Blog Articles

Almost always said in a disapproving tone of curiosity, people seem to have a hard time believing that a woman could be passionate about construction. “If I got a dollar for every time I was asked how I got into construction, I would be a wealthier woman. People's curiosity points to the fact that they mostly don't know any women in construction now, so the fact that I started almost 30 years ago is considered an amazing happening....especially since there was no divorce or male family pressure …

• Traits that make that person hirable. "Smart. Timely. Attention to Detail."
• Why do you describe them that way? Tell a story or give an example of how they proved to you that they are or have the traits that you described them as having.

Diversity is not just about differences. It is also about similarities—the things that people have in common. Leveraging similarities can be an asset in solving business issues and is often underutilized or abused with little in-between. 

Assuming that diversity means differences and similarities let me share with you where many companies go wrong with diversity. They miss the element of difference and only focus on similar or what is familiar. Familiar is safe, reduces immediate risk, and puts…

I have lost count of all of the different “types” of customer service and sayings about what customer service should be. Oh, and we can also add the different words for customer service and the actual customer! In the end, they all say the same thing, be nice to the people or companies that give you money.

When I was in Hawai’i, Oahu to be exact—and just so you know, there is no ‘w’ in O’ahu. I was there for a speaking gig and then magically it into a vacation. It was my first time there and wh…

This has become a “chick” question.

The female stereotype is that we obsess over this question every day and every time we need to change our outfit. But in reality, it is a question that we all ask ourselves every time we get ready to leave the house. Men tend to ask it subconsciously; women give it more conscious thought. Working in a male-dominated industry makes this question even more stressful!

As a minority, you are constantly under a microscope for things that are relevant and irreleva…

Communication is key to every relationship . . . open communication that is. As technologies change so do the ways, styles, and expectations of communication. This is particularly true with clients. As a business, you can make executive decisions about how your employees are to communicate with each other, but with clients . . . well that is a different story. In many cases, they tell you what works best for them, and communicating with them in their style of preference usually makes communicati…

For some, testimonials are what sell their business. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is finally catching up to the constantly evolving digital world. For the better part of a decade, the agency lagged a full Internet generation behind advertisers who saw online communications evolving faster than laws governing their fair use. Now the FTC is codifying and enforcing what were once only unwritten rules. As a result, companies caught crossing the bounds of appropriate online behavior now face ha…

Dustin Walling is a very good friend of mine who works with the construction and technology industries on the gap between management and experts within a company, or "performance management" as he calls it. Anyway, he wrote a great post about team building at a Caterpillar dealership that I want to share with you. Enjoy!

When Doug Fabick became the 4th generation owner of Fenton, MO-based Fabick CAT, a Caterpillar Tractor dealership, his father left him with one key piece of advice, “Build your …

Child-Safe Spoiler Alert

Dear Kids,

Have you ever wondered how Santa is able to visit every child in the world and sit in the mall for the whole month of December? If you were like me when I was young, then you are sitting there nodding and thinking yes. I have to admit that I “figured out” the whole Santa thing at an age that most parents would say is unfair. But what I didn’t know is what really happened—that took much longer to figure out and was revealed to me at the most unsuspecting time, …

I posted the below text about a year ago to get some feedback, when I was switching my site, I rediscovered it and wanted to share again. Hope you enjoy it and it gives you some great ideas for saying "Thank you" this year. Recognizing your employees (when done properly) is an incredible element of your culture. It can be a driving force that leads to the most amazing results. Your employees end up feeling like what they do matters. Happy employees lead to happier customers and better results fo…