Business before January

It's the week after Christmas, sadly many businesses after this year are already forecasting a struggle in the year ahead. It may not be that bad, however. With some doors already closed, that means a quick cash flow for businesses still open, getting them off to a possible good start. Don't give up on fashion, don't give up on making money. It's still out there.

A Letter to the President

Mr President,

               My qualifications are only that I am an American citizen, that i pay my taxes, and that I like to pay attention to the news. Since being elected to office, you have shown that you are not a man of few words, and you have made decisions in order to influence not only this country, but the entire world. Since you have worked tirelessly to do so, I applaud your efforts. There are so many things in this world that cannot be controlled, and we are all human. I understand that life is a struggle, but it is also a dance, beautiful to participate, though ugly at times. You have made many contributions to this planet that will shape our future.
              Criticism is something you receive everyday, Mr. President, taking the good with the bad. I do not believe that the following items are your fault at all, I'm simply stating what you are faced with at this time.

1. The Economy of the U.S. is struggling, without manufacturing as a backbone like we had during and after WWII, we cannot produce our own goods, and have given some of our power away to other countries so that we do not have to.

2. Corporate and Private sectors are shrinking, and with them our wealth and image as a strong Capitalist nation will disappear.

3. Families are struggling, the adults uncertain, the children scared that something bad will happen.

4. There is no world peace right now, our soldiers are moving from one country to another, still fighting, still dying to protect us.

5. You have very little time until the end of your term Mr. President, and much of your attention will go to focus on getting a second term in office.

              I am aware that there is so much to face as the leader of a country, that politicians and constituents are pulling you in every direction. I am aware that the political body of this country does not want or believe in heroes. Heroes lose things in the end, they may save the worlds but they lose their friends in the process, they lose their families. People turn their backs on heroes, never thanking them for what they have done to save people, but instead judging them and walking away.

I don't want you to be a hero, Mr. President.

             I would like to ask you to be a guardian instead, one that finds away to create simple yet effective answers to our struggles as a people and a country. If you do not wish to be that guardian, then let someone else take over, and maybe they will make those changes. You still have plenty of time though, so make the best of it.

The country is a beaten soldier on its knees, pull it to its feet if you can.


Sincerely,
The People

Business Ethics

Business 101.

Nothing is more upsetting than finding out that your supervisor or your employees are not taking care of the basics. We are here to generate money, and you can't generate money without taking care of the small things. Remember, the Government of the United States of America does not generate wealth. It's your private and your corporate sectors that generate the wealth of the economy. When the government is the largest hiring employer, the economy is going to take a nose dive, which it currently is trying to come back from.

So, to business.

All of your basic functions, those procedures that you know you should do or that your employees should do, are important, especially through the peak times of your year. Work smarter, not harder. We're not trying to reinvent the wheel, we're trying to make it turn from wood to rubber.

My current job has some struggles that i'd like to share. My boss happens to be a genius with so many things, but she's been forgetting the basics, and that's where things are starting to break apart. My specific job focuses on trying to keep the procedures going. She's not following the procedures, so I look bad. It's also hard to tell your boss when they're screwing up.

I could look at the situation and assume that she's trying to get me fired, or that maybe she's just mad at me. I recommend that if you're in a similar situation, don't choose either one of those options. Instead, focus on the idea that maybe she's feeling a little overwhelmed. Again, paranoia is not ideal for a stressful work environment. Play to your strengths, have your employees play to their strengths, and you'll be more likely to survive the rush.

Business is about caring for the people you work with, because they'll take care of you in the long run by making the money that keeps this world spinning round.

Pictures in Cities

It's been a while. Last week i had the opportunity to have a small photo shoot in Baltimore, Maryland, in the U.S.A. The city is beautiful at night. The shoot was for a possible front cover for my new album, The Drive. Just wanted to share a few shots of the city.

Humor and Business

I get it. It's not really funny sometimes. You're working. Business is a serious thing, and if you don't make money, you can't afford to work. So you keep your head in the right place, work hard, and try to grow your business. It's all about keeping that balance. What you may not know is that you need to balance your temperament just to continue to grow.

