You should write a book!

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Recently my wife and I attended a Celebration of Life ceremony for a good family friend. They became a good friend of the family because, at first, they were my wife's patient. 

For many (many) years, once a week - my wife the RN would drive to their home to deliver their life-saving IV medication. And due to the nature of the treatment, she would spend hours once a week, every week, at their home. Start the IV meds, wait three hours, remove the IV, drive home. For privacy issues (HIPPA Compliance?) I'll call him Frank. (...or is it Francine..???)

When I did the math, it was hundreds of three-hour visits. Once a week, every week. Over the course of seven or eight years. Because it took hours for the IV medication to be administered and monitored, the majority of the three hours was spent sitting, and talking. Talking, sharing, communicating, bonding, supporting. Once a week, for three hours, for years.

My wife could not (and would never) share any medical details with me (her husband) but she did share amazing stories about Frank, his wife, his family, his business, his children, his grandchildren. I met Frank only one time (in person) around two or three years ago. I drove my wife to one of her visits, when my wife's car was in the shop.

I was going to sit in the car with my laptop for a few hours - but I was invited to come inside - and saying no was not an option. During that one meeting - my only time with Frank - I was mesmerized. The home was beautiful, in an amazing neighborhood. This man was obviously very successful. There were pictures of family, friends, vacations, outings on every wall in the house. Today, I was the one (this time) to sit with Frank for three hours. To talk about, well, life. We talked about business and sports and family and politics and religion and....and......and..... three hours just flew by. Our three hours together felt like thirty minutes, at best. 

If I had to describe Frank, he was like the real-life version of George Bailey from the movie "It's a Wonderful Life." As I type this, I am feeling pretty confident that you have seen the movie, and that you know the story of George Bailey. It's a safe bet. 

When we think of Christmas movies, it is hard to not think about "It's a Wonderful Life." Most Christmas movies have a similar pattern: something dire happens and only a Christmas miracle can save the day. 

In the case of It's a Wonderful Life, that miracle actually came many years AFTER the film's initial debut. When the movie was released it was such a flop that it ended up closing down the studio, and more or less ending Frank Capra's career. If you want to learn more about the amazing back-story of this now famous and classic movie, you can click here.

You may think of It's a Wonderful Life as a Christmas movie, but director Frank Capra never saw it that way. Though Capra suffered greatly for his art, It's a Wonderful Life eventually got the credit it was due, and Capra did too. In 1982 Frank Capra was awarded the American Film Institute's lifetime achievement award. 

At the ceremony, Capra said: "Don't follow trends. Start a trend! Don't compromise. Believe in yourself. Because only the daring should make films. And only the morally courageous are worthy of speaking to their fellow man for two hours in the dark." 

At the celebration of life ceremony for (our) Frank, the theme repeated itself. All those who stood and spoke about our Frank said basically the same thing: A life well lived. Our Frank, was indeed Frank Capra's real-life George Bailey. Our Frank touched so many lives, impacted so many lives. Man, someone should write a book about our Frank. 

Now as I sit and reflect, I think about the hundreds of people that I have interviewed over the years. I think about all of the authors that have "given birth to a book" and how so many of them have their own amazing life stories. I think how it truly is a miracle that ANY OF US have seen the movie It's a Wonderful Life. Ah, but we did see it, right? And for someone like me, I probably have now seen that movie at least a dozen times - and I'll be watching it again with the family this Christmas! 

It's a Wonderful Life is based on a novel of the same name by Phillip Van Doren Stern, written in 1938. When no publishers responded to the story, Stern instead printed it on Christmas cards, which he then sent to friends and family. One such card wound up in the letterbox of film producer David Hempstead, who showed it to movie star Cary Grant. Enamored with the story, Grant brought it to RKO movies, and it was eventually sold to Liberty Films for $10,000 and starred James Stewart as George Bailey. The same Liberty Films that had to close their doors and shut down, because the movie was such a terrible flop and financial disaster. 

