AssociationRat

An Interesting Photo

2011-07-20T11:43:00.000-04:00

Was in Dallas a while back and saw this sign in a baggage office at the airport...caught my attention enough that I took a photo on a return trip. Privacy with regard to a lost bag? Seems more like they're worried about fall out from poor customer service in the first place...seems defeatist out of the gate. Saw something similar at UPS recently where an agent had used whiteout over their

Happy Mother’s Day

2011-05-09T00:28:00.000-04:00

It seems as though plane rides are a good chance to get back on the blogging trail…For the last hour I’ve been writing a couple of posts that I hope to use over the next couple of weeks. The most important post though, is to take a minute to wish my mom, my mother in law and with much, much happiness, M now too – a happy mother’s day. We celebrated our first mother’s day today (L was born in

Dear Blog...

2011-02-27T16:03:00.000-05:00

Dear Blog… It’s been a while - perhaps I should reintroduce myself. Oh, you remember be, but wonder where the I’ve been.. For a long while, I was randomly posting on whatever came into my mind. I had a couple of things that I tried to do on a regular basis, to build up a consistent voice for the blog. One of those pieces was the KISS series…I liked it a lot (and still do). In the midst of

It's a New Year...

2010-09-10T11:00:00.001-04:00

At least in the Jewish Faith...M and I are currently off at synagogue bringing in the new year. In it's honor, some resolutions to... - Continue to be the best Todd I can be (quite a work in progress, will let you know if I ever get there) - Find more time to think, reflect and dream - to prepare just a little bit more each day for the next - Keep in better touch with old friends - Play

The Quest Continues

2010-09-08T10:56:00.000-04:00

A while back, I mentioned that I was on a quest to make my presentations a little more like Steve Jobs. The quest hasn’t subsided. At the recent ASAE Annual Meeting I sat in on a presentation by Carmine Gallo - whose book is titled “The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs”. The presentation was engaging but the book, which I just finished, was the real gem and a good read - filled with

The Year We Skip The US Open...

2010-09-06T10:43:00.000-04:00

Hi...I’m Back! Heading to NYC and the US Open Tennis Tournament has been a Labor Day tradition since we got out of college. The year’s we’ve missed have been for major life events (e.g. friend’s weddings) which gives you a little perspective on just how much of a tradition it is. With our trip over the pond to Wimbledon this year, and for some other reasons I won’t throw in here, a trip

Interesting Phrase...

2010-07-23T22:44:00.001-04:00

With the start of the Philadelphia Eagles training camp (sorry Cathy) almost upon us, the local newspaper is running a series of articles on the inner brain trust of the team. The first article was about our head coach, Andy Reid. In it, he had an interesting phrase when talking about coaching in Philadelphia and the gauntlet that the fans can run a coach through: "You have to stay focused on

KISS Series: How it Shouldn’t Be...

2010-07-21T13:02:00.000-04:00

Who’s Flaster Greenberg? As strange as it sounds - it’s a question I’m getting asked a bit these days. For the last 5 weeks, our organization has had an ongoing battle with Verizon - our caller ID is showing up as “Flaster Greenberg” as opposed to the name of our organization. Not only is the problem somewhat embarrassing, it could very well be having an economic impact. After all,

I’m on a Crusade...thanks to Steve Jobs

2010-07-19T09:43:00.031-04:00

No, it’s not to have the iPhone 4 recalled. I like many, tuned into the live blog of the Apple press conference this past Friday. At the beginning, I tuned into to see how Apple would handle this challenge from a PR perspective. By the end, I was entranced, yet again, by how Jobs takes advantage of his slides and uses them to lift his presentations to a new level. There is such a

Summer Love and Then Some...

2010-07-13T10:16:00.002-04:00

M and I are always excited when our friends meet someone. You can’t help but enjoy seeing the extra smile on their face and spring to their step. At the same time, we’re excited because before too long we’ll get to meet that special one and can really get to the heart of the situation by asking the tough questions. Tough questions that sometimes include that time tested favorite...”tell us your

Our Day With Camp Impact

2010-07-02T10:39:00.001-04:00

Our office yesterday was overrun with a bunch of high school students, and it was a blast! Camp Impact is an offshoot of the business school at Drexel University. For a week, high school students take part in a marketing adventure that has them doing everything from taking classes, to computer simulations and getting an advance look at what a college campus is like. In the midst of all of

KISS IS BACK...

