Top Reasons Travel Managers Hesitate on Completing an Airfare Audit

1.You don’t want to tarnish your relationship with your travel agency: Auditing your agency not only helps you review their performance, but helps them improve. In depth communication about the audit should be done post audit. Review the reports with your agency and help them ensure they are booking the lowest fares.

2.It’s not in your budget: We recommend having money put aside in your budget for an annual audit. Your travel agency’s performance should be reviewed at least once a year for a minimum of three months.

3. You have a lot of airline contracts and your policy is in depth: We take all of your contracts and your travel policy into account throughout the audit.

4.Your travel agency tells you it significantly increases the time it takes them to book a PNR because of the additional information asked for by the auditing company: This is simply not true. At Topaz we ask for very limited additional information with the PNR. We have even done a non-bias study which resulted in showing on average it only takes an additional 25 seconds per record when being audited by Topaz.

5.You don’t think the audit will result in enough savings to outweigh the cost: Auditing your agency or online tool is about savings, but just as much about peace of mind. As a responsible Travel Manager you should be reviewing the work of your agency annually whether they are performing well or not.






Photo Courtesy of mylot.com

What we can learn from the 2011 Red Sox

Now that some time has passed, I can finally talk about my beloved Red Sox and their down fall. After realizing it was bound to happen, it’s even more disappointing. Something happened to the team this year; the organization made me sad and disappointed. In the spirit of learning from my own mistakes and others here’s what I think we can learn from the 2011 Red Sox:

-Money doesn’t buy talent…or World Series: Yeah, I know, “What about the Yankees?” but that’s exactly it…it didn’t always work for them either. It’s pretty crazy to think two Red Sox players make more than the entire Tampa Bay Rays roster combined and they’re the ones in the play offs. The Red Sox have the 3rd highest pay roll in baseball: 161 million dollars, and what did that get us? Money may buy the potential of talent, but actual “Its go time,” clutch talent….clearly not this time. How about the Orioles? They’d get nothing out of beating the Sox and played their hearts out in front of an almost empty stadium and beat us. Pretty sad when a team who doesn’t even have a chance of making the play offs has more passion to win then we do.

-Passion is obvious in person, on TV, and shows in everything you do: The amount of passion and energy you have for something is obvious to those around you. They almost always know when you don’t care at all or as much as normal. I saw it all season and towards the end…the lack of energy and passion of this year’s team. Where’d the team I know, go?

-Sometimes idiots and cowboys do it better: I think this one is self explanatory.

-It starts from the top: I’m not blaming this season on just one party. I think it was Epstein’s, Francona’s and the player’s faults. However, influence starts from the top. Discipline begins here. I mean, according to Boston Herald’s John Tomase, the Red Sox pitchers could drink beers on their off days in the Club House. EXCUSE ME??? You’re getting paid HOW much to drink AND lose? According to ESPN’s Jeremy Lundblad, in the final month of the season starters had a combined 7.08 ERA, the worst month for Sox starters in team history. Reliever Alfredo Aceves finished second on the team in innings pitched in Sept (25 IP, 1.80 ERA). This is just pathetic. Meanwhile, there chugging an ice cold beer while they watch their teammates give up hit after hit and walk after walk.

-Preparation is key: It’s no secret the Red Sox were out of shape. Part of the reason they couldn’t finish games. So tell me you tried your best but the other team had a great night and hit all your strikes. Tell me you tried your best but you bobbled that ground ball. You can’t tell me why you couldn’t lift a weight or run some sprints. That’s just pure laziness.

Never take advantage of those who admire your organization: The Red Sox have obviously lost Francona and may lose Epstein. Francona has made it obvious he tried to have many team meetings about the problems going on during the season and none of them produced results. He almost alluded to a lack of respect and therefore a lack of influence. He can take losing, but a lack of respect and guys that don’t care...I’m sure that pushed him over the edge. And how about Red Sox nation? If anyone can take losses, we can. We’ve taken them year after year and stuck by. However, we stick around because of the passion, the effort, the energy. Suck that out of the organization and it will change Red Sox nation forever.

As a lifelong Red Sox fan I truly hope this team pulls itself together and realizes what has happened this season and how damaging it could be if it keeps happening. One Red Sox I’d like to give a shout out: Dustin Pedroia. Why can’t they all just be more like him? When’s the last time anyone but Pedroia slid head first into first base? We’re lucky if anyone else even runs out their “hits!”

According to USA today:

"We went into September nine games ahead and look where we are right now," Ortiz said. "It can't get no worse than that. The way we were playing this month -- that's not a playoff team. Not without changes. Not how we played."

Afterward in the Red Sox locker room, designated hitter David Ortiz said "I can guarantee you that everyone in this room will learn from this."
I hope so Ortiz, I really hope so.


Is it me or were the Bruins meant to win the Stanley Cup this year? Without Red Sox play off baseball tonight I am more than amped to watch the opening game for the Bruins. In fact, if I was Theo Epstein I’d spend some money in the right place: Rent out a movie theater, put the Bruins game on and have your team watch what passion really is. Maybe they’ll remember. Maybe.

The Psych of Social

I recently attended a seminar in Boston at the Future M conference titled, “The Psych of Social.” Basically, this session explored the psychology behind social media. This session was interesting to me because it combined a physiological study with a panel of “social media experts.” I don’t put those quotations there to sound sarcastic. The truth is the panel was a group of extremely knowledgeable people who have studied social media for a long time. However, one thing I’ve learned about social media over time is that it is constantly changing. This constant flux makes anyone’s ‘knowledge’ seem timely to the moment they share their advice. Even members of the panel had different opinions about social media. In fact, I think everyone has their own ‘opinion’ about social media and these ‘opinions’ have been deemed, ‘knowledge.’ Who is kidding who, if someone asked me if I was a social media expert, I’d say, “sure.”
I mean, I studied it a few summers ago, wrote an e-book about it, and am in charge of social media strategy at my company… so I guess I’m an ‘expert’ too?

Anyways, I think that’s why I find the psychological aspect of social media so interesting. This seminar got down to the nitty gritty about why people make the decisions they do and act the way they do via social media. For example: That person that ‘friends’ you on Facebook that you haven’t spoken to in 10 years…what makes you ‘accept’ them and someone else ‘deny’ them? Do you get a certain ‘self worth’ out of your friend count increasing? Do you think you have something to gain from connecting with this person? Do you feel it is ‘pointless’ to accept them? Do you feel too good for them? Does someone ‘friending’ you that you wouldn’t speak to in real life if you saw them somewhere seem creepy or pointless to you? Why does someone update their status a million times, while someone else never does? How is the shyest person you ever knew up-dating their status 50 times a day? Would people say what they say behind a computer in front of someone’s face?

