Tell me, what do Tom Hiddleston, Emma Thompson, Kelly Clarkson, Tessa Thompson, and James Earl Jones have in common? Sure, they’re all hugely successful celebrities, but what else? What would they have in common with Philippe Petit (the French high-wire artist who became famous for his high-wire walk between the Twin Towers at the World […]
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Criminal Customer Service
On a warm day in early November, I heard the sound of chainsaws in my neighbor’s yard, so I wandered outside to find that he had hired a company to cut down some trees. One of the tree cutters was cutting limbs halfway up a huge, 60-foot oak tree located just inches from my neighbor‘s […]
Funny Virtual Keynote Speaker Charles Marshall
Guess what? Virtual meetings don’t have to be dull! If you are looking for a way to inject energy, fun, and humor into your virtual meeting, then look no further! “Charles did a fantastic job speaking at our virtual REALTORS membership meeting. He was the perfect balance between humorous and inspirational and very engaging. We […]
How To Be A Customer Service Slacker
It has come to my attention lately that my articles and programs have been exclusively targeting those who desire to provide great customer service. In the interest of reaching a broader audience and making my newsletter more inclusive, I offer the following tips for people who desire to give crummy customer service: 1] Avoid communication. […]
Are you building your milk jug raft?
When I was 11 years old, I dreamed of building my own raft and floating down the Mississippi River like Huck Finn. My parents thought this idea was insane and told me it would lead to my immediate and untimely death, so I came up with an alternative plan. I would still make a raft […]
The Quiet Hero
Fred Bailey’s occupation is listed in the 1930 census as “laundryman.” In those times, working in a laundry was a fairly common profession. Men were needed to load huge amounts of clothes into giant washers and then transfer those wet clothes into industrial dryers that were several times larger than those found in today’s Laundromats. […]
Middle age orientation program
Hello! Welcome to middle age. You’re going to love it! Heh, heh. A little orientation humor there. No, the truth is that much of it is going to be uncomfortable and—well, there’s no point in soft-pedaling it—you’re going to be miserable. I’m here to give you a heads-up about some of the things you may […]
Christmas Morning Customer Service
I love getting packages in the mail or from FedEx or UPS. Tell me you don’t feel the same way. You see the delivery truck pull up to your house and there’s just a touch more excitement in your life, isn’t there? And when the driver steps out of his vehicle with that box and […]
Handle the Heat Like Clooney (Theatrical version: shorter article)
With a little prodding, I can get my friend John Hicks to talk about the time he got a small part in the Coen brothers’ classic movie, “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” One of John’s principle memories of the experience was the heat. The political rally scene in which John had his part was shot […]
Aliens, Flying Monkeys, and the Coronavirus
These are scary times and I should know because I’m no stranger to fear. When I was nine years old I watched Earth vs. the Flying Saucers on TV and it flat out scared the living bejibbers out of me. Most of the movie wasn’t all that bad. I could handle the flying saucers zipping […]