Unplugged

For the next week or so, this is where I will be - taking time to unplug, so I may not be blogging for a while. I hope you get some "downtime" as well. Enjoy.

Christmas Memories

Decked out in her new pj's and iPod, my youngest daughter is catching some zzzzz's after a long day of hard play.

My family had a wonderful Christmas. The big hit this year was the Wii - thanks to the Newark Rotary Auction. I was the successful bidder of the Wii system. I probably should apologize to Mike Shearer for hovering over the sheet and increasing my bid every minute or so. Anyway, with the Wii system purchased early, I had a get a few games to go with it. One of my daughters wanted the American Idol game, so I went to Best Buy in Heath and purchased it. They started playing with it around 11 am and we didn't shut it down until the last guest left our house at 10 p.m. Wow was that entertaining. Even my mom participated and sang Islands In The Stream, which didn't score high with Simon. Turns out the trio of men in my den scored pretty high with their version of Imagine. That was an unexpected surprise. And my rendition of Michael Jackson's Don't Stop Till You Get Enough was very interesting. It's hard to sing like a boy who sounds like a girl.

I hope you and your family had a wonderful Christmas filled with love and laughter and one that created some lasting memories.

UPDATE: Thanks to Andrew Guanciale - I have a goal now.

Thanks Dude.

Merry Christmas!

From our office to yours - Merry Christmas!

What Christmas Is All About

I have one Christmas show that I watch EVERY year. No, it's not White Christmas or It's A Wonderful Life, although I do love that one. I am a simple girl. I am a big fan of A Charlie Brown Christmas. Here are the two reasons why: the message and the music.

Enjoy.



Ahhh, Vince Guaraldi:


And THE song:



Merry Christmas!

Wild Architecture

Licking County has once again made the news! Check out the World's Wildest Architecture here.

Our contribution is image number 7. Hint: it has 84 windows.

Thanks Carl.

Hand Written Notes

With all the ways of communicating in today's world, the hand written notes are becoming a thing of the past. That is unfortunate because they can be a very powerful tool in the business arena. Think back to when you last received one. How did it make you feel? Whenever I get one, I know that the person who wrote it took time out of their day to focus on just me, if only for a few minutes. It's much more personal than an email or a text message. Those types of communications have their place, but if you really want to build a relationship or make a lasting impression, the hand written note is the way to go.

I came across this post that gives an example of how powerful this tool can be. Be sure to read the comment from David Lorenzo at the end of the post.

It's The Thought That Counts - NOT

Last night was the big family Christmas party at the Hottinger's. A total of 30 people gathered at the house my husband grew up in on the east side of Newark. We had a wonderful time. Great food; lots of laughs and of course some fun games.


My brother-in-law surprised me with a DVD he made from the Journey concert we went to in the fall (see my post on this here). Journey is my all-time favorite band. So we started talking about the concert and I noticed that my sister-in-law had this odd look on her face. She looked at me and asked if Chris (her husband) told me about my birthday present. I responded no and then asked what she was talking about.

She had this big smile on her face and said that after the concert she stood in this long line and purchased a Journey t-shirt for me as a birthday gift. I lit up. I've always wanted one. I asked her where it was, expecting it to be around the house somewhere. She responded quietly: "I wore it. Several times. Sorry." So she's keeping it. So much for the saying It's the Thought That Counts - I want that shirt!

Time to Celebrate

In today's Business First, THE LIST of Chambers of Commerce appeared and guess what - we are ranked #4! (up from #6 last year).

Thank you to our Board, staff and most importantly, our members for your continued support of the Chamber.

Largest Employers - The LIST

According to the December 12 edition of Business First, the number one largest employer in Central Ohio is guess who? - the State of Ohio with 24,492 full time employees. Not a surprise I guess. Here are the companies from Licking County who made the top 100:



# 26 - State Farm Insurance with 1,864 employees



# 36 - Owens Corning, 1,400 employees



#47 - Licking Memorial Health Systems, 1,117 employees



#86 - Boeing Company, 617 employees



# 94 - Englefield Oil Co., 550 employees

Note: Licking County Government made the list too - #50 with 617 employees.

Warner Library Student Center

On the Newark Campus of The Ohio State University, a new facility opened a few months ago and has the community buzzing with excitement.