2010-06-30T13:30:00.001-04:00

No, not the rock band on a reunion tour. It's the Keep it Simple Stupid series of the blog that's been on a long hiatus... Today's installment of the KISS series highlights the British military. Earlier this week, I pointed out in my post Wimbledon post that her majesty's military are the "ushers" on Center Court at Wimbledon. I saw a funny thing while we were at Wimbledon last week. The

The Mecca of Tennis

2010-06-28T09:23:00.001-04:00

Is Wimbledon and last week I got to see it up close and personal. In case you’re wondering, no, I didn’t see the Isner match that ended 70-68 in the fifth set. That match actually started the second day that we were there and didn’t finish until M and I were back in the US. Being at Wimbledon was indeed something I’ve wanted to do for a very, very, very long time. We got to see Federer,

I Know I am the Only Thing Between You and…

2010-06-17T10:13:00.002-04:00

Home so I better not talk long and I better say something of value… That’s how I started my talk earlier this week at ASAE’s Annual Membership and Marketing Conference. The talk was entitled “Rethinking Membership Retention and Recruitment in a Shrinking Market”. In case you’re curious, here’s the slide deck. TVD Presentation on "Rethinking Membership Retention and Recruitment in a Shrinking

Is Traffic Really Good?

2010-06-15T13:34:00.000-04:00

I freely admit that I'm not the biggest hockey fan in the world. In fact, I don't think I'm the 362,451st biggest fan. It's a fun game to watch, but the 3rd period always seems to me like the point where the game begins to overstay it's welcome.But, for the last several weeks, I've been on the bandwagon with our Philadelphia Flyers and their certainly unexpected run to the Stanley Cup

An Important Question for Anyone from Upstate New York...

2010-06-13T06:25:00.001-04:00

Buffalo or Syracuse?M and I were at dinner with friends, one of which grew up in Buffalo. Over the course of the night, the trash talking began that Buffalo was clearly superior to Syracuse. Having grown up in the Syracuse suburbs, I see absolutely no argument in support of Buffalo. To further prove my point, some considerations.What does Buffalo have? Not much I submit....in fact, there

CSR isn't Philanthropy...

2010-06-06T12:51:00.000-04:00

I was catching up on my Google Reader and came across a post written by Elliot Schreiber in his blog - "Brands and Reputation". Elliot and I have done some work together, and I sit on the advisory board for a center on branding and reputation that Elliot runs at Drexel University when he's not teaching or consulting.Needless to say, I think a lot of what Elliot has to say about branding and

The Blogosphere Just Grew Again...

2010-06-04T12:35:00.000-04:00

I know...you read the headline and just said "no kidding" or some other iteration of that phrase.I've known Brendon Shank since we both went to American University. Earlier this week, I stumbled across his blog, a self-described "soft launch". I'm not going to give him any trouble here for not telling me about his new endeavor, even though we work together...no trouble at all :->I'm just

There are No Walk-offs In Business (or are there)...

2010-06-02T12:25:00.000-04:00

I was at a bar near Drexel a couple of weeks ago with some friends who had agreed to be special guests panelists for a class I teach. As is the case with most bars this time of year, the Phillies were playing.Watching the game, we got talking about the concept of the walk-off in baseball - that moment of perfection where with one swing of a bat, a player ends the game and their team goes

The Best We Ever Got Was Fire Crew

2010-06-01T22:11:00.002-04:00

When we were in school, AU renovated a dorm. There was one problem though, when the students were ready to move in, the fire alarm system wasn't up and running.Enter fire crew - students got paid to sit on each floor with a 2 way radio to call a fire in if it happened...a bit of an odd college job for a couple of days, but I did it along with many others.Well it seems like we missed the holy

Tough Night for Perfection...

2010-05-30T12:21:00.002-04:00

Last night, Roy Halladay became only the 20th pitcher in MLB history to throw a perfect game. While there are many in Philadelphia who miss Cliff Lee and wish they were both in our rotation, it's hard to argue that "Doc" has been one heck of an addition to our ballclub.It's ironic though, that on the night that Halladay goes perfect, a night that most of us would have been watching the

One Term Down...

2009-12-16T11:57:00.000-05:00

The other day, I posted the last of my final grades for my UNIV 101 course. It's hard to believe that 10 weeks of class have come and gone. I had a good time with the class, and hopefully everyone left having learned at least 1 thing, hopefully about themselves.Having had a couple of days to reflect...some observations1) A 50 minute class flies by...the first two weeks were crazy, trying to

PA in NYC??

2009-12-14T11:46:00.001-05:00

Was part of a very cool, but very weird this weekend.The Pennsylvania Society is a non-profit that, according to their website "Its purpose is to honor achievement, to reward excellence, to promote good will and understanding and to celebrate service to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and to humanity in general."That's the cool part...it's a real who's who. On Saturday AM, we were at a

Need a Handbag?

