ODD Ducks
“No one ever made a difference by being like everyone else.”– P.T. Barnum Do you occasionally run across people who seem a bit odd or unusual? It just happened to me. Actually, it was me. Recently Teresa and I had dinner with a friend. The next day the friend called Teresa and asked, “Why do you let […]
Neighborhood Motels Part 2
“Don’t blow it – good planets are hard to find.”– Quoted in Time Two weeks ago I wrote an article about the detrimental effect of short term rentals on quiet residential neighborhoods. If you didn’t see it, it’s online at wantamotel.com My issue is a state law in Arizona prohibiting communities (like yours, if you live […]
Chicago Bears Time
Did you see the first NFL game of the season? It was a classic NFC North division matchup… Chicago v Green Bay. This week I’d like to share a story about one of those teams, a story with ties to a dear friend, Chris Neck. Chris is an award winning business professor at Arizona State […]
Want a Motel Next to Your Home?
Marilyn is upset… kind of scared too. She just learned there’s a motel going in next to her home. Marilyn knows I’m a lawyer and real estate guy so she called me for help. “There must be a law” she screamed. I said, “Marilyn, calm down. There is a law. Actually, several laws. Motels in quiet residential communities are […]
The $50 Dad
Today’s story is about my friend Phil, a fifty-dollar dad. He shared this story with me, and said I could share it with you. It’s about his 8 year old son, Jack. – – – Jack is an enterprising young lad. The youngest of four boys. He’s smart, driven, and thrifty. Industrious too. Lately, Jack has been […]
A Business Model Destined to Fail
You’ve seen the ads. “Hi, we’re OfferPad, and we want to buy your home.” Oops. They forgot to continue. “Hi, we’re OfferPad, and we want to buy your home for 15% less than it’s worth.” Am I criticizing? Actually, I’m impressed. Their marketing is brilliant. It’s driving thousands of homeowners to their website each month. Of course, most people […]
On The Air: Life Lessons From Chubby
If you’ve been reading my articles over the years, you know my dad (Chubby) was a huge influence on my life. Most every Saturday morning he took me to breakfast at Perkins Pancake House in Cincinnati, sharing his life wisdom while I inhaled pancakes. I’ve received 1000s of emails over the past 13 years with kind […]
The Spiritual Wind Beneath Your Wings
A friend told me his kids start school this week. Seriously? August? My summer breaks weren’t over until Labor Day. Seems like that was 100 years ago. When I mentioned this conversation at the office, one of my remarkable employees, Sonal, suggested that I write this week’s article about the advice parents give kids when […]
When Ignorance Is Bliss
CONFLICTING SIGNALS Do you ever sense that someone is thinking differently from what they’re saying? They smile. They say nice things. But you feel like they are not being sincere. You perceive they are either unhappy with you or trying to pull something over on you. MICRO-EXPRESSIONS Conflicts between what others say and what you […]
Why Old Folks Are Better Gamblers
LEARNING FROM MISTAKES Studies show that as we get older we tend to take fewer risks. One reason is because we are more thoughtful. We scrutinize risks more thoroughly. We’ve learned from our mistakes. SITUATIONS IMPACTING RISK We all tend to take fewer (and less risky) risks in five situations: (1) after we get married, (2) […]