Quest for Mental Bugiganga

A mishmash of learnings and my experiences: travel, food, business wisdom.

[bill4reel]

My 2016 New Year’s #resolution. Cheers! 

[bill4reel]

Behind the Scenes Recycling: The Daily Grind

I had the unique opportunity to get a behind-the-scenes look at one of the largest recycling operations in the Dallas-Fort Worth area run by Republic Services, Inc. The 2-year old, $22 million plant is closed to the public, but welcomes tours from certain groups for educational purposes. I was invited with the Sierra Club of Fort Worth.

Republic Services, Inc. serves over 14 million consumers and has over 35,000 employees across the US and Puerto Rico.  With approximately 7 million residents in the metroplex, curbside recycling is big business. The LEED-certified, Fort Worth plant processes 140 thousand tons material per year. That’s 504 tons of recycling processed per day. Two shifts employ 90 people, 24 hours a day.

If you are like me, you may have wondered what happens to all that stuff you toss in the recycling bin. Have you ever asked, “Do they really recycle it? How does it get recycled?” Where does it go? The answers are fascinating.

Do they really recycle it?

Yes! According to Plant Manager, Duane McDonald, the plant is able to convert up to 95% of the material. What aren’t recycled are materials that shouldn’t be in the recycling bins to start with.

Things made out of multiple materials won’t work. A good example is a garden hose (they get about a dozen a day). Hoses have metal couplings on each end and metal wires inside the rubber hose, which make it close to impossible to deconstruct.

 Interesting Facts:

 Wire hangars: Even though the wire hangars you get from your dry cleaner are usually made of a single wire material, they tend to gunk-up the machinery. It’s best to return them to the dry cleaners for reuse.

Black plastic: Optical sorters can't see black plastic. Who knew, right? So don't recycle black plastic like landscaping trays. Put them in the trash.

That 5 - 15% of material that doesn’t get processed goes the long way to the landfill and adds additional cost and waste to the process. If there’s any doubt, contact their customer service department for assistance.

How does it get recycled?

All the recycling that gets trucked in gets dumped in a large warehouse. From there a front-loader dumps the “material” (that’s what they like to call it) into a drum feeder.

The materials get separated using a variety of techniques. Disc screens separate by size and type. Another screen removes the glass and breaks it down. A zigzag screen removes small particles from the glass. A CP screen deals with mixed paperwork and removes contaminates.

Technology has a big part to play here. Electric currents remove plastics from metals on a belt feeder by zapping them with a jolt to a separate stream. Mixed plastic needs a bit more advanced technology - a combination of color recognition optical sorting and air nozzles.

This plant is unique in that it handles plastic bags - those ubiquitous pain-in-the-ass materials to most recyclers. Most recyclers can’t handle plastic bags because they are too light to be sorted out using any of the above-mentioned processes. Republic handles this with a combination of a duct system and people manually feeding those ducts. The ducts consist of always-on vacuum tubes throughout factory located above manual sorting stations. The ducts converge into a single tube that accumulates the bags in a larger plastic bag resembling a sausage feeder.

Interesting Fact: Recycling bins get recycled too. When your bin is past its’ useful life, call your trash company for a new one. The old ones get broken down for recycling.

Where does it go?

Now that the material is separated, what happens next? Material is stored in bunkers for bailing. 50 cubic yards gets compacted down to a 44 x 44” cube for transport. This is the same dimension of a standard shipping palette.

Some materials go overseas to places like China. The materials are bought and sold on the open commodities market. Most items are sold for less than a cent a pound.

Plastic rates are tied to the price of oil because it is a petroleum-based product. Plastic bags usually turn into more plastic bags because they are a low-grade commodity. Some end up as the bottom of snow skis or furniture when mixed with sawdust and glue.

Aluminum is most profitable, whereas glass is almost worthless. Glass plants mostly use the material to make more glass bottles or fiberglass.

Interesting Fact: In many cases the there is a revenue sharing contract with cities the recycling companies serve. So the more you recycle, the more money you are investing into your own community. Neat huh?

[bill4reel]

Back to the Future: Takeaways from Retail’s Big Show 2015

Remember that 80’s movie “Back to the Future”? Marty McFly drove his Delorean time-machine to a future filled with food hydrators, phone glasses, self-tying shoes and hover-boards. The year – 2015.

