David Lynch on Ideas

I felt this video was mildly appropriate for CYL...

http://culturalfuel.net/2009/04/27/david-lynch-on-ideas/

Filmmaker David Lynch discusses how he gathers, and uses ideas... and how they're like fish.

Projectile Creativity

You know what’s really funny? Watching people in your office run the distance of five cubicles to get to a meeting – all to save seven seconds of time. There are so many better things you can do in seven seconds.

You can blink about 17 times. You can stare longingly out the window at the sunlight and the skyscrapers. You can decrease the elevation of your office chair. You can scratch your face. You can laugh. You can cough, sneeze, crack your knuckles, take a sip of coffee, zone out, stare at the person in the cubicle next to you, eavesdrop on the conversation in the cubicle in front of you, and you might have enough time to think about writing an email. The point? If you think about it, seven seconds isn’t a lot of time to get anything “productive” done.

So why are people running?

They say, “Oh, you know. It’s urgent.” Hmmm.

It’s hard to describe the expression on people’s faces at work. Their faces are flushed with panic, anxiety, misery, and an intense desire to just get the job done right for their clients. There’s hope. I think that deep down, they like media.

Why else would they be running?

And so my journey begins. I’ve set myself on a challenge of transforming our New York office into a place where creativity can breathe. Right now, it’s like a heavy fog lingers over the agency.
It reminds me of forest fires in Florida. On the main highway that runs through the center of the state, forest fires ravage the roadside. Drivers crawl by, inching through the thick smoke. What’s interesting is that they never just stop, give up, turn around and say, “Oh well, I didn’t really want to go to work/visit my friend/pick up my children from school.”

No matter what, they get to their destination. In media, our destination is the work we create. The ideas we give life. But how can our work have life if our vision is so obscured by smoke?

And that’s why I’m here. My “plan” is to lift the angst from the faces of people who have the potential of being great. Because I think the agency I work for is great. There’s an energy obscured by an inability to channel fun into stunning media. And somehow, I’m going to fix that. Stay tuned. This could be fun.

One-Third Down, Two-Thirds to Go

OK, who widened the hole in the hourglass?

I feel like I just woke up from a New Year's Eve Bash and discovered I slept 'til now.

I am Rip Van Winkle Jr.

I am amazed. I am dazed. I am time warped.

I am doing my damnedest to keep my head above the sand.

Some days I feel like I am head and shoulders above it.

Others days I can't see the light of day from picking grit out of my eyes.

The sandman seems to be the only guy whose job is safe.

Is this 1930 or 2009? Obama who? Is our what? The economy has gone where? Who's that you say is doing some hard earned jail time? I thought he/she was a CEO/CFO/politician/preacher? What's this I hear that there is no such thing as a good education anymore ... or any education for that matter? And cars? Are we not going to be driving cars? What will happen to the roads? Are we out of gas? By the way my bank seems to be missing. The building mine used to be in is now a Family Dollar Store. My neighbors' house is gone, or at least it was taken away. My freinds' jobs were too? What happened to State Farm? Has anybody seen my homeowners insurance? What happened to Detroit? Who is the mayor of Illinois? Who is Susan Boyle? Do you have any idea where I can buy a newspaper. Is Britney Spears still alive? Can you believe the price of limes? Is there a doctor in the house? Are there any left (doctors and/or houses)? What's a good 401 K plan these days? How about stocks? Oh yeah, and what's a Bailout? Is that like Twitter? It sounds like a get out of jail free card to me. I think I'll run down to Circuit City and buy a few CDs to calm my nerves.

Well, one-third down and two-thirds to go. Keep me posted on what's going on.

What a wake up call ... sure seems like I've got a lot of catching up to do.

Got to run now.

I just got a part time job shoveling sand.

Quick Friday recap

I'm a little more pressed for time than I usually am for my Friday blog, but I couldn't pass up the chance to share a few great things that I stumbled across this week. My usually format and story-telling have fallen casualty to time restraints, but I hope you enjoy these links, and maybe they'll peak your interest as much as they did mine!

1) Perhaps the greatest advancement in shoe technology since the Croc.

2) An extremely interesting website that shows where America ranks against the rest of the world in very interesting (and sometimes very zany) surveys.

3) A blog that shows the top countries that searched certain keywords on google. 

Short but sugary. Here's to a great week of limit catching!

This week's listening recommendation: "Better Love" by Steel Train

-Brock

Being the Oddball Is Tiggeriffic!

Have you taken the Myers-Briggs test? The animal personality trait test? Communication style test? There are countless tests with the intention of basically telling you who you are. These tests give us insight about our personalities and how we interact with others – especially those with different personalities than us. Even more so, we get a picture of how we might be getting along with folks at work – the people we oftentimes see more than our own families.

Let’s see, I’m a Popular Sanguine, Peacock, Socializer – meaning all the same thing – I like to have a good old time and talk to people as much as possible. If you thought of my kind as a character from the “Winnie the Pooh” series of books, I’d be Tigger.

Tigger is cheerful, outgoing, competitive in a friendly way, and completely confident in himself. Some of the things which he claims Tiggers can do include flying, jumping farther than a kangaroo, swimming, and climbing trees but sometimes he has a hard time accomplishing these things, but he never gives up.

