William Rick Singer identified a college admissions niche when he discovered that wealthy people would pay incredible sums of money to assure their children get into the right schools. Singer found, through bribery and deception, a way to make millions by convincing key people within universities to accept his clients’ kids into their schools. Singer used fees he collected to […]

If you’ve ever watched the television series, NCIS, you likely remember that the main character, Jethro Gibbs, has lots of rules he expects his team to abide by. One of those rules is to “never apologize.” Every business makes mistakes occasionally, and when they do, the customer is waiting for an apology. When there is no apology, it can often […]

When Kathy and I married, we rented a reception facility from one of the wealthier men in our county. On our wedding day, I went to check on the reception hall and found a man dressed in work clothes setting up chairs. He looked like a custodian. When he told me his name, I was stunned! I blurted out, “Aren’t […]

Years ago in banking, my administrative assistant grinned when she said, “You’re going to love your next appointment.” Waiting for me in my office was a young man. When I asked how I could help, he said, “I need to borrow money to buy a Steinway Piano.” I humored him and asked how much a Steinway would cost and how […]

According to a Wall Street Journal expose, Tony Hsieh, the founder of Zappos, self-destructed and died from abusing drugs, while his team stood by and watched. After selling Zappos for more than $1 billion, Tony began paying a team of followers to help him pursue spiritual enlightenment and heavy drug use. Even though some family members attempted to intervene, Tony’s […]

Years ago, I observed a boss of mine who had a habit of smiling, praising and pouring on accolades to peers in his midst. However, when his peer left, his demeanor changed, and he would begin slandering and revealing his true disdain for each of them. This had a big impact on me, because when I was with him, he […]

While in college, I worked as a night custodian at an elementary school, where I became acquainted with Jim, the daytime custodian. I was surprised to learn Jim had previously built a very successful business and family, until his secretary began flirting with him. He eventually succumbed to the temptation and had an affair. Jim’s wife divorced him and gained […]

In my previous consulting practice, I learned the importance of diligently prospecting for clients year-round. In the early years, I would be busy and cash flow would be strong. Then my project would end, and the cashflow stopped. It took me some time to realize that my problem could be resolved with a little diligence. I began setting aside time […]

When my youngest daughter was a teenager, I remember one day giving her some advice, I was stunned by her response. She said, “Dad, I suspect what you are telling me may be correct, but I’m the kind of person that needs to experience it on my own.” Sure enough, she ignored my advice and it cost her significantly. Being […]

Mark was a young entrepreneur trying to build a website business. He had very limited monies to fund his core business, let alone a new venture. Then, someone convinced Mark to buy into an unproven technology. He borrowed money to invest in the product only to discover that his customers were not interested in his new product. His impulsive pursuit […]