Category: Monday Mash-Up

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Monday Mash-Up

Monday Mashup #9 – 2018.03.05

Hello: Here’s the ninth edition of MarketVolt’s Monday Mash-up. We’ll kick off every week with this quick collection of tips, recommendations, observations and other interesting, valuable stuff.

– Tom 


Monday, March 5, 2018
MarketVolt’s Monday Mash-Up


I’m Reading: How The #MeToo Movement Is Affecting Your Leadership (And You Might Not Even Notice)

You may not work with anyone who has said, “#MeToo,” but odds are you know someone who could. In this great article published by Forbes online, my friend Dixie Gillaspie argues that we  “cannot afford to ignore these statistics or the impact of the #MeToo movement. Right now, you have people who are reliving some of the most traumatic experiences of their lives. Whether they’re joining the movement, telling their stories or keeping their silence, you have both survivors and abusers who are being reminded of past traumas on an almost daily basis.”

If we want our workplaces to work, we must recognize this and be “a constructive voice in that conversation.” 

Amen, Dixie.

I’m Listening To…Aaron Lee Tasjan – “Little Movies.” He’s a Nashville guy, labeled an “Americana” artist. But this tune from his “Silver Tears” album feels more Beatles than Johnny Cash. Great track from a great album. 

Peter Martin – “Another Day in the Sun” (from La La Land). Don’t bother if you don’t like jazz. But if you like jazz, this is a treat. A great interpretation of the movie’s opening number, from one of the planet’s great pianists. I’m Watching Movies that Should Have Won Oscars

Last month, I shared an article from the Washington Post that listed the past 38 years of Grammy Album of the Year nominees and winners —  and the list of those albums that, according to the critics, should have won. 

Last week, the Post repeated the drill with Best Picture nominees from the Oscars for the past 42 years. This is a great read — and a great guide for your DVD or streaming media sessions for weeks to come: The Oscars always get it wrong. Here are the real best pictures of the past 42 years.

Quotes We’re Pondering“Marketing for the sake of generating a transaction will become increasingly difficult. Today and for the future, marketing is about relationships. Sales transactions become easy when an existing relationship is there. Remember: The future of business is marketing with people, not at them.”

— John Michael Morgan from his book “Brand Against the Machine”
 
Recommended Tool to Speed Up Your Computer

Check out OneTab — a free extension for Chrome or Firefox — that can turn a sluggish web browser into a speed demon. Tabbed browsing is great, but the more tabs you open, the slower your computer. With one tab, you can close all open tabs with one click. Links to the previously open pages are compiled in a single page in OneTab. You can re-open each page one at a time or all at once. Every time my computer gets sluggish, I click the OneTab button and performance improves. 

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Any reading, listening, quoting, resourcing that you think we should share? Send us a tip.

Until next time, enjoy the rest of this week and the weekend.

Tom
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Monday Mash-Up

Monday Mashup #10 – 2018.03.26

Hello: Here’s the latet edition of MarketVolt’s Monday Mash-up. We’ll kick off every week with this quick collection of tips, recommendations, observations and other interesting, valuable stuff.

– Tom 


Monday, March 26, 2018
MarketVolt’s Monday Mash-Up


Great How-To… Resource

I love wikiHOW. Their mission: “…give everyone (yes everyone) a free, practical education on how to do anything.” It’s simple to use. Type in what you want to do — change a tire, tie a half-hitch knot, get red wine stains out of a carpet, create an MS Excel macro, etc — and wikiHOW delivers step-by-step instructions with diagrams. Available in 17 languages, wikiHOW has partnered with telecommunications companies in 42 countries to deliver its service without data charges. 

I visited wikiHOW last week when I wanted to know…

How to Protect Your Private Information on Facebook  

Timely topic, huh!? I’ve seen countless articles on this topic over the last few days. None made it as simple as wikiHOW (instructions here). If you’re on Facebook and you haven’t canceled your account, you may want to check out this helpful how-to…

Also helpful and timely: Request a Copy of Your Archived Facebook Information File (you may surprised to see the info they have). 

How Smart People Built Great BusinessesI’m listening to How I Built This, an NPR podcast in which Guy Raz interviews founders of well-known companies and delves into the stories of how the companies were created.  Atari & Chuck E. Cheese’s (Yep, the same guy…Nolan Bushnell). Southwest Airlines (Herb Kelleher). Teach For America (Wendy Kopp). Instagram (Kevin Systrom & Mike Krieger). Kate Spade (Kate & Andy Spade). Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams (Jeni Britton Bauer). And more…

You don’t have to be an entrepreneur to love this stuff. Great stories. Fascinating lessons for business and life. 