Feel old yet? While we don’t have flying cars, we do have some pretty neat technology – some of which appeared at this year’s National Retail Federation event – Retail’s Big Show (NRF15) in New York City. As shows go, CES (Consumer Electronics Show) in Las Vegas remains the Goliath in technology with a whopping 200,000 attendees compared to the modest 27,000 who attended NRF15 this year. Regardless, retail is all about technology. Couldn’t make the show? Here are a couple of my layman’s takeaways to share...

Fitness and Wearables Trends to Grow

In a small corner of the lower level, exhibit hall, there was a curious collection of new technology products that epitomized innovation and “Back to the Future” thinking. It is the NRF iLab. Although the focus of NRF15 is NOT products, I was impressed by the latest “Kickstarter” elites featured here. What was apparent is that the fitness and wearables trends are the fastest growing trends and have lots of growth opportunity for retailers.

  With obesity rates finally hitting a plateau in this country, health and fitness trend products continue to have huge market success. The closest thing to a “Back to the Future” hover-board was a workout surf board from Surfset Fitness (http://www.surfsetfitness.com/) – the world’s first total body surf trainer. No need for a wetsuit when you can hang 10 at home.

In wearables and fashion, CuteCircuit (http://cutecircuit.com/) offers an interactive fabric that creates a variety of color lighting options within the fabric that can be controlled remotely via an app. Katy Perry is a big fan. Dance clubs will never be the same.

  e-Tailer Convergence

Online has created greater transparency to pricing and more options for consumers to choose from. Mobility enables comparison shopping, opportunities for customer engagement and socialization. Thanks to competition, shippers can get you products faster than ever before – same day even.

A handful of e-tailers have been taking their proven, online businesses to bricks-and-mortar locations. Others are taking cues from e-tailers to run their bricks-and-mortar operations.

Maybe it started with Dell years ago, but many successful online brands are venturing to bricks-and-mortar to increase market share. Amazon tested a kiosk model in California over the holidays. eBay has been doing this successfully for years. NRF15 highlighted a couple of newer companies that represent this virtual meets physical conversion.

Birch Box (https://www.birchbox.com/) has been wildly successful with its online subscription model that creates a better way for men and women to get beauty products. They source hard-to-find, quality products and provide monthly deliveries of personalized samples for as little as $15 a month. With an easy-to-use process, they continue to delight and surprise customers except now, in the trendy, up-scale neighborhood of Soho.

Birch Box has shipped millions of boxes since they first started four years ago.  In July of 2014, they opened their first and only physical store in New York. With the physical store, they showcase their best-sellers available to buy – something you can’t do online.

Not sure where to start? Birch Box features walk-up kiosk to get the same personalization they offer online. You can pick your skin type, complexion, hair type and age to more effectively match you to the products in the store.

You get to surprise and delight others with gift boxes you can build on your own priced just like online - $15 for her / $25 for him.

Another example of convergence is AYG Guideshop (https://ayr.com/guideshop). They opened on 45 West 25th in New York taking a lesson from online to task – give the consumer choice. AYG Guideshop offers only one of each of their products in their physical store. You get to try it before you buy it. If you want to buy it, go ahead, but you won’t be leaving the store with a bag. They will ship it to you. Is it showrooming or webrooming or a mix of both? 

I could go on...Great experience. I hope to return to next year's show. 

[bill4reel]

My motto for life. #selfie

[bill4reel]

Here’s Looking at Brew Kid! Revolver Brewing (Granbury, Texas)

What a difference a few years can make. In 2010 the microbrew landscape in North Texas was fledgling at best. Fast-forward to 2014 and we have four new breweries and every one of them with a strong showing on the shelves and taps.

  Revolver Brewing is one of those new entries. It started in 2011 and has sales in over 300 locations. The father-son founders Ron and Rhett Keisler opted to build their brewery 35 miles south of Fort Worth, in Granbury, where they could get a bunch of land and tap into the Trinity aquifer with their own well. A source that provides a little natural salinity and extra taste, according to Head Brewmaster Grant Wood.

  Grant came to Revolver via Boston Brewing (home of the trail-blazing Boston Lager). He provides, along with Kayla (Assistant Brewmaster), brewery tours/talks every Saturday at 1:30 pm.