2009-12-12T11:28:00.002-05:00

So...for the first time I'm blogging from location, at the sample sale for Lauren Merkin handbags.I'm sure you're wondering what the heck I'm doing at a handbag sale. Well, back in our DC days, M worked with Lauren's mom and we got to know Lauren too. Lauren and I won a couple of hard fought doubles matches together against her family.So...M and I are in NYC for the Pennsylvania Society Holiday

The Star of Our Family

2009-11-29T10:25:00.000-05:00

Now feeling better, there are a couple of posts that I’ve been meaning to catch up on.Around the start of the World Series, M and I needed to go out and pick up some tickets we had for Game 4. I think, out of sympathy for having been stuck in the house all week with the flu, she said we could go to the clubhouse shop and I could buy the World Series Jersey (Victorino) that I had wanted for a

It’s not officially Thanksgiving

2009-11-26T12:10:00.000-05:00

In our family until we’ve heard Adam Sandler’s Thanksgiving SongHere’s a link to it (via my Turkey Day post last year.Enjoy!

What I’ve Learned from having the flu, a cold and pneumonia

2009-11-24T15:09:00.000-05:00

It’s been a bit of a month for me. On the way home from Syracuse to go see a SU football game, I spiked a 102 fever. Since then, I’ve battled everything from flu-like symptoms to a bad cold and then pneumonia.The vast majority of symptoms have finally subsided and I’m not taking codeine to stop by cough and help me sleep. I think I’m almost home, but a final trip to the doctor in about a week

Run Jeff Run

2009-11-22T09:56:00.001-05:00

It’s hard to believe that a year has past since my post “Run, Ben Run”…today is Philly marathon day and our friend Jeff is in town running (Gina was supposed to as well, but injuries got in the way). So far Jeff is holding up well…we saw him at the 10k and 13 mile marks and is little by little shaving time off his pace. One calamity is that he

Go Big or Go Home?

2009-09-18T00:38:00.001-04:00

We're having an interesting debate at work...The debate centers around the question of whether or not an organization should make a big bet on how to approach a strategic question (web 2.0) or would it be better to make a number of medium sized bets and see how they play out, then adjust based on the results.It's an interesting question and one worth pondering, especially in today's economy. Are

Do You Need a TV?

2009-09-16T10:17:00.000-04:00

If you’re a tennis fan, the answer is no.Last night was the women’s final at the US Open, the final grand slam of the year. It was a special night for Kim Clijsters, who won the tournament after having been out for almost two years having had a kid. Because she hadn’t played for so long, she needed a special “wild-card” from the tournament director in order to be able to compete.I watched the

Drexel Here I Come!

2009-09-14T12:19:00.000-04:00

Today is a day that I'm pretty sure my mother never saw coming. I'm actually off to Drexel U. for a day or instructor training because next Tuesday I teach my first class - University 101, a 1 credit course that takes all of the co-op experiences that junior/seniors have had and combine them all into a final capstone course of sorts. By the end of the course, the students have not only a

Kiss #15 - A Cinderella's Tale

2009-09-11T10:43:00.000-04:00

This is the latest edition of the KISS - Keep It Simple Series. Each edition represents some thoughts on how more often than not, keeping it simple is the way to go.If you’re a tennis fan, it was hard not to follow the run of Melanie Oudin at the US Open. This 17 year old from Marietta, GA really captured the attention of the tennis world for 9 days as she beat 3 seeded players in a row, all in

Just in Case You Live in University Heights, Ohio

2009-09-09T22:22:00.003-04:00

Turns out that a friend of mine, Phil Robinson, is running for the University Heights City Council. Phil's wife, Liz, worked for me a while back when we all lived in Washington, DC.I've got absolutely no doubt the good Phil would do on any board he was fortunate enough to serve on.So, just in case anyone who reads AssociationRat happens to live in University Heights, I hope you'll vote for Phil

Things We Do for Our Nieces…

2009-09-07T17:36:00.008-04:00

Last week, we played a supporting role in a very important life event – our niece’s first trip to see the Phillies play at Citizen’s Bank Park. It’s a major milestone for any kid (or at least their father) in a town like Philadelphia…Katherine was great – even though every time we asked her who was going to win, her response was “I don’t know”. She was a kid in sensory overload, soaking up

A Thought on Young Members...

2009-09-05T17:16:00.000-04:00

When I was at a conference, I heard a new take on engaging younger members..."Show me you know me...."I don't think the concept is new, but this way of packaging is, and I wanted to share...it's probably also a good maxim for working with younger staff as well.

KISS #14 - Are You Tracking Your Interns?

2009-09-03T13:11:00.000-04:00

This is the latest edition of the KISS - Keep It Simple Series. Each edition represents some thoughts on how more often than not, keeping it simple is the way to go.Successful intern programs are an opportunity to "try-out" potential full time hires, with far less potential for downside than when they're on the payroll. To me, it's akin to running a triple A baseball team.In talking to a number

Keynotes: Do They Really Matter?