How to Build a List When People are Weary of Sharing Their InfoHere’s an oldie-but-goody from the MarketVolt Blog: Don’t Put Greedy Signup Forms on Your Website. People are rightly on guard when websites ask for their personal information. So the less you request, the better. We published this post in 2013. It’s more pertinent than ever today.

Quote We’re Pondering (and Still Trying to Process)
From the full-page advertisement that Facebook ran in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post and six UK newspapers on Sunday: “We have a responsibility to protect your information. If we can’t, we don’t deserve it. You may have heard about a quiz app built by a university researcher that leaked Facebook data of millions of people in 2014. This was a breach of trust, and I’m sorry we didn’t do more at the time. We’re now taking steps to make sure this doesn’t happen again. We’ve already stopped apps like this from getting so much information. Now we’re limiting the data apps get when you sign in using Facebook.” That last line is the kicker. Seems to me the apology implies that a rogue app is more to blame than Facebook. But the more I look into this, the more I discover that we’re exposing vast amounts of data merely by signing into Facebook — even if we don’t interact with some rogue quiz app. 

We’re still pondering and still researching. More to come on this topic. 

Reasons I’m Grateful

Spring. (For our readers in the southern hemisphere, Fall ain’t bad, either.).  

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Any reading, listening, quoting, resourcing that you think we should share? Send us a tip.

Until next time, enjoy the rest of this week and the weekend.

Tom
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Monday Mash-Up

Monday Mashup #7 – 2018.02.26

Hello: Here’s the eighth edition of MarketVolt’s Monday Mash-up. We’ll kick off every week with this quick collection of tips, recommendations, observations and other interesting, valuable stuff.

– Tom 


Monday, February 26, 2018
MarketVolt’s Monday Mash-Up


I’m Reading

Yes!: 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Persuasive 
(by Robert Cialdini and others)

This is another one of those books that I re-read regularly. In several short, easy-to-consume chapters, Yes! presents scientific, counter-intuitive discoveries that help you become a more effective persuader. Applicable for marketers, fundraisers, teachers, parents etc., this is a fun and valuable read. 

I’m Listening To “Fats”

Before there was Elvis, before there was Chuck Berry, before “rock” had a name, there was Antoine “Fats” Domino. Born on this day (2/26) in 1928, he recorded the early-rocker “The Fat Man” in 1949 – two years before disc jockey Alan Freed coined the term rock-and-roll. 

By the early 1950’s, “The Fat Man” had sold more than 1 million copies. Today we call that a “platinum” record. “The Fat Man” was the first rock record to achieve the feat. 

In 1956, he recorded his version of Blueberry Hill (he didn’t write it) which became his biggest hit and a rock standard. 

(btw, it’s also Johnny Cash’s birthday today). 

I’m Watching The Coolest Nature Video I’ve Ever Seen

I’m not even going to bother setting this up. Please just trust me. This video is under four minutes long. It’s safe (on YouTube), and it’s really cool — about a species in my home state of Missouri. 

Quotes We’re Pondering(Thanks to Tim Ferriss for sharing this one in one of his emails)…

“Most misunderstandings in the world could be avoided if people would simply take the time to ask, ‘What else could this mean?’”

— Shannon L. Alder
 
50 Reasons to Be Grateful

I enjoyed this blog post that asks, “Can you sit down and in ten minutes write down 50 different things that make you happy or grateful?” She lists 52 she came up with in 10 minutes. And she challenges the rest of us to do the same. 

Are you up to the challenge? Focusing on gratitude can make you happier and more productive.  

p.s. I’m grateful you’ve read this far. 

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Any reading, listening, quoting, resourcing that you think we should share? Send us a tip.

Until next time, enjoy the rest of this week and the weekend.

Tom
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Monday Mash-Up

Monday Mashup #7 – 2018.02.19

Hello: Here’s the seventh edition of MarketVolt’s Monday Mash-up. We’ll kick off every week with this quick collection of tips, recommendations, observations and other interesting, valuable stuff.