  Revolver made its name with Blood & Honey, an American wheat ale that is finished with orange zest and honey to give it a sweet and bold flavor. With two-parts brewing acumen and one part marketing, this brew is a hit with the ladies. My wife started raving about it last year.  Like the Dallas Stars hockey team, there’s something addictively appealing to women about Blood & Honey.

  As brewery tours go, this one is a bit out of the way (almost two hours from Dallas and 45 minutes from Fort Worth). But it is a great value and worth the trip. Some friends and I set out on recent Saturday in February to see what all the fuss was about. A cold, overcast morning turned into the most perfect beer outing , as the skies cleared up and gave us a sunny, mid-60’s, bluebird afternoon in the Revolver Brewery playground.

  There’s nothing fancy about the place, but it feels appropriately Texan. The parking lot is a dirt drive full of potholes and mud. The building is Spartan, but complete with the latest and greatest in stainless steel brew technology. The lot is spacious and ideal for large or small crowds. They have a small  stage for live music, games like corn hole and horse shoes, fire pits (more like cauldrons burning wood and the occasional shipping pallet) and an assortment of park benches (some covered).

  As you walk up, you can pay for the tour and look through the swag merchandise. For $10 you get a branded glass and a pour from any of four taps (descriptions from Revolver Brewing):

  HIGH BRASS

American Blonde Ale – ABV: 6%  IBU: 25

A smooth and drinkable blonde ale brewed with the palest pilsner malt and select caramel malts. The flavor is malty without being heavy. The beer is finished with Saphir hops from Germany.

  REVOLVER BOCK

Traditional Bock – ABV: 6.5%  IBU: 28

Caramel and toffee notes bring a full and satisfying body to this classic style. Northern Brewer and Willamette hops balance the sweetness of the malt.

  BLOOD & HONEY

American Wheat Ale – ABV: 7%  IBU: 20

An unfiltered deep golden ale made with malted two row barley and wheat. The brew is finished with Blood Orange zest, local Fall Creek Farms Honey and other spices that bring special flavors to this unique beer.

  MOTHER'S LITTLE FRACKER (Seasonal)

Stout – ABV: 7.75%  IBU: 60

Dark and deep as West Texas Intermediate! We conditioned this big bodied stout in the keg. It's on the sweet side, with intense roasted character and a soft bitter finish from Summit and Challenger hops.

  I tried each one. They are all quality brews – not a dog among them. My favorite is the High Brass. As to its’ description, it is VERY drinkable. It had a great finish. I can’t wait to get this one at my local Specs.

  The Revolver Bock wasn’t as strong as other bocks I’ve tasted. This was my second favorite. It made a great accompaniment to that pulled pork bbq sandwich I ate. Their food options are reasonably priced and tasty.

  The Blood & Honey is a crowd favorite, but a little too sweet for my tastes. In full disclosure, I’m not much of a wheat beer fan to start with. I’ve had it many times. It is an enjoyable brew.

  Mother’s Little Fracker was a treat! I enjoy a complex and full-bodied stout. This one is not of the creamy variety. Rather, it has a tinge of malty, roasted pumpernickel. Like the other offerings, the hops are well-balanced, not too overpowering.

  All-in-all, a great afternoon, with great company, enjoying great beer. I look forward to my next trip to Revolver Brewing to sample a new batch! 

[bill4reel]

Hot Day, Cold Beer: Martin House Brewery Tour (Fort Worth, Texas)

It was one of those typical Texas summer days...hot! But we had a cool idea. Let's do a brewery tour. My wife's idea actually. It turned out to be a great choice. 

There's been a steady increase in the number of microbrews popping up in Texas. The state that consumes more variety of beer per capita actually lags in the number of microbreweries. That is all changing of course.

Martin House Brewery in Fort Worth is a great example of Texas' new beer brands. Martin House is starting out small with a non-descript, low rent, warehouse location just east of downtown. Rather than tip-toeing into brewing with some light bodied, popular varieties, Martin House wades right in with some bold flavors and quality ingredients. 

Brewery tours run Saturdays from 2 to 5. For $10 you get a branded glass and 3 pints of your choice. Additional pints can be purchased for $5. A band plays and there's a food truck out back. For more entertainment, they set up some corn hole games in the parking lot. Be warned...the brewery is not air conditioned. They do provide some fans. We definitely felt the heat, but were easily distracted. 