2009-09-01T10:05:00.000-04:00

This was the question a colleague not too long ago. An interesting question - especially given the economy where organizations are cutting back and can be assumed to have less money available for these types of expenditures.I don't think the lack of a keynote, or a lessor known keynote, will usually have a negative impact on an event. That being said, I do believe that a significant name within

It Shouldn’t Take a Text from Your Mother…

2009-08-30T17:01:00.000-04:00

To remind you that you’re long overdue to blog…but in my case, I got one of those very messages the other day. I talk with my mother pretty regularly (I think) but I suspect that AssociationRat serves as a little bit of a back up, from time to time, to keep up on what her son is doing some 200+ miles away from Central New York where I grew up. So…we’re back, and not because Mom sent me a note

KISS #13 - A New Management Paradigm

2009-07-31T00:28:00.001-04:00

This is the 12th installment of the Keep It Simple Series - Illustrations of the Power of Simplicity and Focusing on the Basics.I've been working a refining my management approach over the last several months. Well, it's really been an ongoing process since my first management position.My new concept is to set the pillar, and then let my people give the pillar definition. This allows me to set

I've Always Thought of Myself as Creative....

2009-07-29T11:23:00.001-04:00

But this YouTube video takes creativity to a new level...What amazes me is that they pulled this off with only 90 minutes of practice....kind of makes me want to go back and have another wedding (but not all the work that it took to put it on, of course). I smile every time I've seen the video on the Internet and on TV.

Eagles Fan's Everywhere are Mourning...

2009-07-28T18:24:00.001-04:00

The loss of Jim Johnson, the defensive mastermind of the Eagles for so many years.Rest in peace Jim...you put up a valiant fight.

My Day at AAMSE

2009-07-28T12:14:00.000-04:00

I had a great time last week at AAMSE's (American Association of Medical Society Executives) Annual Meeting. After getting the chance to soak up an interesting keynote on emotional intelligence, I was part of a panel with Wes Throchlil of Effective Database Management and Chris Bluhm from AOTA (American Occupational Therapy Association) on Data Collection and Analysis.Over the course of an hour,

Hi Michele

2009-07-27T20:50:00.002-04:00

M is on the phone right now with another friend of ours, Michele Wolfenstein...M and Michele have a lot of similarities which I won't list here...would take too much time.Anyway, Michele was on the blog and asked if she could get a shout out too...Seeing that she's #5 in the Association Rat fan club (#1 - my mom, #2 - M, #3 - Julie, #4 - Liz), she gets her own shot out as well!Want your own shot

It's Hard to Believe

2009-07-26T11:07:00.001-04:00

that later today, the Philadelphia Eagles begin training camp. M and I have been so caught up with the Phillies this year, the start of football season has kind of come out of the blue and seems a little too soon.There was big news yesterday as Sean McDermott was named Defensive Coordinator. A while back, a friend of mine with some football knowledge, told me that McDermott would be more than

Am I Bad Fan...

2009-07-26T00:04:00.001-04:00

If I turn off the Phillies game if we get down a couple of runs and then check back periodically and only really tune back in if we go ahead, or are on the verge of a big rally?Hopefully not - it's what I did today.Big win Phillies - thanks in large part to 5 RBI's from Jimmy Rollins.

When Your Wife Calls....

2009-07-26T00:01:00.000-04:00

and tells you some friends from college want the url for your blog, it's time to get back on the horse and working through the list of possible blog topics you created a little while back.It's also a chance to say hi to Julie and Liz...hope the baby shower was a good time today!More blogging to come!

A Belated Father's Day Thought...and a Pretty Good Concept

2009-06-26T19:18:00.000-04:00

I was looking at the front page of philly.com on father's day- it had a story about the growth and evolution of Chase Utley, the Phillies 2nd baseman.The lead quote was something that really resonated with me...it was from Chase's father who said something to the effect of:- when you get really good at something, you won't need to tell others, they'll tell youA good lesson I think...and perhaps a

My Tribute to Dads...

2009-06-21T17:45:00.001-04:00

I have to take the chance to wish both my dad, and my dad-in-law, a happy Father's Day. In both of your honors, I'm watching golf today (thanks Mother Nature). For some reason, it just feels like what I'm supposed to do - even if I haven't picked up a club in years (tennis anyone?).Happy Father's Day to all the Dad's out there...don't worry Mom, we'll call in a bit

The Bucket List

2009-06-19T10:11:00.000-04:00

My review is almost here - about 6 weeks to go and I'm honestly looking forward to it. Each year, my review is a great chance to have a prolonged conversation with my boss not only about the areas I can improve upon, but from a strategic perspective, where do we want to go over the next 12 months.This year, in anticipation, I'm working on a list of what I've accomplished in my job to date and

KISS #12 - How You Can Give Up $5 and Make 50 Times as Much

2009-06-17T09:57:00.001-04:00

This is the 12th installment of the Keep It Simple Series - Illustrations of the Power of Simplicity and Focusing on the Basics.It's been a while since the last installment of our KISS - keep it simple series. The lack of time is not due to forgetfulness or loss of interest in the concept. To be honest, I just haven't seen anything in the last month that I thought was such a "no brainer" that