– Tom 


Monday, February 19, 2018
MarketVolt’s Monday Mash-Up

What I’m Watching: Blockchain 101 

My ears have been ringing for months with all the buzz about cryptocurrencies (i.e. Bitcoin) and their underlying “blockchain” technology. What’s all the buzz about? I realized I didn’t have a clue. So I looked for some resources to help me figure it out. Here are three videos that helped: Wired Magazine Video: The Blockchain Explained (2+ minutes)

TED Talks Video: The Blockchain Explained Simply (15+ minutes) 

c|net Article and Video: Blockchain Explained

Interesting Presidential Reading

Happy President’s Day. The federal government established this holiday in 1885 to recognize George Washington’s birthday (2/22). We now celebrate “Presidents,” in general, on the third Monday in February. But the federal government still officially refers to the holiday as “Washington’s Birthday.” 

Here are more weird and fun facts about our chief executives. 

I’m Listening To The Big Chill

Today (2/19) is Smokey Robinson’s 78th birthday. So I’m listening to the soundtrack from the 1983 film The Big Chill, which features hits from the ’60s, including Smokey’s The Tracks of My Tears and I Second That Emotion. It’s my favorite movie soundtrack, and it helped change advertising. 

Prior to 1983, companies rarely used original rock music in advertisements, but the movie changed this:

“(Before the Big Chill), rock musicians sang company jingles, or advertisers used copied versions of their songs, performed by imitators and studio groups. But after The Big Chill, there was a decided turn by Madison Avenue to use original rock ‘n roll songs, or portions of them, in all kinds of advertising,” according to this article. 

Better Than a Mattress Commercial

Why do mattress sales occur around President’s Day? Forbes offers this answer.

Not into presidential mattress ads? (Me neither). But I love this Geico ad about Washington Crossing the Delaware Turnpike. 

Quotes We’re PonderingGeorge Washington said many wise things. Here are a few:  

We should not look back unless it is to derive useful lessons from past errors, and for the purpose of profiting by dearly bought experience.

True friendship is a plant of slow growth, and must undergo and withstand the shocks of adversity, before it is entitled to the appellation.

It is far better to be alone, than to be in bad company.
 
Reason we’re grateful…

All of us who work at MarketVolt (and most of you reading this) work and live in the USA. On President’s Day, it seems appropriate to express gratitude for the freedoms and liberties we cherish. We face many challenges, and there is much to fix and change. Despite that, we can still be grateful for the liberties that George Washington helped to establish and that Abraham Lincoln helped to expand and preserve. 

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Any reading, listening, quoting, resourcing that you think we should share? Send us a tip.

Until next time, enjoy the rest of this week and the weekend.

Tom
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Monday Mash-Up

Monday Mashup #6 – 2018.02.12

Hello: Here’s the sixth edition of MarketVolt’s Monday Mash-up. We’ll kick off every week with this quick collection of tips, recommendations, observations and other interesting, valuable stuff.

– Tom 


Monday, February 12, 2018
MarketVolt’s Monday Mash-Up

Great Time-Saving Resource for Readers (and Non-Readers)

I’m an avid reader, but I don’t have enough time to plow through every book on my wish list. Enter Blinkist and ReadItForMe — services that provide written and audio summaries of non-fiction books. Both services cost less than $10/month.

Blinkist has thousands of titles, including non-business books. ReadItForMe has fewer books (around 150), but the service goes deeper than Blinkist, offering video summaries and workshop outlines for many titles. This is useful if you plan to share the book with co-workers or friends.

I subscribe to both services, and I recommend you try them both. They both offer free (limited) service levels that will give you an idea of how they work. 

What I’m Watching (This Made My Day)

Watching CBS Sunday Morning is a weekly ritual in my house. Yesterday, CBS told the story of companies that actively hire autistic people. Microsoft and SAP are among those that recognize their unique talents — high IQ, creative problem-solving ability, etc. But many autistic people struggle with interpersonal skills, and this struggle has damaged their job prospects.

Some companies have developed unique ways to evaluate autistic candidates (i.e. don’t rely on an interview). SAP, Microsoft and others assign mentors to autistic employees to help them adjust and flourish in the workplace.

Great lessons in this story — even if you don’t have autistic job candidates or co-workers. How do we truly recognize and leverage the unique talents of those around us? How do we accommodate those who struggle with interpersonal skills but want to be positive contributors to a team? These are questions that apply to every workplace — and many households. 

I’m Listening To…

Jackson Browne’s Running on Empty. If I had to whittle my album collection down to 25, this album would make the list. I’ve wanted to see Jackson Browne since I first heard this live album 40(!) years ago (“Rosie” is my favorite track). I learned this morning that he’s touring in June and visiting my town (St. Louis). I’ll be at the Peabody Opera House on June 25!