We queued up about a quarter 'til 2pm and entered with the first wave of attendees. After an hour, there were probably a hundred or more people there. There was a very eclectic feel to the place: one part hipster, one part family-friendly. No shortage of dogs on leaches, flip-flops and tattoos. You can choose from four beers on tap, which represents all their brews. 

Beer 1: Imperial Texan, Double India Red Ale - Their self-professed, signature brew is very bold. My server rewarded me with praise for making this my first sample. I like IPA's for the hops and was instantly rewarded with a blast of hops that invaded my entire palette. It had a light body and fruity (grapefruit) aroma. An excellent brew but almost too hoppy, even for my tastes. I enjoyed it. 

Beer 2: There Will Be Stout, Pretzel Stout - You gotta love the naming of these brews. This one reminiscent of "There Will be Blood" sets the tone for a bold, gritty, in-your-face brew. I wasn't disappointed. This stout has strong overtures of coffee and matching stain properties. A bit strong and only slightly bitter, the flavors really make this an enjoyable beer. 

Beer 3: River House Saison - I admit this was my first saison. The saison is a Belgian variety that is light, slightly effervescent and heavily spiced. It was traditionally a beer enjoyed by farm workers in the summer and praised for its' refreshing qualities. The River House Saison lived up to the saison reputation. It is a light, refreshing beer with hints of orange and pepper. There's a slight aroma of eggy yeast, but this too lends itself to the overall freshness. 

Beer 4: Day Break, 4 Grain Breakfast Brew - As firsts go, this was my first breakfast brew as well. It has barley, wheat, oats and rye and finished with local honey and a milk sugar. You can really taste the grains and can see why they call it a breakfast brew, inspired by a bowl of breakfast grains. It sat heavy in my mouth and was very filling. 

The tour is a great value with full pints versus small two-ounce tastings. The atmosphere worked well for their brand - You get the vibe of quality, hipster, Texas, outdoor adventure (think kayaks and mountain bikes). The two piece band had one guitar player and one electric flute player, who morphed from Ravi Shankur to a valium induced Kenny G switching to his alto sax. It was great ambiance music. 

After a while, the place smelled of seared angus from the food truck and that seemed to fit in just right. After all, we are in Texas...this is supposed to be what it smells like - beer and beef.  If you aren't a big fan of bold flavors, this might not be the brewery for you. I will return in the fall and remember to take my folding chair. 

[bill4reel]

Look Ma! I Made a Barn Door For the Bathroom

We recently moved into our new Arlington, Texas home. The entire selection process, closing and moving happened in a span of two very hectic and tiresome weeks.  So quickly in fact that we hadn't noticed our master bathroom was sans door. My wife and I "really" got to know one another on a new level. 

The door gap was also non-standard and a bit large.  Either way, we were looking at a custom job...perfect for a DIY barn door.  

After some research online, we found that most of the hardware alone would cost us over $600. That's a little pricey to me. After digging a bit more, I found perfectly good hardware brands like Stanley and National Hardware that were perfect for the task. The entire project budget was just under $275. Here's the finished product. We like it too!

There aren't too many DIY posts devoted to barn doors, so this post is an effort to help those that need it.

Every door size is different, so you'll want to measure, re-measure and measure again for good measure (pun absolutely intended).  I'll share my sizes. You can adjust to your own needs.  

The parts and equipment lists are included at the bottom of this post with prices. We shopped at Lowe's. The project took two days due to the drying time needed. I'm a "6" on a scale of 1 to 10 for handiness, so I enlisted help from my Uncle Steve for installation in addition to running the initial plans by my brother. This is definitely a two person job. 

Step 1: Cutting wood down to size and assembly

It's a good idea to make a quick sketch of your project with your measurements. That way you can constantly reference to ensure you are on track (Get it "on track"?...I can't help myself sometimes). 

Use a couple of saw horses or a table to lay out your wood. Use the straightest pieces you can find. Lay out the pieces on the table. With the pieces all squared up together and flush on one end, measure what you need to cut with your pencil and cut to the right size with your saw. (Note: I chose to cut the diagonal pieces at later time to size exactly to the assembled door). 

Measure the mounting board to specification with pencil and cut it too. (Note: I used a more expensive harder wood for mounting board as it will be holding much of the weight. I chose poplar.)