I attended a meeting there this week and thought I would share a clip of the inside with you:



The new student center features a modern food court and gathering area, student affairs offices, student organizational space, a learning commons, various lounges and a new bookstore. If you haven't stopped by to see it, you should. It is another wonderful asset we have in Licking County. And a big plus is that is was built by Robertson Construction, a local company and valued chamber member. Kudos to them!

The Gift to Unbutton

Thank you Patrick for the lovely gift from the Groundhog ornament exchange. Looks like you guys had a wonderful time - sorry I couldn't make it.

My favorite part about your gift was the button ribbon - I actually had to unbutton it to get it open.

Thanks again!

A Different Kind of Bucket List

Found this list on I Smell Books, and three other blogs and thought it was interesting. The ones in red I can check off. My score - 42/100. Hmmm. But I'm not sure having 100% would be a good thing:

1. Slept under the stars
   
2. Visited Hawaii


3. Watched a meteor shower


4. Given more than I can afford to charity


5. Been to Disneyland/world


6. Climbed a mountain


7. Held a praying mantis


8. Sung a solo


9. Bungee jumped


10. Visited Paris


11. Watched lightening at sea


12. Taught myself an art from scratch


13. Adopted a child


14. Had food poisoning


15. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty (I've been half-way)


16. Grown my own vegetables


17. Seen the Mona Lisa in France


18. Slept on an overnight train
    
19. Had a pillow fight


20. Hitchhiked


21. Taken a sick day when you're not ill


22. Built a snow fort


23. Held a lamb


24. Gone skinny dipping


25. Run a Marathon


26. Redden in a gondola in Venice
    
27. Seen a total eclipse


28. Watched a sunrise or sunset


29. Hit a home run


30. Been on a cruise


31. Seen Niagara Falls in person


32. Visited the birthplace of my ancestors


33. Seen an Amish community


34. Taught myself a new language


35. Had enough money to be truly satisfied


36. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person


37. Gone rock climbing


38. Seen Michelangelo's David


39. Sung karaoke (I worked for a karaoke company for 2 weeks)


40. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt


41. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant


42. Visited Africa


43. Walked on a beach by moonlight


44. Been transported in an ambulance


45. Had my portrait painted (Had mine drawn)


46. Gone deep sea fishing (caught nothing)


47. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person


48. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris


49. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling


50. Kissed in the rain


51. Played in the mud


52. Gone to a drive-in theater


53. Been in a movie


54. Visited the Great Wall of China


55. Started a business (3 of them)


56. Taken a martial arts class


57. Visited Russia


58. Served at a soup kitchen


59. Sold Girl Scout Cookies (have bought them many times)


60. Gone whale watching


61. Got flowers for no reason


62. Donated blood, platelets or plasma


63. Gone sky diving


64. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp


65. Bounced a check


66. Flown in a helicopter
    
67. Saved a favorite childhood toy


68. Visited the Lincoln Memorial


69. Eaten Caviar


70. Pieced a quilt


71. Stood in Times Square


72. Toured the Everglades


73. Been fired from a job


74. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London


75. Broke a bone (broke all the bones in both wrists at the same time)


76. Been on a speeding motorcycle


77. Seen the Grand Canyon in person


78. Published a book


79. Visited the Vatican


80. Bought a brand new car (my first one was a Toyota 4x4 Truck)


81. Walked in Jerusalem


82. Had my picture in the newspaper (way too much!)


83. Read the entire Bible


84. Visited the White House


85. Killed and prepared an animal for eating


86. Had chickenpox (when I was 14)


87. Saved someone's life


88. Sat on a jury


89. Met someone famous


90. Joined a book club


91. Lost a loved one


92. Had a baby (3 daughters)


93. Seen the Alamo in person


94. Swam in the Great Salt Lake


95. Been involved in a law suit


96. Owned a cell phone


97. Been stung by a bee


98. Rode an elephant


99. Played in a band


100. Started my own blog

What's your score?

Reading Made Simple

Just when I think I am becoming more tech-savvy, someone comes out with a new gadget. If you love to read, check out the Kindle from Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000FI73MA/caberfeidhsco-20

By the way, it is now out of stock, so I guess I won't be unwrapping this on Christmas morning.

Quote of the Day

“Christmas is a time when kids tell Santa what they want and adults pay for it. Deficits are when adults tell the government what they want and their kids pay for it.”

- Former Colorado Gov. Dick Lamm, quoted in The Denver Post.