What albums are on your Top-25 list? Reply to this email and lemme know…

Survey Says…

Last week, I shared a collection of the “best” Super Bowl ads, compiled by Time Magazine and asked you to vote on your favorite in a quick survey. The results are in:First Place: Tide laundry detergent.
Second and Third Place (a tie): Amazon Alexa and NFL Touchdown Celebrations. 

Thanks for the feedback. 
Sage Social Media Advice from Abe Lincoln

Our 16th president was born 209 years ago today (February 12, 1809). That’s about 195 years before Facebook was born. 

But Honest Abe offered some deep wisdom that rings true in our social media world today. He said…

Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.
 
Reason we’re grateful…

Thousands of healthcare workers, pharmacists and others are on the front lines of the worst flu pandemic in decades. We’re grateful that they put themselves at risk to help us prevent or recover from illness.

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Any reading, listening, quoting, resourcing that you think we should share? Send us a tip.

Until next time, enjoy the rest of this week and the weekend.

Tom
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Monday Mash-Up

Monday Mashup #5

Hello: Here’s the fifth edition of MarketVolt’s Monday Mash-up. We’ll kick off every week with this quick collection of tips, recommendations, observations and other interesting, valuable stuff.

– Tom 


Monday, February 5, 2018
MarketVolt’s Monday Mash-Up

Which Ads Did You Like? 

Each year following the Super Bowl, I re-watch the ads. Always good for a few laughs. Always good for a few marketing lessons. Here’s a collection of the “best” ads, compiled by Time Magazine. 

Which was your favorite? Click here for a one-question survey to vote for your favorite. If you haven’t watched the ads, you can see most of them here. I’ll report the survey results next week. 

My all-time favorite remains an unsung gem by Honda from 2010. I wrote about it (and link to the ad) on the MarketVolt blog where I also shared some important marketing lessons you can draw from it. 

Another February Viewing Ritual…

Every February, I re-watch Groundhog Day. Here’s one of my favorite clips — featuring Phil Connors (Bill Murray) and his high school classmate Ned Ryerson. 

Check your inbox on Wednesday. I’ll remind you how Phil finally handles Ned, and I’ll share some marketing lessons from that scene. 

Great Music Resource

AllMusic.com is my go-to resource for discovering new music or vetting recommendations. Search for an artist. Read the bio. Check out reviews of all albums. Discover related artists. I bet 20% of the albums in my collection came from research I conducted on this site. I especially love to search for the highest-rated albums for an artist I already know. I’m amazed how often I discover great stuff I hadn’t heard — even from artists whom I already know. 

I’m listening to…

…5-star albums, as reviewed by AllMusic.com. This requires a subscription streaming service (such as GooglePlay, Apple, or Spotify). Most days, I click “Advanced Search” on AllMusic.com, pick a genre, and filter by 5 stars only. I then listen to at least three albums I’ve never heard before. In my opinion, some deserve the high praise (and immediately become keepers in my online collection). Others not so much. But disagreeing with the critics is half the fun. 
Quote we’re pondering…

“It is far more lucrative and fun to leverage your strengths instead of attempting to fix all the chinks in your armor. The choice is between multiplication of results using strengths or incremental improvement fixing weaknesses that will, at best, become mediocre. Focus on better use of your best.”

–Tim Ferris in The 4-Hour Workweek

In business, we spend a lot of time spinning our wheels. Tim’s advice strikes a chord with those of us who need to off-load the work that someone else can do better or that we don’t find fulfilling. When we follow this advice, we’re happier and our business performs better. 
 
Reason we’re grateful…

I got some great feedback from a reader last week who said my email last Wednesday (about Leonardo da Vinci) was too hard on Filippino Lippi. He was a great painter in his own right, she noted. The feedback prompted me to learn more about Lippi. He was a great painter. And as I noted in the email, he was a good businessman. 

I love the feedback. Please keep it coming!

***

Any reading, listening, quoting, resourcing that you think we should share? Send us a tip.

Until next time, enjoy the rest of this week and the weekend.

Tom
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Monday Mash-Up

Monday Mashup #4 – 2018.01.29

Hello: Here’s the fourth edition of MarketVolt’s Monday Mash-up. We’ll kick off every week with this quick collection of tips, recommendations, observations and other interesting, valuable stuff.

– Tom 


Monday, January 29, 2018
MarketVolt’s Monday Mash-Up

I’m reading…

Leonardo da Vinci — by Walter Isaacson, who wrote great biographies of Steve Jobs, Albert Einstein, and Benjamin Franklin. This book is entertaining and educational. We all can learn from studying geniuses, and Leonardo rates on two fronts — art and science. Lots of business lessons in this book. Watch for an email from me on Wednesday that shares one of those lessons. 