One of the members on the panel even described herself as, “Having a love affair with Twitter.” She said nothing could ever break her away from Twitter but she was scared because she noticed, “Google + may have a chance and be the first thing that could end her love affair with Twitter.” Which brings up another question: What makes someone so engulfed in social media they have a “love affair with it?”

All I know is technology of the future, more specifically the capability of the iphone 5, was discussed and what’s to come is pretty crazy! I can’t even decide how I feel about it. I think I feel like it’s a mix of creepy and awesome. Does that even make sense? The technology is clearly “stalkerish” but so advanced you almost don’t care because A-you want to be a part of something so innovative and B-you wonder if the word ‘stalker’ will really have any significance anymore because everyone will be stalking everyone.

All I have to say is I swore I’d never use Facebooks ‘locations’ app. That lasted about a month and once I saw other ‘normal’ people doing it…I was in! Obviously, I use it all the time now. The psych of social…so much to be discovered.

GBTA 2011-Denver, CO

Topaz attended the annual GBTA conference in Denver, CO August 21st-24th. We set up a booth where current and potential clients could visit us to learn more about what we do and how we can help them. My favorite part about GBTA is getting to meet some of the clients I’ve been e-mailing with for months. It’s so nice to put a name to a face and connect in person. It really reminds me of the value of personal communication face to face and reminds me why I love visiting clients for client reviews.

One of the challenges we face at GBTA is that we are a very small fish in a very big pond. Our booth is much smaller than many of the other participants, mostly very large companies in the travel industry. This year we tried to fly blue balloons with our logo high above our booth to help people find us, but I think even those may have gotten lost in the mix.

Some of you know our CEO Brad Seitz; he is known for being outgoing and always being himself. He walked around the convention floor for much of the time we exhibited in a Loud Mouth Golf Sport coat. (See photos) This is probably the thing that attracted the most attention to our booth. Even the people who thought it was crazy still seemed to like it.

As we looked back and reflected on GBTA this past week we are thinking of some new ideas for next year. The convention is in Boston. Brad lives in Maine and I live in NH, so it’s kind of our “home turf.” We may not even do a booth next year. We love walking around and meeting people and thinking, “outside the box.” We hate to confine ourselves to a tiny space where you have to find us. We may just walk around as suppliers next year or maybe host a unique event. We’d love to hear from all of you and hear your opinions on where you’d like to see us or what you’d like to see us do.

I’d like to thank all of the clients who visited our booth. It was a great meeting with you and learning more about what you do and letting you know where Topaz fits in. I’d also like to thank our friends (Especially those at T&T) for all of your hospitality. Thank you everyone for your time and energy.

So, here’s to new opportunities, new beginnings and Bean town; where we hope you can find a place to Pawhk your renta Cawh and we show you a wicked good time.

PS: This is ahr yeahr, Red Sawx aull the wahy.

Cheers,

MySUPERMe

For those of you reading this 20 years old or older you remember the days of flashlight tag, red light/green light, pickup basketball games, wiffle ball, freeze tag, chalk, hula hooping, skate boarding, sledding, running through sprinklers, hide and seek, and capture the flag. You remember coming home from school and changing out of your “school clothes” as fast as possible so you could put on the clothes you didn’t mind getting “grass stained.” On Friday night all the neighborhood kids gathered to play one of the above mentioned games. We all begged our parents to stay out later and later. When it was time to come home our parents yelled our names or rang a cowbell. We walked back through the woods to where we all lived only to wake up to next morning to go swimming in someone’s pool.

So what’s happened? Ask someone 10 years old about the games above or what they do for fun nowadays and you’ll hear a much different synopsis. It’s 3pm and you’ve just gotten home from school. Your fingers hurt from texting all day, but you run right to the computer to sign onto Facebook. After an hour of browsing people’s statuses you decide to head to your room to play Xbox 360. That lasts a few hours before you decide you’ve had enough and you pick up your cell phone to chat with your friend who tells you she just tweeted something hysterical that you have to see. You log into Twitter and begin reading the latest tweet from Charlie Sheen. You look up, it’s dark out, and you head to bed; but not without bringing you computer and cell phone with you into bed; after all, you haven’t played Words With Friends yet today.

As many of you know, I am actually a big proponent of social media and technology, especially for business. I’m part of all of the social media sites I just mentioned. However, what most of you may not know is that I also see the negative affect it is having on young children all over the world. For all the good it brings, we can’t forget the bad. Children are no longer being active and staying healthy, they’re barely seeing sunlight! The affect this can have on them is disastrous.

Take for example, an article I read this week; “Playing Video Games Without a Break Can Kill You.” Chris Staniforth died this may after staying up all night playing Xbox 360.

"A coroner has discovered that Chris — who had studied to become a game designer — suffered from deep vein thrombosis (DVT). That is, a blood clot formed in his left calf and then moved to his lungs, which caused a pulmonary embolism. He was on his way to an IT job interview when he collapsed and died.
DVT is the same condition they warn you about when you're going to be stuck on a long-haul flight.
The man's father — David Staniforth — told BBC News that his son was an avid "Halo" fan who would often spend up to 12 hours straight playing games on Xbox Live.
"Sitting still is literally the danger zone," David Staniforth said. "Chris loved to play and would stay up all night. Millions of people worldwide are playing these games for hours, and there is a risk."

While this may seem like a far fetch the risk is there!! This is what not moving can do to our bodies!!

So what can we do about it? How can we encourage children to get away from technology and get active?

One thing we can do is what my friend and entrepreneur Caitlin Fenn has put her energy into! “Fenn” has decided enough is enough when it comes to children not being active. She is the founder and president of the startup company “My SUPER Me.” My SUPER Me is the next generation movement based video game that can be played anywhere. My SUPER Me is the first platform built for kids 6-10 years old which encourages, verifies, and rewards real world play! Caitlin has found a way to reach out to children in the technologically savvy environment they’re used to, while encouraging them to leave that environment, try something fun and active and get rewarded for it!

My SUPER Me is just getting underway so if you have kids or know kids who would benefit from trying it (which is like…umm…every kid) ask them to visit the website and give their parents e-mail address to sign up!

You can also visit the MySuperMe Facebook page and read all of the favorite childhood games and outdoor activities fans are posting. You may even be able to give your own kids some ideas of what they could do tonight!

