So, my 15-year-old Saturn SC2 has finally been put out to pasture. Well, not quite. A friend is taking it off my hands (one much better at handling minor repairs) and will probably drive it another 100,000 miles. So, Kari and I took off shopping for another vehicle. Let me start by saying that, following Dave Ramsay guidance, we don't really ...

I spent the morning on the campus of Grand Valley State University today with my daughter, Amanda, since that is where she's off to this fall. I had been to the campus a few times, but never had received the tour. Not only that, the college is constantly changing and growing since it is the fastest growing public university in Michigan, ...

The first ad speaking to the Quixtar -> Amway Global transformation went up today on the back page of USA Today's Sports Section.  This is the beginning of a campaign that will span various media types, including TV, sharing key messages about our international success, our innovation and leadership, our consumer protection and our One ...

In my previous post, Do You Wii?, I asked for ideas on how to simplify the business. After all, the brilliance of the Wii is that features were subtracted, not added. And as Forrester Research, Inc. reported, “ultrasimplicity”, or eliminating features to better meet the needs of customers, is one of the five disruptive customer ...

Another day comes to an end in Prague and this one was quite rewarding actually. I will be the first to admit that I was very uncertain about unleashing on my communications peers from around the world a panel of IBO bloggers who have varied histories of critique. The PR and External Affairs had asked for a session so they could learn more about ...

I've written before about my daughter, who is now a senior at Grand Rapids Christian High looking forward to beginning her college career next fall. She is a co-captain of the Competitive Cheer squad after making varsity all four years and will compete in the Regionals this upcoming weekend which, unless they move on to State, will be her last ...

I'm reading a fascinating book right now called Punk Marketing, by Richard Laermer and Mark Simmons.  Essentially, the authors talk about how the rules of marketing have radically changed, with greater power in the hands of the consumer.  The Content, Commerce and Consumer circles, which intersect, have shifted.  ...

A blogger I've been reading for a few years now (first as a magazine columnist, now as a true blogger) is Penelope Trunk, author of Brazen Careerist. I don't always agree with what she writes, but I like the way she writes. Her blog this week was about setting and achieving goals. Knowing that this is key in our business, I thought ...

One of the little things I thought was truly cool growing up was that my brother and I shared a birthday.  No, I'm not a twin, rather, I was born on his fifth birthday. Moreover, he was born on the exact same day as my cousin Carol, with our mom and hers going through labor together.  AND, an uncle on my dad's side also ...

You know, as a company in the midst of a transformation, there is a lot of uncertainty, nervousness, and in some cases, distress. With all of that out there, I can't help but feel that this is the best Achievers I have ever been to.  Of course, that's only based on the first session.  But WOW! From the stage presentations to ...