Tabled Ideas

Putting it all on the table

Tabled Ideas Blog

Focusing at a Higher Level 1

philosophy

Focusing at a Higher Level

GTD HASN’T (YET) SAVED MY LIFE, BUT IT DID SAVE MY SANITY. Without the discipline of Getting Things Done, I would in a world of hurt right now. Last year, when we decided to close down Dream Dinners, the choice was incredibly easy because I was able to look at my horizons of focus and instantly see that the business no longer fit with my 40k and 50k horizons. GTD also allowed me to keep track of all the work of closing down and moving. Without that I would have, quite literally, had a nervous breakdown.

One Crazy Year 0

family

One Crazy Year

I HAD NO IDEA THAT ONE YEAR LATER, I WOULD BE WHERE I AM NOW. No longer a business owner, no longer a homeowner, and happier than I have been in quite some time. The only real constant has been my job. Even the family has had an addition and several subtractions. To describe the last 9 months as crazy is an understatement. Best to start at the beginning.

High Fructose Corn Syrup is the Tea of the Devil! Or is it? 0

food

High Fructose Corn Syrup is the Tea of the Devil! Or is it?

RECENTLY, I STARTED LISTENING TO STUFF YOU SHOULD KNOW, a podcast by the folks at HowStuffWorks. A recent episode on high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) caught my attention because it’s a hot topic in the food industry and in our family. When The Boss and I are shopping for food for Peanut, we keep an eye out for HFCS in the ingredients and avoid it as much as we can. And, of course, most of us have seen the ads recently that the Corn Refiners Association has run lately on how there’s nothing wrong with HFCS. We all know that’s...

Collecting My Thoughts 0

philosophy

Collecting My Thoughts

I DON’T CONSIDER MYSELF A CREATIVE PERSON. That’s not to say that I don’t have an original thought. It’s just that I always think of creativity associated with artists and visionaries, neither of which I count myself among. But since I’ve started working on getting things done in earnest, I’ve found that even just doing the first part, collection, opens the floodgates for new ideas.

Get a clue (train) about Social Media Marketing 1

work

Get a clue (train) about Social Media Marketing

THE BIG NEW BUZZ IS FIGURING OUT how to turn Twitter into cash. Everyone’s got a book, or a seminar, or a podcast, or a website about how to use Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, YouTube, blogs, and anything else that has the faintest whiff of social media about it to create marketing gold. Most of these so-called experts are completely missing the point. Social media is not about your business. It’s not about your product, and it sure as heck isn’t about your marketing, Madison Avenue or otherwise. It’s about your people.

A Fantastic New Loan Program From the SBA 0

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A Fantastic New Loan Program From the SBA

I WENT TO A SEMINAR HELD TONIGHT by the Hagerstown Economic Development Council and the Maryland branch of the Small Business Administration regarding the new America’s Recovery Capital (ARC) loan program that launched this week.  For those of you who have been in business for at least 2 years, this is an amazing opportunity that you don’t want to miss out on.  I’m going to give you some of the details from the meeting, as even most banks are not clear on the details of this program yet.

A Temporary Loss of Faith 0

work

A Temporary Loss of Faith

I had a moment of weakness the other day. The realization that summer is a slow time of year for our business, combined with the knowledge that we’re not operating in the black yet, hit home somewhat hard. Some might even call it a mini-meltdown. I lashed out at The Boss in IM. I got myself in a funk for the rest of the day. But sometimes that’s just what you need to clear your head and crystalize what it is we need to move forwards.

Passionate About Food 0

food

Passionate About Food

I love food, which is no surprise from looking at me. My tastes range from tender aged prime rib right down to a nice bowl of stovetop neon noodles. My father always says that I don’t look at the descriptions in a restaurant, I just look at the prices and pick the most expensive. Hardly true, but an indicator that I definitely appreciate the finer things on the plate. I would go so far as to say that I am passionate about eating, but not in the way you think.

Yet another person who has something to say 0

philosophy

Yet another person who has something to say

Decisions are made by those who show up. You can’t win if you don’t play. You’ve gotta risk big to win big. We’ve heard all the clichés over and over. We all know they’re true. Most of us still don’t listen.