Whenever I visit my 76-year-old mom in Myrtle Beach, SC, she picks me up and the oldies station is playing in her car. I’ve tried changing that dial, and one has a better chance of outmaneuvering tennis star Daniil Medvedev. I imagine the oldies music brings her back to her youth. I read a study that people’s favorite song is often when they were 17 years old. That’s right: the 'best songs’ may not be the best songs but rather simply be what you heard in ...
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In the movie Good Will Hunting, Matt Damon, who plays a handsome MIT janitor moonlighting as a math savant (can one say, “Hollywood career vehicle”?), woos a young lady (played by the actress Minnie Driver) by outmaneuvering a few competing, obnoxious cads. When Damon’s character gets the girl's telephone number, he proudly shows it to the other guys and boasts, with his South Boston access, “How 'bout ‘dem apples?” I imagine Tim Cook imitating this...
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While eating a slice of coal-fired pizza at Arturo’s in Soho yesterday, and getting an occasional whiff of Houston Street garbage, I had to admit: I was at a loss for insight to share with my coworkers this week. Each week, I send out a motivational message to my team that precedes a summary of what they accomplished. We call this report the Brick report. This would be my seventy-second Brick introduction: What else could I say--and would they miss it if there was not an introduction...
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In the movie 'We’re the Millers,' a character played by Jason Sudeikis interviews a teen boy wooing Sudeikis’ teenage daughter. Sudeikis interviews the boy about his interests and compatibility with his daughter. (Watch the scene here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjkLKKgOMRY .) The boy’s neck tattoo reads “No Ragrets.” When Sudeikis inquires about this tattoo, the boy confidently claims that he has no regrets, to which Sudeikis asks, "Not even&...
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This past weekend on the way to Florida to visit my brothers, I read about Squarespace’s advertising history. (Read the article: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/13/business/how-did-squarespace-know-podcasts-would-get-this-big.html). In 2009, Anthony Casalena, the founder of Squarespace, paid $20,000 to advertise on a tech podcast. While that was a lot for a small, young company (Casalena had started his business just six years earlier in a dorm room in 2003), Casalena said the ...
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Scott Galloway, in his Chart of the Week email, shares that Amazon often ships an order within 45 minutes of receiving it. How long does it take your store?
For indie store to compete, we have to offer competitive pricing and shipping times. Bridge's goal is to help retailers offer the same or lower prices and offer the same or faster shipping.
Scott Galloway, an NYU marketing professor and soon-to-be CNN host, suggests that when we assess a market, we start by asking how much one's experience using the service has changed in the past few decades. For example, when you go to your doctor’s office, if you were to spin around and pretend it’s 1990, how different is your experience today vs. 30 years ago? Scott often critiques doctors' offices, hospitals, and colleges because he believes they have not evolved enough in services...
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Amazon Prime, Grindr, and Instagram do not seem to have much in common with each other. But, a recent study by PCloud found that these apps are some of the biggest 'data burglars': they are downloading our data at an alarming rate.
Many brands and retailers in our industry promote Facebook, yet Facebook and its sister company Instagram are the leading thieves of personal data. It’s akin to them suggesting their friend sit next to a digital pick pocket.
I find the poem 'The Low Road' by Marge Piercy to be inspiring. It's originally meant to be a political call to arms, but I find it just as motivational for indie retailers to team up.
PS - Thanks to Meliza Weir and UCC church for introducing me to this poem :)
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October 22, 2019
October 22, 2019
Oct. 17, 2019 - President Trump celebrates the opening of the new Louis Vuitton store in Alvarado, Texas. Alvarado is a small town of 5000 people and will employ 500 people. Some consumers say they want their luxury labels coming from their place of origin. What do you think?
What does Domino’s pizza and Amazon have in common? I’ll share: back in the 1980s, Dominos promised to deliver your pizza in 30 minutes or less. But drivers were speeding, getting in accidents, and even killing people in tryin to make this deadline. Dominos was sued over this marketing promise, eventually lost a lawsuit for $78m, and dropped it. Today’s Times shares that Amazon and its contractors have killed 10 people in their deliveries of packages. Will Amazon’s packages face the same fate as...
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August 20, 2019
August 20, 2019
Chelsea Clock timepieces do more than just tell time. They also mark special occasions, honor big accomplishments, and become cherished for generations.
Watch this video to see just why they are the oldest clock maker in America.
Let us help you find the perfect Chelsea Clock addition to any decor.
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August 19, 2019
August 19, 2019
So much precision and care goes into all of our Royal Limoges products.
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What grade would you give our industry for being ready in terms of online operations? After watching this video, you may have a better ability. This video by Gartner L2 market research ranks the top B2B companies and shares what is needed to prepare your business:
YouTube is likely filled with a lot of fake entities posting content, reports today’s WSJ. Why is this notable? Because YouTube is increasingly carrying kids videos geared to our kids. I believe knowing who is broadcasting videos to our nation’s children is important. YouTube should require a entity posting certain content to authenticate their identity—and maybe should do this for all content posted. Truth should have a true author.
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December 30, 2018
December 30, 2018
Tracking Amazon's antics can be a sobering task--but the comedian Hasan Minhaj makes it entertaining. In this recent Netflix show, he shares his views about Amazon.