Back in 2006, my wife and I were discussing the idea of my attending a writers conference. We both agreed it would be a great way for me to meet some folks in the publishing industry and learn a bit about how it worked. So, when we noticed that I was booked to speak at […]
Archive | Motivation
Some Kidding Aside – Are You Trying to Go Out of Business? (Take 2)
I know I picked on the Post Office a bit last month, and am about to again, but let me say before I get started that most postal carriers I know are hard-working folks with great attitudes. That said, it seems to me that a good portion of the Post Office leadership might be cut […]
Some Kidding Aside – Speaking of Failure
Failure is never kind, but it is always honest. It won’t spare your feelings or soothe your ego. It’s blunt, brutal, and hurtful. But it’s also the best friend you could have if you are willing to put away your bruised ego and humbly sit at its feet. I didn’t learn how to be a […]
Some Kidding Aside – Engaging Risk: The Power of Action
A number of years ago, as I was getting ready to self-publish my first book, I went to lunch with the president of a financial company who had booked me to speak at his company’s annual meeting. As we ate, we discussed my new book, Shattering the Glass Slipper, in which I debuted the concept […]
Some Kidding Aside – Program Yourself to Innovate
When I was in second grade, my teacher assigned my class to create our own science project. Like most kids at that time, I went straight to the World Book Encyclopedia to search for ideas. After a while, I spotted a scale that looked like it was within my ability to build. My chief obstacle […]
Some Kidding Aside – Breaking News
I was riding the bike trails with my neighbor, Mike, at Fort Yargo State Park on a beautiful November afternoon in 2008. I hate to admit it, but Mike must have been in a lot better shape than I was, because after only five minutes of riding with him in the lead, I noticed that […]
Some Kidding Aside – Are You Trying to Go Out of Business?
It really isn’t what you say, but how you say it, isn’t it? I just received a letter from the Post Office notifying me that it is time to pay my annual bulk rate mailing dues. I was expecting the letter but what I wasn’t expecting was the verbiage it contained: Dear Charles Marshall, Your […]
Some Kidding Aside – Choose your family dynamic
Choose your family dynamic There is a little Mexican restaurant near my house that has a great all-you-can-eat Sunday brunch bar. So, the other day, right after church, I took my wife and kids over to see how much damage we could to the owner’s bottom line. As we ate our lunch, I noticed the […]
Some Kidding Aside – What success isn’t
Several years ago, I sat at a table surrounded by teens and young adults as we all stuffed envelopes for one of my direct-mail campaigns. Since nobody seemed to be interacting much, I thought I’d get the ball rolling. “So, what do you guys want to do when you get out of school?” I asked. […]
Some Kidding Aside – What your customer is thinking but won’t tell you
When I arrived, it turned out that there was a huge disconnect between the car size that I had reserved on their website and the car that the rental location actually had for me. It was important that I get a larger car because I had my family with me, and the only cars that […]