In light of some things being said in the industry about my colleagues and our organization, I’m reminded of a few things from my past.
When I was kid my father introduced me to the Godfather movies. One of the most memorable lines is “keep your friends close but your enemies closer”. When I look at life in the agency world it really does seem like agencies follow this motto. We may act like we're friends while at industry events. We may have some drinks and “schmooze”. However, in this crazy, dynamic business everyone is looking for dirt on how to exploit each other’s weaknesses. Everyone is trying to be the next DoubleClick. but no one is trying to really be the next Stan Levenson. Something is getting lost. It’s easier to pass the buck than it is to accept responsibility.
Something else I learned later on in life came from my Marine Corps career. One of our mottos was “Take care of your own”. Take care of yourself, your team, your clients and your morals and everything else will work itself out.
How this translates to my agency is that we are more concerned with taking care of our employees and clients then we are about addressing what is being said about us. We know the truth and the fact remains that the reason we formed our own agency is because we believe more in “Taking care of our own” then in creating a smoke and mirrors company looking to get snatched up by someone with a ton of cash.
I don’t exist without my team. My team doesn’t exist without each other. Our company doesn’t exist without our clients. Together, we will take care of our own.
Posted: Apr 27th
In light of some things being said in the industry about my colleagues and our organization, I’m reminded of a few things from my past.
When I was kid my father introduced me to the Godfather movies. One of the most memorable lines is “keep your friends close but your enemies closer”. When I look at life in the agency world it really does seem like agencies follow this motto. We may act like we’re friends while at industry events. We may have some drinks and “schmooze”. However, in this crazy, dynamic business everyone is looking for dirt on how to exploit each other’s weaknesses. Everyone is trying to be the next DoubleClick. but no one is trying to really be the next Stan Levenson. Something is getting lost. It’s easier to pass the buck than it is to accept responsibility.
Something else I learned later on in life came from my Marine Corps career. One of our mottos was “Take care of your own”. Take care of yourself, your team, your clients and your morals and everything else will work itself out.
How this translates to my agency is that we are more concerned with taking care of our employees and clients then we are about addressing what is being said about us. We know the truth and the fact remains that the reason we formed our own agency is because we believe more in “Taking care of our own” then in creating a smoke and mirrors company looking to get snatched up by someone with a ton of cash.
I don’t exist without my team. My team doesn’t exist without each other. Our company doesn’t exist without our clients. Together, we will take care of our own.
Posted: Apr 27th
as most of you know and in case some of you don't, i recently got married. Yes Yes! I've taken the plunge and I've turned in my player card (not that it was ever really used) and I've settled down. I think my player card had that nice new credit card feel to it since i rarely ever swiped it. Ha!
anyways, my new wife (wow that's weird to say) and I went to stay at a bed & breakfast up in northern Texas near Gainesville. The place is called Elm Creek Manor. I have to say that this place was aWESOME!
by far the number one part (besides being there with my new wife, ha!) was the food. The food beat out any restaurant i have ever eaten at in Dallas or for that matter any place i've eaten at in the U.S. My wife and I are big salt freaks but not one thing we ate needed it. The next best thing had to be the privacy. We arrived and immediately brad (one of the owners) greets us at the front gate and tells us to go on in the house back to the library, fix ourselves a drink and wait for Marcia to get us all checked in. We proceed to the library where there was only one other couple there playing chess and drinking wine by the fire place. Other then that, i don't believe we saw any other couple the rest of our stay. Everything was just completely awesome. From our cottage to the decor, food, scenery…. just everything.
It's hard for me to describe this place so i've included some pictures. This isn't a place you can be told about, it's something you have to experience. In talking with brad, some new features coming to the b&b soon will be a micro brewery as well as some other spa features. Near by in Meunster,TX there are some cool antique shops you can visit as well. I highly recommend that if you are looking for a romantic and private place to get away to for a weekend, you have to visit Elm Creek Manor. Especially for the food!