Caitlin is making a difference and is contributing to making our next generation of children become active again. There’s nothing more important than our health. What can you do to help?

St. Jude's/ Fitness for a Cure Part 2....

A little over 6 months ago I wrote a post about the upcoming St. Jude's fundraiser I was attending in Massachusetts. The fundraiser turned out to be just as amazing as I expected it to be. That night the Fitness for a Cure Gala raised $300,000 and became the biggest fundraiser in New England. It’s no secret as to why when you consider Sherri Sarrouf and the people who are part of Fitness for a Cure. The thing that is really special about the group is that they don’t just organize a fundraiser a few months out of the year, they are involved with St. Jude’s year round and are always working to help make each child’s life a little better. One of the events Fitness for a Cure participates in is traveling from New England to St. Jude’s in Memphis, TN and performing dance routines for the patients and families. While they are there they interact with many of the families and learn about many of the children’s’ battles with their illnesses and their stories. One of the best parts about this group is that they take these stories home with them and not only share them with others (such as myself) but make an effort to stay in contact with many of the children they meet. Yesterday I received an e-mail about one of the patients they met while at St. Jude’s a few weeks ago and the story about their interaction. I’d like to share this story with you. While the Fitness for a Cure group was at St. Jude’s they met a 10 year old boy named Evan who is currently fighting stage 4 high risk neuroblastoma. One day while they were there, the members of the Fitness for a Cure dance team were able to show off some of their dance moves to Evan and his mom. Later on in the day his mom confessed it was the first time she’d seen Evan laugh and smile in weeks. They were able to attend the Fitness for a Cure performance the next day and spent the whole day with the team. As Sherri said, “It was one of those times where the family just wanted to stay with our team.” Eventually the Fitness for a Cure team had to leave Memphis but was committed to staying in touch with Evan. When they got back they heard he wasn’t doing well so they sent him a video. Evan responded and sent this video back. (If that doesn’t make you smile, I don’t know what will.) Last night the Fitness for a Cure team sent Evan a video back, a bad dancing competition for him to judge.(You know he’ll have fun with that!) Sherri and her team are the perfect example of what I was trying to convey in my previous post; what is truly means to build relationships with people. That is why Fitness for a Cure is so special. The relationships they build with children at St. Jude’s and the lives they touch are invaluable. I think that as business professionals, but more importantly as people we can only hope to build relationships as simple and special as the ones Fitness for a Cure does. If you want to follow Evan on his journey please visit his Caring Bridge site and say a prayer for him. The Thomason family greatly appreciates all of the prayer and support they receive.

Creating Content That Builds; Not Sells

One of the things I’ve always tried to focus on when putting together marketing materials for Topaz is not wasting anyone’s time. We send one e-mail a week, always on the same day (Tuesday) to our database. My goal is always to make it something relevant, something that could be potentially useful to the receiver and something I believe in. Being in a sales and marketing role sometimes you’re perceived as someone who will spew any information and hope someone grabs a hold of it and you can create a sale out of it.

One of the best ways I’ve learned about how useless “sales pieces” can come off is by receiving many of them in my own e-mail in-box and telephone voice mail. Every day I receive at least one sales e-mail or call from a representative at a company asking me to buy something or tell me more about it. These are a few of the things I notice from these calls and e-mails and a few mistakes I try not to make when marketing to our clients.

•Don’t e-mail or call me if I’m not part of the cliental that would ever do business with you. You have to at least do a little research to have a target audience. Don’t call me and ask me to buy a pool float when I audit corporate travel. I never fully blind e-mail or call anyone. I only contact those who are in our database from doing business with us, those who have contacted us or those who have a large corporate travel volume and who I think will genuinely benefit from our services. I also never call anyone before I’ve researched what they do and their previous business history with us. If you are going to blind call me, know something about me that is relevent to the call. I’m telling you, this extra quick research can make all the difference.

•Please make the subject line and at least the first couple sentences of your e-mail or phone call interesting. “Dir sir/madam,” “To whom this may concern” “Are you looking for any of the following….” DELETE. Use my name, ask me a relevant question specific to me, have a top 10 list….just something that at least makes me read the first paragraph of what you have to say! I try to focus on engaging our clients from the moment they see the subject line of the e-mail. There are many people that delete e-mails without opening them, so at least give yourself a chance by making the subject line worth opening.

•Don’t always ask me or tell me something, GIVE me something. I love getting free content, white papers, research, survey answers…..anything that I can use and learn from is clutch. I don’t have free content to send in every e-mail, but I at least send something of high value to my clients for free every couple of weeks. The weeks in between I try to at least ask them important questions, and communicate items of interest to them that they may not have known before.

•Let me unsubscribe! Don’t make me e-mail you and ask you to stop e-mailing me. Don’t waste your time e-mailing people every week that just delete your e-mails. Have an unsubscribe button so those not interested can do so in a quick and easy manner!

•Always have a call to action and multiple ways to reach you! If someone is interested in what you have to say they want to know what to do next. I always try to direct our clients of what to do next if they like what they see. I also list every possible way to reach us including e-mail, phone number, website, and all of our social media sites. The easier you make it for people to reach you, the quicker they will.


•Believability: If I think you believe in something and are sincere about it, I’m much more likely to believe in it also! It’s the language you use, the way you write, the way you format your e-mail…it all affects believability. Focus on this, even if it takes a little extra time!

I always want my clients to know that I am sending them something because I believe they may be truly interested in it, I’ve retrieved their contact information from a reliable source and think they are a good target for what I am sending. I want to grab their attention from the moment they see it and hope to creatively ask them the right questions. I genuinely enjoy giving them free content they can use because that is how you build relationships. Not by selling, but by gaining trust from those in your target market that what you do is valuable, the service you provide is superior, and that you genuinely believe your product or service can help them. I don’t want to waste anyone’s time. If they don’t want to read our content, I will not be offended if they unsubscribe. It saves us both time and money! I actually appreciate it. The one thing I would add to an unsubscribe button is a “reason box” which asks why the client unsubscribed. I’m all for learning from your own clients! Listening to the negative to create positive change! I want all of our clients to find contacting us extremely simple. I want them to know I will always pick up a phone, return a voicemail, respond to an e-mail, respond to a question on Facebook or our website…whatever it is; I always try to respond as promptly and as informatively as possible. I believe in what Topaz does. I believe what we do genuinely helps our clients and is something that no one else can do as well as us. I hope that comes across in every piece of “marketing material” I send out. In the end, most importantly, I want to build relationships with our clients, not just sell. I think building those relationships eventually creates sales, as opposed to trying to sell someone and then have a surface level relationship to complete the transaction. I look forward to meeting new people, working with them, gaining their trust, and allowing them to see what I see in Topaz.

