Debit Cards
  5. Caller ID
  6. DVDs
  7. Lithium Rechargeable Batteries
  8. iPods
  9. Pay at the Pump
  10. Lettuce in a Bag
  11. Digital Cameras
  12. Doppler Radar
  13. Flat-panel TVs
  14. Electronic Tolls
  15. PowerPoint
  16. Microwavable Popcorn
  17. High-tech Footwear
  18. Online Stock Trading
  19. Big Bertha Golf Clubs
  20. Disposable Contacts
  21. StairMaster
  22. TiVo
  23. Purell (hand sanitizer)
  24. Home Satellite TV
  25. Karaoke

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.

Feels Like “Deja View”

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In the last month, I’ve logged over 11,000 miles and touched down in 11 different cities from coast to coast. It’s been hectic but exciting. I’m not sure whether it was travel fatigue, old age, or a combination of the two, but I’m pretty sure I discovered a new rendering of déjà vu. The dictionary defines déjà vu as “The illusion of having already experienced something actually being experienced for the first time.” After reading that definition, I knew what I was experiencing was something just a bit different. Since it had a great deal to do with things I’ve seen during this nationwide tour, I’ll call it “déjà view.”

Let me begin with a great awakening this morning. I woke up to the pounding surf on the pure white sands of Panama City. As I looked out of my large, wall-sized window, I could see nothing but the vast ocean waters with several large ships moving across the horizon in the distance. The brilliant sunrise reflected off the beach with blinding intensity. Above the sounds of circling seagulls, I heard the radio DJ announce that afternoon temps would be reaching close to 94 degrees. The refreshing ocean breeze made that seem almost bearable. Just before hitting the sack last night, I stood on my balcony, 20 stories above the pool area, watching vacationers swimming in the Olympic-size pool, relaxing in the whirlpool, and dancing to island music in the soft flickering flames of dozens of Tiki torches situated among the many shadowy palm trees. I had to wonder if the people who lived in this area as permanent residents truly appreciated the privilege of living among these wondrous gifts.

Five days earlier, I flew into Albuquerque, New Mexico, rented a Sebring convertible and headed across the vast desert, winding among a wide variety of cacti and boulders of every size. I’ve seen a small cactus on a living room end table but nothing like the towering varieties found here in the foothills of the southern Rocky Mountains. Situated at 7,000 feet above sea level, the air is rarefied, much thinner than I was used to but still very invigorating. After a pleasant one-hour drive at desert speeds, I arrived in Santa Fe, founded in the early 1600s, making it the second oldest city as well as the highest and oldest capital in the U.S. With a population of 70,000 primarily Hispanic, Anglo and Native American people, Santa Fe is a world-class tourist destination, drawing more than 1 million visitors each year to enjoy its unique offerings of art, culture and ancient traditions. It also ranks as the country’s third largest art market with nearly 300 galleries and dealers. I almost felt as though I was stepping back into history upon my arrival. If you’re hungry, you can easily find basic New Mexican food, creative Southwestern cuisine, or authentic Italian, French, Asian and other world cuisines. In fact, the city offers more than 200 choices. Coming into the city, I saw many hikers and bikers and soon learned this area was very well known for river rafting, horseback riding, and hot air ballooning. It’s also the home of America’s third largest art market, the Santa Fe Opera, fine dining, hundreds of quaint shops and, believe it or not, world-class ski resorts. Snow in the desert! Enter “déjà view.” I had to wonder if the people who lived in this area as permanent residents truly appreciated the privilege of living among these wondrous gifts.

A week earlier, I was once again on the shore of the ocean on picturesque Okaloosa Island enjoying everything you might expect … warm breezes, temps nearing the high 90s, very low humidity, island music, palm trees, sea gulls everywhere, breath-taking boats and nary a bad view from any room in my resort hotel. The people were friendly, the beautiful beaches beckoning, and the time far too short. Once again, enter “déjà view.” I had to wonder if the people who lived in this area as permanent residents truly appreciated the privilege of living among these wondrous gifts.

A few days prior to Okaloosa Island, I spent an entire week on another island — this one seemed as though it were a world away. New York City … no beaches, no breeze, and no island music. The only boats were ocean liners leaving daily for points unknown to local residents. However, what it lacked in resort environment, it certainly made up in other ways. From my skyscraper suite, I could view the entire city, which, by the way, truly never sleeps. A glance at the streets below reveals thousands of people scurrying in every direction at speeds faster than the local automotive traffic. Looks like an ant hill in turmoil! There is Central Park in one direction and Lady Liberty protecting the harbor in the other direction. It’s almost impossible to pull yourself away from your window view of the city after dark. A dazzling array of blinking lights and signs in every direction lights up the city as though it were the middle of the day. The pace is overwhelming, entertainment abounds, food choices are unlimited, business is brisk, opportunities are unlimited … in short, life is stimulating. You know what’s next. “Déjà view.” I had to wonder if the people who lived in this area as permanent residents truly appreciated the privilege of living among these wondrous gifts.