No other “Tiggers" appear in Winnie the Pooh, I’m the only Tigger at my workplace too. We’ve got some Poohs, my golly a lot of Eeyores and maybe a Kanga, a Rabbit and a Piglet too.

Tigger even wrote a song about his uniqueness that goes a little something like “The wonderful thing about Tiggers / Is Tiggers are wonderful things / Their tops are made out of rubber / Their bottoms are made out of springs / They're bouncy, trouncy, flouncy, pouncy fun, fun, fun, fun, fun / But the most wonderful thing about Tiggers is I'm the only one / IIIII'm the only one!”

But is Tigger really, truly ok with being the only one? Sometimes I wonder if I am. I want to have fun in everything I do, while doing everything well. It’s an easy balance Tigger and I say! I want to bounce and trounce and flounce and pounce!

I wonder if Tigger ever felt so much oppression. What’s wrong with wanting to listen to music, play with Silly Putty and kick up your paws, er … heels and think, think, think. I thought Pooh was the one who invented that term? See, I’m even more Pooh-like than I thought! Who says this type of “creative strategizing” wouldn’t help me create a crackerjack masterpiece?

Ok, ok – I know Eeyores need their quiet and their space and oh bother, don’t want any silliness. Part of learning about your personality is learning to understand others and respect their ways as well. I have to give credit to some of the Eeyores with whom I work. They are talented people who produce amazing things. And sometimes there are one-liners that make me laugh out loud.

However, at times I feel so oddballish and different. I sometimes feel as if I’m bouncing, I mean, walking on eggshells – when Tigger and I just want to dance like an octopus and then write the greatest article of our lives!

I consider myself somewhat unlike many of those in my personality type who are always late, irresponsible and really flighty. I’m almost always on time, I am obsessively organized and know how to behave appropriately in well, most situations!

It is fun to take these tests, but we cannot let them completely define us because none of us fit into a perfect little box.

The good news is that I’m employed at a fabulous organization who appreciates me for who I am – stripes and all. I know I have a lot to offer them and do get to incorporate my unconventional ways into what I do every now and then.

They also appreciate the fact that my experience in fast-paced newsrooms gives them the opportunity to ask me to turn around an article or project on a super-fast deadline – which I secretly love. That’s the time when I truly get to bounce and trounce and flounce and pounce and everybody understands me just a little bit better.

I truly appreciate the Poohs, Eeyores, Kangas, Piglets and Rabbits of my office. It makes us a stronger team to have such diversity. We all have something very special to offer our organization and each other. I don’t know if we all understand why we do things the way we do – I’m sure the Eeyores would rather me be as quiet as them, and I’d love to hear a little more ruckus on their end.

However, sometimes I think it is nice to be unique because I know I can continue to learn from others and improve myself. Tigger has certainly encountered many adventures with all of his friends in the Hundred Acre Wood. He learns a little something each time along the way, but stays true to himself – what more could any of us ask for?

In the meantime, I’ll keep on bouncing on and look forward to the many more ways to improve my Tiggerness. AND, no matter what personality type you are – I encourage you to do so too! No matter who you are, you are YOU!

TTFN! Ta, ta for now!

Florida Retail Masters Program

I wanted to share my takeaways from the Florida Retail Masters (FRM) program. We have just concluded the 4th session in Miami and since I collect the evaluations and I do not get to complete them, the blog gives me a way to share my thoughts.

I came on board with Catch Your Limit on January 5th and found myself traveling to Clearwater for the first FRM session the very next day. With a smile and a handshake I am not sure anyone realized quite what a newbie I actually was. Feeling exactly what the class was feeling I realized I knew very little about the Florida Retail Masters program and somewhat bewildered but excited sat through the presentations from Tom and Melissa. Ok I got it, I am on board.

Well now what a team. I am really excited each month when the time rolls around to meet the group. The hotel changes, the environment changes even our attire has to change (next month everyone needs to remember beach wear as we will be in Fort Myers) but what stays the same is knowing I get to see people I can now call friends. I’ll be honest I am a target for group jokes, quirky comments, and my lack of group dinner participation is a guarantee but I hope my energy and enthusiasm doesn’t waiver. I forget about the fact that my British accent throws people into a loop hence the reason for the jokes.

During this last session I listened to the accomplishments and reflections from everyone’s individual action plans and I gave the group many Standing O’s. I know I said it to the group at the time but it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy, see did that make you smile? Who actually says that?

During the incredibly powerful activity the group lead in Tallahassee; I was able to read about the talent, skills, values, and leadership styles that are exhibited in all of the Class 5 participants and I have been notably inspired. So to all Class 5 members I say thank you.

The Digital Revolution goes on

Remember when the only way to access the internet was through a dial-up connection? Neither do we. It sounds awful though, doesn't it? You had to unplug your phone, sit through the horrific connection sounds, wait 10 minutes just for your homepage to download... Shudder. Sounds like an excerpt from a Stephen King novel.

Web 2.0 has spoiled us. For those who are a bit rusty on terminology, Web 2.0 is the term for the new horizon of possibilities that the internet now presents us with: secure information sharing, seemingly limitless communication possibilities, and the meteoric rise in popularity of social media.

