SPEAKING OF LOVE: We were out to dinner the other evening and the conversation turned to relationships, and more specifically how many people don't know how their partner 'needs' love expressed to them. It seems a lot of people our age are having relationship issues, breaking up etcetera, and a debate developed as to whether people 'weren't loving the other person' , or maybe, 'weren't loving their partner the way that person needed to be loved.' Is there a difference, and should it matter? I'm pretty clear on this, but that's another story. Anyway, knock me over with a feather, my wife Sonya says To View More >>

We opened a tub of ice cream tonight ... New Zealand Natural "Chocolate Ecstasy" and this is what we found ... LOL even the label was happy :-) To View More >>

Having trouble getting your customers attention? This quite possibliy is the perfect solution for you ... "Be Mischievous, Get Noticed" As parents we get busy with work, children, getting food on the table etc . Sometimes we just have our minds in too many places at once. A child's solution to this, in an effort to get our attention, is to be mischievous, and, as frustrating as it is, it works. Seriously ... be honest with me ... nice cute kid being good, following the rules versus a mischievous one pushing your buttons: which one is going to get your attention every single time? I know what To View More >>

Your brand, either commercially is the some of all your parts. The way you look, the way you sound, what you do and how people perceive you. The fact that Brand is not just about a "logo" is hard for many people to understand, here I attempt to use the fire service as an example of how brands develop and live or die beyond just there name. It's hard to describe the Fire Service brand ... it's not constrained to one country, one organization or even one uniform. Each fire service feeds off the stories and identity of the next, but each retains its own approach to the emergency events they service. To View More >>

The eternal question of life for many people is "how do I find the energy for that"? Here I share my thoughts and what we can learn from children. One of the most common things I hear parents say of their children, as the little ones rush past, is : "OMG the energy ... If only we could bottle it" I wonder what it is that causes us to have unlimited energy as children, but as we get older our energy wanes ... or at least, should I say, that's what happens to some of us. If you look carefully you'll notice some really big differences between how children spend their time and how most adults do. They To View More >>

Well after less than a month with iPower I have moved web hosts due to their unreliability. I am sure this isn't the way they are permanently but over the last week my site was down on a number of occasions for hours, and I have lost my confidence. I am very sorry for the inconvenience caused ... grrr. One of the interesting observations is that they weren't prepared to go into detail of what the technical issue was, just each time that "it was a router and it's now fixed". I guess companies do this due to being scared of looking bad, but left with no convincing information I was forced to move To View More >>

In business there are no magic bullets, but this idea is so powerful it certainly feels like magic. I ran into an old friend yesterday, and it reminded me of a series of seminars I ran a few years ago that contained a section on how to increase profits. Especially when times are tough, it's great to be able to break things down into some simple rules that allow you to know where to focus, so I'll share this very simple but powerful idea with you now. Gross Profit is calculated on an "averaged basis" as: (Total number of clients x Average number of visits per year x Average sale x Average margin) To View More >>

I talk with people a lot about website creation, online communities and blogging and I’m constantly surprised at the differing attitudes to what works, what’s trendy and often what’s affordable. On one side of the room, the geeks say Web 2.0 is about the technology; on the other the marketing people and professors reckon it’s about the people. But isn't it about the purpose? Why are we doing this, and who is it for? Restaurants are like this. You can build the most elegant dining room, back it with the best kitchen and staff, invite all the popular people – but they won't come back unless To View More >>

In addition to work, I get hundreds of personal emails a week, and have got myself into a situation again of "email overwhelm" on my personal account and Facebook. Today I decided to catch up, and although I haven't got through the 500 odd emails completely I am stunned by what I have come across so far. - an email from an exchange student that lived with us over 20 years ago. - 2 emails from old friends remaking contact. - an email from an online friend telling me that her husband has passed away. - a tirade of emails ... first saying hello and then a number asking why I haven't replied, escalating To View More >>

I've always loved Body Art (Tattoos). To me they can show a strong sense of confidence while also being a means of self expression ... ... A connection to ones culture ... ... an incredible talent ... ... although not always positive, a strong demonstration of belonging ... ... and sometimes just a means to be a little rebellious! Despite my love of them, I don't have any, I worry what people might think. Does that say more about me, or the people that have them? To View More >>