Posted: Apr 10th
as most of you know and in case some of you don’t, i recently got married. Yes Yes! I’ve taken the plunge and I’ve turned in my player card (not that it was ever really used) and I’ve settled down. I think my player card had that nice new credit card feel to it since i rarely ever swiped it. Ha!
anyways, my new wife (wow that’s weird to say) and I went to stay at a bed & breakfast up in northern Texas near Gainesville. The place is called Elm Creek Manor. I have to say that this place was aWESOME!
by far the number one part (besides being there with my new wife, ha!) was the food. The food beat out any restaurant i have ever eaten at in Dallas or for that matter any place i’ve eaten at in the U.S. My wife and I are big salt freaks but not one thing we ate needed it. The next best thing had to be the privacy. We arrived and immediately brad (one of the owners) greets us at the front gate and tells us to go on in the house back to the library, fix ourselves a drink and wait for Marcia to get us all checked in. We proceed to the library where there was only one other couple there playing chess and drinking wine by the fire place. Other then that, i don’t believe we saw any other couple the rest of our stay. Everything was just completely awesome. From our cottage to the decor, food, scenery…. just everything.
It’s hard for me to describe this place so i’ve included some pictures. This isn’t a place you can be told about, it’s something you have to experience. In talking with brad, some new features coming to the b&b soon will be a micro brewery as well as some other spa features. Near by in Meunster,TX there are some cool antique shops you can visit as well. I highly recommend that if you are looking for a romantic and private place to get away to for a weekend, you have to visit Elm Creek Manor. Especially for the food!
Posted: Apr 10th
Sometimes a little persistence goes a long ways. That and some yelling! Ha!
Last week I went to a Verizon Wireless store here in Dallas to see about getting a new phone. I explained to the sales rep that I had 9 months left on my current contract but I wanted to go from a Treo to a simple cell phone like the Razor. Side note: In addition to having a Treo I also have a Verizon broadband card. The sales rep said that since I still had 9 months left on my contract, I would have to pay full price for the Razor ($299.00 was the price in the store).
Needless to say I got pretty upset.
Even after I explained to the rep that I would be willing to sign a new 2 year agreement, still he said there was nothing he could do. So of course I storm out cursing (it was already a bad day for me, Ha!) My thought process was, here I am a current customer, paying quite a bit in service for my cell and also having a broadband card. The cancellation fee is $175.00. I’m thinking to myself, it would be cheaper for me to cancel service, go to another provider with my number and get the phone I want at probably a much more discounted rate for being a new customer. Plus I would obviously shut off my Verizon broadband card. So they would be losing all my business for roughly $230.00 difference in price from the full price of the razor to the discounted price. I decided to give them one more chance to step up and make good with me. So I get on the website and send an email to their customer service department explaining the above situation. Within 2 days I got a response telling me that I qualify for the annual phone replacement program or something to that nature. Long story short (I know, too late) Verizon made good with me and gave me what I wanted. I actually got the Motorola Krazor phone instead for $49.99. So I have to say that I’m pretty happy with Verizon now. It goes to show you that sometimes you have to go just a little further to get what you want.
Posted: Mar 27th
Sometimes a little persistence goes a long ways. That and some yelling! Ha!
Last week I went to a Verizon Wireless store here in Dallas to see about getting a new phone. I explained to the sales rep that I had 9 months left on my current contract but I wanted to go from a Treo to a simple cell phone like the Razor. Side note: In addition to having a Treo I also have a Verizon broadband card. The sales rep said that since I still had 9 months left on my contract, I would have to pay full price for the Razor ($299.00 was the price in the store).
Needless to say I got pretty upset.
Even after I explained to the rep that I would be willing to sign a new 2 year agreement, still he said there was nothing he could do. So of course I storm out cursing (it was already a bad day for me, Ha!) My thought process was, here I am a current customer, paying quite a bit in service for my cell and also having a broadband card. The cancellation fee is $175.00. I’m thinking to myself, it would be cheaper for me to cancel service, go to another provider with my number and get the phone I want at probably a much more discounted rate for being a new customer. Plus I would obviously shut off my Verizon broadband card. So they would be losing all my business for roughly $230.00 difference in price from the full price of the razor to the discounted price. I decided to give them one more chance to step up and make good with me. So I get on the website and send an email to their customer service department explaining the above situation. Within 2 days I got a response telling me that I qualify for the annual phone replacement program or something to that nature. Long story short (I know, too late) Verizon made good with me and gave me what I wanted. I actually got the Motorola Krazor phone instead for $49.99. So I have to say that I’m pretty happy with Verizon now. It goes to show you that sometimes you have to go just a little further to get what you want.
Posted: Mar 27th