For example: I now check my Twitter, Facebook, email(s), and blog every morning before I get out of bed. My iGoogle homepage gives me the weather, a list of the most recent blog updates that I follow, top news bulletins for the day, and even tells me the "joke of the day". I have a Google alert set for my name, Catch Your Limit, and a handful of my favorite bands, so I get any updates sent directly to my phone. And to top it all off, I can check and see what any of my 200+ friends are doing just by clicking a button.

It's a lot to take in. But believe it or not, some people are already looking ahead to Web 3.0. It seems a bit premature to me, but this link gives you the gist of the Web 3.0 experience. As futuristic and fanciful as it may sound, keep in mind that "Google" would've sounded pretty silly just 15 years ago.

Daniel Tosh, one of my favorite comedians (who I'm going to see perform this weekend actually) is going to be hosting a show on Comedy Central based on Web 2.0 and other new technologies called "Tosh.0" As a Tosh fan and a techie, needless to say, I'm pretty excited.

What can we look forward to for Web 4.0? My guess is that it's going to involve robots taking over the earth and making humans their slaves. I, for one, wouldn't mind staying with 2.0 for a while.

This week's listening recommendation is "1986" by Discover America

Surprise

Susan Boyle will:

• Surprise you


• Inspire you


• Humble you


• Make the cynic in you melt away


• Make a believer out of you

Susan Boyle, your performance has left me in awe, speechless ... with tears rolling down my cheeks.

Susan Boyle ... in just a few incredible minutes ... you have rocked my world.

Plug in your headphones or speakers and witness Ms. Susan Boyle. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY

That's My Story and I'm Sticking to It.

Everyone sees themselves as the hero of their own story. In fact we have numerous stories. There’s the story of the long-suffering, little sister and the story of the courageous mother defending her children and the sexy vixen alluring to all who lay eyes upon her. There’s the story of the dependable one, who if they didn’t double-check every detail, the organization would surely fall apart. And so on and so on.

When we buy that luxury shampoo and tell ourselves it will make us appear more powerful or when we see ourselves as the sophisticate sitting in the corner booth in the back of the restaurant and ordering the Martini made only with Bombay Sapphire. When we wear our bespoke suit or our Armani jeans or refuse to be adorned by any brand we’re telling our stories. We’re telling them to those who see us and hear us and smell us and touch us and for the lucky ones who get to taste the strawberry flavor of our lip gloss. We’re also telling those stories to ourselves.

Great branders understand the stories their target audiences tell themselves. They position their products and services within stories that embrace and celebrate the stories of their customers; the members of their community, their family, their tribe.

Are you aware of the stories your customers tell themselves? Are you aware of the role your products and services play in those scenarios? Are you consciously reinforcing not just the functional benefits but the emotional and self-expressive benefits they get from having a relationship with your brand?

Take the time to observe your customers from this perspective. You’ll be pleasantly surprised by the opportunities that will present themselves when you look for the places where the stories you tell about the way people feel about using your brand and what using your brand says about them overlap with the stories they tell themselves.

As I said at the beginning that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

Some Thoughts Tangentially Related to Our Iceberg is Melting and Antarctica

Last night I watched Encounters at the End of the World the Werner Herzog film about Antarctica. In the beginning Herzog as the narrator states that his intent was not to make another film about penguins. In fact he didn't make a film about penguins although there is a brief penguin portion.

Because I'm dealing with a lot of change in my personal life and because Herzog's film took place in Antarctica, the same setting as Our Iceberg is Melting I couldn't help but think but have a few tangential thoughts:

1) Antarctica really is the perfect location to set a book that focuses on change because of the massive amount of melting that is constantly taking place. The entire continent is in a state of change at every moment, shifting, melting and freezing.

2) The change that is taking place in our world (any continent other than Antarctica) are creating massive changes on Antarctica, a continent we've never directly effected. It makes you think about you really don't always realize the cause and effect that is taking place in the universe. If someone asked me if I did anything to do to harm Antarctica my natural inclination would be to say, "no." That would be a lie.

3) Some penguins go bonkers and lose there mind and other, it turns out have threesomes (I won't go any farther with this you'll have to see the documentary).

3 Tips for Creating Creativity

Cultivating creativity is tricky business. We've all been there: Staring at a blank computer screen, with absolutely no idea what combination of keystrokes stands between you and whatever it is you're trying to say. Being a musician/writer, I face this monster on a daily basis, and I'll be honest, there are days when I have to just put down the pencil and just walk away (or break the pencil in two and run screaming through my apartment flipping over furniture in a delirious rage; depending on my mood.)

But every monster can be taken down if you've got the right tools. I've come up with a few techniques that I've found help grease the wheels of creativity, whether it be writing copy, music, or even general ideas. Think of it as a creative supplement to get the ball rolling in the right direction.

1) Give yourself specific restrictions.
It may sound counter intuitive, but putting restrictions on your work can actually help inspire creativity. I was watching an online creativity conference when I was introduced to this exercise: Grab a pencil and paper and in 15 seconds, write down as many objects that you can think of that are white. Then flip the paper over and write down as many objects that you can think of that are white in a refrigerator. Typically, the list of white items found in a refrigerator is longer than the list of white items in general. Strange eh? But by giving your mind a frame of reference, you can think of more specific items.