Flying home from Panama City, I experienced several flashbacks to my recent hectic schedule, and they all led me to an obvious revelation. Everyone calling all of the above scenarios “home” probably take their local attributes for granted. It suddenly dawned on me that many of them would truly enjoy visiting my part of the world as well. Within a short drive in any direction, you can find any one of the beautiful Great Lakes, entertainment, scenic vacation getaways, great food, professional sports, educational opportunities, a variety of river activities, and many of the things I’ve so enjoyed in my travels elsewhere. I guess I just never take the time to appreciate what I have in my own backyard. Kind of reminds me of the moral of the Wizard of Oz. We must understand that we already have the makings of contentment and great joy. We just don’t always recognize it. Maybe it’s time I took a closer look at what I have here at home — if I can ever find the time to do that. Maybe I should take a closer “déjà view!”

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.

Five Tips for Wedding Project Management

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web marketing and communications consultant Melanie L. DrakeIn the description for our custom-designed, on-site project management seminar, we mention that everyone, at some point, manages a project, whether it’s a wedding, a student project, or a home-improvement project. Because of this description, we often see searches for “wedding project management” in our web statistics. 

Having recently planned a wedding, I’d like to share five tips that may be of benefit to those just starting to plan their wedding day.

  1. Buy a round-ring binder and a set of at least eight tabs. You can find these at OfficeDepot, OfficeMax, or Staples. Although I used a one-inch binder, I would strongly recommend at least a two-inch binder. (The bigger the wedding, the bigger the binder should be.) Even though I would have preferred keeping everything on the computer, the notebook was a necessity as I gathered paperwork from each potential vendor. You will be carrying this binder around everywhere, including your wedding day. (Believe me, I ended up needing it because the caterer misplaced our food order, and the maid of honor had to call to see why the food hadn’t been delivered to the reception hall when we arrived. We did call the day before the wedding to make sure that everything was set, and they somehow lost the order during those 24 hours.)
  2. My favorite online wedding resource is the Wedding Channel. It includes a well-defined, online check list that shows you what should be completed by a certain time in your project management time line. It also includes a guest list manager, which helps you keep track of who is attending and the gifts you have received. The site also has a budget calculator, which helps you stay within your budget. Moreover, if you’re interested, you can receive information from local wedding-related vendors; I actually did not find any of my vendors in this way since most of the “local” vendors were at least an hour away from where we wanted to have the wedding.
  3. The Knot is also an excellent resource when planning your wedding. I preferred the Wedding Channel overall, but this site also has the online check list, the guest list manager, a budget calculator, and a wedding web page. (The pop-up ads are annoying at The Knot, and I was also annoyed that they continued to market to me with newlywed information after my wedding.)
  4. Bridal BargainsI would highly recommend reading Bridal Bargains if you are on a limited budget. There is also a web site for Bridal Bargains. My original plans for my wedding gown were scrapped when I read this book, and I ended up buying a beautiful yet inexpensive wedding gown that received rave reviews from those attending the wedding.
  5. DIY Bride (Do-It-Yourself Bride) is another excellent resource. It contains a download section, which I found particularly useful because of yet another checklist that I downloaded to keep in my notebook as well as a template for the web site we used for our wedding information.

The most surprising thing I learned from planning a wedding is that the vendors expect that the bride is the one in charge. At the chapel, the bride was always listed as the contact person and not the groom. Also, I know very little about photography while my husband does, and yet the photographer’s assistant continued to call me with questions.

One thing to note is that no matter how much you plan, things do go wrong. For example, the construction on my original reception hall was delayed, which made the hall unavailable for my wedding reception; I didn’t learn of this construction until after the invitations were printed. The food, as noted earlier, was two-hours late and cold; I knew the time line so well that we just cut and then served the wedding cake.  So, when things go wrong at your wedding, let them eat cake!

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.

On the Road Again

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Motivational speaker Harry has appeared all over North America addressing topics such as change, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork and time management.I find it fascinating that there is so much diversity in our country and so few people are aware of it. I’m not necessarily talking about race, religion, or politics. I speak of everyday activities, habits, and traditions, which so many of us take for granted and probably assume are shared by everyone from coast to coast.