Every manager is different. Every owner has their own strengths and weaknesses. The question is what type of employer does an employee want to follow if they're working.

No one wants a clown. You're the boss. Insert a stern demeanor when handling business issues. It's all about making sure you're in charge. So where do you sprinkle in that sense of humor that makes people want to follow you? No employee enjoys a supervisor that can't laugh at something funny. You can be alienated from other workers, as well as seen as not being able to lead very well by your own supervisors.

So here are a few tips for being able to handle humor in the work place:

1. Remember to laugh at your employee's jokes. Not every time, but during moments when it's acceptable.
2. It's okay to make a joke yourself. Make sure that it's not out of taste or offensive, but orient the comedy towards the job itself.
3. Laughter encourages people to work more rather than distract them from the work place.
4. it is more important to create a work environment that is not focused on sex jokes or anything to do with racist humor.
5. Success is always measured by the better the team rather than the better one person can be.

Check my less intellectual thoughts on Twitter- @kadesound or listen to my music on myspace.com/nicholas.kade I'm also on Youtube under Nicholas Kade. Thanks!

Business Sense

Business is all about keeping yourself organized so you can handle the unexpected. Busy times are the times when you shouldn't focus on changing something, but instead run with what you have. Your moments in business that are light are the moments where you need to attack your objectives, not take a breath and relax. If there is a mess, clean it, but don't throw that mess to the back of things. Focus on how to utilize what resources you have to implement fixing the problems and moving on. Don't get upset and don't dwell on issues. Push past the problems and focus on the business itself.

Good luck and happy hunting. Money makes this country strong, just as peace and love are supposed to make it strong. Generate wealth and you generate the capability to provide core values to those who care for them.

The Drive

             I have been working on music now for years, singing since I was four years old, piano since I was thirteen, guitar since i was seventeen. I've played in four different bands, each with amazing musicians that i've learned so much from. The life of a musician is hard. Getting into the business is tough. You need either a lot of money, or a lot of talent. My own experiences make me want talent over money.

             It's a hard road. I didn't have a lot of money at the end of college, I worked three jobs just to put myself through. My first guitar i bought from a New York sweatshop online for $40, and my fingers bled for two weeks while i learned my first chords and songs. After my third band, I started a solo project, ONX, where I managed to get my hands on professional recording software, and I started teaching myself how to professionally record. the first album had music that sounded wonderful, and music that i had no idea how to record correctly. So i released it among my friends and among a few fans and went back to work.

           It's that long road ahead that i've been facing, it's the drive that i've kept pushing through. It was a car that i first had the next inspiration for my music, and a car that I talked to one of my closest friends about another solo project. "Be yourself," she said. "why try to be anything else?" I applied that same idea to my music, and started writing again. Now i'm getting to the end of that album, and it's my friends and fans that have encouraged me to be the best.

           That same drive has been applied to a new band, with more music, more sound. Both albums are going to be released soon, the first for the band, the first for my brother Paul, who has taught me so much and agreed to play music with me. It's been a lot of work and a lot of time spent perfecting this art, making something out of nothing.

           The ability to create is one of the hardest things humans have to do. Where there is Peace, so War will follow. It's the conflict within ourselves that we fight to succeed, the question of whether we will be good enough to handle all of the problems we face. So no matter what you are doing in life, find the drive to push though what you are doing, and get to that peace. It's not the scoring that counts all the time, but the game itself.

Music for the Mind

Music, like so many other art forms, is becoming a business. The question for artists is simple. Where does the art end and the business begin?

In retail, the power of your business is in selling. If you sell clothes, you look for the people who would be interested in buying those clothes, then attempt to convince them they need more of them. If the prices of the clothes drop too far, you need to sell even more to make up for what you're losing, just to make your profit margin.

In the service industry, there is a need for repeat customers who are satisfied with their service and willing to continue paying money for it. For example, internet industry fights back and forth between cable, verizon fios, and satellite. Which service is most reliable? Which service is most expensive? Which service gives you the most?