Let's look at how this concept applies to the music industry. When Willie Nelson goes to write a new song, there are several restrictions already in place (both by his own writing style and by his record label). For example, you can assume that the song is going to be in the folk/country genre, and typically utilizes an acoustic guitar as the main accompaniment. This may sound obvious, but can you imagine if Willie approached songwriting without these restrictions? Imagine "On the Road Again" played to a rap beat with an accordion playing lead! On second thought, don't imagine that. Shudder.

So to apply this practice to your own work, place simple but rigid restrictions on your work. Can't start the first line of a event promotion? Give yourself a specific goal for every sentence, and then write those goals in sentence form. (ex. Introduce event and time. Establish that the event is casual, using colorful language. etc.) Giving yourself these boundaries will help you stay on target, and simultaneously stimulate fresh new ideas.

2) Give yourself five minutes to write down as many bad ideas as possible.
A large part of cultivating creativity is learning to silence your inner critic. Take the chisel to your writers' block by writing down the first ideas that pop into your head, no matter how raw or unformulated it may seem. Dedicating a small amount of time to "bad ideas" is a great way to train yourself to shut up your inner critic so the good ideas flow more freely. It's like stretching your legs before a race; it preps your mind for creative thoughts for the final copy. When you're done with your bad ideas list, scan over it and look for "diamonds in the rough", or ideas that can be manipulated into something more polished and final. Once again, it may sound counter productive, but you'd be amazed at how successful this tactic can be.


3) "Ghostwrite" for yourself
This is my secret weapon when writing music, and is really a great tool when writing any form of copy. Start by thinking of someone who is adept at writing the type of material that you're trying to produce. Spend a few moments thinking about that person's writing style, word choice, and personality. Then simply apply that particular style to your own writing, taking into consideration the restrictions I mentioned earlier. By overriding your normal writing style, you'll find yourself exploring new avenues of thought that you would have normally never considered. By putting myself in Willie Nelson's shoes, for example, I would create a completely different piece of music than I would, say, modeling my style after T-Payne. You can also use this method when revising your work. For example, think: "What would an English professor change about this article?", or "If this article had been written by a creative writing major, would there be more colorful language?"

Starting a project is always the most difficult part. Don't let yourself get bogged down when finding a starting point; use these techniques to give yourself a fresh perspective on the project, and you can get the ball rolling before you know it. The trick is making yourself take that first step.

For this week's listening recommendation, check out "Knights" by Minus the Bear!

Natural Instincts

The closest I came to having a pet growing up was Heather, a bird that resided on the back porch for 2 weeks until she met the ceiling fan. My father, who claimed to have no idea the bird cage was open upon flipping the switch, views pets as “too much work” so we were not surprised when he stood as the only culprit in a seemingly accidental situation. This incident could have been traumatizing to my four siblings and I had we known the bird for longer than thirteen days.

I wouldn’t necessarily call myself a pet lover; I am more of a pet affiliate. My neighbors, boyfriend, and best friend all have dogs and I enjoy playing with them; however, the first time I pick up another being’s droppings will have to wait until my first child is born (not any time soon). I have never been around animals until recently and it’s amazing what these four-legged animals have to teach us.

I have a tendency, as with many of us, to get too involved in my work. Whether its homework, a project, or a test, I find myself putting all things aside and devoting my time towards one objective. Sometimes the pressure of work and other obligations forces them to take priority over eating right, exercising, and having fun (things that truly bring me enjoyment).

Recently I agreed to watch my boyfriend’s dog for the weekend while he was away. Emma, an 18 month old American Bulldog who’s brindle eye-patch attracts any near-by kid, loves people, basketball, and her dad. Having known Emma for the majority of her life, I was comfortable watching her, even though this was my first time being responsible for a dog.

The weekend is usually a great time for me to catch up on work or prepare for next week. The particular following week was the busiest of my college career and I knew I had to buckle down.

It seemed like Emma knew the exact point at which I was completely immersed in my work, because about every 45 minutes she couldn’t resist the urge to walk over, lick my leg and give me the saddest look in history. For a long time, I ignored her, pushed through and continued working. Of course I let her outside, but only for short seconds, knowing my time was valuable.

A couple hours passed and my leg was completely dry. Assuming she gave up; I kept trucking. When I couldn’t stand to look at a computer screen any longer, I went to my room to relax. At that moment, I felt like the a negligent father who refused to make time to play catch with his child (you know how the story goes).

There she was, all 65 pounds of white fur, sleeping on her side with her paw on top of my basketball. This sight was adorable yet incredibly sad... my heart melted right there on the beige carpet. As I slowly pet her velvet white fur, I realized what a stressful weekend it had been. Emma was trying to remind me how revitalizing a beautiful Saturday is and I continued to treat her like a pest.  Soon it came to me just how fortunate I was to watch Emma that weekend.

If there is anything I have learned in 23 years it’s that every situation yields the ability to teach us something. This sight, immediately struck a nerve and changed the way I view dogs. When ever Emma comes running over to say hello, it reminds me how simple life really is and that no matter what is going on, life is too short to be a hermit, especially on the weekends. Now a days, not only am I committed to living better but I make sure that Emma and I play basketball together every Saturday.

