Man of the Moment

If you are reading on a smartphone, use landscape / hold phone sideways. 

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

Attention to detail at alll times!!!

If you are reading on a smartphone, use landscape / hold phone sideways. 

So, I made this post on Twitter today. And as you can see, it has a minor error. It should have been like-minded people. Not like minded-people.

Oh, the shame, the horror. 

And so, I had to make another Tweet to make sure the Twitterverse knows that I am not an idiot. However, I might be anal. 

And then, I asked myself: "Self, why is there no edit button on Twitter?"

Facebook allows you to edit a post. LinkedIn allows you to edit a post. Twitter allows you to DELETE a Tweet, but not edit a Tweet.

Howcomesowhy?

Ah, it turns out that the answer might not be as simple as it appears. The first thing to know about tweets is that, unlike posts on many other platforms, there is fundamentally no way for Twitter to pull them back after they are sent. 

Turns out that Twitter has what's called an Application Programming Interface (or API) which allows third parties such as other apps or researchers to download tweets in real time. Once third parties have downloaded tweets, there is no way for Twitter to get them back or edit them. Something like sending an email - once you send it, and they download it, you cannot change your mind. 

So, if I sent a Tweet that says "I love dogs" and you quote my tweet saying "Me too!" and then I EDIT my tweet to "I hate dogs" then you look like YOU hate dogs, too. Ah, not cool. 

The entire Elon Musk bid to buy Twitter thing lead to speculation that he would make changes - including adding an edit button to Twitter. Social media is weird, and it could become even MORE weird, the more we fiddle with it. 

Would an edit button change Twitter's power or brand? There might be no way to ameliorate this, such as only allowing edits within a short period of time (ala fixing typos). But we should think about it. And now, you can go Google: ameliorate. 

So, today, you can DELETE a stupid tweet, but if someone grabbed it, then that tweet is not really GONE. And, if it is a simple fix for a typo, well, you are a HUMAN, not a bot, right? You might need to retweet your tweet to fix your tweet. 

Years ago, before email, I learned: "Never send a letter, and never throw a letter away." What that means is a letter is forever, so be careful what you put in writing. 

And so, for now, just like a carpenter who says "measure twice, cut once..." you need to read and re-read your tweet before you tweet it. 

And: "If your tweet ain't sweet, you must delete!" 

And do it fast, before the bots retweet you. 

https://twitter.com/Thomas_Capone

Stan has a Van

If you are reading on a smartphone, use landscape / hold phone sideways. 

On our way to see the kids yesterday, driving up from New Jersey, we hit a little traffic in Stamford. For some reason, there is always a little traffic in Stamford. Too many people getting on and off the highway, in too short a span. Mostly, it is from people in the left lane, who need to get over to the right lane, at the last minute. Even people who live in the area find themselves having to get over a lane or two, or they will miss their exit. 

So, we hit some traffic. 

Ah yes, the (now famous) Stamford traffic. 

Right in front of us was a little pick up truck, hauling what looked to be an Ice Cream push cart. The wording on the tailgate of the pickup caught my eye.

Young Man With a Truck

Trying to Make a Buck

(203) 898-4948

It made me laugh. It made my wife laugh. My wife snapped a picture with her phone. Next thing you know, I said "OK, Google, dial 203-898-4948. 

"This is James"

"Hey, James - are you a Young Man With a Truck?"

And, we're off to the races. Turns out that James is now in the Ice Cream business as well. James has expanded from being a young man with a truck, to a young entrepreneur with trucks (plural) and employees and a great "no job is too big or to small" attitude. Here we are, going SLOW in traffic, but we now have a new FAST friend, James.

I asked James if he had a website, and he said yes but it is down right now.  YoungManWithaTruck.com is indeed down. Our conversation lasted a good ten minutes. My wife marveled at how nice James was, how it felt like we were talking to an old friend. From total stranger to total friend, in minutes. 

This morning I found James here: Facebook.com/YMWAT  I have a few student interns working for me this summer. I am going to see if we can build out a new website for James Clark. We are also doing a ton of business in the Stamford, Connecticut area. We shall see if any of our clients can use the services of A Young Man with a Truck.

