Photo by John Gretz
From what I hear you may be feeling a bit like the Goldens in the photo. You’re panting from trying to keep up with all that is happening around you. One distributor down and its onto the next. You’re not alone as everyone is making their pitch to sell that next case of wine.
If you’re a dog lover like myself you understand the “look” that this fellow companion provides when they’re in need. As I look at the photo I see these guy’s saying “hey this …
What do you get when you have a pair of horses, plenty to eat, and naked vines?
A peaceful afternoon with the hint of spring in the air. With the past few weeks of long overdue rain the sun broke through and new life unveiled itself beneath a bright sunny sky today. I had just completed a meeting with a vintner and was getting ready to depart the winery when I looked beyond the trees and saw the horses on the hillside. I grabbed my camera and started …
So here I am standing in a vineyard soaking up the sunshine and the brilliant field of yellow before me. Mustard, the condiment that finds its way into many a dish and on bun alike paints another postcard for us in the Napa Valley. The wild mustard is in full bloom throughout the vineyards. This time of the year the vines themselves are catching a long winter nap but the mustard and other cover crops are growing …
The leading cause of depression is a feeling that you have no control over your situation. That’s how employees feel when they are kept in the dark about business results, when their performance has no direct correlation to outcomes, or when they have no clear guidance about where the company is headed.
The antidote to that feeling of helplessness is not Prozac, but information. Proper communication that involves meaningful information administered in the right dosage can do wonders for improving your team’s mental health. The more you can make everyone involved in addressing any business issues that might arise, the happier and more productive …
Last night I watched a 60 minutes interview with Chris Martin, lead singer of a popular band called Coldplay. They won three Grammys last night.
But the interesting part for me was what Chris said about how he judges the success of a new song. When he’s onstage performing, he can’t really see the crowd but he can clearly see the exit signs. When he starts a new song, he checks the exit doors to see how many silhouettes are in the doorway. If the doorway is empty, it means no one is leaving, and that indicates his song is a winner.
This is how …
With the fog in the hills and the wild mustard in the foreground I must be in the best place on Earth! So here I am on my way to the office and couldn’t pass up this opportunity to catch this shot. When I reflect on the seasons in the Napa Valley I never get tired of the views that unveil themselves throughout the year.
When I turn on the TV, read a newspaper or scan the Net all I see …
You can’t turn on the news without hearing about one “Ponzi scheme” or another. Who is this Ponzi guy and how did he get to be forever associated with defrauding little old ladies out of their life savings?
Well, the answer is on the SEC website. Apparently it all started with Charles Ponzi who duped New England residents out of funds using international mail coupons. Believe it or not, this happened in 1921. He promised a 40% return and would use money from one investor …
Wow, what a year! Even the best crystal balls didn’t see the brakes being put on the economy so quickly. That said, it is time to move forward and make sure you have your plans in place for 2009. This is no time to stick your head in the sand and hope it will pass without affecting your business. Everyone is going to be effected by this recession. Only the smart, nimble and quick to change will be able to …
I had the opportunity to discover a local insurance agent’s passion for astronomy. We had just wrapped-up our Junior Achievement board meeting when we were invited to enter into Gary’s other world. He had built a specially designed observatory. With its high-tech computer system it can track the planets and stars so you can quickly find them in the night sky.
Frankly, I have not been one to spend much time focusing on the night sky but I could hear the passion in Gary’s voice …
I’m not from around here. 
Napa Valley can be an intimidating place. If the idea of wine with its white tablecloths and sommeliers weren’t intimidating enough, there’s all of that terminology that you need to understand. There are “appellations” (not to be confused with the Appalachians) and “terroir” (which isn’t to be confused with terror unless you’re a southerner who doesn’t speak French very well.) I’ve barely managed to adapt to the new directional perspective required when the coasts changed sides from left to …