Risk

I believe that taking risks is a good thing. Of course, I should specify calculated risks. I’ve taken many different risks throughout my life involving many different things. I think I got this instinct from my parents. However, it’s funny looking back comparing my own risks to those of my parents. When my parents were 25 and 32 they were taking risks that I’m not sure I would have the guts to take now or in 10 years.
When my mom was 25 she and my dad decided to build and open a restaurant in south Nashua, NH. Both my dad and mom had a background in the restaurant business, working in them and managing them for many years. My parents made good money at what they did. However, to continue their dream of opening their own restaurant they had to be willing to give up everything to finance their project.

In 1984 my mom’s father and grandfather both died unexpectedly within a month of each other; she had a pre-mature baby (my older sister) and lived in an apartment with my dad and his two sons,with frequent visits from my grandmother and my great grandmother. Her and my dad had one car between them. As my dad would say, “They didn’t have two sticks to rub together.” They financed the opening of the restaurant and were almost at their breaking point when they opened the doors. However, it was their dream and a risk they knew they wanted and had to take at that point.

The restaurant was a huge success. My parents went on to build their own home, have their second child (me), stay in business 18 years, (Before selling to Hooter's) and help put four kids through college. There were definitely years at the restaurant that were better than others, but my parents always kept working hard and persevered until better times and continued to take calculated risks.

After my parents sold the restaurant they went on to find careers as a realtor and a mortgage broker. Both of their salaries are based entirely on commission and they are doing just fine. There is something about risk that I think keeps flowing through your blood. Once you take your first big risk and succeed it's like you're no longer scared to fail. You're ready for the next one, the next one, and the next one. The combination of not being scared to fail and being a hard worker are deadly, unstoppable.

I think at the end of the day if we really want to do something worth doing, it’s probably going to take some significant risk. If you look at some of the most successful people or the people who brought some of the most significant technology to the world; they all took significant risks. How would YOU like to stand outside with a kite and a metal key in your hand during a thunder and lightning storm? I'm glad someone did.

We all have passions we will want to pursue and struggles we will face trying to pursue them. We will all have risks we’ll have to decide to take throughout the process. At the end of the day, you’ll most likely regret not going after the things you dream about. Don’t be scared to not have “Two sticks to rub together,” for a while; It’s a common part of a great risk.

Learning Lessons from The King

Through all of his debauchery there are a few things we can learn from King James.

James came into the NBA straight out of high school. While his basketball skills proved more than ready, it seems he was missing out on some of the maturity he needed. Whether that be his “decision” making skills, communication skills, PR skills, Hiring the correct people who can help you in these areas skills...Lebron was obviously greatly lacking many skills he needed to be truly respected in the NBA. The first thing LBJ taught us: Know when you’re ready for something and know when you’re not. Know what the “entire package” entails and be ready for every aspect of what you commit to, not just one. You can be the most talented player in the NBA, but with the worst attitude, not a lot of people are going to be buying your jersey.

When Lebron asked ESPN to give him an hour to make “the decision,” some think that was his worst career move yet. I mean, it can’t get much worse? Or can it? Not to mention he tried to say the entire production was to raise money for children. I think he has enough money to simply hand it to the Boys & Girls club and doesn't need an hour on ESPN to do it. Just sayin'. How does he explain the charade of him, Bosh, and Wade at the American Airlines arena strutting down a platform last July to show off the “new trio?” If you’re going to be good at something, be humble about it. With anything you do, no matter how good you are, you have to be humble. The humble professionals always win the hearts of those around them. Thanks for reminding us the hot heads usually lose the fans, Lebron. You never saw Jordan or Bird pulling these kind of shenanigans.

Once Lebron had committed to the Miami Heat he guaranteed an NBA championship. (Actually, more than one..) I don’t think I need to describe what happened next. This one is simple….don’t overpromise. I mean, really.

LBJ’s quote of the year came last night when asked by the media what he thought about the people who wanted him to fail:

"At the end of the day, all the people that were rooting on me to fail, at the end of the day, they have to wake up tomorrow and have the same life that they had before they woke up today, They have the same personal problems they had today. I'm going to continue to live the way I want to live and continue to do the things that I want to do with me and my family and be happy with that."

So basically your response to “fans” after not winning an NBA championship you guaranteed, “Oh well, I’m still rich, and you’re still poor compared to me.” YIKES. Talk about a communications blunder; one of about a million this year for James. I think we can all learn two simple things from yet another awful interview for Lebron: 1. Think before you speak. 2: Don’t drastically insult or mock those that support you and pay your salary on national television.

It’s sad, really, when you think about it. A phenomenal basketball player, but in so many ways, doesn’t know what it takes to truly be a professional. Oh well, at the end of the day, he had to wake up a loser today, not me; Looks like he needed to bring a little more talent to South Beach.

Big VS Small Companies

It is interesting to think of people’s perceptions of big vs small companies. I think most of the time people get worried about working with smaller companies that may not have the best or most advanced websites. What will the service be like? Can I rely on them? What if they do not meet my expectations, is their any liability?
Many people often stick with larger companies whose brand they recognize, whose website is advanced, and whose policies are set in place.

What I’ve learned over the last year is that often times I end up receiving better customer service, a better product or service, and relability with small companies then I have with larger companies.

This year at Topaz we’ve taken some time to search out a few suppliers whom we had never done business with and who only had a few employees each. Some we found through their websites, and some through referrals.
Here are a few examples of small companies we’ve worked with over the last year who have really impressed us:

Nils Myers-152 West Productions: We hired Nils from across the country on a website search, without a referral. Yes, most people would call us crazy, but after looking through his website and speaking with him on the phone I just had a good feeling. Our CEO Brad was going to be giving a presentation in California and we needed a videographer in that area. We hired Nils to film Brad and then edit the videos so we could use them on our Youtube channel and for other marketing purposes. Nils was professional from the beginning of the transaction until the end. He was timely throughout the entire project and presented us with great video footage.