Ah yes. Books. Books that become movies. Movies that flop. Movies that flop - are the same failed movies that eventually change the world. 

Hint: write that book. If you have a book inside of you, give it life. 

My first book comes out in 2023 - TommyCapone.com.

It's a Wonderful Life - Trailer

I'm not buying a snowmobile

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So, we need a new roof. It's time. Actually, we are probably past due. And so, I typed in "Roofing Contractors" into my trusty Google machine to see what's up. Wow, I had no idea that half of the adult population of America are Roofing Contractors. In fact, I guess that when you buy a new pickup truck these days, it must come with Roofing Contractor School flyers in the glovebox. 

My story had a happy ending, as it relates to my roof adventure. Some people came out to the house. Some, just used Google Satellite pics to measure my roof and give me a quote - no need to come out to the house! (Ah, hard pass). I did meet a wonderful schoolteacher, who did not climb up on the roof, but she did take lots of pictures to send to her boss. A very lovely person, and her real job (teacher) is about to start - Labor Day is right around the corner. 

Funny thing: now Facebook thinks that I am a Roofing Contractor. Now, the Social Media Gods think that I should attend the National Convention of Roofing Contractors (RoofCON). Well, I do like John Maxwell. Not sure I would have "CON" in the name. And, it turns out that I am an excellent candidate to buy a Roof Maxx franchise for only $35,000. It's actually a very impressive product and a great company. But I don't do ladders. 

Remember that scene from the 2002 sci-fi movie "Minority Report," when a camera takes a retina scan of Tom Cruise's character and a billboard calls out to him, "John Anderton! You could use a Guinness right about now"?

I know for a fact that my Google Nest Mini speaker is spying on me. At this point, I'm just numb to it all. Google first filed a patent in 2008 to create advertisements based on environmental conditions present in the background of voice communications. You know, Google - the same guys who probably unleashed the first real controversy of the online privacy wars when they started sifting through our Gmail to serve us targeted ads. Now, we all use Gmail and we don't think about it anymore. Yeah, Google knows everything about my life - and don't even get me started about Facebook.

Repeat yourself much?

The next generation of digital marketers are focusing on solutions like interactive advertising or native advertising, but the standard bearer of the 21st century advertising technology will be the solutions or platform that does not treat the consumer like a child, the one that does not annoy them, the one that does not keep playing cheap tricks to get them to push a button. Ultimately, the best beer ad will be one that knows a consumer wants that beer before even they do, and it will know how to find them at precisely that perfect moment. 

Today, the Meta/Google universe thinks that I am a candidate for a Roofing franchise. Nope, just need a new roof. I have recently interviewed some AMAZING people in the mental health and holistic medicine space. And Meta/Google are now both very well aware of this. Yeah, Amazon knows everything too. Let the ads for Yoga, Reiki and Mental Health flow. 

[ My dude, 300+ person team? Have one of them fix the date on your damn Facebook ad you sent me...]

Next Generation marketing is just getting started. But just like anything in life, there will be those who get it right, and those who are basically children in a man's world. They are making rookie mistakes, and they are actually hurting their brand. If I Google "Mindfulness" don't invite me to an event in 2021 unless you also sell time machines. 

As a goof (and a test) I said out loud to my wife: "You know, the first thing I am going to do when we move to Florida is buy a snowmobile." 

Ah yes, Ski-Doo was listening. 

Good boy Ski-Doo, good boy.

I have become a bookie

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A bookie, short or slang for "bookmaker" is someone who facilitates gambling, most commonly on sporting events. Ah, but a booky is someone who is bookish; given to reading and learning lessons from books.

Lately I have been interviewing authors. Published authors of every shape and size. People who have written dozens (hundreds?) of books. And some people who "had a book in them" and had to get it out. And so, they did. This might be their first (and only) book that they ever write. 