Step 2: Glue horizontal boards to the main door

Use your caulking gun with liquid nails or other type of glue to glue the three horizontal boards to the door. All the boards are loose at this time. Be sure to push all the boards as tight together as you can. I chose not glue the vertical boards together as the horizontal boards would do the job just fine. Clamp both ends of the board to the door. I only had two clamps so I did each of the three horizontal boards one at a time. After gluing the first board, see Step 3. 

Step 3: Secure the horizontal boards to the main door

While your glue is still setting on your first horizontal board, use your screws to better secure the boards. I chose to use the #8 countersink drill bit to predrill my screw holes from the back side. That way, I could cover the screw holes and they wont show through. I put a top and bottom screw in about every six inches.

Once the board is screwed securely, remove your clamps and clean off any excess glue that may have squeezed out from underneath the board.

Repeat Step 2 - 3 for the remaining two horizontal boards.  

Measure your diagonal boards on the door and mark off using your pencil. Cut using saw. As with the horizontal boards, you'll want to glue and screw these to the door. Follow Step 2 - 3 for each diagonal board.

Step 4: Prep for painting

Using wood filler, fill the screw holes and press the filler into the hole to ensure no air or gaps. Apply filler liberally so that there is a slight mound versus an indentation. After an hour or two, check for dryness.  

Once filler is dry, sand excess filler flat. Continue sanding the entire door - front and back. Sanding will make the surface better accept the paint as well as remove any imperfections.  Moreover, I prefer to round off my hard edges to give the door an older look.

Step 5: Paint door and mounting board

This door is to the bathroom and will be subjected to lots of water vapor from the shower. As such, I need to seal the door to prevent water from entering the wood. Otherwise, I run the risk of warping.  If you are working with other areas, you can stain or white wash to your preference.

I used a Valspar, white semi-gloss that included primer. Paint two coats on the entire door (front, back, sides, top, bottom) and mounting board.

Step 6: Install hardware and mount

Lay out all the hardware: track, mounting brackets, trolley hangers, etc. The bolts that came with the trolley hangers that affix the hangers to the door were a bit long. As a cosmetic extra step, we sawed off about 1/4" of each of the three bolts. I didn't want to have the bolts stick out on the other side.

I chose to have the trolley hanger hardware mount to the front side of my door. I think it looks cooler that way. I measured about three inches from the edge on each side and marked the center of each of the three bolt holes with pencil or nail. Using that mark, use your 5/16 drill bit (or something similar size) to drill your pilot holes through the door. That way you know where to drill on the back side. (Tip: Be sure to drill straight down or you run the risk of the nuts and bolts not fitting right.)

Turn the door over after drilling all the hanger pilot holes - six in total. Using your 7/18" wood boring spade drill bit on the pilot holes, drill in about 1/4" to give yourself some recess room to use your socket wrench later. 

Assemble the trolley hanger bolts to the door. Using your socket wrench and bit, tighten the bolts.  

To mount, start by finding your studs in the wall with your stud finder. Mark the studs with your pencil and verify you are on a stud by drilling a pilot hole using your 5/16" drill bit. Measure and mark where you will put your mounting board. Pre-drill your screw holes through the mounting board using an appropriate drill bit so your board won't split. Screw two screws to each of three studs. I was lucky to find a stud on the left, center and right side of my mounting board. You could always use drywall mounting screws if you needed (not recommended). 

Once the mounting board is securely mounted to the wall, determine where you will put your mounting brackets. I used three (left, center, right...essentially). With the mounting board secure, you could theoretically put the mounting brackets wherever you'd like. However, for added peace of mind, I put the mounting brackets into the same studs I used to mount the mounting board.  

Since I used one screw in the top and one screw in the bottom of the mounting board, that left me with enough room to put the mounting bracket screw in the middle. Pre-drill your holes for the mounting bracket screws. Use a wrench to tighten your mounting bracket screws (Tip: Run your screw threads across a bar of soap. The soap will help the screw drive through wood.). With the mounting board and brackets secure, mount your track on the brackets. 

Now mount your door on the rail. Align the rollers and they will slide into the track. (Tip: Put a 1/2" - 1" board on the floor to hold the door up. This mimics your gap under the door and keeps you from having to lift the door up.)