So for music, there are a few things you can sell. T-shirts, pictures, videos. Each article brings you closer to your fans and gives them the feeling that they're apart of something. People will like your music for the beat, the words, the sounds. You can use that to sell your t-shirts and cds, use that to gain popularity, and so be able to go farther and see more people than you saw before.

So which part can't you really sell? Which part is the real deal?

I think that part is you.

When you create your project, whether it's in a band or a solo project, everyone becomes a character that people listening can identify with. Red Hot Chili Peppers, Third Eye Blind, Britney Spears, Rihanna, Jay-Z, Eminem, each artist has a defined character. I believe they're more successful if they're real people that are presented.

More importantly, it's a journey, your journey that you share with your growing fan base. Your first music video might not be perfect, it might be an inexpensive camera and a few shots on a cell phone, but the question your fans will ask: Is there soul? Is there heart?

Better to start small and finish big, than to never give a piece of yourself that allows the world to grow.

The Fading Times

Media. It literally tells us what's going on everyday, causing us to make decisions immediately that affect our lives so quickly. We love this vast network that we so easily get lost in, but we come together over some of the greatest moments in time, as well as the worst.
    i have a twitter account (@kadesound) and i like to mix in both heartfelt emotional statements about what is going on around me with idiotic/comedic commentary about things that are affecting my life. So far my vulgar statements have been ignored, while my smarter moments also seem to be untouched for the most part. We all say stupid things, right? No big deal. Yet it seems to be a great deal.

After recording a video of myself playing guitar, i checked my account and saw a statement by Ashton Kutcher yesterday, saying he didn't quite agree with firing Joe Paterno, the legendary Penn State Lions coach. The statement was made without Mr. Kutcher knowing what was going on with the sex scandal at the school, and the issue of Mr. Paterno not reporting what he had heard to the police. Ashton Kutcher quickly apologized and noted that he had not heard the entire story. A day later, Mr. Kutcher then made a statement saying that he would no longer control his own twitter account after his mistake. I wanted to know why.

The backlash at Ashton Kutcher was intense, people from all over the country attacking him for his statement after he apologized and then updated himself on the news. I noted that so many people felt it would be alright to scream at a celebrity, yet why were they angry at a mistake? Mr. Kutcher literally had nothing to do with the actual sex scandal, but as a football nut, was merely remarking on losing a historical football figure.

Welcome to the fading times, where a person can't make a mistake. If they do, they're publicly humiliated and crucified for it. Look at the anger of the people directed at Ashton Kutcher and Joe Paterno, when neither of them were sexually assaulting children. If you want to be angry at someone, Jerry Sandusky was the architect of that moment in our lives, the moment when we found out children hadn't even been given a chance to keep their innocence.

If I recall correctly, Ashton Kutcher has been involved in helping people most of his adult life, being more of a humanitarian than people would believe him to be. Yet people would lash out at him. Times are fading. We're losing our focus on what matters most, giving in to attacking the nearest target instead of finding the RIGHT target.

Remember, we're all human. If YOU say something wrong, but have done so many good things in your life, how would you feel?

Above is the video I was filming. It's about trusting your friend to help you and having a good time.

Football Talk

SUNDAY!!!

So I don't just root for one team, I always choose a favorite team from every division and root for them . Today, let's talk Baltimore Ravens.

On games that Joe Flacco throws on either the first or second down of the game, he appears to have confidence for the rest of the game to do what is necessary to win. Normally the offensive mistakes are what cost the Ravens defense so much. If you have to play with your back to the wall all the time, something is going to slip through. There are times when conservative play calling may have hampered the Ravens, but the most evident problem has always been confidence.

With a line that deteriorates through the center during blitzes and so much reliance on running to keep them afloat, the wear and tear on a quarterback can really suck. That's what Joe is trying to deal with, struggling to find a place for the Ravens on consistent 3rd and longs.

So what will they do to become a viable team against the likes of the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New England Patriots? For three years straight, Joe Flacco has lead his team with Ray Lewis to the playoffs, but no Superbowl. What will they do now? Where is their identity? So many people would love to know.