The refreshing enjoyment a pet brings cannot be put into words. It’s no wonder why people who have them live longer. Thanks to Emma, and the other neighborhood pups, I realize God's purpose for blessing us with these furry creatures.

Whoa! Be Careful,You Don't Want to Hurt Yourself

How many times have you been ready to engage in a new sport only to have someone way more sensible say the line, "Be careful you don't want to hurt yourself?"

It happened to me just recently as I'm training for a triathlon with our wonderful new (and British) Catch Your Limit team member Emma Good. I'm the personality type that gets super excited, gung-ho whenever I get a new hobby. In fact ever since childhood I'd switch hobbies and become a super passionate enthusiast from theater to marine biology to rocket science.

I've done strength training for a long time but training for endurance events is entirely different. Emma and I have devised a deadly training schedule that includes long runs, swimming, strength training, pilates and cycling. Our schedule will exhaust you simply to look at it.

As a super passionate newbie and as an idiot I often don't have the wisdom or the sense to say, "my body could go running this evening even though I did a strength training session and a cycling session this morning but what will tonight's session do to my training the rest of the week?" Fortunately, I have a training partner, Emma who has the experience to know better.

The triathlon we're training for is in September. We have a long time to physically prepare for the race. Emma knows this and her patience and understanding of pace will be critical in order for us to avoid death by exhaustion and nagging injuries prior to the race.

As much as I love myself I can't imagine having a partner just like me. We'd certainly never make it. We'd end up dead on a trail somewhere in Tallahassee. Having a person on your team that plays the role Emma is playing on our two-person team is critical. Who on your team is willing to step back and say, "Whoa guys, this is a long race, not a sprint."? Are the people on your team empowered to fill that role or are they afraid that they'll appear to be afraid of your reaction or the reaction of the rest of the team? Who is willing and committed to consider how today's actions will effect tomorrow?

On the Road Again

I have always joked that I would drive my beloved, road battered, 1995 Ford pickup truck until the day it passed away on the highway of life.

I would pull over on the side of the road, pat the dash board one last time, celebrate the good times together, whisper my last goodbye, then just slip out and walk away.

Well, the other day, as I tried to start "Old Blue" and it just didn't have spark enough to fire up for me, I thought this might just be the day. After trying to crank her up one last time, I called one of our interns to pick me up (interns are much more convenient than hitching a ride, even though that has a lot more adventure attached to it).

I had parked my truck in a metered parking space in downtown Tallahassee about an hour before I discovered I couldn't start it. I only had a few more minutes left in the meter when the Brock picked me up.

I had already made the decision not to invest any more quarters in Old Blue. I was simply going to leave the corpse there at the curb. I knew some tow-man-grim-reaper type would come along and do what tow-man-grim-reaper types do.


With Brock there, I thought it wise not to go through my pat-the-dash-last-rights, so I just whispered a quick farewell and rode away. I did take one last look at Old Blue through the rear view mirror. I imagined that's how they would have done it in the movies.

When I got back to the office, cooler heads prevailed and reminded me that I was a member of AAA and that they would tow Blue to our mechanic, Kevin Jowers. Kevin was like a combination horse whisperer, faith healer when it came to keeping cars and trucks on the go.

I called AAA expecting to go through computer voice hell. You know what I mean. "If you speak English push one, if you don't speak, push two, if you want to fly an airplane, push three" and so on.

I was literally startled to get a REAL LIVE HUMAN FROM AMERICA on the line. And ... after empathizing with me about "trucks these days", a really nice person gave me the good news that my AAA Road Assistant would be able to meet me in 10 minutes.

I knew that was too good to be true, but when I arrived downtown 10 minutes later, a warm, friendly face replaced my image of the tow-man-grim-reaper type that I halfway expected.

He shook my hand, and said he was sorry my truck wasn't cooperating with me. He also told me he had fended off the meter maid by putting a few quarters in the meter. Before I could even reach into my pockets, he told me there was no need for a reimbursement.

He suggested I try cranking my truck up one more time. I told him it wasn't the battery, gave the key a turn and ... I had another faith healer on my hands ... Old Blue was resurrected.

I immediately started apologizing for causing the AAA dude an inconvenience. He would have none of it. He reminded me this was his job and that happy endings like this made his day.

And then ... without even asking ... he checked my battery out and topped off all four of my tires with air! I was speechless. Talk about exceeding expectations! Wow!

I asked him what I owed him and he said my smile was more than enough. His momma must have raised him right I thought.

I waved goodbye to my very own good Samaritan, and then patted the dashboard and whispered, "that man is a lifesaver, Blue ... he is a genuine All-American hero!"

I rolled the windows down and turned the radio up. Willie Nelson was singing, "On the Road Again," and Blue and I were singing along with him.

And you can bet all three of us were smiling!

Gotcha!

Marie and I were walking down the street in the French Quarter yesterday and this fellow stepped in front of me. He was a little bit smaller than me. He had a beer in one hand and a cigarette in the other and he had no sense of personal space. At least no sense of mine as he was right up in my face. He was speaking so fast I was having a hard time understanding what he was saying. But I quickly got the gist.