Brain Gender

For those of you who know me well, it's no surprise that according to this quiz, my brain is 47% female and 53% male. Okay, that is a bit embarrassing. I am described as:

"Your brain is a healthy mix of male and female. You are both sensitive and savvy. Rational and reasonable, you tend to keep level headed. But you also tend to wear your heart on your sleeve".

Technology in Brazil

Although this clip is more than a year old, it seems even more appropriate today, given the current situation:

Thanks Pam.

Long Hair vs. Short Hair

One of my very favorite songs: Ventura Highway by America.

Then . . .



And now . . .




This song ALWAYS makes me smile.

Cash Isn't Sexy Anymore

Last night I did a little Christmas shopping. OK, I did A LOT of Christmas shopping. And still have more to do. But I thought I would share an experience I had at the very first store I visited. I went in with my list, knowing what I wanted to purchase. I picked up the two items and began looking around for the "checkout counter". This was a hi-tech kind of place and I had a hard time finding where to go.

The look on my face must have given it away and a sales person asked me if I was ready to check out. He said he could take care of me right there, in the middle of the store, as long as I was paying with a credit card. He and about seven others had these hand-held computers that can complete transactions from anywhere in the store. When I told him that I was paying with cash, he said he couldn't help me and that I would need to go to the front of the store. Fine. I went to the front where there was a small line and only one person at the computer. I waited and waited. During my wait, at least three different employees came up to me and said they could help me if I was paying with a credit card. Each time I said no, I was paying with cash. I actually felt like I was being penalized for doing the right thing.

Is is any wonder why credit card debt continues to grow in this country? What's next - a bailout for credit card debtors? Business Week has a very good article on that here.

The Tower

Thanks Harry & David. And thanks to my dad for the beautiful Poinsettia.

A Holiday Message From ProLogis

Thank you, ProLogis.

The Truth Will Set You Free - Or Increase Productivity

I had lunch today with a local plant manager who has been in the manufacturing industry for 30+ years. We talked about the economy and the impact it is having on our local companies. I am happy to report that for this particular company, they have been able to hold their own during this stressful time. Don't get me wrong, they are feeling the pressure and have slowed down, but he said they have no plans to lay anyone off.

Tell Them The Truth

When he arrived at the facility some years ago, they were not doing well financially. He went to the President with an idea that had worked for him with other companies: tell them the truth. He suggested gathering the employees together to tell them the honest truth about the financial picture. After some serious convincing, his President granted permission. The employees were shocked. They had no idea. Guess what happened? Productivity increased substantially. Of course a few changes in personnel helped as well, but by being upfront with the workforce and telling them straight up what the future looked like, it not only boosted productivity, but it also created trust between the men and women on the floor and management. He still holds these meetings today.

Taking Advantage of Downtime

Another piece of good advice he provided was to take advantage of slow times, if financially possible. He suggests cross-training and taking care of maintenance work that during the busy season may have been overlooked. It can be hard to find good people, so the last thing he said they want to do is layoff. According to him, firing someone is much easier because you know the employee brought it on themselves. But having to layoff good people when they have done nothing wrong is probably the worst thing he has had to do.

This month the Chamber's poll relates to the business outlook for 2009. If you would like to participate, go here. Look for the results in our December ActionNotes.

Generation Happy

At least weekly, if not more, I will be involved in a conversation regarding the incoming workforce and how they aren't the same as the workers 30, 20 or even 10 years ago. Somewhere in the discussion, the words entitlement, job-hoppers and no sense of loyalty will come up when describing these "young people".

If you really want to get into the mind of this generation, read this post at ChrisBrogan. It's funny, but the things they are looking for in an employer aren't really all that different than what I would look for, but they will keep searching until they find it. It doesn't matter to them how many times they switch jobs; what matters is that they love what they do. And isn't that what we all want in the end?

Persistence = Lincoln

I was reminded of a good life lesson today in the book The Winners Manual by Coach Jim Tressel. It is about times when you feel like quitting. When you truly want something, you must never give up on it. President Abraham Lincoln is the true definition of persistence. Here is an excerpt from the book:

Whenever the going gets tough, encourage yourself with the following example of persistence:

• He failed in business in 1832
• He ran for the state legislature in 1832 and lost
• He tried business again in 1833 and failed
• His sweetheart died in 1835
• He had a nervous breakdown in 1836
• He ran for state elector in 1840, after he regained his health
• He was defeated for Congress in 1843, defeated again for Congress in 1848, defeated when he ran for Senate in 1855, and defeated for vice president of the United States in 1856
• He ran for the Senate again in 1858 and lost

Even after all his failures, this man refused to quit. He kept trying, until in 1860 he was elected President of the United States. By now you know that this man was Abraham Lincoln.