Kim-Seven Thirty Three Custom Blog Design: I needed an up-grade to my blog design and I needed it bad and quick. Kim to the rescue! I heard of Kim through a friend’s blog who had her blog re-designed by Kim. I quickly browsed through Kim’s website and portfolio and knew she was the designer for me. Within 48 hours Kim had my blog re-designed exactly the way I wanted it. Her operationally efficency from deposit, to design, to final payment was flawless. She is talented and knows how to run a business, a deadly combination for success.

Jim Meegan-Jim Meegan Video Productions: So full disclosure here: Jim is my brother-In-law. However, that is not why I chose to have him do our videos. I would never suggest someone to my boss who I didn’t think would do a phenominal job. Jim is a videographer in the Boston area who does a variety of videogprahy work from weddings, businesses, events, education, etc. He is also a videographer for every Boston Red Sox home game. I knew from seeing Jim’s work that he would produce something amazing at a great price. He rented a studio and filmed segment videos of Brad and I to use as marketing pieces on our website. He even showed up with a teleprompter. Jim comes highly recommended, not from a family member, but from a satisfied client. Check out his work for yourself on his blog.

Amber Singleton Riviere-Give Back Project Amber is in charge of a really neat project that offers marketing, website analysis and design services to small businesses and entrepreneurs at a low cost. Her goal is for the entrepreneur to eventually be able to be self reliant and up-date the site themselves. She has a great portfolio and great testimonials. We had her analyze our website to get her professional opinions on possible revisions. She responded promptly and with insightful ideas. Amber has a great mission and continually succeeds at fulfilling it.


To all of the small businesses above, thank you for all of your great work. You are the true definition of how sometimes small companies do better work than big companies and are just as, if not more reliable.

Too Fat to Fly?

I read an interesting article today/watched an interesting video.

The article was about two women who were about to get on a Southwest flight but were told they were, “Too fat to fly.” Apparently the Southwest employee was very rude to them and not discrete.

One thing I learned from this article that I never realized was that Southwest actually has a policy that if you can’t fit in the seat (more than 17” wide) you have to buy two seats. I found this pretty interesting because I always thought that was a sensitive subject but never knew a policy addressing it actually existed. Here are some questions I have:

-What if someone buys one seat, gets to the airport, is wider than 17” and there are no extra seats left for them to buy? Can they not get on the flight?

-Which part of the body are they measuring for 17” wide? I know there are some people with some pretty broad backs’ and shoulders out there….

-If they buy two seats could they buy the aisle and the window…so the person in the middle is still next to them anyways?

-How do they represent the second seat is reserved?

-Where is this policy on the Southwest website? I couldn’t find it. I even tried to book a flight and read the “rules” before purchasing my ticket.

I’m definitely interested in learning more about Southwest’s policy and how it works operationally, as well as learning about other airlines with policies addressing this issue.

What are your thoughts on this subject?

Social Media Version 2.0?

I’ve been thinking more and more about social media lately, specifically some changes I’ve noticed. I think part of my attention has been focused on this due to the recent events happening in the world. When major news stories break it seems everyone has something to say about it, whether on their Facebook statuses or through Tweets. I still think one of the coolest things is finding out who the first person to live Tweet about something is right as it has happened. I think back to the first Tweet from the US Airways crash on the Hudson and the most recent Tweeter @ReallyVirtual who realized, “Uh oh, now I’m the guy who live-blogged the Osama raid without knowing it.”

One of the things I’ve been recently considering is coming out with version 2.0 of my e-book "Social Media: Tools, Applications and Measurements for the Corporate Travel Industry." Or I’m thinking instead of writing version 2.0 of that book, I may just start a new e-book about social media in general. Possibly addressing the amount of changes that have occured over the last two years. It seems so much has changed and so fast. I wrote that version less than 2 years ago and sometimes I feel social media changes on a daily basis.

Another thing about social media is that it seems everyone has an opinion on it. Frequently, those opinions are very different. Often the sites we like best or find most useful are simply personal preference, simply what we’re willing to dedicate our time too. However, the one thing I think that will always remain the same is that the ultimate goal of social media is to engage people. Whether that is current clients or just random everyday people. People remember the people and brands that engage them. They remember things that actually make them want to stop and look, listen or participate.

What do you feel has been the most engaging social media campaign so far in 2011? Recently I came across this Tostitos Facebook campaign that I think is really neat and defines engaging. What a cool way to get people involved.

New Blog Design!

I am very excited to announce my re-designed blog! I have been wanting to do this for a while but wanted to find the right person to do it. I can't say enough good things about my blog designer 733 Custom Blog Design. Kim was amazing. She re-designed the blog quickly, was creative, and knew what I wanted with me barely having to tell her. I highly recommend her to anyone looking to re-design their blog.

Looking forward to up-coming posts on the re-designed "Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes." Feel free to enter your e-mail address on the right to subscribe to the blog and be notified whenever I publish a new post.

Thanks!

Travel Industry Inconsistency

Like many of you, most of my thoughts about the travel industry come from actual experiences I’ve had traveling. I don’t know if I’m more observant or aware of what’s going on around me because I’m in the industry, but I assume that is the case. I am always analyzing my travel experiences and during my last trip this was no different.

One of the things I consistently notice which was brought to my attention again on my latest trip is the inconsistency of the travel industry. By this I mean….you never know what you’re going to get. One of the most poignant examples of this in my travel experiences has always been; multiple flights on one airline. While you fly with the same company, each flight is often a differently configured plane, as well as a different staff. However, my question being: If it’s the same company don’t we all expect the same consistency? Consistency within culture at least? Very, very often, this does not happen.

My latest experience of this inconsistency was with Southwest. I flew on a direct Southwest flight on the way to my first destination. On the way home I flew on a connecting Southwest flight. Essentially, I was on three different Southwest planes. However, Southwest has an advantage in the consistency game, because one thing you can guarantee is that each plane looks the same. However, what I learned on my last trip was consistency is much more than the configuration of a plane. Here was my experience on all 3:

Flight #1: I got an e-mail prior to my flight that this aircraft would have wireless so to bring my wireless electronics and I could pay an introductory rate of $5 to use the Internet. This reminder was essential to me as I was questioning bringing my lap top, I-pad, etc. This flight boarded and took off on time and was made up of a professional, standard crew. Not anything awful, not anything great; a very standard flight all around. Which I guess in this day in age, should be considered pretty great.

Flight #2: This flight had no wireless Internet. It boarded and took off on time as well. However, this flight crew was hysterical. They were friendly, funny, sang songs over the intercom, and made funny jokes. They were honestly…awesome. They were the typical laid back Southwest atmosphere. I remember when I used to be scared when they did this that they were “too unprofessional” and too focused on jokes instead of the safety of the plane and passengers. However, once I realized this was Southwest’s “culture” and I had had plenty of great experiences with Southwest, I learned to appreciate it.

