From Brand Camp

Here's a buck - go buy something

Here you go. Here's a dollar. Go buy... almost nothing. You might get a bottle of water. Not a name brand water (what?), but a generic - crappy water in a plastic bottle that will probably give you a disease of some kind. Hey - how about a sandwich at a drive through. Mmmmm... nice huh? But wait - with tax, even that 99 cent "thing" is going to require a little more cash. No, no, no, I know - go get a package of sparklers in New Hampshire (no tax). There you go. Look - five sparklers for a dollar. That's a half hour of real solid fun. What a deal. If you have another dollar, you can get a lighter. You'll have to settle for a stupid looking one that is one-sale because it didn't sell. It probably has a skull on it. Hopefully it will work so you can light up your sparklers. Oh boy, we're having some fun now aren't we?

Sales Bully

Can you bully someone into a sale?

Of course you can.

It's human nature to resist saying yes. Human nature makes us hesitate, sometimes for a week or a month, at the very last minute, at the moment of truth.

One technique to get through this hesitation is to be a sales bully.

Sales bullies describe their approach as ethical, because, after all, it's in the best interest of the prospect to say yes. It's okay to be a sales bully when you're trying to get someone to take their TB medicine, so it must be okay to be a sales bully to get them to sign this contract.

And it works. On some people.

The flaw in thinking is this... the people you most want to sell to won't respond well to this. The people you most need to spread the word, the people who are the best partners, the most loyal customers--they blanch in the face of bullying. They walk out.

So, if bullying is the only tool you've got, it makes sense to focus on an audience that responds to it (and lower your expecations accordingly). Even better, get some new tools.

Nothing But Tears

NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ—After decades of coddling young children, Johnson & Johnson unveiled its new "Nothing But Tears" shampoo this week, an aggressive bath-time product the company says will help to prepare meek and fragile newborns for the real world.

A radical departure for the health goods manufacturer, the new shampoo features an all-alcohol-based formula, has never once been approved by leading dermatologists, and is as gentle on a baby's skin as "having to grow up and fend for your goddamn self."

"We at Johnson & Johnson have been making bath time a safe and soothing experience for far too long," company CEO William C. Weldon said. "Years of pampering have left our newborns helpless, feeble, and ill-equipped for the arduous road ahead."

Nine things to know - coming soon

1. Your lawn and the real story about grass
2. The keys to proper personal hygiene
3. Golf secrets they don't want you to know
4. The truth about choosing PC or a Mac
5. Stocks and investing - the most important thing
6. Trading in (selling) your car
7. Home recording studio myths busted
8. Get rid of that hot tub
9. Time, perception, and the endless summer
   

Apparently, there are no exceptions

Nope. There isn't an easy way; not as far as I can tell. To create real success - money and satisfaction - everything requires effort bordering on obsession and the ability to handle risk. You can be oblivious to the risk, and avoid having to swallow hard, but it's there. Apparently, there are no exceptions. You can take it easy, and not "go hard", but you'll fail. Oh yes you will. Even if you do everything right, you can still crash.

Too bad huh?

There is a chance that [insert unexplored notion] might get us there.

Frostee

Just because I'm frozen
doesn't mean I give up

Just because I'm frozen
doesn't mean I'm gonna stop

Here for a while
Thrilled to be chilled
Thrilled to be chilled
Here for a while
Thrilled to be chilled
Thrilled to be chilled

Just because I'm frozen
doesn't mean I give up

Just because I'm frozen
doesn't mean I give up

Got the time?

Nice Clock!

Wild ties

I predict that wild ties will become cool. Yes. You heard it here first. Make note.

Key piece

What could be more satisfying than solving a puzzle?

Let's look for a situation in which the previous attempts have failed. Why did they fail? Is it something simple? Chances are it's not simple. Unless maybe the key piece to the puzzle is just plain missing - say what? What if the weak link is in charge of figuring out what / who is the weak link?

After tearing apart a bunch of these deals, it looks like the key piece (the weak link) is a person. Crazy huh?

We need ya Mellon!