Where are all the Web 2.0 Professors

2009-06-15T13:53:00.001-04:00

At our organization, when we're going down a new road, we try to identify someone to be a guide for us. We are not usually keen on hiring a consultant to do the work for us because of not only the cost, but because we prefer an approach that puts us in a better position to be able to do for ourselves the next time around.Usually, when we're looking for a guide like this, one of my first calls is

Huzzah

2009-06-05T10:49:00.002-04:00

(this is Kristen, a friend from College back in DC who now lives in Philly, up with the band - Chico's Vibe)An Evening in Franklin Square was a great party this past Thursday…a chance to spend time with family, see friends and meet many of the folks outside of the office that M's’s been working with…it’s quite a treat to have people come up to you unsolicited and tell you how much they enjoyed

Institutionalizing a Code

2009-06-03T10:40:00.000-04:00

I’d tried something new on Monday – everyone in my department, me included, had their job description edited to include a new element. That element is the employee’s ability to live up to our department’s core values – a set of 4 “rules” that’s we created over time, and periodically updated as a group.The Core Values include:- Always have each others backs- Help each other first personally

A Day In DC...

2009-06-02T22:38:00.000-04:00

Late last week, I made a day trip down to DC for an executive seminar put on by my society’s publishing partner. It was an interesting, and thought provoking day on some topics I deal with regularly and others that I dabble in but want to get more involved so the learning is quite helpful. It’s also a great chance to see colleagues from the publisher that I work with and talk in person

Leno's Last Stand

2009-05-29T13:24:00.000-04:00

So tonight is Jay Leno's last night as host of the iconic Tonight Show...a shift in the landscape of America that deserves a pause. I watch Leno from time to time, but not regularly (too late for my bed time). He's had quite the run at the helm of the show but will he have the same impact that Johnny Carson did, I'm not too sure, but only time will tell. It will be interesting to see how Conan

An Evening in Franklin Square

2009-05-27T09:12:00.001-04:00

Tomorrow is a big day for M. Tomorrow night is An Evening in Franklin Square, her organization's first fund raising event.Over 300 are expected for a great night of silent auction, food and dancing - all for a good cause, Historic Philadelphia, Inc. HPI is a non profit based in Philadelphia's historic district that runs not only Franklin Square (food, mini golf, carousel and playgrounds), but

When You Buy a New Jersey

2009-05-25T10:00:00.001-04:00

Tonight we're headed to the Phillies game vs. the Marlins. Should be a fun way to end the long holiday weekend, especially because M has to work 12+ hour days this weekend every year as it's the start of her organization's programming season. I ended up with a lot of time to clean and make the house nice. Also had time to go out and buy a new VCR, Foreman Grill and other toys...it's time to

Was I Right?

2009-05-24T17:40:00.003-04:00

Earlier this month, I was sitting in the lobby of the Hyatt Regency in Chicago, sharing what I thought were the keys to working onsite at an annual meeting. Today, I'm relaxing at home and realizing my post meeting recovery has taken a little bit longer than I anticipated. Time to get back in the blogging groove.As my first post since the meeting, I wanted to look back on what I thought, before

KISS #11 - Surveys

2009-05-14T11:26:00.000-04:00

This is the 11th installment of the Keep It Simple Series - Illustrations of the Power of Simplicity and Focusing on the Basics.I regularly get asked to participate in surveys. Emails come in asking for five minutes, telemarketers tell me that they have just a couple of questions to ask, people stop me for intercept surveys while I'm out running errands.They might stop me, but that doesn't mean

Key's to a Conference

2009-05-13T19:47:00.000-04:00

Today was set up day for our annual meeting...It's a key day in many ways - all the signage goes up, bags get laid out, and final checklists get completed. It's also a key day because it's a transition for the staff. We're now all together, on site, and in "game-on" mode. The focus has increased a notch and we're excited to get the show going. The latter probably because the show starting

Thoughts on a Conference

2009-05-13T07:41:00.002-04:00

(I was going to post this yesterday...but didn't quite get there...)I'm writing this in the lobby of the Hyatt Regency as I wait for my room to be ready...it's travel day for our staff as they make their way from Philadelphia to Chicago for our association's annual meeting which starts Thursday. We've got over 2,000 attendees coming - it's a record attendance (technically a sell out) and for a

Should We All Have Theme Music at Work?

2009-05-12T10:24:00.000-04:00

Last Friday, we went to the Phillies game vs. the Braves. It was a monumental night - not only were we able to stay the whole game (no jewish holidays or downpours), the Phillies won as well (we thought we might be cursed).But that's not why I'm writing today.In the 9th inning, Brad Lidge came in to get the final three outs. We were up 7 runs at the time which was a good thing because Lidge game

Happy Mom's Day

2009-05-10T07:30:00.001-04:00

It's Mother's DayIn our house, it means that M's parents are on their way to our house and the 4 of us will Walk in the Race for the Cure - a tradition we've had for a number of years. The tradition is even more special for us because it's breast cancer that took M's grandmother a number of years ago.The tradition is fun and a nice break from life - many year's we even plant some seasonals in

KISS #10 - Just Talk - Ok?