Flight #3: This flight boarded two hours late (not Southwest’s fault.) As I boarded the plane, to my surprise I see written on the outside that the aircraft it is Wi-Fi enabled. Where was my reminder e-mail Southwest? Luckily, I was on my way home and had my electronics with me due to the first flight. When we got onto the plane the staff immediately came around and wrote down our drink orders. My travel companion and I each ordered an alcoholic beverage. When the drinks came we were not asked to pay. The assumption was made they were doing this because the plane was delayed? However, why wouldn’t they tell us that? At any point? If they really wanted to reward passengers for their trouble why didn’t they announce they were giving everyone a free drink? What about all of the passengers that didn’t order a drink because of the price? End tangent. About 15 minutes into the flight when we were told we could use electronic devices I pulled out my I-pad and tried to sign onto the Internet. After trying for about 10 minutes, to my surprise, it was not connecting. It had worked so easily on the first flight I was confused. I asked a flight attendant who said she was unsure why it didn’t work, “Maybe because the captain never turned it on?” 10 minutes later she came back and said he had just forgotten to turn it on and now we could use it. So basically I ended up paying $5.00 for 40 minutes of Internet.

So Southwest after my recent flights with you my questions about consistency are the following:

-Where was my friendly, upbeat, funny Southwest staff on flights 1 and 3? Isn’t this part of your culture? Shouldn’t this attitude be consistent across flight staff?

-Where was my e-mail that told me plane #3 had wireless so I could prepare my electronics and any work I needed to do?

-Where was the announcement about the free drinks after our 2 hour delay on flight #3? Where was any personal indication to me of why I didn’t have to pay?

-Where was my internet on flight #2? It was longer than flight #3. Why not have Wi-Fi on all your planes? It is 2011; we do send people to the moon. To me, Wi-Fi is a game changer; I would fly another airline in a heartbeat if they had Wi Fi on all of their flights. I know you’re not a “corporate travel airline” but trust me; there were some parents who could’ve used some entertainment and something to distract their noisy children.


There is a reason McDonald’s is the biggest real estate holder in the world. The reason is consistency. Southwest, you’re about to celebrate 40 years of success in the industry, the culture your built upon is great, but it can’t only be sometimes. It has to be all the time. A Big Mac can’t taste different if I go to a McDonald’s in New Hampshire or a McDonald’s in Florida. When you have a good product or service, consistency is everything.


Southwest, I want more of this.

The Value of a Face to Face Meeting

I’ve always believed there is strong value in a face to face meeting. It seems crazy that in today’s world a face to face meeting has become unique because it is so rare. Between the phone, e-mails, texting, Skype, webinars and web conferences it seems that “reaching” people without contact is the new goal of many of the most successful product developers today. I mean think about it: We now have a way to turn on our cars via our cell phones hundreds of miles away. We have eliminated the need for the human hand to turn a key in the ignition.
To me, meeting face to face gives people the ability to truly see facial expressions, body language, and even a simple smile. It also promotes the idea of conversation without delay. Many people feel technology based meetings are more productive based on spending less money traveling to meet with clients. While this is true, the amount that can be accomplished in a face to face meeting can be leaps and bounds above what can be accomplished in an e-mail or text.
I’m excited to announce that even though Topaz is a virtual company with our leadership team located all over the US, we will be launching a campaign to visit many of our clients in our geographically based areas. I am personally very excited to meet many of the clients in person I’ve spoken with on the phone and e-mailed with. I truly think there is nothing like being able to have a conversation with someone face to face.
If you’re interested in meeting with a Topaz representative please call me at 503-651-4300 Ext. 317, or e-mail me at jillian.walsh@etopaz.com. I’d love to meet with you.









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A Simple Hello

What a difference a simple hello can make. Everyone says it’s all about networking, and it is. The funny thing is, so many people let others walk by them in a social or business setting and can’t even give a simple, “hello;” a simple acknowledgement of the other person’s existence. I don’t know about you but for me when someone smiles at me and says hi, especially when they don’t know me, it makes all the difference.

If I’m walking by a booth at a tradeshow and I look someone directly in the eye and they don’t look at me and not a word is spoken it’s really disheartening. Even if I’m not planning on stopping, a simple, “Hello,” would be nice. If I was thinking of stopping, it wasn’t very inviting to not get acknowledged.

Have you ever walked into a restaurant, walked up to the host booth and had the host be having a conversation with two other hosts or servers, or better yet, the manager? I’ve stood there for so long at some restaurants I’ve had to be the one to acknowledge them.

I went out to eat recently with someone and after great service and a great meal we walked out, looked at each other and said, “Those employees are trained very well on customer service.” We both had the same reaction because as we walked in and out, every single employee we came in contact with said hello, or goodbye, and told us to have a goodnight. The host immediately greeted us when we walked in, as we walked upstairs to the lounge a random server said hello, when we sat down our server immediately greeted us, as we were eating the manager came by to see how we were doing, when we were walking out we ran into a chef who thanked us and told us to have a good night, and this one had to be the best: We were two feet from the door and there was a cook who was getting out of work, had his jacket on and it made it a POINT to stop, thank us, and tell us to have a great night. All of this stood out to me. All of them were simple greetings, but none the less made me feel welcome, valued, and made the atmosphere of the restaurant friendly and enjoyable.

So basically, I just had to put “the simple hello” on a pedestal for a minute, or maybe longer, since that’s where it belongs.

Expense Reports & Ancillary Fees

I’ve been thinking about these subjects a lot recently so here are some questions to throw out there to the blogging world:

-How do you keep track of ancillary fees?

-Do your expense reports have a “miscellaneous” category?

-How do you know expenses in the” miscellaneous” category are within policy?

-How much do “miscellaneous” expenses seem to add up to every month?

-Do you have a certain monetary threshold travelers have to reach before they have to submit a receipt(s) with their expense report?

-Are your travelers aware of what an ancillary fee is? Is this outlined in your policy?

-Do you participate in ancillary fee research and analysis?

-Who is responsible for such research?

-How often do you have someone go through your receipts and expense reports to make sure they are accurate and within policy?

-What is the difference in your travel spending from 2006 to 2011? What is the impact from ancillary fees?