I run across so many examples of this diversity as I have the opportunity to travel so much in our delivery of seminars and keynote presentations. Each time I return home from a trip, I seem to have acquired another unique example of this interesting diversity, and I often share my discoveries with family and friends. I’m sometimes amazed at the reactions of interest and surprise I get in sharing these findings. In fact, this morning it was suggested to me that I should share some of these situations on our blog. Therefore, from time to time, I’ll share some of the things I continually discover when I’m “ON THE ROAD AGAIN.” For instance:

You can’t pump your own gasoline in New Jersey. It’s actually against the law. The Garden State is one of only two states, the other being Oregon, where it’s illegal to fill ‘er up yourself. I, of course, learned this the hard way rushing to return my rental car to the Newark airport. As usual, I jumped out of the car and began to top off my tank when I was verbally assaulted by the gas station attendant. He acted as though he had caught me trying to take over his job. As he took control of his precious gas pump, he explained that it was actually illegal for drivers to pump their own gas and has been since 1949. Apparently, it’s been the source of some very heated debates for the last couple of decades. It certainly caught me by surprise.

Due to a previous career in radio, I learned this next tidbit many decades ago. However, I’m still astonished to discover how many people are totally unaware of this little piece of trivia. Radio stations west of the Mississippi River all begin with the letter K while those situated east of that natural boundary all begin with W. Apparently, the letters K and W originated early in the 20th century as part of a worldwide index of ship radio stations. K stood for ships on the East coast, W for ships in the Pacific. For some reason, evidently unknown, when the letters were extended to land-based stations, they were reversed, with the Mississippi River eventually adopted as the dividing line. This unusual switch took place in 1923. What I find interesting is the fact that most residents in the west naturally assume that all radio stations throughout the country begin with K while those in the east make the same assumption about the letter W.

I’ve had to deal with the many challenges of time zone changes for decades now and have mastered the majority of them. One of the few that I have yet to master is insignificant but irritating nonetheless. Living in the Midwest, I’m used to the prime-time TV schedule starting at 8 p.m., the late evening news beginning at 11 p.m., and the late night talk shows beginning at 11:35 p.m. When I travel west, prime time begins at 7 p.m., which really feels early, end-of-the-day news begins at 10 p.m., leaving you with a feeling that you’re missing an hour of prime-time, and the talk shows kick things off at 10:35 p.m. It’s interesting that wherever we happen to reside, we so often make the incorrect assumption that everyone from coast to coast plans their day around a time schedule very much like our own. Again, very insignificant but noteworthy.

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.

Take Time to Look Outside Your World

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It’s close to sundown, and I just returned from a very long, relaxing walk in the surf along the beach on the Emerald Coast of Okaloosa Island. The temperature is 88. The sun is bright. The warm breeze is refreshing. The lifeguard has posted the waves at close to 6 feet. That simple walk was just what the doctor ordered after having spent eight hours on platform today working with officials and staff members of the Florida Northern District Court … a fantastic group of folks.

Like many of us, this seasoned group of professionals find themselves experiencing continuous change, increasing caseloads, new laws, enhanced technology, and the age-old challenge of having to do “more with less” resources such as people, time, budget, technology, etc.

After spending a full day with this unique group of individuals, I must admit that the average person would struggle to detect the many challenges facing these fine folks. They receive little thanks and/or recognition for their services from anyone outside of their culture and yet they ask for none. They take pride and solace in the fact they know the importance of the services they render. They know why they do it and who benefits from their devotion and service. They have a great sense of humor, they greatly respect one another, they support one another, you can see pride on every face, they care for those they serve, and they enjoy their work. They laugh easily, they learn eagerly, they grow rapidly. My guess is they cry easily when the situation warrants such a response. They deserve our admiration, respect, appreciation and support.

Throughout the day, I was fortunate to have lunch with several of those attending this three-day conference, chatted with several others during breaks, relaxed with others following dinner this evening as we shared small talk, and walked the beach with a few others to unwind after a long day.

I gained a great deal of insight today concerning the daily challenges faced by this group of very dedicated individuals. I have a new respect for what they do, why they do it and how well they do it. I’m indeed thankful that we’re fortunate to have these very talented, dedicated, and experienced professionals doing what they do best—day in and day out.