Or Ice Cream. We shall see if anyone in Stamford, Connecticut likes Ice Cream. 

I told this story yesterday while sitting on the deck at my son's house in Madison, Connecticut. One of my (new) daughters said "Wow, I could NEVER do that. Calling a stranger like that. That is so...you."

And I guess that is the point of the post. I could not NOT call that number. I mean, it is right in front of me, on the tailgate of the pickup truck right in front of me.  And, it made me laugh. Of course I am going to make that call. I was ready to leave a voice mail, but nope - James Clark himself picked up the phone.

From the looks of the YMWAT Facebook page, James Clark gives back to the community as well. It looks like James Clark (and friends) work hard - and they do good work, and they are paying it forward.

Now play it forward in your own mind: by the end of this summer James Clark has a brand new website, and a marketing strategy to grow his business (in and around) the Stamford, Connecticut area 

Make it so. 

At the end of last year, I got a phone call (out of the blue) from Verizon. As in, Verizon.com. They saw what we were doing with Zoom, and they asked if we would be interested in selling, marketing, promoting and servicing all things BlueJeans, the Verizon service that competes with Zoom. I said sure, set it up.

So we became a Verizon partner. Then, we became a DIRECT partner. And then, we became a Tier 1 partner. And now today, we are a Tier 1 ELITE partner: GetBlueJeans.com. All of this happened with Verizon, very fast. 

All because of a phone call. A random phone call. What if I never took the call? What if it got lost in voicemail? Oh, and now we are going to run BlueJeansAcademy.com for all things BlueJeans. Across all of North America. 

Is there even such a thing as a random phone call? Is there even such a thing as a chance meeting? Maybe everything happens for a reason. Right, James Clark? 

James made his own luck, with the witty saying for his business. A young man with a truck, trying to make a buck. That just made me smile. 

And dial. That witty phrase also made me... dial. 

So, now I'm a minimalist?

If you are reading on a smartphone, use landscape / hold phone sideways. 

A few months ago while the kids were home, I saw that my oldest son had a Rossm Wallet.

 
I asked him how long he had it, where he got it, did he like it, how much it cost... blah, blah. blah. He got it on Amazon, and he sent me the link.  

Before I realized it (minutes later) I ordered: ROSSM Slim Minimalist Front Pocket RFID Blocking Carbon Fiber Metal Wallets for Men with Cash Strap for $29 with free next day delivery. 

What I did not realize is that with this single purchase, I am now considered to be a card carrying member of the minimalist society. 

When you live as a minimalist, you strive to only use things that serve a purpose. It's about living simply and having only what you need to go about your daily life. For instance, some people may start a no-spend challenge or only fill their home with items they absolutely need. 

Actually, I just wanted to get rid of my fat wallet. 

A few weeks ago, while I was doing a walkabout on MAIN STREET BOONTON USA I stumbled across Bear Minimum. They are an eco-hub for earth conscious folks. Products and events dedicated to reducing our impact on the environment and toxins on our bodies. The folks at Bear Minimum believe it is possible to live with minimal impact on our environment and without the use of harmful chemicals that both negatively affect us and our planet. Through the right knowledge, habits and products we can all live less wasteful lives that will positively affect our health, our environment, and our wallets.

Right! But I just wanted to get rid of my fat wallet. 

Because I got the Rossm Wallet, I was considered by the Amazon Marketing Universe to be a minimalist. I started getting all kinds of ads for things for a minimalist lifestyle. 

I learned that minimalism allows us to focus on priorities. By maintaining a clutter-free environment, one is able to increase focus and productivity - thus reducing stress. It is about reducing and removing all of the clutter from our lives, be it physical, mental, emotional, or time-related, so that we can really focus on what's important. 

It all started so simply - all because I just wanted to get rid of my George Costanza wallet. Now, the world thinks I am a minimalist. Amazon: "people who bought this, also bought that..." and they read this book, or watched this movie, etc. 

BECAUSE of the ads (and my new Rossm Wallet) when I did walk into Bear Minimum located at 618 MainStreet BOONTON USA I was already in the minimalist mindset. 