The Importance of Your Health

I’m going to take a minute to blog about something that I think is really important. One might say it’s not related to auditing, marketing, or business, but I say it’s related to everything we do. It’s important and essential to be mindful of this topic if you want to be able to live a healthy life which will allow you to succeed in business and have relationships with those you love.
This is an excerpt from a blog post that stuck me hard this morning. It is written by a woman named Brooke. I haven’t stopped thinking about it since I read it. It hits so close to home for a few reasons:

-This isn’t a doctor telling me about how important my health is; this is someone who has experienced the consequences of forgetting that first hand.

-My grandfather died of a heart attack suddenly at age 52, when my mom was my age. He was experiencing chest pain, went to the hospital, they did an EKG which showed everything was fine, so they sent him home. The next day he dropped dead of a heart attack. Him and my grandmother were in the middle of building a home on the Cape, my mom was just married, pregnant with my sister and her grandfather died a month later.

-The recognition that Brooke’s husband was 34 years old. Everyone thinks paying attention to this stuff doesn’t matter until you’re older..as she expresses it matters now!

-The way she mentioned processed foods as such a problem. We have so many processed foods these days. And I eat so many of them!!

So here is Brooke's post:

I’m in my angry phase again. I feel like there is no good or valid reason that Andie had to die. It could have been prevented a thousand ways.

Allow me to step onto my soapbox for a moment. Heart disease is one of the number one causes of death in America; it is largely because of our terrible diets and lack of exercise. After talking with the coroner about his death I learned that what killed him was a combination of genetic factors (predisposition for high cholesterol and heart disease) combined with a poor diet and lifestyle factors that only contributed to more high cholesterol and heart disease. His official cause of death was not even a heart attack. It was severe blockage of his coronary arteries (a condition called atherosclerosis) that led to his heart not being able to get blood and oxygen as needed. Basically, the coronary artery became blocked over time due to cholesterol and eventually it closed up completely- and he died. Because he ate like crap for most of his life! At only 34!

My concern is that people don’t take their health, diets, and exercise seriously enough. Especially when we’re young and think stuff like this only happens to older people. It only takes small changes to make a big impact. One small change we can all make is to eat less sugar-refined sugar, fructose, high fructose corn syrup, all forms of it!

Here is something I found while looking into this issue. It’s from www.healingdaily.com. Not the most “medical” sight, but I liked the simple list they put together about the dangers of sugar. I’ve put asterisks by the conditions that Andie had; all things that contributed to his death according to the coroner. He ate a diet high in processed foods and sugar until he started dieting about 10 months before he died. I believe with all my heart that if he had made lifestyle changes a lot earlier if it would’ve been a different outcome.

Sugar can suppress the immune system.
Sugar can upset the body's mineral balance.
Sugar can contribute to hyperactivity, anxiety, depression, concentration difficulties, and crankiness in children.
***Sugar can produce a significant rise in triglycerides.
Sugar can cause drowsiness and decreased activity in children.
***Sugar can reduce helpful high density cholesterol (HDLs).
***Sugar can promote an elevation of harmful cholesterol (LDLs).
Sugar can cause hypoglycemia.
Sugar contributes to a weakened defense against bacterial infection.
Sugar can cause kidney damage.
***Sugar can increase the risk of coronary heart disease.
Sugar may lead to chromium deficiency.
Sugar can cause copper deficiency.
Sugar interferes with absorption of calcium and magnesium.
Sugar can increase fasting levels of blood glucose.
Sugar can promote tooth decay.
***Sugar can produce an acidic stomach.
Sugar can raise adrenaline levels in children.
Sugar can lead to periodontal disease.
Sugar can speed the aging process, causing wrinkles and grey hair.
***Sugar can increase total cholesterol.
***Sugar can contribute to weight gain and obesity.
High intake of sugar increases the risk of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.
Sugar can contribute to diabetes.
Sugar can contribute to osteoporosis.
Sugar can cause a decrease in insulin sensitivity.
Sugar leads to decreased glucose tolerance.
***Sugar can cause cardiovascular disease.
***Sugar can increase systolic blood pressure.
Sugar causes food allergies.
Sugar can cause free radical formation in the bloodstream.
Sugar can cause toxemia during pregnancy.
Sugar can contribute to eczema in children.
Sugar can overstress the pancreas, causing damage.
***Sugar can cause atherosclerosis.
Sugar can compromise the lining of the capillaries.
Sugar can cause liver cells to divide, increasing the size of the liver.
***Sugar can increase the amount of fat in the liver.
Sugar can increase kidney size and produce pathological changes in the kidney.
Sugar can cause depression.
Sugar can increase the body's fluid retention.
Sugar can cause hormonal imbalance.
***Sugar can cause hypertension.
Sugar can cause headaches, including migraines.
Sugar can cause an increase in delta, alpha and theta brain waves, which can alter the mind's ability to think clearly.
Sugar can increase blood platelet adhesiveness which increases risk of blood clots and strokes.
Sugar can increase insulin responses in those consuming high-sugar diets compared to low sugar diets.
Sugar increases bacterial fermentation in the colon.

If this doesn’t scare you, I don’t know what will. Decreasing the amount of sugar we take in is a very small step towards bettering our health. People look at me like I’m crazy around here when I say I don’t drink sweet tea. In Texas that’s almost like saying you don’t believe in God. And I also don’t allow my children to drink it- yes, there are parents who start their kids on sweet tea in Texas when they are still drinking out of sippy cups! I find it appalling. It is my job as a parent to make responsible, healthy food choices for my children while I still can. They will have all their adult lives to make unhealthy decisions on their own.

So when I don’t want my kids having tea, soda, or ice cream, or any number of other treats…don’t look at me like I’m a bad mom who deprives her children of life’s simple pleasures. Acknowledge the good choice I’m making for them while they’re young- they don’t’ know the difference now anyway. I’m not opposed to an occasional treat-I promise, I do l let them eat cake on their birthday!

They already have risk factors genetically speaking, given what happened to their father. I can’t control that, but what I can control is what they put in their sweet little mouths! And what I put in mine for that matter. It’s a struggle to make all the right food choices, but I’m doing my best to be a responsible parent.

So I’m starting my new year’s resolution now- less sugar for us all in the Simmons house! Think about your own diet and lifestyle and consider a small change you could make for the better- Push yourself to do it! Consider it a gift to those you love to better your own health.

We often say we’d die for the ones we love, instead why don’t we choose to really live for them…

(Stepping down from the soapbox now)

To check out more from Brooke, read her story, and be inspired by someone who “pushes” herself everyday check out her blog here.