With your door on the track and mounted, adjust the nuts on the trolley rollers as needed and test your door motion. Using a rubber mallet hammer the two rail end caps into the track. This creates a stop for the rollers. 

Lastly, add any hardware you want - door handles, additional stops on the floor, etc. 

Parts to purchase:

National Manufacturing barn door hardware 2-pack rollers 168-815, $45

8' Stanley trolley track, $55

(2) end caps zinc for rail $0.59 ea

(3) National  Manufacturing  mounting brackets 104-346, $7.38 ea

mounting board: 1" x 4" x 10' poplar, $15.98

(4)  2, 1/3" x 12" x 8' board for lateral door back, $59.68

(4) 1" x 6" x 6'  for horizontal and diagonal pieces, $27

1 gallon bucket of paint, $29.97

tube of liquid nails, $3.59

box of #6 1-  1/4 " countersinking galvanized deck nails, $8.47

wood filler, $4.97

box of metal wood screws for mounting (2"+), ~$2

Equipment:

measuring tape

pencil

paint brush

caulk gun

electric drill

5/16 Drill bit and some other assorted sizes

7/64" #8 metal countersink bit

1/16" drill bit (for pilot holes)

stud finder

7/8" wood boring spade brill bit

hacksaw

saw horses or table

2 or more clamps

saw (electric or otherwise)

electric sander ~150 grit (or hand sand paper, block, etc.)

rubber mallet

1/2" socket bit and wrench

[bill4reel]

Customer Service Isn't Dead...Or Is It? (Three Timeless Lessons)

The focus on customer service is everywhere.  In corporate America, it's the perennial "topic du jour" (Voice of the Customer, CRM, surveys, questionnaires, rewards, loyalty, etc.).  That's why I occasionally get surprised by bad service.  

Rather than letting this being just another Monday morning rant from a dissatisfied customer, let's look at the good, the bad and sometimes ugly lessons as seen from this consumer's point of view.  

1. TECHNOLOGY DOESN'T ALWAYS EQUATE TO BETTER SERVICE

First, let's look at the good.  Case in point is Tom Thumb (Safeway).  The grocery market is highly competitive and margins are slim.  Service remains a major differentiator in this sector.  Tom Thumb has been aggressively promoting their "Just For U" smartphone application.  It ties their reward card loyalty program to online couponing.  Like most consumers, savings ranks up there with quality and selection. I can quickly scan the available coupons and synch them to my card; often while I'm shopping.  

Now the bad...Case in point is Time Warner Cable (TWC).  TWC has been feeling the pinch from increased democratization of choice around programing with pressure from online entrants like Hulu, NetFlix enhanced by technology like Apple TV and divergent technology of computers, mobile devices and TV's.  The battle for market share includes the old phone stalwarts (Verizon, AT&T) and satellite (Dish Networks).  

Service of the customer is an absolute necessity.  TWC realizes this, so it expanded its customer touch points with online chat and email support technology.  Chat is convenient and certainly can expand value for the customer, but only if there is service on the other end.  For example, after a 20 minute chat with one TWC support employee, I ended by requesting a technician to come to my home.  The employee unfortunately never made the appointment for me or had anyone contact me.  After over a month of technical problems and poor support, I will end my 15 year relationship.  It's unfortunate. 

2. NEVER LET YOUR CUSTOMERS WAIT

Lowe's and Home Depot are the juggernauts of the big box, home improvement retail world.  Some customers are fiercely loyal to one or the other.  I'm a a Lowe's guy...for good reason.  Lowe's employees get me.  They get that I'm a busy person and I need lots of help.  Within a few minutes of walking into a store, iPhone in hand, perplexed look on my face, I get approached with an offer to help find something.  Perfect! A personal touch to my needs saves me time.  

I try not to be close minded.  That's why after I recently moved, I decided to give Home Depot a try.  It was closer to my new home.  They offer some really unique products/services (I particularly like the hotdog vendor outside...but that's not important right now).  After about my fifth visit, it was apparent that service wasn't as important to them.  I wasn't approached with offers to help.  On a couple of occasions, they were out of stock of common items.  Waiting?  Yes, I spent a good 30 minutes waiting for check out at the tool rental counter.  That's a bit too long for anyone to wait.  I'm back at Lowe's and it is worth the extra drive.   

