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.