I must reveal a little guilt as the day comes to a close. My role today was to inform, facilitate, and provide strategies to those in attendance. I feel I did that. However, I’m pleased to admit that I, too, learned a great deal, thoroughly enjoyed my time with these fine folks, and concluded the day feeling as though I’m a better person for having spent it with 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.

Business Briefs – Wal-Mart Regains Title!

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They’re b-a-c-k-k-k-k-k-k! After several years at the top of the Fortune 500, Wal-Mart was bumped into the second slot by Exxon Mobil in 2006. This surprised very few people based on rising oil prices the past few years. What did surprise many was the fact that Wal-Mart regained the coveted number one position this year despite rising oil prices. Wal-Mart revenues surpassed those of Exxon Mobil by four billion dollars. Listed below are this year’s Top Ten as chosen by Fortune Magazine.

  1. Wal-Mart Stores – 351,139.0
  2. Exxon Mobil – 347,254.0
  3. General Motors – 207,349.0
  4. Chevron – 200,567.0
  5. ConocoPhillips – 172,451.0
  6. General Electric – 168,307.0
  7. Ford Motor – 160,126.0
  8. Citigroup – 146,777.0
  9. Bank of America Corp. – 117,017.0
  10. American Intl. Group – 113,194.0

In their own category of general merchandisers,Wal-Mart’s revenues were greater than the next ten competitors combined!

  1. Wal-Mart Stores – 351,139.0
  2. Target – 59,490.0
  3. Sears Holdings (K-Mart) – 53,012.0
  4. Federated Dept. Stores – 28,711.0
  5. J.C. Penney – 19,903.0
  6. Kohl’s – 15,544.0
  7. Dollar General – 9,170.0
  8. Nordstrom – 8,561.0
  9. Dillard’s – 7,849.0
  10. Family Dollar Stores – 6,395.0
  11. Saks – 3,564.0

Wal-Mart has, for some time, had their detractors for a variety of reasons. They’ve made some bad decisions and had their share of bad publicity, but they must be doing something right to maintain their phenomenal success. They’re currently America’s largest employer with 1.9 million employees, nearly equal to the population of the city of Houston.

Here’s an interesting side note. In 1962, Sears was our leading retailer followed by
K-Mart. Also, 1962 was the year we saw our first Target store appear on the scene, and the Wal-mart Corporation consisted of two small stores in Arkansas operating under the name of Walton’s 5 & 10. Re-read this paragraph and then check the listing above to see what happened in the retail business in this country. Makes you wonder what the next decade holds for 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.

A Non Book Review

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I’ve reviewed 150 business books on our website and will continue to do so as long as our readers continue to respond as they have thus far. I should point out that, among those many books, there has never been a single political title. I doubt very much that there ever will be.

However, I must admit that a new book with an obvious political theme recently caught my eye in a Baltimore airport book store. It attracted my attention for two reasons:

  1. The title of the book struck a very responsive chord deep within me … one that has haunted me for quite some time now. I’ll explain further after sharing the book title. It’s a longer-than-usual title but one that really strikes the heart of the matter … Crazies to the Left of Me, Wimps to the Right. Sub-title: How One Side Lost Its Mind and The Other Lost Its Nerve.
  2. The author, Bernard Goldberg, is a number one New York Times bestselling author who has won eight Emmy Awards for his work at CBS News and HBO. In 2006, he won the Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Award, the most prestigious of all broadcast journalism awards.

I’m only half way through the book but feel comfortable in recommending it. Again, I won’t be reviewing this book on our website. Our country is currently more politically divided than at any other time in my memory, and our goal is to inform rather than infuriate.

I suggest this book because I feel it supports my contention that we have fewer choices to lead our country today than ever before. It’s proven daily in every newspaper in the country. Why is it we have 50 choices for Miss America and only two for the highest office in the country? Why is it that more Americans voted for the American Idol than they did in the last two Presidential elections? Why would anyone spend millions of dollars to campaign for a job that pays only $400,000?

I struggle to believe a single word from the mouth of any politician, from any party, that truly believes their own party is 100% correct on every issue all the time while their opponents are 100% incorrect on every issue all the time. A child will tell you how wrong that is, and yet we hear it from both parties every day in every form of the media. This book speaks for the small voice within all of us who screams, “I’m mad as h— and I’m not going to take it anymore!”

Goldberg takes equal shots at both parties, pointing out the obvious and demanding answers to questions we all want to ask. If nothing else, he lets the reader know there are others who share the same frustration every four years. He also reminds us that politicians are like diapers. They both need to be changed, a lot, and for the same reason. This, of course, is unfair. Diapers serve a useful purpose!

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.