It’s been several months of personal “earthquakes” and global pandemic, but work goes on at Apple Awards. There are so many new heroes to recognize! Owner, Dennis Smith gets back to his blog as one small step toward the new normal. He asks the questions “How do we find our way in a polarized society?” …
I struggle with crafting a good response when my paradigm of the world is challenged. But, how I respond is an important factor when representing the organizations I help lead. The easiest “out” is to be silent and not engage in the conversation, especially publicly in places like social media. But staying silent does not…
Who is a true patriot?You would think it would be easy to be a true patriot in a free country like the USA. Who doesn’t want this kind of freedom? Who doesn’t want to live in this kind of country? But with freedom comes the inherent right to be an independent thinker. If we are…
There are times when we break from a role because it seems meaningless to us when in reality it is exactly where we should be, because it is preparing us for something better. Even if that something is simply a lesson. A Story Back in high school I was a part of a club. Well,…
When I find myself in a situation where wrong has been committed under my authority whether intentional or not, the quickest and best way back to forgiveness and trust is through a plan. When Something Goes Wrong Recently I had a customer contact me regarding a recent charge made by my business on their credit…
Why write? Dennis, of Apple Awards, is getting courageous with his writing and wants others to be encouraged to do the same. He’s thinking about why he’s been holding back, and why he’s writing now. Read on… Nothing to Offer? So why is it that I feel the need to write my thoughts in this…
Is good leadership the result of good people skills or experience? Which trait of a good leader is most important? The obvious answer is both, they are equally important. People Skills? If I were to choose a coach for my children’s team I would ideally chooses someone who was relationaly healthy, could cast vision, build…
Why I Have Never Had a Budget I have a hard time admitting this but I have never actually had a financial budget, personally or for any of my businesses. I am not endorsing or recommending my approach to handling finances but, in my experience, I have always struggled to see value in creating a…
If you’re not moving forward or growing, you may be standing still or even moving backwards. What does this mean? I probably don’t have to explain to you what growth looks like. It is a condition of the mind, it is intuitive to life and anyone knows if they are growing or not. The hard…
Feel Like Quitting? Quitting, in our culture, doesn’t always have a positive reputation. I was always told that “quitters never win, and winners never quit”. Like a lot of other sayings, this one might need a little evaluation. Should we continue every project, every direction, every goal indefinitely? If not, how do we know when to…