I was born in 1960. I was twelve years old and living in Boca Raton, Florida in 1972. Ah yes, the year that the Super Bowl Champion Miami Dolphins went 17-0. The Perfect Season. 

My favorite player on the team: Larry Csonka. Football fullback. My dad was a fullback, I wanted to be a fullback. So many kids in 1972 wore #12 which was PURDUE Boilermaker - and Dolphin's Quarterback Bob Griese's number. Not me. I wore #39 until it fell off of me. No, for me, I wanted to be Larry Csonka. Power Fullback. 

Life has so many twists and turns. When I was 17 years old I went to PURDUE (not for football) but for Biomedical Engineering. It was only AFTER I was already living in West Lafayette, Indiana that I learned that Bob Griese was a PURDUE man. And, I don't think I spent much time from my college days until, well, until THIS YEAR thinking about Larry Csonka. Maybe I saw him on TV or HBO or such, over the years. And I would smile, and remember my days in Boca. 

I have been interviewing Actors, Authors, Celebrities, Athletes, Thought Leaders, Subject Matter Experts. During the teeth of COVID, we did "Zoom Shows" interviewing Comedians, and many wrote books during their down time, since no one was going to comedy clubs during lockdown. 

And now, 50 years later......50 years after the Perfect Season, Larry has written a memoir. And www.TomTalks.us with #39 is coming soon. 

There is something magical about books, and now audio books. And something even more magical about how published authors can reach MILLIONS of people via the power of Zoom, or BlueJeans or the cloud. Virtual book signings are so cool, and had it not been for COVID I don't think they would have become a thing. Well now, they are a very big thing indeed. Audio books can become online courses, or Master Classes for the entire world to benefit from and enjoy. 

So as of today, I don't have a bookie, but I think I have become a booky. But if I did have a bookie (or know a bookie) I would ask them: "What are the odds that a 12 year old kid living in Boca Raton, Florida in 1972 would get to interview his childhood hero, Super Bowl MVP Larry Csonka - 50 years later?" 

The odds, now, in 2022........ very good. 

Very good indeed. 

www.CoffeeInTheClouds.us

I feel your pain

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Because I run the Distance Learning Association, Telemedicine and all things Telehealth / Healthtech / Medtech has been a big part of my world for many (many) years. I am old enough to remember the promise of Telemedicine from the New York City World's Fair way back in the 60s. It took a pandemic to make Telemedicine become "a thing" and it looks like it is here to stay. One time I spoke at the American Telemedicine Association (ATA) in Orlando and my topic was "Telemedicine is sick, but we can make it better." 

I recently met Allison Vorel, an Energy Medicine Practitioner in my town. I try to keep an open mind on most things. She told me about Reiki, Healing Touch, Sound Healing, Healing Circles and Distance Healing. 

The DISTANCE HEALING thing made me say "tell me more." She had me at.......distance.

Turns out that Reiki is a Japanese technique using the "laying on of hands" to reduce stress, promote relaxation, and activate the natural healing process. Reiki is a very simple yet powerful technique practiced for thousands of years. Reiki works in harmony with all kinds of treatment including medical and psychological care. It is offered as part of regular patient care in over 800 hospitals across the U.S., including operating rooms, and intensive care. Reiki decreases recovery time from surgery, improves mental attitude, and reduces unwanted side effects of medications, including chemotherapy and radiation and other medical procedures. It also works in conjunction with psychotherapy to improve healing of emotional trauma and can improve memory and enhance self-confidence. 

I work with BlueJeans (Verizon) and Zoom and Microsoft and all of the major cloud providers. I watched Distance Learning become DIGITAL Learning and now, it's all just DIGITAL LIVING. 

So, can things like Reiki work in the new world of remote? I mean, I can see it used in a wide variety of settings, including hospitals, wellness centers, private practices, long-term care facilities and spas. I know that it is taught in universities, medical and nursing schools and other settings internationally. And, Healing Touch has been endorsed by the American Nurses Association since 1997.