2009-05-07T13:02:00.002-04:00

This is the 10th installment of the Keep It Simple Series - Illustrations of the Power of Simplicity and Focusing on the Basics.Last week, one of my Marketing Assistants (MA's are our term for interns) came into my office...they felt that their days were too stuck in the world of data entry and other mundane tasks. While that might be normal at many internships, it's not at ours. We

How's Your Relationship with HR?

2009-05-06T13:05:00.001-04:00

If you're a manager, I hope your answer to that question is nothing short of "excellent".I'm not suggesting the need for an excellent relationship with HR because they're the ones that will help you through the periodic jams you're likely to find yourself in with varying members of your staff...although that isn't a bad thing to remember.I'm not suggesting the need because of the impact HR can

Don't Call It a Sell Out

2009-05-04T08:29:00.000-04:00

Our Society has a first this month – our Annual Meeting was declared a sell out and registration closed down. This is truly a momentous occasion for our organization, but it was a decision that I struggled with and one that wasn’t easy for any of us to make. Out of the gate, the decision was difficult. We, like so many other organizations, are staring down the face of one of the worst

Branding 101

2009-05-03T10:07:00.001-04:00

This past Friday I had the opportunity to participate in a panel discussion on branding. The panel was part of the annual Undergraduate Marketing Conference put on by the LeBow College of Business at Drexel University.Our panel was organized by Elliot Schreiber, a marketing professor at LeBow who has his own blog on branding and reputation management that I highly recommend. Panelists included

R.I.P Harry

2009-05-01T10:50:00.001-04:00

It’s been two plus weeks (I think) since the beloved voice of the Phillies, Harry Kalas, passed away after a heart attack in the announcer’s booth before a game in Washington, DC. All of Philadelphia paused to mourn the loss. This past week M and I took our first trip to Citizen’s Bank Park for a Phillies game since his passing. Signs of the ongoing memorial were everywhere, from black

KISS #9 - Corollary to KISS #8

2009-04-28T10:44:00.000-04:00

This is the 9th installment of the Keep It Simple Series - Illustrations of the Power of Simplicity and Focusing on the Basics.We’re about 20 games into the baseball season and there is a disturbing trend out there for Phillies fans…they hit a home run (or several) in the first inning and our bats don’t come alive until the 8th or 9th. Reinforcing this is a stat that I saw on Philly.com that the

A Night of CEO's

2009-04-27T11:08:00.004-04:00

Drexel University has what it calls it CEO program. The CEO doesn't refer to the heads of local business. Rather, in this case, CEO refers to Creating Effective Organizations. It's an attempt to help the student leaders of campus groups become more effective leaders and better serve the organizations that they are passionate about in the process.The CEO program includes a number of workshops and

The Power of A

2009-04-26T10:36:00.002-04:00

ASAE (The American Society of Association Executives), to which I belong, launched a new web site and coordinated ad campaign today – The Power of A. The communication that I, and the rest of the association community I’m sure, received announced the launch of the campaign as a way to: “highlight The Power of A—associations’ collective ability to help build a stronger economy through

KISS #8 - Play Your Game

2009-04-24T11:46:00.000-04:00

This is the 8th installment of the Keep It Simple Series - Illustrations of the Power of Simplicity and Focusing on the Basics.A while back, I was talking with a friend who was going through some medical challenges. Nothing was grave - it was a case where recovery was not certain and definitely would not come overnight. When we caught up, the friend was about 18 months into the treatment plan -

The Blog Sandbox

2009-04-16T11:19:00.000-04:00

I have an interesting call later today that I have been prepping for over the last couple of days. The call is about a blog that our association has had a large part in bringing to market, and building up, for the last two years.The blog is written by a well known pioneer in our field. It is housed on the web site of our monthly news magazine as a way to a) grow the publication's brand and b)

Word of the Day

2009-04-14T15:30:00.000-04:00

VoluntoldSomeone told me this word the other day and I couldn't help but laugh, and then start to use it myself. How many times have we all been asked if we would be willing to do something, knowing full well that there was no other option than to say yes...now that right of passage in corporate America has a name - voluntold.