Let's go with - - - "King". Perfect!

After much thought, I have decided that I will become - - - the King.

Yes, I know - it seems like a big job doesn't it? It is. In fact - it comes with great responsibility. However, I've decided that I'm okay with all that it entails.

I won't be your typical King. Nope. It's unlikely that I will wear a crown, and my plan is to not have people around to tell me what I want to hear. I'll earn all the necessary loyalty, and I'll be good to almost everyone. There are nasty people out there, and I can't promise to be good to the nasty ones. They will however, certainly not be asked to hang out with the rest of us.

Hopefully, my assent to the position of King will happen soon. I've got several things planned that will be made much easier if I'm already established as King.

I realize this is big news and I hope I haven't shocked anyone with the announcement. I thought maybe that if I did it just after game 6 of the Celtic-Piston series, it could be done without much fanfare. Fanfare is a King thing (trumpets etc), but we'll reserve all that for after the official day, a.k.a. coronation.

There you have it.

A quick ha

A man walks into a restaurant with a full-grown ostrich behind him.
The waitress asks them for their orders.

The man says, "A hamburger, fries and a coke," and turns to the ostrich, "What's yours?" "I'll have the same," says the ostrich.

A short time later the waitress returns with the order "That will be $22.60 please," and the man reaches into his pocket and pulls out the exact change for payment.

The next day, the man and the ostrich come again and the man says, "A hamburger, fries and a coke."The ostrich says, "I'll have the same." Again the man reaches into his pocket and pays with exact change.

This becomes routine until the two enter again. "The usual?" asks the waitress.

"No, this is Friday night, so I will have a steak, baked potato and a salad," says the man. "Same," says the ostrich.

Shortly the waitres s brings the order and says, "That will be $78.70." Once again the man pulls the exact change out of his pocket and places it on the table.

The waitress cannot hold back her curiosity any longer. "Excuse me sir. How do you manage to always come up with the exact change in your pocket every time?"

"Well," says the man, "several years ago I was cleaning the attic and found an old lamp. When I rubbed it, a Genie appeared and offered me two wishes.

My first wish was that if I ever had to pay for anything, I would just put my hand in my pocket and the right amount of money would always be there."

"That's brilliant!" says the waitress. "Most people would ask for 10 million dollars or something, but you'll always be as rich as you want for as long as you live!"

That's right. Whether it's a gallon of milk or a Rolls Royce, thee exact money is always there," says the man.

The waitress asks, "What 's with the ostrich?"

The man sighs, pauses and answers, "My second wish was for a tall chick with a big ass and long legs who agrees with everything I say."

Homework

Music data you have to pay attention to if you want to know what's going on. I'm so far removed from all of this, it's like a homework assignment just to get a clue.

Kiele ~ Magna Cum Laude

On Sunday May 18th, 2008 after four years of dedication and hard work, Kiele received her BA Degree in Graphic Design from Boston University's College of Fine Arts. She graduated Magna Cum Laude. Pretty cool huh?

Well done!

Technology Change Edge - A way to get in

There are situations where a business is required to invest in technology, and then employ the technology for the benefit of its clients (services) or its own output (product). When a company's tools become outdated, they have to upgrade if they want to compete. Sometimes, huge advances become available and change the way things work in a fundamental way.

It doesn't seem fair. The old company with an investment in older gear and an established "way" discovers that their assets are really only business relationships and a knack for knowing the ropes. Actual capabilities are easily replaced with better tools. At least the marketplace sees it that way.

In theses circumstances, a new company employing the latest and greatest stuff, can do new things, and do the old things better and cheaper. It's the critical period that surrounds large technical changes that give new players a perfect place to leap into business. No, they don't have the relationships (customers), but they have all new stuff and they can do more for less. That's enough to make something happen. Congratulations to the new player.

Of course, after a period of time the new player becomes the old player and...

So - old and new players - the point of entry and its relative advantages, teach us to be aware if we want to last.