But can it be done remotely? Is distance healing a thing? 

Yes. Yes it is a thing. It is real, and it is becoming very popular.

I am smart enough to know what I don't know, and when I am not the expert in the room (on any topic). But through the magic of the Internet and, well, Distance Learning, you can always learn more. About anything. For those who are contemplating a Reiki distance session but are skeptical about energy work, it seems (to me) to be more about bettering your mind and actions as well as getting more insight into your current situation, and maybe some things you're struggling with subconsciously. I believe that anyone who is looking for some guidance answers, or a different perspective would benefit from this. 

And honestly, are we not all looking for these things? 

The key is to keep an open mind. As with most things, everything is new - once. But only once. Heck, it was only a few years ago that people were asking "What is Zoom?" And now, Zoom is a verb. And I laugh when people say "Hey, let's meet on Zoom" and they send a invite for a BlueJeans or a Microsoft Teams meeting. 

Will Reiki become big? Like Zoom big? 

I'm feeling.......yes. 

AllisonVorel.com

Author! Author!

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In short, "author" can be a person who writes books or articles, usually for money. It can also refer to the person responsible for something, like the author of a plan. Author comes from the Latin word auctorem, meaning "founder, master, leader." Bow to the author!

When can you call yourself an author?

Well, an author is someone whose written work has been published. In addition to producing published work, people who write are considered authors when they originate the ideas and content of their written work. For this reason, most authors are writers, but not all writers are considered to be authors. 

What do you call a person who likes to write? A writer.

Ah, but an author is a person who is the originator of a written work like an article, a book. A writer is a person who writes a piece of literature, articles, blogs, novels or short stories not necessarily on their ideas. A person becomes an author once their works get published. 

AND SO: if some publisher took all the Sunday Blogs that I have written since 2010 and combined them, cleaned them up, and PUBLISHED them, Thomas A. Capone would become - wait for it - a published author. Today, I'm just a writer. Maybe I should edit out the word..."just". 

There seems to be something magical that happens when a writer becomes a published author. The phrase "wrote the book on" means the writer (now published author) is well known for being extremely experienced in or knowledgeable about something - to be a renowned expert or to know nearly everything about something. The phrase has become so cliched that it is often used after the word "literally" to describe someone who has actually written a book about a certain topic. 

Hey Google: how many books have been published in 2021?

As a result of print-on-demand technology, the number of book titles has increased from 2.3 million book titles published in 2012 to approximately 4 million new books published in 2021, with nearly half of those titles coming from self-published authors. 

The average book in America sells about 500 copies. Only 10 books sold more than a million copies last year, and fewer than 500 sold more than 100,000. There are all kinds of statistics bouncing around out there, but generally speaking, most self-published authors will likely sell around 250 books or less. A typical book author barely makes minimum wage. If one receives an advance and royalties on the net profit from a book - the math can be: Book sells for $25 per copy, you would need to sell at least 4,000 copies to break even on a $5,000 advance. 

Damn, Tom. This is a depressing blog today.

But wait! There's more!!!!!!

For the past several years, I have been doing video podcast interviews of Actors, Authors, Athletes, Celebrities, Entrepreneurs, etc. Ah so: Authors. And, because our video podcasts (NYDLAcast.com) reach millions of people - if 1% of our community buy the book(s) of an author that we interview, well now, that is 10,000+ new book sales. Cut that number in half - cut that projection number in half again - it would still be quite an amazing virtual book signing event, yes? Our www.ZoomTalks.us became www.TomTalks.us and our audio-only podcasts became "a show" that now reaches millions of eyeballs each month. Cool. 

It turns out: Leaders Are Readers. And Audible books (especially when read by the author) are like virtual Master Classes on ( fill in topic). If one is a Professor at an Ivy League School of Business, and they "wrote the book on" (fill in topic) there is a very good chance that their status as a published author is going to sell books. Maybe, their new book will even become a New York Times or an Amazon best seller. 

