Category Archives: Uncategorized

Discipline

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Blink:

Today’s post is intended for those readers who continue to follow their ritual of establishing resolutions for the new year. Note: A Pew Research Center survey (2025) indicated three in ten Americans make at least one resolution with half of this group making more than one.                                   

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Based on the survey’s statistics regarding how many people kept their resolutions after a month significantly varied by age. Resolutions were more popular among younger people (ages 18–29) than older adults. Respondents (only 25%) indicated they stay committed to their resolutions after 30 days. Leadership experts emphasize most people tend to make multiple resolutions which they fail to prioritize; thus, they fall short. Consequently, they advise it is important to turn resolutions into habits to maintain them throughout the year. Small, actionable routines.

Back in August I wrote a post about Rajeev Ram one of my favorite tennis players. Specifically, how the consistency of his habits made him a record setting champion. Consistency of habits takes discipline.

The big picture: Stop kicking the can down the road.“The distance between dreams and reality is discipline.” Paulo Coelho (Brazilian author).

Opinions welcomed!

Forever Relevant – Corkscrew

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The week between Christmas and New Years is a very reflective period for me. I always carve out time to utilize an evaluation process (a.k.a. Corkscrew) I first shared 12/26/2022. I always look back on the year which is passing and give thought to things I want to achieve moving forward.

Corkscrew (Originally posted 12/26/2022)

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The evaluation process entails asking four tough questions after completing a project or passage of time.

  • What happened?
  • Why did it happen?
  • What did I learn?
  • What would I do differently next time?

I share this process with you today since I know this is a reflective time of year. We are looking back on 2022 which is now behind us – family, friends, work, experiences, etc., etc., etc. We are busy assessing the road ahead, 2023.

For The Record: I still like to use a corkscrew as a tool to open a bottle of wine, especially when I begin to ask myself the four corkscrew questions. Trust me, the evaluation process is enjoyable with a good glass of wine. Try it some time.

Bonne Année!!

A Titan’s Wisdom

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Legendary, genius (a.k.a. a Titan) architect Frank Gehry passed away earlier this month. In the past, I have mentioned several times on my blog how he was one of the individuals who has inspired me on my global creative business journey.

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One of Frank’s masterpieces is the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao. Considered one of his most avant-garde creations amongst his prolific body of work. The building set in the middle of a small industrial city in northern Spain, created an international buzz when it opened in 1997. The museum catapulted Mr. Gehry into becoming the most recognizable American architect since Frank Lloyd Wright. In a documentary, during an interview, Mr. Gehry shared some wisdom about his critics’ reaction to the Bilbao Museum which resonated for me:

  • Artists serve people and live in a commercial world, but they need to discover how they can step outside the norm, take risks, and slice their sliver/niche.
  • When artists/creative people step outside the norm they must accept criticism, wear it like an article of clothing for a while, then toss it and move on.

Opinions welcomed!

Wine & Vine

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Two weeks ago, Thursday (11/20) was Beaujolais Nouveau Day. A tradition now celebrated globally on the third Thursday of every November, the “vin primeur” (a very young wine) was officially released. I polished off several bottles entertaining over the Thanksgiving holiday. Beaujolais Nouveau pairs well with turkey.

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Back in January, I first learned France’s wine and spirits industry, one of the country’s three main industrial sectors has been on a slippery slope for the past few years. Currently the sector is experiencing a crisis of overproduction (primarily red). France’s wine industry disruption can be attributed to three factors detailed below:

  • Health trends – Concerned about health and wellness, consumers are drinking less alcohol. In the U.S. one the largest global markets only 54% of adults drink alcoholic beverages. the lowest amount in 90 years. Consumption is especially low among Gen Z, but also people 65 or older who tend to drink 20% less than consumers 50-65.
  • Economic conditions – Russia’s war in Ukraine impacted costs which increased by a third due to sanctions. In addition, the impact of Trump’s tariffs and Chinese custom taxes (32.2%) levied on EU wine-based spirits combined with currency exchange rates could slash revenues by approximately £1 billion.
  • Extreme weather conditions – Thanks to warmer temperatures, grapes were yielding higher sugar content which increased the alcohol level of wines just as changing consumer preferences for less alcohol was trending. Regional hail storms and draughts/heat waves impacting water supply wiped out some vineyards. 