Plan capital spending on technical capabilities (depreciation and need for new money) accordingly. Don't saddle yourself with financial obligations that will outlive your stuff. Depreciation is a real expense for you. Don't be silly - be ready. If you're a new player, look for the bend of a fundamental change and crush the old players before they can respond. Hey - that's life.

Some quotes~ art / artists

Have no fear of perfection, you'll never reach it.
- Salvador Dali

The essence of all art is to have pleasure in giving pleasure.
- Mikhail Baryshnikov

Nothing is more beautiful than a guitar, except, possibly, two.
- Frederic Chopin

I don't want to achieve immortality through my work. I want to achieve it through not dying.
- Woody Allen

V1 is cool stuff

The listening room at Venue-One "V1" holds about 200 guests seated in comfortable chairs (more like your living room) around small tables. There are a few sections that are tiered and somehow everyone gets a perfect view of the stage. The experience is incredibly intimate. As crazy as it sounds, the listening room isn't really a part of the profit picture for V1 - not directly anyway. While performances are held on most Friday and Saturday nights, V1 doesn't really expect to make a whole lot of money in this category. Many shows are run in support of nonprofit causes. V1 will also book an act that normally wouldn't play a smaller room. V1 does this by paying the artist more - sometimes the artist gets paid more than V1 gets in ticket sales. They also serve up a steady stream of newcomers who need to play and be heard. V1 helps them show their stuff by giving them a sweet stage. Music, Comedy and other performing artists want to play V1's room.

One artists we talked to said, "The sound at V1 is incredible, the lighting and everything about it is as sweet as can be. They know how to do this right. I've recorded my last two albums in the V1 studios. I was so impressed by their dedication to what will help me that I'll do anything I can for them. It just feels good to be associated with V1."

V1's owners say that they do more for the artists than they get paid for. "It's good for the act, good for the community, and good for us in the long run. I mean, we need to be a place where people - the public and the artist - are served up some cool stuff. This is cool stuff."

Businesses include:

V1 Records
V1 Films
V1 Live
V1 Television
V1 Artist Management Group
V1 House of Gear
V1 Kitchen
V1 Advertising
V1 Financial Services
V1 Merchmonger
V1 Etc

Loaning Money & Getting Paid

Roll Rates:
A method to measure expected delinquency. The underlying assumption is that future accounts will continue to flow through delinquent buckets as they have in the past. Dividing the current month's delinquency bucket by the prior delinquency bucket, calculates the month's roll rates in the previous month.

Static Pool Analysis:
A pool of loans from a specific time period that has ongoing analysis conducted upon it. Analysis would examine such things as delinquency, prepayments and rate of return.

Vintage Analysis:
Similar to static pool analysis except that only delinquency and arrears are analyzed from a given pool of loans. This analysis provides insights about how delinquency for a pool of loans from the same time evolves. As well, changes in credit policy can be monitored using this method.

Boston Professional Sports

Okay, I'll give my take on the current state of Boston professional sports. Normally, I wouldn't comment on such matters, but so many seem to want to know what I think on this subject. That in itself is a crazy thing. Here we go.

Red Sox: Strong brand and competitive team. However, nothing will be likely to top the 2004 Yankee playoff series. Everything else is in second place. The season is long. The whittling down into September is interesting and the playoffs are fun. Who will have uninjured pitching when it counts? Still, we've seen the high point.

Celtics: Just shows you how a defensive effort in the regular season can influence winning percentage in the NBA. Most teams can only manage a dozen minutes of real defensive effort in a game. All of a sudden, the expectations are high. The team is probably as solid as the record indicates, and it's interesting to watch. It would be great to see a championship. Once again, the old days seem to look good. I feel old - maybe that's it?

Patriots: Too much said already. Management and coaching appear to be the major factors. Oh - and luck is a good thing too. I don't care who filmed who. Senator Spector should work on something else - really.

Revolution: Who cares? Not me. I maintain that if we can just eliminate offsides, the game will flourish in the USA. Think about it.

So that's my quick spew on this subject. Why my opinion matters, I have no idea. To the many of you who begged me to say something... There you go.