There are some folks with millions of followers on their social media accounts. LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram - these millions of followers can dramatically drive book sales. When I interview published authors, they tell everyone they know about their online interview: "Hey everyone - click here to watch and listen to my Coffee in the Clouds interview about my new book!"

[works for me.....and this works for ALL published authors, not just the famous....]

OK, Tom....... land the plane...............

On July 16, 1995, Amazon officially opens for business as a online bookseller. Within a month, the fledgling retailer had shipped books to all 50 U.S. states and to 45 countries. 

If it were not for writers - if it were not for published authors - there would be no Amazon today. Full stop. There would be no Amazon Prime, no Amazon Web Services (AWS) and, no Jeff Bezos $500M+ yacht. And there would definitely be no Jeff Bezos Blue Origin space company. 

Author! Author! 

The first sale (ever) on Amazon: THIS book. 

Does your Firework come with a report?

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Let's say I tell you something that you knew already. For example, "Did you know that giraffes have blue tongues?" You might respond "I was 12 years old when I learned that."

Now, let's say I tell you something that you did not know, that genuinely surprises you. "Did you know that the loud BOOM you hear when a Firework goes off, is called in the industry - a report??? Well, now you know.  

A REPORT is a component of an aerial display shell or mine. A report contains salute powder, a powerful pyrotechnic composition (usually flash powder) which explodes VIOLENTLY, producing a loud noise with the visual effect of a bright flash and smoke.

AND SO: "I was today years old when I learned that THE LOUD BOOM with Fireworks is called a report." Wait for it.......wait for it........and there it is.......... KA-BOOM!!!!!!!!

Yesterday was our Boonton Township New Jersey town picnic. Food trucks opened at 2 PM. Fireworks at 9 PM presented by TerrAscend NJ. Free admission and open to all. I love Boonton Township. Living around 30 miles West of Times Square, my town is best mix of country/city living. I can have morning coffee with my neighbor, Dominic the Donkey. I can jump on a bus (without Dominic) and be in THE BIG APPLE Times Square in less than an hour. Some days I get so much work done in the last row of the bus, that I actually feel myself secretly praying for a little traffic. 

And so just this morning, I was going to post in the Boonton Township social media feed, just a short "thank you" to all who had anything to do with the town picnic. Bravo!

I was today years old when I learned who TerrAscend NJ is and what they do. 

Now I don't know how the Fireworks portion of the town picnic came to be. I don't know if there was a Fireworks Committee, who searched for a sponsor. Or if companies volunteered to sponsor the fireworks portion of the day. And, I don't know if I am the only person who paid attention to the fact that the unforgettable fireworks display was presented and paid for by TerrAscend NJ. 

When companies sponsor things like golf outings, community events, maybe the local Little League team, I wonder how much thought they put into it. Does the owner calculate an ROI in their head? I have to believe that last night's fireworks (which was actually pretty amazing) cost TerrAscend NJ several thousand dollars. I would probably be shocked to learn how much a 45 minute long fireworks show costs, all in.

Here's the BOOM. You never know how your BRAND is going to be received. In business, you never know how (or when) your BRAND is going to get attention, or become highlighted out of the blue. You never know when someone is going to GOOGLE you, to learn more. Or mention you in a blog. I mean, I truly was today years old when I learned about TerrAscend, the leading North American cannabis operator with vertically integrated operations in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Michigan and California. 

And so, I already knew what a braying ass is, because my neighbor has a donkey. I now know what it means when a Firework has a report. And I am now sipping my coffee on my deck, listening to Dominic the Donkey (as he is waking up the neighbors) while I am reading and learning more about TerrAscend. 

NOT Dominic, but it could be......