It is easy to get caught up in the "woe is me" attitude when things haven't gone the way you planned or wanted them to go. But chances are you haven't faced anything like Abraham Lincoln did, so take about 5 minutes to sulk, then GET OVER IT and TRY AGAIN!

The Gift of Time

I was the oldest child growing up; I have one brother who is six years younger than me. And for most of my childhood, I was raised by a single mom. My parents divorced when I was in the 5th grade. So having one-on-one time with my mom was rare.

That is probably one reason why I believe it is important to spend some alone time with each of my three children. So this past week I scheduled a "date night" with each of them. My oldest daughter wanted to go shopping, like every 13 year-old girl wants to do. We ate at Texas Roadhouse, went to Walmart and then JoAnn Fabrics. It was a nice evening out. Next in line was my youngest, age 6, who just wanted to watch the movie Wall*e with me. We enjoyed it together, although she teared up from time to time. And last night was my final date with the middle child (10) who never gets to do anything (I'm told this is the standard philosophy of middle children). We went to The Melting Pot for dinner, did a little Christmas shopping and then ended up at JoAnn Fabrics. On the way home, she gave me a big smile and thanked me for a great evening.

As I was checking out some recent blog postings from some of my favorite sites today, many of them talked about giving the gift of time this year. Is there someone in your circle of family or friends who you don't get to spend much time with? If so, you should really think about giving them something you can do together. How about tickets to a show at The Midland Theatre? Or a cooking class at Woodhaven Farms. Don't forget about the Lou and Gib Reese Ice Arena - go ice skating together. And there is always something to do at The Works. Need some more ideas? Go here.

Networking

Last night we held our last Business After Hours of 2008 at Damon's. This has become an annual event that everyone looks forward to each year. The 150+ people enjoyed delicious food, a wonderful holiday atmosphere and many opportunities to network with each other. Mike Fornataro with National Trails Raceway gave this review:



View the event here:



Thanks Damon's!

Positive Press

A few weeks ago, my Chairman, Kurt Harden, and I met with Mr. Michael Shearer, Managing Editor of The Newark Advocate about the importance of having some positive business stories printed, especially in this economic downturn. We discussed several ideas, and Mr. Shearer offered to talk to our members about ways to get positive press for the businesses.

Yesterday he spoke to our Manufacturing Council and today he spoke to our Economic Development Committee. He did an excellent job.

Here are some suggestions he provided:

• Promotions or people news: Very short items with name, what happened and photo (optional). Retirements are often overlooked.



• Openings, expansion plan: - We realize there are competitive issues at times, but our readers want to know what you are building. We also run at least a brief for any new business opening, no matter the size.



• New equipment or trends: Share your investment in the community.



• Larger orders or good news: Even adding six employees is news, albeit a briefer story.



• Community donations or efforts: Do your employees do something fun for United Way or another charity?



• Provide experts on issues: We've spoken to numerous bankers about the financial crisis, for example.



• Begin a blog on NewarkAdvocate.com: This can be a way to share news with the community without any media filter. You can either allow comments from readers to appear immediately or upon your approval.

In my opinion, the most valuable thing he talked about was the importance of building a relationship with reporters "even when you don't have much to share." I can't emphasize this point enough.

Thanks Mike for sharing these valuable tips.

Music Analytics

As an avid iTouch user, I must admit that I have been listening to Christmas music on my computer instead. A good friend recommended a station that has been playing only Christmas music for a few weeks now.

Today I found an Internet radio site that is very interesting. Check out Pandora. They actually create personalized stations for you based on the type of music you like. They use "music analytics" to review everything about a song or artist you type in and then they create your very own station. Of course you can always choose a genre instead and have the station created that way too. Another cool trick is the Find Your Episonality. I'll let you experience that for yourself.

I have to listen to music everyday. I crave it. Growing up I never had a night-light; only a radio since the age of 4. Music is good for the soul.

Entrepreneurship

Another Guest Posting by Linda Linham:

Cultivating Entrepreneurship in the New Economy

Entrepreneurial energy is transforming Corporate America and will help transform regional economies as well. In an economy where growth and competitive advantage increasingly comes from innovation, entrepreneurship has become more central to the success of regional economies.