He wanted to bet me $10 that he could tell me the city and state where I got my shoes. Now, I am a pretty smart fellow. In fact, I'm too smart for my own good sometime. I decided there was more to this than met the eye and I was willing to bet I could beat the guy at his own game. Did I mention, I'm sometimes too smart for my own good?

I said, "You're on." and we shook hands. At which time he began to laugh up a storm and he said, "Man, don't ever bet a man at his own game." He then said, "You've got your shoes on your feet here in New Orleans, Louisiana."

I said, "You got change for $20?"

He started digging in his pocket and pulled out scrunched up ones and finally found a couple of fives. Meanwhile, a little, scruffy rat of a fellow walked up with a plastic cup in his hand and demanded I put a little in his cup, too.

After an exchange that looked like it was going get physical and I was starting to worry about Maire's safety the fellow who'd just conned me stepped between us and said he'd take care of it and Marie and I walked on down the street.

I've thought about that little exchange a lot since yesterday.

Why didn't I mind being hustled by one guy and was seriously considering whether I, a 56 year old man, was going to have to mix it up with a drunk on the streets of New Orleans.

I've come to a couple conclusions:

1. I liked the first guy. There was some thing about him that was engaging. He was offering to play a game and I've written enough about how much I love games. Also, my Dad used to tell me over and over again, that people work with you because they like you. Once they've decided they like you; then they rationalize why. The second guy was just trying to intimidate me.

2. The first guy gave me something of value; a story. I'll tell this story over and over again. For whatever reason, I always enjoy those stories where I get cocky and I get put in my place. You'd think by now that wouldn't happen anymore, but every time I start thinking I'm beyond that sort of thing, events like yesterday remind me: you have to be ever vigilant against pretension. And I'm self-aware enough to know I can be too smart for my own good if I don't watch myself.

We're headed home today. Back to Richmond a little wiser and happy that this little piece of wisdom only cost me ten bucks.

BTW, another guy offered to tell me where I got my shoes this morning. I told him, "Same place you got that good looking pair you're wearing."

Happy Hour!

It's Friday: You've been up to your neck in paperwork all week, your wrist is beginning to feel the onset of carpal tunnel syndrome, and you feel like all the coffee in Brazil couldn't give you the courage to battle the onslaught of emails barraging your inbox.

If only there were some safe place, a haven if you will, that you could take refuge in from the merciless attack of the work-week!

Well we here at Catch Your Limit have heard your cry. Take the phone off the hook, loosen up that tie and get ready for Happy Hour, every Friday at the Catch Your Limit office! We're providing the beer, wine, sodas, grub and games, all you have to do is show up. The festivities kick off at 5:00pm and last till 7:00pm. If you can beat our resident champion Scott in a game of corn toss, you win a free T-shirt! To RSVP, just send us an email at brock@catchyourlimit.com, or ask any questions you may have. Now kick back, relax, and enjoy a drink on us. From all of us here at Catch Your Limit, have a great week, and happy fishing!

The Joy of Flying

I'm supposed to be in Atlanta waiting to board my flight to New Orleans. I've a speech there tomorrow at 10:30. Instead, I'm still sitting in the airport in Richmond. There are reports of tornadoes in Atlanta and air traffic control has slowed down landings and take-offs.

Hallelujah! Who wants to play tag with tornadoes?

It's pretty likely that I'll miss my connection tonight, but I'm not upset. You can't do anything about acts of God. But more importantly, the Delta staff have gone out of their way to keep us apprised of the situation. In addition, they made me contingency reservations for any early flight tomorrow morning as well as getting me a hotel in Atlanta both of these just in case I miss my flight.

What more can you ask?

I heard one lady when it was explained that she would have to spend the night in Atlanta if she took her flight say, "I'm never flying Delta again." I wanted to say, "Lady, you're a jerk." I didn't but I thought it. More importantly, the Delta agent simply smiled and said "Ma'am is there anything else I can help you with?" Not an inkling of irritation, just a smile and an inquiry to see if she could help.

It sucks when Mother Nature gets in the way of our 21st century plans, but it's a little easier to deal with when you get to work with courteous professionals.

In the end, I'll still get to New Orleans faster than if I'd driven and once I've given my speech I get to eat beignets and drink chicory coffee at Cafe Du Monde.

I love flying; life is good!

Goofing Off is Good for the Soul

As a typical Gen Xer, I’m a firm believer that goofing off can provide amazing benefits. I’m sure Boomers and Traditionalists would disagree with me, but it cracks me up how some Boomers and Traditionalists don’t realize how much they goof off themselves! Standing around the “water cooler” chatting is certainly the equivalent of Facebooking, twittering, texting, e-mailing or instant messaging.

However, generations (in the workplace and in every day life) see things differently which we’re all learning.

I definitely keep strict time limits on my work personal e-mail and Internet usage – and I don’t endorse spending very much time at the office actually not working. We’re in a recession friends, our jobs are really important. If you have one, you better do whatever you can to keep it.

However, we all need a breather no matter how long or short our work day is. I don’t think the powers that be want to see our heads pressed against our computer screens and our fingers glued to our keyboards all day long. And I’m pretty sure they want us to take bathroom breaks and even stretch every now and then. But we also need small mental breaks. I know that these lapses of reality certainly make me more creative and boost my energy.