3. TIMELY FOLLOW-UP (COMMUNICATION FOR THE SMALL BUSINESS)

If you are a small business, especially if you are just starting out, you know the importance of timely follow-up.  A return phone call, text and/or email is a make or break response and the difference between getting the sale or not.  Let me highlight a couple of small businesses in my neck of the woods.

Kelly Knight Photography (www.kellyknightphotography.com) is someone I've used for a couple of years now for work and personal photography.  In full disclosure, I've known Kelly for years and have grown to be friends.  Kelly appreciates the value of timely follow-up.  Within 24 hours, I get a response and answer to my questions.  It's not brain surgery right? 

Well here's where I share the ugly...Ignis Art.  Rachel Wilcox is sole proprietor for Ignis Art (www.ignisart.com).  Rachel does web site design and creative on the side as she works full time at a large corporation.  She was quick to answer my initial phone call for the business and get me a quote, but soon after things changed drastically.  You see, I agreed to use her services to help me build my new website (www.allpeak.net) for my t-shirt business "All Peak".  We agreed on all the elements - price, turnaround, components, expectations, etc.  Then after the holidays, she no longer responded to my emails or phone calls.  When I finally did get a response, it was an apologetic email...rather a series of apologetic emails (no call backs).  Each with a promise to rectify and each leading to further dissapointment and missed deadlines.  

After paying this person 1/2 up front and receiving only draft image of just a front page and two months without making any changes to what was requested, I have missed my target launch date by a month. Not only that, but I am also out any of the first month perks from the vendors I selected (like advertising credits and free first month's service) and have to scramble to find another resource. 

A little communication up front could have saved this customer a lot of heartache, time and money.  Whether you are a big corporate retailer or a small service provider, customer service affects how YOU will be perceived and will eat away at your bottom line.   

[bill4reel]

Bill's Top 5 Personal Take-Aways from 2012

The 40th birthday is a milestone in one's life.  This year was my milestone.  In retrospect, it has been an awesome year!  Here are my top 5 personal take-aways from 2012 as I see them....

#1:  DO NOT FEAR SOCIAL MEDIA:  I fully embraced social media after a couple years of trepidation.  My iPhone as an enabling technology was a big reason why.  Social is mobile, digital, the glue of media and the power of the individual.  As I learned from a Communications Forum in Dallas @AdrianDParker, that "social is the perfect petrie dish" (He's a great one to follow BTW) - a great place to build your brand, learn and experiment.

#2: FOOD TRUCKS:  Gone are the days of the roach coaches (Well they are still there...just relegated to construction sites).  My taste buds have met the glory of the food trucks.  The long tail of food inventiveness has borne such incredible variety.  At SXSW in Austin, TX I discovered a treasure trove of food trucks and food truck parks on the "East Side".  The roof of my mouth charred on a couple occasions...but it was worth it for the rice balls, boudin balls and lots of other round, square, sauced and slathered combinations.**If you are in the Dallas, TX area, be sure to check out @HypnoticDonuts** 

#3: MUSIC:  Spotify, Pandora and iTunes have changed the way I listen to music and opened my ears to some great new bands (Noah and the Whale, Bobby Long, Explosions in the Sky, Bon Iver, M83, The Mountain Goats...I could go on).  As a result, I actually made more concert visits - Delta Spirit, Avett Bros, Snow Patrol, David Mayfield to name a few.

   #4:  REINVENTION:  Perhaps all these new experiences and the realization I'm not getting any younger is what caused me to re-think what I want to do when I grow up.  I let my ideas finally take shape and opened up to my creative side.  Next year, I launch two concepts:  All Peak: A tee shirt and collectibles online community for mountain climbers (Colorado Fourteeners mostly)....Follow me at @AllPeak.  Also, I launch my consulting concept for small business owners.  I take 15+ years of corporate lessons and make package them for the little guy - business development, content marketing and PR.  

#5:  THE BONDS THAT BIND US:  The tragedy at Newtown CT is a fast reminder that what matters most are our children, our family and our good friends.  I made sure to spend lots of good quality time: A cousins reunion in Hot Springs, Guy's trip to Vegas, Wedding in Jamaica and many dinners, drinks and lunches in-between.  Keep in touch

people.

  What did 2012 mean to you?  Follow me @Bill4Reel 

[bill4reel]

Here at SXSW. Kicking it off with humor...How to Read the World (Baratunde Thurston).