Snapshot Vs. Full Length Motion Picture

I recently wrote a letter to our clients about the importance of auditing continuously that I’d like to share as a blog entry.

"Often times I am asked by clients, “How long should we audit for?” This question holds an answer I am truly passionate about and I would like to convey my thoughts to all of you.

Think of your travel program as any other program within your business that is ongoing, expensive, and always evolving. Any program with these qualities, including a travel program, should be evaluated continuously. Travel is frequently the third highest expense in corporate business behind wages and cost of goods sold; the time put into employee review and supplier research, should be similar to the time dedicated to travel program evaluation.

Frequently we have clients who begin an audit due to a specific concern or issue such as, “Our average fares were above industry averages last month,” or “Our employees are complaining they can find lower fares on the internet,” or “We just changed TMC’s and we want to evaluate our new TMC’s performance.” These are all good reasons to BEGIN an audit, however, a useful corporate travel audit should not be based or timed around one specific issue or concern. Like any other successful program within a company, a travel program should be continuously evaluated as a responsible business practice and to obtain the most accurate data possible.
It is deceptive and impractical to audit for one or three months and claim you have truly evaluated your TMC. By auditing for a specific, short period of time you get an unfocused snap shot view of how your agency is doing in that moment. Everyday behind the scenes things are changing at travel agencies that you are unaware of – or some TMC’s may even throw additional staffing at a monthly audit to ensure high results. There are new agents on the job, or new management teams in charge of specific locations. Everyday things change in the travel marketplace, airlines are consolidating, and some airlines are becoming unavailable in the GDS; as a travel manager the best way for you to truly evaluate your travel program is by obtaining a full length motion picture of information throughout the year. Without a complete movie of data to investigate, changes to your travel program can’t be made that truly reflect an appropriate assessment.

At Topaz International we encourage you to evaluate your travel program continuously throughout the year. Don’t take a snap shot and try to analyze your program from a moment in time. You may be missing the whole story. Don’t take a few snap shots and try to guess what happened in the middle. Provide yourself with a continuous film of information to fairly and accurately assess your program leading to successful revisions and savings.

We look forward to working with you and developing a relationship in the months to come."

If you have any thoughts on this entry or would like to learn more about our performance measurement solutions, please don’t hesitate to call me at 503-651-4300 ext 317. Or write me an e-mail at jillian.walsh@etopaz.com.


All my best,
Jillian Walsh
Manager of Marketing and Business Development
Topaz International

Basketball, Business, & Life

Recently I’ve had the opportunity to assistant coach a girl’s varsity basketball team. The high school I coach at just happens to also be the high school I graduated from. I frequently have flash backs of my high school basketball days. It is weird coaching in the same gym I used to practice and play at. Before I started coaching I wondered how much I would miss playing. I’ve realized that coaching is just as addicting as playing. At times I wonder if I’m just as passionate about it as I was about playing. I find myself constantly thinking about the team and our games at all hours. I have come to the conclusion that I would’ve been a much better player had I coached before playing. It is amazing what you see watching and analyzing basketball players that you don’t see when you’re actually the one playing.

Throughout my experience so far I’ve also realized how much growing up as an athlete (especially as a basketball player) has helped shape me as a person. So much about the game and sports in general is relatable to life and business. The other coaches and I are constantly trying to help our team see this connection. In true marketing fashion I’ll call this connection the “5 p’s;” Practice, Passion, Pride, Preparation, and Perseverance.

Practice: We’ve all heard, “You play how you practice,” and “You practice how you play.” But how many people actually take that to heart? Over the last few weeks I’ve seen that this statement is more than true. You have to come to practice ready to play how you would in a game; when you get into bad habits, such as laziness, not hustling, and not boxing out in practice that DOES carry over into the game. Come to the gym on time, be mentally focused on basketball, physically, give it all you have. Practice is where you show your coach and yourself what you have. It’s also the place you can take chances and not be penalized. Try something new here, get creative, let your coaches and teammates know your ideas and thoughts. Practice is much like what we put in behind the scenes at work. Before any news stories are written, any awards are given out, any financial statements come out….practice is where it begins; the grunt work that leads to the recognition. Put in to practice, what you’d put into the game.

Passion: When a loose ball is on the floor, where are you? Hopefully on the floor too. Are you constantly giving your all and helping your team gain momentum? Are you the type of player that can’t catch their breath during time outs because you’ve been sprinting every second you were in the game? Passion is essential as a player, a coworker, an individual, in everything you do that you want to matter. If you aren’t passionate about something it is not only beneficial to yourself to not be a part of it, but beneficial to your team. Positive energy is contagious, so is negativity. Be the person people want to be around. As a coach, a colleague, and friend I want the person in the game, the one giving the presentation, or the one hanging out with me to be someone passionate, someone who truly cares.

Pride: Be proud of yourself, your team, and what you’re involved in. Show that pride. On game days, wear your jerseys to school, make a great warm up CD, go 100% in warm ups, ask your family and friends to come to your games. At the end of a hard practice or game, be able to be proud of how you played win or lose. The big document you have due tomorrow? The big presentation you have to give in a week? Be proud of it. Having pride in something means you truly feel good about something you’ve done. To feel good about it, you must feel like you gave it the time and effort it deserved, which is a good feeling. Be proud to have the opportunity to represent your school or company and run with it.
Preparation: This comes along with everything you do before the game. The way you practice, how many hours of sleep you got, how healthy you ate. Watching game tapes or scouting other teams, your plays, and your strategy. Preparation is key to any successful outcome. I think we can all agree we frequently do better when we prepare for things in basketball, business or life; whether it is a game, a meeting with our boss, or an important conversation with your significant other or a friend. It’s not always about how long you prepare, but HOW you prepare. How much do you know about your competition?

Perseverance: “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” Simple, but true. When things are looking grim and you’re down by 20 points do you hang your head or do you run you’re hardest and box out even harder? When you have 3 losses and 0 wins, are you going to work harder or assume you’re not going to make the play offs? When you have a bad quarter are you going to assume your business is doomed or make adjustments? In my opinion perseverance is one of the most important lessons I learned from playing basketball. From recreation league basketball to college basketball there were so many times perseverance was necessary. Whether it was losing games, not playing well, coaches and teammates I didn’t get along with…there was ALWAYS something that required perseverance; One of the most important qualities in sports and in life. Always, always, always, persevere. And in the words of the great Jimmy Valvano, “Don’t give up, don’t ever give up.”