How is France responding to the wine crisis and planning to rebalance supply to restore the sustainability of struggling vineyards? For starters, the French Agriculture Ministry has implemented an aid plan of £130 million to supplement winemakers’ special equipment costs to tear up their vines, as well as not selling their wine due to overproduction. Note: Permanently uprooting vineyards is risky to the ecosystem. In some regions, non-marketable overstocks have been turned into alcohol used for industrial purposes (e.g., biofuel). Long-term, the Agriculture Ministry is encouraging producers to work together to get more offensive in the export markets and survive future changes in the industry.  

I am not a connoisseur of fine wine, just a consumer, but I highly recommend picking up a bottle of Beaujolais Nouveau 2025 on a shelf near you. It will pair well with your next turkey burger.

The Edge

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Great Kurt Vonnegut quote I read this morning:

“I want to stay as close to the edge as I can without going over. Out on the edge you see all kinds of things you cannot see from the center. Big, undreamed‑of things—the people on the edge see them first.”

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The quote resonated for me since my business credo is: Challenge the status quo, make way for the new. Especially given my area of expertise is marketing which is morphing as a profession thanks to the advent of AI. Technology pundits are weighing in and indicating the consulting business is in a period of transformation. They are predicting AI will be an overriding force in outsourcing marketing replacing all the grunt work (a.k.a. data analytics) and traditional consulting expertise by commoditizing knowledge.

Will marketing consultants become dinosaurs? Conceivably, plus I believe the dinosaurs will be joined by all the corporate marketers who do not adopt to the implementation of marketing AI into their ongoing processes. Am I concerned? Minimally! I have been living on the edge since the conception (1994) of SMARTKETING always banking on my intellectual property – brand marketing experience, creativity, and industry network (a.k.a. Tribe). I am confident, my extensive experience as a food marketer will deliver strategic guidance which is deeper than any qualitative outcome generated by an AI prompt.

Does anyone want to join me on the edge?

Consistency (a.k.a. Habits)

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Blink:

I decided to take a break from writing/posting this summer. I have returned from my walkabout. I am back!

Today, I decided to post an article about one of my all-time favorite tennis players Rajeev Ram in recognition of his winning the 2025 Cincinnati Open men’s doubles title.

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I first posted about Rajeev back in October, 2022 when he became the oldest first time ATP player ranked number one after he achieved the top spot in the doubles ranking. Rajeev was 38 years old at the time. I thought he was a good example of the virtue resiliency.  

“As long as you are resilient and persistent, things can happen even much later. Everyone is on their own path and maybe it is even a little bit sweeter if it takes a little bit longer.”– Rajeev Ram (American tennis player)

His words of wisdom resonate for me. Since I began my business adventure back in 1994, I have had my fair share of ups and downs and in-betweens. Candidly, business has been a rollercoaster ride. Being resilient has been key.

Recently at age 41 (remember age is just a number), Ram in preparing for the U.S. Open, a tournament he has already won three times, won the prestigious Cincinnati Masters Open men’s doubles title. That bought his career total to 32 ATP titles along with two Olympic silver medals. Impressive! When I thought about his achievements, I realized he has demonstrated the value of another key virtue, consistency. In addition to winning tournaments, I thought about all the hours of discipline (a.k.a. habits) Ram expended in preparation to achieve his goals – training, following a health & wellness regime, enduring the rigors of world travel. Consistency!

“I accumulated small but consistent habits that ultimately led to results that were unimaginable when I started.” – James Clear (author of the #1 bestseller Atomic Habits)

France Agri-tech

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I follow the U.S. “Farm to Table” movement closely and have posted several times about Dan Barber one of the movement’s leading advocates. Recently out of curiosity, I thought I research what is happening with agriculture here in France a food centric society. A brief update.