With states less able to prosper by attracting businesses from out of state, they increasingly must look within, and expanding entrepreneurship will be a key part of that strategy. Entrepreneurship is important because, even if regions have a strong knowledge infrastructure, it will be difficult to translate that knowledge into growing businesses without entrepreneurial energy. Entrepreneurs, and top executive talent, are the mechanism by which ideas get translated into commercial success.

Being entrepreneurial means charging down a new path, staying alert to opportunity and taking risks to seize the opportunity. It means having energy, vision, optimism and daring to try something new. An entrepreneur is anyone with both an idea and the willingness to take the idea to the marketplace.

In my past travels around corporate America, in tough economic times, I recall the echo of the repeated question: “How do we stimulate more innovation and initiative in our people?” People seem to matter in direct proportion to an awareness of corporate crisis. Today, in every sector, old and new, I hear a renewed recognition of the importance of people, and of the talents and contributions of individuals to a company’s success. As the tension of America’s economy tightens, recognizing the importance of innovation has become a national and regional priority. Entrepreneurs in corporations, in small business, in education, in non-profit organizations and in government will be the drivers of that innovation.

Some studies reveal that higher levels of research and development in a region correlate with higher levels of new firm formation and fast growing firms. Higher levels of education are also an important factor, as regions with a greater proportion of college-educated residents see higher rates of new firm formation.

Since entrepreneurship is driven by individuals who are willing to take risks and are able to execute their plans, making entrepreneurship easy for individuals is important. In order to be effective, entrepreneurship support efforts must be more user-driven, engaging entrepreneurs in peer-to-peer learning and networks, with very case-specific and hands-on learning. From my experience in working with thousands of entrepreneurs, while successful entrepreneurs appear to have particular skills and attitudes, there are usually steps that can be taken to help them become more successful entrepreneurs with expanded entrepreneurial education and training.

In the New Economy, two broad trends are in high gear. These trends can combine in powerful ways to raise our standard of living, create jobs, spur entrepreneurial effort--and do all this without boosting inflation. The first is the globalization of business. Simply put, capitalism is spreading around the world with the introduction of market forces, freer trade, and widespread deregulation. For the U.S., this means international trade and investment play a much greater role in our economic life than before. The second trend is the revolution in information technology-- not just the cell phones, computers, and the Internet--but the digitization of all information--words, pictures, data, and so on that is creating new companies and new industries before our eyes and assisting the shift from industrial and labor capital to intellectual capital. This shift to a new entrepreneurial economy is accelerated by several measures we have implemented in this country that lower obstacles to innovation and increase the potential rewards of entrepreneurship.

With this New Economy, there is also a new business cycle. Housing and autos used to drive the U.S. economy. Now, information technology accounts for a quarter to a third of economic growth. Information technology affects every other industry. It boosts productivity, reduces costs, cuts inventories, and facilitates electronic commerce. Consumer participation in the creation of digital content, such as social networks, interest based affiliations, hobbies, travel destinations and so on, are a fact and are helping drive economic growth. Online retail spending increased 21% over the last year and 16% of total retail sales are directly influenced by the web as consumer’s research products online and purchase them offline. This is projected to expand at a 17% compounded annual growth rate over the next five years, resulting in $1 trillion of US store sales by 2012.

Entrepreneurs play a critical role in developing a healthy economy for Licking County. When the economy is unstable, people turn to entrepreneurship as an avenue for change and decisions on entrepreneurship will be critical to ongoing innovation and economic growth. Entrepreneurship has an additional advantage for regional economies: it tends to “stick,” with local entrepreneurs usually growing their firms in the state in which they live.

As I sat in the town meeting on “Community Capitalism” last week, it was apparent that innovation and an entrepreneurial spirit were alive in Licking County. With an aim to open young people's eyes to the possibility of entrepreneurship, promote entrepreneurship education, raise awareness of entrepreneurship-friendly policies, and find alternative pathways for the commercialization of new knowledge and technologies, how can we miss?

In my transition from the corporate world to that of an entrepreneur, it is obvious to me that I have met the future –I am part of it—in a world of opportunity ready to be explored. Put that in your crystal ball you naysayers of economic gloom and doom.

For more information about this company or this article contact:
Linda Linham
SuccessfulVentures LLC
740-344-1721
Linda@successfulventuresllc.com or visit our blog: www.successfulventuresblog.@blogspot.com