I’m listening to…

…Albums that should have won a Grammy (at least, according to the Washington Post). In an article previewing last night’s award ceremony, the Post argued that “the Grammy’s never get it right.” The article listed the past 38 years of Album of the Year nominees and winners. The critic lists the albums he thinks should have been nominated and won. 

Some of those albums are among my favorites already. Others I’m hearing for the first time. Quote we’re pondering…

In the book The Power of Habit (by Charles Duhigg), former Starbucks president Howard Behar says, “We’re not in the coffee business serving people. We’re in the people business serving coffee.”

I love it. No matter what product or service you offer, you’re in the people business. Some of the books I’ve recommended (Setting the Table and Crucial Conversations) are all about that. 
  
Great Resource

Pixlr — a suite of digital editing tools. We recommend Pixlr to all of our clients who want an online tool for resizing, cropping, and processing digital images. It’s simple to use, but it also has plenty of advanced features. Best of all, it’s free. 

Reason we’re grateful…

We’ve been getting a ton of feedback on our new Monday and Wednesday emails. Lots of positive reactions. Some constructive criticism which we’re taking to heart. We’re grateful to all of you who are reading and to those who have offered feedback. Keep it coming!

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Any reading, listening, quoting, resourcing that you think we should share? Send us a tip.

Until next time, enjoy the rest of this week and the weekend.

Tom
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Monday Mash-Up Weekly Story

Weekly Story 2018.01.31 – Leonardo’s Perfection Problem

In Monday’s email, I recommended the new biography Leonardo DaVinci (by Walter Isaacson).

Great read. Lots of interesting stories. Many business lessons. 

Here’s one: 

In 1480, monks hired Leo to create a painting of the Adoration of the Magi.

Leo started the project, but he stopped before finishing.

Leo imagined the perfect painting, but he couldn’t achieve that perfection.

So he abandoned the unfinished work (Leo had lots of unfinished works).

The monks canned Leo and gave the job to Filippino Lippi.

Art historians say Lippi’s Adoration is way worse than Leo’s… except…

…it’s finished.

Leo was the better painter. But Lippi met deadlines, delivered the goods, and cashed in.

Today, we call Leo a genius and gawk at his works in museums.

But back in the day, Leo was just another starving artist who sucked at running his business.

The bottom line: Leonardo DaVinci had a perfection problem.

Do you have a perfection problem?

Action drives business. Inaction kills it.

Remember that the next time you’re thinking, “I can’t launch an email campaign because I’m not a good enough writer.”

(You’re good enough, or you can hire someone who is good enough.)

Think of Lippi cashing in the next time you re-edit content, over and over again, because it’s “not quite right.”

(It’s right enough or you can hire someone who can quickly make it right enough.)

If you wait and wait and wait and wait and wait and wait and wait…

…until your stuff is practically perfect, you choose inaction over action.

Then, like Leonardo, you will have a perfection problem that becomes a business problem.

Thanks for reading (reply with feedback if you want to share some thoughts) and see you next time…

Tom

p.s. If you want some help moving from inaction to action, here’s how I can help:  I’ve built a team of marketing almost-geniuses who meet deadlines and get the job done. Email strategic planning. Template design. Copy writing and editing. Automating follow-up tasks. Connecting your email system to other systems, such as your CRM. Sending. Tracking. Reporting. You name it, our team can do it. And it costs less than most people assume. 

Gimme a call (314-529-1431) or shoot me an email if you want to learn more or move forward. 

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Monday Mash-Up

Monday Mashup #3

Hello: Here’s the third edition of MarketVolt’s Monday Mash-up. We’ll kick off every week with this quick collection of tips, recommendations, observations and other interesting, valuable stuff.

– Tom 


Monday, January 22, 2018
MarketVolt’s Monday Mash-Up

I’m reading…

Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High. This book may be the one I recommend more than any other. And it’s one I re-read every few years. This book has made me a better communicator in business and my personal life. 