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The plan: France’s current agricultural transformation is going to be funded as part of the country’s government 2030 Plan; €2.3 billion divided between farmers aid and innovative technology solutions (Agri-tech funding). The long-term plan is to make France a global leader exporting their farming technology worldwide. The plan has met its fair share of opposition given the economic uncertainty there are sufficient funds to support going global. Note: The French have a different method of lobbying when it comes to opposing government policy – farmers protested by dumping manure in front of government buildings.

The adaption of robotics has been driving France’s Agri-tech innovation. It is estimated wine producers are utilizing 250 robots to offset labor shortages (e.g., weeding). Currently three-quarters of regular farmers are using or sharing a robotized tool. Will France drive the global agricultural robot market currently projected at $14billion and lead a “robot to table” movement?                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

Opinions Welcomed!

Gen Z: Microtrends or Peer Pressure?

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When I share my thoughts regarding the accelerated transformation of societal lifestyles (e.g., fashion, health & beauty, etc.), people frequently ask whether I am spotting a trend or fad? Typically, every generation during its youth feels a burden to keep up with trends; Therefore, I usually reply – peer pressure!

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On a regular basis I read pop culture articles online associated with Gen Z, the current generation born between 1997 and 2012, ages 13 – 28 and how they are managing life. Specifically, the onslaught of noise via social media they receive every time they pick up their phones – microtrends like fast fashion, athleisure, skincare, haircare, rad jargon, etc. In Gen Z research conducted, teenagers and twentysomethings expressed their concern how many trends there were and how overwhelming/stressful it was to try to keep up, thus not feel left out. So, my query today is when a 17-year-old female buys a six-pack of assorted scrunchies from Temu, is she genuinely on trend or just trying to keep up, thus succumbing to peer pressure? My POV: Peer pressure.

 The driving factors behind the different types of peer pressure are highly complex. They can occur at any age, but research indicates the most impressionable age seems to be middle school years. Peer pressure can be either positive or negative. A short list of some driving factors:

  • A Desire for Social Acceptance (a.k.a. Wanting to Fit In)
  • Lack of Self-confidence/Self Esteem
  • Impact On Mental and Physical Health
  • Experimenting with alcohol, drugs, sexual activity, and other risky behaviors.

Opinions Welcomed!

Dan Barber – Trail Blazer

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Last night, I went into the archives of Chef’s Table Netflix and rewatched an old segment featuring Dan Barber, “Farm to Table” visionary. Timely, plus extremely relevant given all the recent buzz about regenerative agriculture.

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I have been following Dan’s achievements for years now. I first posted about Dan back in June 2017 (second paragraph) regarding a TedTalk he conducted How I fell in love with a fish.  He spoke about a fish farm in Spain with a sustainable ecosystem detailing how we need a radically new agribusiness model; create conditions where every community will feed itself. In Netflix’s recent Chef’s Table series, he touched on the science of soil and its importance to the “Farm to Table” movement. To me Dan is a true visionary always ahead of the curve.

In laypersons’ terms, regenerative agriculture is the conservation practices which nurtures food and farming production systems. It combines a variety of agriculture techniques. One major area of focus is strengthening the health and vitality of farm soil. I first learned about the sustainable agriculture techniques of soil health back in 1997 working with the state of Oregon on a sustainable certification project. The agricultural process farmers utilized was known as tillage and crop rotation. As a result, the soil became more resilient growing season to growing season, nutrient dense, and harbored less pests/pathogens. Back then at the beginning of the “Farm to Table” movement, Dan was publicizing the science of soil. I think it is impressive he is still advocating the value of sustainable soil management nearly two decades later. Dan Barber is a true trail blazer!                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

Opinions Welcomed!

OTL (Outside the Lines)

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Stoic wisdom: “You can waste your life by drawing lines or live your life by

crossing them.”

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Today’s query. Why worry about the lines? I suggest living life outside the lines (OTL). Based on experience, OTL is where the real growth begins and transformation takes place. I apologize for posting my favorite Twayla Tharp quote for the third time about venturing out of your comfort zone (a.k.a. OTL):

“The better you know yourself, the more you will know when you are playing to your strengths and when you are sticking your neck out.  Venturing out of your comfort zone may be dangerous, yet you do it anyway because our ability to grow is directly proportional to an ability to entertain the uncomfortable.”

Opinions Welcomed!