Blogging

Why Blogging Matters

by Ray_anne

Social Media has pretty much been dissected, why it matters, why Twitter will change the face of business, why all of it is important. Or, at least, why someone thinks it’s important. There are many who write on a regular basis – who produce original content consistently, who create thoughtful and meaningful responses to emotionally [...]

February 1, 2012 CONTINUE READING THIS POST →

Joblessness: Not My Kind of Freedom

by Ray_anne

Do you know someone out of work? Maybe several someones? Do you know anyone who has been laid off or who has had their hours or pay reduced? Have you, yourself, suffered in the current recession? I hate to say it and I really do not want to believe it, but we are not out [...]

January 31, 2012 CONTINUE READING THIS POST →

Networking is a Team Sport

by Ray_anne

“In theory there is no difference between theory and practice. In practice there is.”~Yogi Berra I love baseball. Especially non-MLB. Little League. High School. Independent Minor League Baseball. Baseball at its best. Fewer steroids, fewer and less rowdy fans, but still that lovely green grass of a baseball field so lovingly called a diamond and [...]

January 30, 2012 CONTINUE READING THIS POST →

Be The Expert

by Ray_anne

What does desperation do to you as a Businessperson? As a Salesperson? As an HR Professional? As a Recruiting Professional? Sometimes, there comes a valley in the activity and we stagnate, or get bored, or even become desperate. Working to close a deal can be exciting, hectic, hurried, and representing ourselves, our company, or our client properly [...]

January 24, 2012 CONTINUE READING THIS POST →

The Gold Standard: Not What it Used to Be

by Ray_anne

Paper money used to be backed by a supply of gold, actual gold. Not the flecks that sometimes glitters in lakes and streams or in a quiet ocean, but solid gold. If you desired to trade your paper money in for the only bars better than chocolate, you could. There was a sense of value [...]

January 23, 2012 CONTINUE READING THIS POST →

The Resume is Dead

by Ray_anne

I am waxing nostalgic. What is it about the past that keeps us in it? Or keeps us reverting to it or, sometimes, avoiding it? Do we value it as history and what we can learn from it or is it simply too difficult to let go? From reviewing a résumé to conducting professional reference interviews, [...]

January 20, 2012 CONTINUE READING THIS POST →

Not So Tired After All: The School of Mom

by Ray_anne

I know it seems impossible, but there are times when I wonder how I can go on; morning arrives and the day and work that lay before me seem incredibly daunting. Evening arrives and I am exhausted. I often question if I will ever not be tired. Will I ever get a full night’s sleep? Will I [...]

January 19, 2012 CONTINUE READING THIS POST →

You Can’t Always Get What you Want: Hard Work

by Ray_anne

In order to achieve success, one has to work very hard or just be very lucky. I have learned, the hard way, “you can’t always get what you want.“ Achieving desired success… Unfortunately, what we want isn’t always what we need. Sometimes, our desires are more deeply rooted than our needs. Money is the obvious payoff for [...]

January 17, 2012 CONTINUE READING THIS POST →

Customer Service Ain’t What It Used to Be

by Ray_anne

Why are you receiving this notice? Leave your name and contact information at the tone * Press 2 to speak with a customer service representative * Follow the directions inscribed here * To make a payment, please press 1 * To hear the company directory, press 411 * Part A connects to Part B, then [...]

January 16, 2012 CONTINUE READING THIS POST →

Facebook and Love. Not necessarily in that order…

by Ray_anne

I have been threatening to write this post for a while. Why has it taken me so long? Because this story is living, it is breathing, and it continues to evolve. But I can no longer “not” write it. It is written indelibly across my heart, to be sure. Loving someone has never been [...]

January 13, 2012 CONTINUE READING THIS POST →

Good Things Come to Those Who Take Them

by Ray_anne

I love George Carlin. Posting a quote by him always makes me happy, because he says the things we think but usually don’t have the guts to say. Given the current tumultuous state of the Republican US presidential primary and the vehemence with which many are speaking concerning the presidential election slated for this November, [...]

January 12, 2012 CONTINUE READING THIS POST →

“Like” Me

by Ray_anne

I sat on my couch munching the contents of a bag of regular Tostitos. Nothing better than hanging with my kids, tortilla chips and some homemade guacamole. Chips and a movie, this time? Ghost Ship, a family favorite - there is a fantastic twist scene when all is revealed, check it out some time. While [...]

January 11, 2012 CONTINUE READING THIS POST →

All Growth Depends on Activity

by Ray_anne

I spent many days this summer kickin’ it on a beach chair watching surfers and consuming copious amounts of water and electrolyte-infused drinks. My teen-aged son and daughter recently took up the sport and it has been fun to join them at the ocean and enjoy their learning process. There are always experienced surfers who show [...]

January 10, 2012 CONTINUE READING THIS POST →

The Evolving Rules of Social Media

by Ray_anne

How often should you update your social media profiles? Recently, I did a walk through our offices and reminded the employees that they need to go to LinkedIn and update their profiles. Several looked at me blankly, one even said to me, “Am I supposed to have a profile?” I nodded patiently and said [...]