Here’s how the publishers put it: “When stakes are high, opinions vary, and emotions run strong, you have three choices: Avoid a crucial conversation and suffer the consequences; handle the conversation badly and suffer the consequences; or read Crucial Conversations and discover how to communicate best when it matters most. ”  

I’m listening to…

St. Louis-based soul singer Brian Owens.  I’ll keep this short. Check him out: Covering Johnny Cash’s Ring of Fire (!)Killing it on Sam Cook’s A Change is Gonna ComeHis original Love, Love (The Anthem), written in response to the events in Ferguson, MO
Quote we’re pondering…

“Copy cannot create desire for a product. It can only take the hopes, dreams, fears and desire that already exist in the hearts of millions of people, and focus those already existing desires onto a particular product. ” 

Eugene Schwartz (from Breakthrough Advertising)

Great Resource

Instapaper. When I come across an article or other online content I’d like to read later, I click the “Instapaper” button built into my browser (extensions for Chrome, Firefox and others). A stripped down version of the content is saved to my free Instapaper account. Later, I load my Instapaper app on my phone, tablet or computer and all of my saved content is there to read — even if I don’t have an internet connection. 

Reason we’re grateful…

Most of us at MarketVolt live and work in St. Louis, MO. We’re grateful to be here. I was thinking about St. Louis over the last few days as news broke that it isn’t among the 20 finalists for Amazon’s second headquarters. The news prompted me to read the proposal St. Louis submitted to Amazon.  The proposal described  what I already knew — this is a place with a vibrant business community, great housing that’s way more affordable than coastal cities, a central location, terrific cultural resources and good people. Yes, we have our challenges. In praising this place, I don’t mean to ignore or diminish those issues. But despite those challenges, I’m happy to be raising a family and running a business in St. Louis. 

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We’re grateful to you for reading.  

Please email me with requests, suggestions and feedback. What do you like? What don’t you like? Any reading, listening, quoting, resourcing that you think we should share? Send us a tip.

Until next time, enjoy the rest of this week and the weekend.

Tom
Categories
Monday Mash-Up

Monday Mashup #2

Hello: Here’s the second-ever edition of MarketVolt’s Monday Mash-up. We’ll kick off every week with this quick collection of tips, recommendations, observations and other stuff that you may value — all designed to entertain, educate and enhance. Enjoy!

– Tom 


Monday, January 15, 2018
MarketVolt’s Monday Mash-Up

I’m reading…

Setting the Table: The Transforming Power of Hospitality in Business by Danny Meyer. Here in St. Louis, we recently celebrated the grand-opening of our city’s first “Shake Shack,” the burger joint created by famed restaurateur (and native son) Meyer. He built his restaurant empire on strong customer service, and he shares his philosophy of “enlightened hospitality” in this book.  The lessons apply to any business.   

I’m listening to…

Lots of David Bowie.

January 8 would have been his 71st birthday, and January 10 was the one-year anniversary of his death. 

I went to high school in the 80s, when the threat of nuclear war with the Soviets was still a real thing. This was my yearbook quote: “In the event that this fantastic voyage should turn to erosion, and we never grow old, remember it’s true: Dignity is valuable, but our lives are valuable, too.” (David Bowie, “Fantastic Voyage” from the Lodger album)Sadly, this seems to be a timely message again. 

Some Links: Earlier this month, HBO debuted a great documentary called David Bowie: The Last Five Years (trailer here).Video of Bowie and Bing Crosby singing “The Little Drummer Boy / Peace on Earth” (from 1977). That brightens the day. Recording of Bowie as guest DJ on BBC in 1979, playing his favorite songs at the time. Martin Luther King said…

“…If you can’t fly then run. If you can’t run then walk. If you can’t walk then crawl. But whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward.” 

Useful and Fun Resource 

The Wayback Machine saves archived versions of web sites over time.

“What was the name of that guy who used to work at that company back in 1998?” I can jump way back to the 1998 version of that company’s web site and look at the “About Us” page. 

I’ve used it to research companies I’m prospecting, to help with competitor research or just to have fun…

…Here’s how MarketVolt.com looked  way back when — 13 years ago. 

And look who owned the domain “facebook.com” before Mark Zuckerberg started his little business…

Reason we’re grateful…

We get great, constructive feedback from our readers. Last week, one (politely) suggested it would help to link to my website if I promote it in an email. Last week, I mentioned the website without including the address or a link (D’Oh!). My bad. 

Thanks for that and all feedback. We strive to improve, and your feedback helps make that happen.

(Our recently renovated website can be found at MarketVolt.com. We’d welcome feedback.) 

***

We’re grateful to you for reading.

Please email me with requests, suggestions and feedback. What do you like? What don’t you like? Any reading, listening, quoting, resourcing that you think we should share? Send us a tip.

Until next time, enjoy the rest of this week and the weekend.

Tom