In Search of Discourse

2009-04-13T11:00:00.000-04:00

Monday is a busy day in our department as I suspect it is elsewhere as well. For us, it means a couple of big meetings meant to set the tone for the week. They a pillar of my management approach where I try to set the tone/direction at the beginning of the week and then let my team carry it from there. Because of their importance, I spend a good deal of time prepping for these meetings. I also

Amen Meets a Nine Iron

2009-04-12T11:57:00.000-04:00

Say the word's "amen corner" to any self-respecting golfer and they will think of Augusta National Golf Course and the Masters, which concludes today.In honor of the Masters, we share some facts about the golf economy, straight from the pages of the April 2009 Fast Company.Golf is a $60 billion dollar industryOnly 38.5% of American golf courses are public60% of homeowners in golf-course

Site Visits Are About Much More Than Room Sets

2009-04-09T10:10:00.000-04:00

Earlier this week I was in Chicago with two members of our meetings team, for our last site visit before our annual meeting. It was a good and productive trip, as it is each year.During this last trip, we spend a little time worrying about the operations of the event (e.g. how will registration be set up, where will the bars in the poster sessions go) but far more time thinking about the

KISS #7 - Not All Revenue is Created Equal

2009-04-07T10:00:00.000-04:00

This is the 7th installment of the Keep It Simple Series - Illustrations of the Power of Simplicity and Focusing on the Basics.As I stepped on the plane this morning, I had high hopes that I’d be able to pen a couple of blog posts. As I type, we’re 20 minutes from landing in Chicago and my grand plan didn’t pan out – writers block had shown its ugly head. In the midst of my block, I did find

It's a Long Season

2009-04-07T01:06:00.003-04:00

Is it bad that, after just 1 game in the MLB season, I'm upset that the Met's are up a game on the Phillies in the standings?I know the answer is yes (the Phills have lost 3 of the last 4 opening days)...That being said, I'm still upset...I need to channel my frustration to the question of how Brett Myers could give up 3 home runs in the first 2 innings of Sunday night's game.

The Intersection of Foul Weather Gear and Baseball

2009-04-05T10:52:00.000-04:00

It's hard to believe that it's been more than five months since my wife and I were at Citizen's Bank Park, dressed in our best football foul weather gear, watching the Phillies play part 2 of Game 5 and win the World Series. The excitement of that whole run at the championship is still fresh and remains a highlight of the last year .Tonight it starts all over again, with the Phillies taking on

Kiss #6 - Lessons from My Niece

2009-04-01T17:28:00.000-04:00

This is the 6th installment of the Keep It Simple Series - Illustrations of the Power of Simplicity and Focusing on the Basics.This past weekend, my wife and I had the chance to spend a day with our 3 year old niece. It was a treat for us because there was no mom or dad, nor any grandparents to be found. It was just us and Katherine...and we loved every minute of it.Over the last couple of days,

Watch Out Tom Cruise...

2009-04-01T06:33:00.001-04:00

Check out this new guitar hero commercial starring some big names in College Basketball, including Coach K....pretty funny.

Why Today Doesn't Stink

2009-03-30T13:51:00.000-04:00

A little over a week ago, I wrote a post entitled "Why Today Stinks".As you can see, today is the polar opposite.Today is an exciting day in the office - day 1 for a new class of Marketing Assistants (our term for interns). Four new students from Drexel University are beginning a six month co-op experience in which they will be exposed to everything from marketing and membership, to PR and

KISS #5 - Just Fix the Problem

2009-03-27T13:20:00.000-04:00

This is the 5th installment of the Keep It Simple Series - Illustrations of the Power of Simplicity and Focusing on the Basics.For my birthday this year I got a Kindle - Amazon's e-book. I love the ease and simplicity (WSJ is delivered wireless each morning) and appreciate that my bag is several pounds lighter than it used to be.What I learned though is that the Kindle and a beach don't mix,

Taming the Wildcats

2009-03-26T09:13:00.000-04:00

That's exactly what is destined to happen tonight as the Duke Blue Devils take on the Villanova Wildcats in a Sweet 16 Game in Boston. My apologies now to anyone I'm meeting with tomorrow AM - the 9:57 tip tonight is going to throw me for a loop come tomorrow AM.For those of you who think my allegiance to Duke is only because Villanova beat my alma matter (AU) in the first round...you're wrong -

Whit's Finding Her Way

2009-03-25T21:13:00.000-04:00

In a follow up to my post on Monday, Whit had an interview on Tuesday am and by Tuesday pm had found herself a new gig that sets her up for a lot of options down the road....Exciting news for Whit...and hopefully good vibes for everyone out there still looking for jobs in this troubled economy...Just proof positive of one thing I hold dear - if you are a good person, you take pride in everything

Whit on Her Way

2009-03-23T22:07:00.000-04:00

A Quarter Life Crisis, One Entry at a Time...Reading those words, I stumbled upon "Whit on Her Way", a blog written by an old friend who I haven't caught up with in a long while...Her story has some familiar parallels for many who live in DC...overachieving PR type who landed a political job and is now looking for a new job because of the changes in power within the Beltway.Having a little extra

A 34 Minute American Dream

2009-03-23T13:18:00.000-04:00

Last week, something that has only happened twice over the last 40+ years took place - the American University Men's Basketball Team played in the NCAA Tournament. Last time this happened (2008) the NCAA Selection Committee relegated AU to play in Birmingham, Alabama. From what I understand, AU alumni we're not in overabundance. Not a shocker given the distance and the small odds of the team