Here are the top 10 ways I like to goof off while I’m at work:

1. Facebook
2. Sending a funny e-mail to a friend
3. Playing with a toy from my 1980s toy basket
4. Staring off into space
5. Prank calling my co-workers in the Orlando office
6. Writing a to-do list
7. Wandering over to the official Candy Keeper’s office for a treat
8. Looking something random up on www.wikipedia.org
9. Sending a text message
10. And www.cnn.com, www.msnbc.com and www.foxnews.com

Warning! Warning! Warning! I do not practice more than one or two of these things per day and your goofing off should last no longer than three minutes. If you spend any more time than that you’re entering into the Slacker Zone and you are doing yourself, and your company a disservice.

These activities should also not be using up much of your co-workers’ time and should not be disruptive. It is of the utmost importance to keep your goofing off on the down low. Otherwise, you’ll be known as The Loser in the office who bothers other employees and who is wasting the company’s valuable time, and you might be the first person on the chopping block if your company has to downsize.

Writing is a huge part of what I do, and I know for a fact that my brain and my fingers must be in alignment to produce a piece. I can’t sit down at a keyboard and knock an article out right away. I need time to plan and to think. I reserve that right, and if I say so myself, I think it pays off.

I also welcome distractions from others if they don’t take up too much time. If somebody walks by my desk and says something funny or plays a joke on me, I find that inspiring.

Every time, my co-worker, Mike, comes in town from the Orlando office, he does something silly to my desk and office supplies. Mike’s favorite trick is to put tape on my receiver and it really does take me a while to figure out why I can not get a dial tone. And he likes to hide my stapler and tape. However, last time I was at the Orlando office, I took all of the gumballs out of his Darth Vader gumball machine and filled it with paperclips and hid the gumballs. Come on, that is funny!

My co-worker, Joel, has an obsession with changing the daily quote on my quote board to something completely absurd. He likes to replace letters and mix words around. The funniest part is that he tries so hard to do it without me noticing and I always catch him. I find it hilarious when I see that Joel has melded a Shakespeare quote with Snoop Dogg lyrics.

Some people might find work silliness annoying and obnoxious, and actually I do, too when people take it too far. However, I almost shudder to think how dull life would be (personally and professionally) if there wasn’t a little leeway to have fun. When you think about it, that’s basically what life is about … working hard, and finding little moments to make it all worthwhile.

Nate Rules, Too!

This is hysterical. I hadn't seen Melissa's blog below until I posted mine about the great experience I had at lunch today. I read hers and started laughing as I realized I'd had two great customer service experiences today. God, I love Richmond.

At 7:30 this morning I walked into Louisana Flair. It's a little Cajun restaurant at 4th & Grace in downtown Richmond. Nathan who runs the place smiled and waved from the back. And Vicki got me a cup of black coffee.

Wednesdays is beignet day from 7:00-10:30 AM.

Most Wednesdays when I'm in town I meet my daughter, Jennifer, there for breakfast.

The coffee's good; chickory just like I like and Nate or Steve, the cook, whip up fresh beignets and scrambled eggs, smoked sausage, home fries and they cut your biscuit in half, butter it and throw on the grill. There's great music playing, zydeco, jazz, blues and it feels like a party.

In addition, Nate makes me a special mix of spices to put on my eggs. We're talking good eating. I'm giving a speech in New Orleans this Friday and it's all we've been talking about for the last few weeks and I asked Nate this morning if he'd like me to bring anything back for him. Nate's from that neck of the woods. He said, no and handed me a little container of the spice mix that he makes for me to sprinkle on my eggs. He said, compare this to what you get in New Orleans.

Unlike the little place across from my office, it's inconvenient as all get out to drive downtown in the mornings and yet knowing that Nate and Vicki and Steve are happy to see me keeps bringing me back.

Service is such an easy thing to give. It's rooted in caring about people. I'm lucky, I've found a bunch of places where I really feel like the people care about having my business.

I've got a whole passel of places here in Richmond, where I get great service. I'll write about them soon, but right now I'm off to teach Six Hat Thinking to the Mind Games team at Fischer Elementary.

Chesa Rules

I love food. I love to eat. It's a miracle I'm not as big as a house. That said, breakfast and lunch are usually just a matter of refueling. I'm generally so engaged in what I'm working on that I'm not paying much attention to what I'm eating; I'm just giving myself the fuel to keep playing. There's a little Mexican restaurant across from our Richmond office that I have lunch in sometimes as many as 5x a week.

The food's good and the prices are great, but that's not the main reason for my "loyalty."

It's right across the street. No getting in the car. No finding a parking place. Just walk across the street. Now, granted you have to engage in a little broken field running jaywalking across Broad Street, but, hey; I went to VCU; where dodging traffic was an intramural sport.

The one other reason I choose Su Casa over and over is they know what I want. I walk in the door and Nick, the owner, always smiles and says he's happy to see me. Chesa, one of the waitresses, smiles and asks, "The usual?" and then chips and salsa arrive and I start to either read whatever I've brought to read or whoever's come with me asks, "You come here often?"

