Years ago, as The Plumber's Wife, I jumped into the family business. I figured that my husband, Hotrod, would turn wrenches, I would answer the phone and pay bills, and we would get rich. Easy peasy, right? Wrong. We dug a deep hole of debt and struggled to make payroll. Of course, [...]
Branding 101 - What I Learned from the Most Interesting Man in the World! Recently, I was invited to speak at the Business Experts Forum at the Harvard Faculty Club. How exciting! Our assignment was to share our most important, essential, legacy message...in 5 minutes. As I was putting my materials together for the event, I struggled [...]
Hotrod and I had a three hour window at Laguardia Airport, while we waited for our son, Max, and his girlfriend, Jules, to arrive. We were all heading to a cousin's wedding in upstate New York. I was imagining that we would spend the time checking email and playing Words with Friends. Hotrod, however, lined [...]
When Hot Rod and I were first married, we lived in a cabin outside of Whitefish, Montana. It was 11 by 15 feet and the foundation was four, almost-flat rocks. We had all of $5000 between us and we contracted a well driller and a “diviner” to help us find – and hit – water. [...]
Year end is a great time to consider the year to come. Review the wins and losses and vow to make 2014 even better. Update your Budget. Consider what costs are going up. Health insurance? Yep. Retirement benefits? You aren't getting any younger. New trucks? Hey, it's time. Then, create a top line Sales [...]
Last week, I was asked to speak about success to a group of mostly 20-30 year olds. They belong to JCI Wonderful Copenhagen, a chapter of the worldwide JCI organization. I’d never been to Denmark, and I love young people (not as crabby and cynical as old farts.) And I was inspired by the mission of [...]
Perhaps my recent birthday has something to do with today’s business building message. We are too old to waste time. That may not “land” if you are in your twenties. However, it seems like I was 20 years old about 15 minutes ago. At 20, I graduated college and turned down a half dozen “real [...]
Below are helpful tips for home repair…working with, or without, a professional. Also, I included tips for finding a great contractor, when you are ready to call in a pro. As a plumbing industry expert, I write a monthly column for Plumbing Heating Contractor News – These tips appeared in one of my columns, aimed at contractors, encouraging them to [...]
What can you learn by Riding Along? You don’t even have to do the Undercover part. Just GO. Hop in the truck (or the assembly line or the phone bank) and say, “Show me what you do. I am here to learn.” One of my best biz buddies is a master of the Ride Along. I wrote about him…and how [...]
I adore a man who can work with his hands. I admire a woman who knows how to handle a channelocks. I appreciate a well laid-out mechanical room. I’m a huge fan of trades people. Trades people are more in touch with the truth than other people. They are a no-nonsense group. They know that [...]