Why Today Stinks

2009-03-20T13:30:00.000-04:00

Why you might ask – because for our current group of Marketing Assistants (co-op students from Drexel University), today is their last day. Alex, Dettmer, Jill and Meredith have all been with us for six months now. During that time, they have each made a true contribution to the life of our organization and our growth as a medical society. Last week, I participated in a presentation

KISS #4 - Just Say No

2009-03-19T13:51:00.000-04:00

Michele and I were at dinner around the holidays with a grad school friend and her beau. In the midst of the discussion we got talking about the common challenges we all face at work – challenges I know that we all relate to (too many meetings, distractions, fires to put out). The most spirited discussion came as we were discussing the problem of too many meetings. In the midst of the

Happy St. Patrick's Day

2009-03-17T16:39:00.000-04:00

In honor of St. Patrick's day, I share some facts about today, courtesy of the March edition of Fast Company.Ireland's St. Patrick's Festival only began 13 years ago - it's generates about $79 million in tourism revenueThe world's first St. Patrick's Day parade was held in NYC 247 years agoAmerican's (over 21) consume an average of 30 gallons of beer a yearFewer than half of all American's spend

Twit, Twit, Tweet

2009-03-16T13:40:00.000-04:00

Like so many other association folk, my staff and I are trying to get our hands around the Twitter craze. I, like Elizabeth Engel at Thanks for Playing, totally see the utility in using Twitter within the meeting space. Past that, I’m trying to picture the possibilities. My PR people tell me it’s big, that media folks are using it to get ahead of the traditional press release. Need a

My Connection with Julius Caesar

2009-03-15T13:24:00.000-04:00

It’s the Ides of March…that historic day when Caesar was assassinated. It just also happens to be my birthday. Seem like a perfect opportunity to reflect on another year and say thanks to all who made the past 365 days all that it was (that includes the Philadelphia Phillies of course). Special thanks must go out to… -My Mom -My Mom in Law And of course my wife… I’m a lucky

Book Review: The Yankee Years

2009-03-13T14:29:00.000-04:00

Over vacation, I read The Yankee Years and if you are a baseball fan, or just looking for an inside glimpse into the most heralded sports franchise, I highly recommend the book.Written by Tom Verducci, but with plenty of insight from Joe Torre, the book was a quick and enjoyable read over a couple of days at the beach.Throughout the pages, a sense of what it was like to be part of the Yankee’s

Membership and Today's Economy: Increase Your Touches Now!

2009-03-11T19:00:00.000-04:00

Whorton Marketing and Analysis, a well know Association Consultancy has put out the results from a survey that they did on how membership folks are handling a tougher climate for getting new members as well as keeping those already in house. One of their findings was that organization's are increasing the number of "touches" they have with their current members - hopefully generating a tighter

KISS #3 - The Power of 5 Cents

2009-03-10T13:25:00.000-04:00

This is the 3rd installment of the Keep It Simple Series - Illustrations of the Power of Simplicity and Focusing on the Basics.For the third installment of the Keep it Simple Series, we give a shout out to the Four Seasons.Many moons ago, my wife and I stayed at their Philadelphia property because she had brought a group of her donors from Washington DC, where we lived at the time, to the city

Philly Won't Miss T.O.

2009-03-08T10:17:00.000-04:00

Philadelphia Eagles fans paused last week to mark the changing of an era, Brian Dawkins moving on to the Denver Broncos. Even though I’ve only lived in Philadelphia for 5 years now, I can promise you those same fans were celebrating last week to see Terrell Owens out of a Dallas Uniform. I know I was with them, even if by spirit, from Florida.I enjoyed seeing that Las Vegas is taking odds on

Too Much Selling Can Tarnish an Experience

2009-03-07T11:05:00.000-05:00

The flight home from vacation is always bittersweet…especially if you’re headed back to the cold of Philadelphia from the sunny confines of Marco Island, Florida (which I highly recommend if you haven’t been).As the pen and paper starts to come out, so that the process of making to-do lists can begin, I find myself trying to retreat to the memories of the last week and all the fun, excitement and

KISS #2 - All About Clarity

2009-03-04T17:39:00.000-05:00

This is the 2nd installment of the Keep It Simple Series - Illustrations of the Power of Simplicity and Focusing on the Basics.I stumbled across a post on Acronym, ASAE's blog, the same day that I wrote the first post in the my Keep it Simple Series.The post was written on the first day of ASAE's Great Ideas conference - an event I'm hoping to attend one day to see if it lives up to the hype and

Ignore Fit and Feel at Your Own Peril

2009-03-02T17:44:00.000-05:00

If you read my post on my way to Chicago, you know that I had been pondering an age old management question - what to do when you have someone delivering results, but it comes at a high price (e.g. disruptions, struggles to communicate with the internal team, conflict).In my case, I wrote that I wanted this person to be a "hero" and deliver a large # to our event, but that being a hero would not