Now, I'm sure you've been fascinated by this rambling so far, but let me get to the point.

Today, I spilled salsa down the front of my white shirt. Ever notice it's always the white shirt you spill stuff down the front?

I looked down and sighed. I'm going to have to go home and change because I have meeting this afternoon. Moments later and I mean moments; Chesa placed a Tide Stain Stick on the table. "See if this will help?" It did!

Now, you know why I think Chesa rules. She saved me the time of having to drive home. She saved the environment, didn't have to use the gas necessary to drive home. But most importantly, that little act of observation and her response is a prime example of the kind of service that brings people back, over and over.

So, next time you're in the Near West End of Richmond drop by Su Casa, 4013 West Broad Street. It's next to the Exxon station just East of Malvern. There's parking around back.

Say hello to Nick and bask in Chesa's smile. Enjoy the food, enjoy the service and tell 'em Gayle sent you.

I hate my job, can't wait to go hang with my friends ... now, give me all your money!

One of the things that we are often asked to do is to help organizations improve their customer service. We've developed several programs that I believe really work and customer service happens to be one of the most critical components of your brand experience. So, in this blog, you're getting a sneak peak at a germ of an idea that I will continue to develop for an article, speaking engagement or workshop.

I admit it. I spend most of my lunch money with people who ignore and mistreat me.

The bar is set so low, that it's inexcusable not to reach or exceed it. Most people have one or two places that they do business with because they receive exceptional customer service. However, the vast majority of us could tell you lists of places that we give our money to that we receive poor or inconsistent service because those places are convenient or there just aren't any better options or finding those options would require more time and energy and we just don't have either.

There's this small deli in Tallahassee that makes great lunch size sandwiches and homemade soups with fresh ingredients. When I'm in town, I buy lunch at this establishment at least once (sometimes 2-3 times) a week. The average meal costs me $8-9 and if you add this up over a month or a year, there's probably not another place that I consistently spend this much lunch money at. So, say that I only visit one time each week - that's 52 visits over the past year (and my obsession with this place goes back further).

I'm a social person. So, I'm the type that chats while they make my sandwich, smile at people I make eye contact with and say thanks before I walk out the door. Every time I have been in this deli, the owner/manager has been present and not one time has she smiled my way, acknowledged my loyalty or even thanked me for my business. I began to wonder if I had mistakenly walked out the door without paying or something. Over the past few months, I've bumped into two other business colleagues/friends at this deli. They shared that they felt the same way ... liked they'd done something wrong.

"I hate my job" ... my newest, latest customer service pet peeve (there are many).

Each day I encounter this response in some form or fashion and I'm sick and tired of it. I've done some preliminary primary research and my guestimate is that this customer service nightmare happens at 100% of retail establishments and at some it happens 4 out of 5 times. And, it's continued even in the midst of a recession when keeping loyal customers is more important than ever before. Here's the scenario:

I leave work after a long day. I drive towards home and pass two competitive grocery stores on my way to the store that is closest to home and where I know where everything is. We're having guests for dinner, so I've got to be quick. I spend 30-45 minutes loading up a cart with everything I need. The bill is sure to be over $200. I choose a register line that is relatively short and I wait for my turn. As I'm waiting, I realize that this has the potential to fit the profile of my newest, latest customer service pet peeve.

The cashier and bagger are chatting and seem to be oblivious to the fact that real live humans in front of them put the groceries on the belt and these real live humans are going to spend real hard earned money to buy products and all of this is somehow related to a paycheck they take home.

As I watch two customers go through the line without any acknowledgement other than "paper or plastic?" I take three deep breaths and repeat to myself, "do not take on other people's problems as your own" (thank you self help books). Then it's my turn. So, I decide that I'm going to break this cycle. I'm going to speak to them (gasp!).

Me (out loud): "Hi. How are you doing today?

Cashier (out loud): "You're asking me? I hate this job. My manager isn't letting me go on break until I finish ringing you up. Like, I was ready, like, an hour ago."

Bagger (out loud): "Same here. I've got friends in town and I'd rather be anywhere but here right now."

Me (to myself): Jeez ... what did I expect? The ads and banners promised a delightful experience ... where did I go wrong? I should readjust my expectations. Maybe in this new society it is an honor to pay several hundred dollars to hear workers complain.

Cashier (out loud): "Hey. You need to press that green button. Cash back?"

Me (out loud on a reserved day): "Oh sorry. No cash back. Well I hope your day gets better. Thanks!" (ever wonder why customers seem to be saying thank you more often than the people who are taking our money?)

Me (out loud on a day that I just can't help being a consultant): "Look. You didn't acknowledge the two people in line before me. I had to speak to you first. Your job is to help make my experience a positive one. Hearing how much you don't like your job or would like to be out of here is not really helping me have a good experience. Do you understand what I'm saying or do I need to speak with your manager? Now, what I'd like for you to do is go on your break and think this over. When you get back out here, try to provide better service to the customers who come through your line."

Whew ... that felt good ... or did it? It kind of felt like work.

I'm sick and tired of being treated this way and I'm not going to take it anymore ... until the next time!

Who do you spend money with that doesn't meet your customer service expectations and why? How do you handle these nightmare customer service situations? Inquiring minds want to know.