Man of the Moment

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Last Friday I had the pleasure, the honor, the gift (...pass me the Thesaurus) of hosting a video podcast interview with Bill George. Bill George and Zach Clayton have a new book coming out in August. I have read Bill's past works, and I read the advance copy of the new book. THIS book - Bill's new book - is his best book. 

Yes, the newest book is indeed the best book - at the moment. 

During the interview, I asked Bill about Jack Welch. In the 90s I did a lot of business with GE when they got into the "long distance" game. There was a time when "GE Exchange" was shaking up the telecom world. Heck, at the time, GE could have bought long distance company Sprint with pocket change. 

I was in my 30s and I was in awe of all things GE and all things Jack Welch. I lived in northern New Jersey at the time, and at least once a month I would make the drive to GE headquarters in Connecticut. On my FIRST trip to GE, I met Jack. He shook my hand and asked three questions: who I was - what company I was with - and what is my golf handicap. His assistant wrote it down - name, what I do/who I was with - and my golf handicap. Back then - if you did not play golf - you were not serious about business. In fact, back in the day, if you were in Business School or studying for your MBA, it was highly recommended for all of the guys and gals to learn how to play golf. 

During the early 1980s, Welch sought to streamline GE. In 1981, Jack made a speech in NYC called "Growing fast in a slow-growth economy." Under Welch's leadership, GE increased market value from $12 billion in 1981 to $410 billion when he retired, making 600 acquisitions while shifting into emerging markets. Welch was dubbed "Neutron Jack" (in reference to the neutron bomb) for eliminating employees while leaving buildings intact. Welch valued surprise and made unexpected visits to GE plants and offices. Welch popularized so-called "rank and yank" policies. Each year, Welch would fire the bottom 10% of his managers, regardless of absolute performance. NO MATTER WHAT - the bottom 10% were fired. 

By 1999 Jack Welch was named "Manager of the Century" by Fortune magazine. 

There is a phrase "the man of the moment" which means the man who is the most popular or successful at a particular time. During our interview, Bill George affirmed that AT THE TIME, Jack Welch was indeed the man of the moment. Jack Welch's GE was the gold standard in business. The best of the best - GE and Jack Welch. At the time, for the times - Jack Welch was the model of excellence. Be like Jack. 

Upon his retirement from GE, Welch stated that his effectiveness as its CEO for two decades would be measured by the company's performance for a comparable period under his successors. Jack had grown GE to over $450 billion in market capitalization. As of July 2022 GE has a market cap of $69 billion. Down from #1 to #184 (most valuable company). Oops! 

GE was the best company - at the moment. "Neutron Jack" was the best CEO in the world - the leader of the century - at the moment. 

As I write my Sunday Blog, I am reflecting on my business career. I thought Jack Welch was everything that I wanted to be. There was a time when I thought Donald Trump was cool. I rode in limousines with "The Donald" to Mike Tyson fights in Atlantic City. I would let my two young sons listen in on speakerphone to my calls with Trump, because that was impressive. Doing business with or simply hanging out with Donald Trump was impressive - at the moment. One year, my wife and I sat in Trump's VIP box at the US OPEN (Mats Wilander beat Ivan Lendl). "The Art of the Deal" was read by aspiring business leaders. In the 80s and early 90s it was cool to be like Donald Trump. Cool, impressive, something to brag about - at the moment. 

In December 2016, Jack Welch joined a business forum assembled by then president-elect Donald Trump - to provide strategic and policy advice on economic issues. 

In True North: Emerging Leaders Edition, Bill George and Zach Clayton issue the challenge to emerging leaders - from Gen X to Millennials and Gen Z - to lead their organizations authentically throughout never-ending crises to make this world a better place for everyone. NYDLA.org members shall get Bill and Zach's new book for free - as part of their paid membership.

And I can honestly say that the video podcast interview, my NYDLAcast.com with Bill was my best "Coffee in the Clouds" interview, ever. 

At the moment. 

www.NYDLAcast.com