Fall Colors

Woohoo! I love Fall. This is the time where people start wearing long sleeve clothing, making cookies that are awesome, and hanging out with family members without fighting so much. It's football season, so everybody's rooting for someone, and people who hate football are rooting for February to get here tomorrow.

I like Fall the most for the leaves on the ground and the fact that it isn't hot anymore. I've always loved the cold and the cloudy days, not because they're depressing, but because they give a different texture to the day.

For some reason, i tend to lose more weight during the fall. It's not freezing cold, so I like to go outside and run and play sports. I'm more active and eat healthier because it's not burning hot, and There's no snow yet so the leaves are covering the ground in orange and red colors.

This is the only time I like the color red too.

Fall is also my favorite time for open mic nights, where the musicians will show up better dressed than in the summer, really showing their talent for the audience, giving inspired performances. Radio talk shows tend to have more fun during this time, i think mostly because kids are in school and parents in general can listen to what they want to.

So enjoy the time, homecoming for high school and college students, general fun for everyone else. Oh and a have a beer.

Economics

The problem with money is it SUCKS. Right now as a country we're struggling with our economy, but we're not alone. Europe is struggling, Greece in serious trouble specifically. I was told not long ago that if we were asked to pay the amount of money we as Americans would be responsible for if we had to pay off the country's debt tomorrow, it would be roughly over $700,000.

That's a lot of money. Seriously. I don't know if i'll see that amount ever in one year, there's a small percentage of Americans who do. Yeah we see the millionaires and billionaires on tv talking about how amazing their lives are, and how they got there, but I can't say everyone is going to be wealthy. I can say we all want to try.

Rule One: 1've learned you have to spend money to make money. Right now our stock market isn't doing well because people are afraid to spend money. They're "saving" which is causing other people's jobs to falter or employees to be nervous when businesses aren't doing as well.

Rule Two: I've learned that everyone likes something that looks pretty, but a loyal customer will buy something that works consistently. Selling a customer a product that will break will change that customer's mind immediately regardless of the look of the product.

Rule Three: Innovation. Look at Steve Jobs with Apple products. Change your thinking, change the world.

This actually applies to the music industry. Musicians get signed to the record label, the record companies pay so much for the recording studio, the advertisements on the music, the radio stations. But what if one small change could save money and put it back into the pocket of the musician?

Answer: Learn the technology you have and use it as much as you can. Getting discovered in a country where everyone wants to be discovered makes for a lot of people only paying attention to what is given to them. So give them something to look at, and people will start paying attention. It applies to most every business.

Just a lot of food for thought. Have a nice week

Brand New!

Ok, so I'm brand new at this whole blogging thing except for my half hearted attempts on myspace. Usually I tend to drink a little and that lets me get more creative but tonight I'm stone cold sober. Hold on a minute... never mind about the sober part, although I just started so this'll be lame. But here goes.

I write music. I love music. Music is cooler than world peace because it could cause world peace, given enough time. Put on a soldier's favorite song, he'll be more inspired when he goes into battle. Give a little kid a new song to listen too, and he'll feel like he can be anything he wants to be. That's what music is to me. As sweet as love, more necessary than money, prettier than the prettiest girl at prom.

I'm a geek on some days, an idiot on others, and some days I look like I might have been smart for a minute. That's what I love about me. I'd rather you tell me I suck when I suck and that i'm doing ok when I drive you to the doctor because you tried riding a stolen Walmart shopping cart down a hill wearing a speedo and holding a margarita. That's what friends do for friends.

Friends are what it's all about. I like friends. They laugh at you when you fall, pick you up afterwards, give you half their cheese steak sub. Now I want a cheese steak sub. Crap. It's almost midnight and there isn't anywhere good around here that makes cheese steak subs. I may have a problem.

So I will try my best to write about stuff that interests me an may interest other people. I refuse to limit myself to socially appropriate subjects all the time, so "boobs" may be a subject. HaHa boobs. Such a cool word.

Peace.