I was open to it, I was not completely ignorant to minimalism. Now, I'm card-carrying member. And of course, since we are talking about minimalism, there is (actually) no membership card to carry. And just last week, I did a NYDLAcast.com interview with the owners of Bear Minimum. I think that EVERYONE in BOONTON USA should stop in and visit the folks at 618 Main Street. Join the movement!!!

Ah yes, minimalism in all things - except for in matters of sales and marketing. 

Then you go big. 

Darth Vader, CEO

Obi-Wan Kenobi is streaming on Disney+

The story begins 10 years after the dramatic events of "Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith" where Obi-Wan Kenobi faced his greatest defeat - the downfall and corruption of his best friend and Jedi apprentice, Anakin Skywalker, who turned to the dark side as evil Sith Lord Darth Vader.

Oh yeah, and Anakin was Luke and Leia's Daddy. 

No, scratch that. Anakin Skywalker was THEIR FATHER.

The words "father" and "dad" are more than just plain words. Although both are technically the same, the truth is, there are many very important differences between the two. Determining whether one is a dad and not just a father can be accomplished by not only looking at the person as he is, but also looking at him with his immediate surroundings (family, friends, coworkers). 

As I sit and write my Sunday Blog on Father's Day, I think of phrases like "The Founding Fathers" and "The Father of our Country" or "The Father of..." and, well, you can fill in the blank. 

In business, the head of the company, the boss, the leader, is somewhat like the father. Ala, The Godfather. The head of the family. 

If you can see a child look at their father with glowing eyes, happy, safe, protected, and at the same time they are resting assured that everything will be okay because "dad" is here, then you are probably seeing the difference between dad and father. "Daddy's Home!" is certainly not the same as "Father has arrived." 

A father simply thinks about caring for his family, per se. As long as he can pay the bills on time, as long as he can supply food or the basic necessities for the family, then he's already good with that. 

My dad passed away in the 90s. Definitely a "dad" and not just a father. He was a great provider for his family, but he was a natural dad. He truly enjoyed spending time with the family. He could not fake it - he truly loved being a dad. My dad. And the lessons that I learned from spending quality time with my dad are the most valuable. Tony Capone was "bigger than life" as they say, and we still tell Tony Capone stories at family outings. 

This father's day I am finding myself reflecting on the difference between being a boss, the CEO, a leader - the "father" of the company. And, how some business leaders are more like a dad. How some business leaders are all about the stock price, the financials, and shareholder value. And how some business leaders are truly people first. How some leaders care more about the people in their charge - their people first - and company profits are only counted after the needs of their people are met. 

I am also reflecting on Fathers and Dads in the media. Bill Cosby was "America's Dad" until, well, until he was not. When it comes to fictional dads, Jack Pearson on This Is Us is easily one of the most beloved. Stanley Pearson, Jack's dad - was no dad - he was just a father. 

And this brings me back to Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi. As the biological father of Luke and Leia, Anakin could have been a dad, but certainly never made it to dad status. And Obi-Wan "Ben" Kenobi was more of a father - no - he was more of a dad to the kids than anyone could hope for. 

OK, bring it home for us Tom........

You don't have to be the founder of a company - the "biological father" of the business - to be a good dad to your people. Just as Jack Pearson was an AMAZING father to his adopted son Randall Pearson, being a good, great, AMAZING "dad" to people is always possible. Stanley Pearson was a father, but he was never a dad. 

"Luke, I am your father" is one of the most iconic lines in movie history, right? And yet, that Darth Vader reveal misquote is probably the most famous line in all  the Star Wars films - that iconic moment when Vader tells Luke the truth about his family history:

Darth Vader: "Obi-Wan never told you what happened to your father."

Luke Skywalker: "He told me enough! He told me you killed him!"

Darth Vader: "No. I am your father."

Stanley Pearson lent money to his son Jack Pearson to buy a home (Father move).

Jack Pearson ran into their house on fire to save his family - and the family dog (Dad move). 

You don't have to be someone's biological father to be their dad. You reach "the dad zone" via your actions, not via your words. You cannot claim the title dad, it must be awarded to you. 

So on this Father's Day remember: you don't have to be a father to be someone's dad. And, if you own or run a business, you should always aspire to be like Jack Pearson, not like Stanley Pearson. Your people are your kids. Your people in your care, the employees in your charge, are indeed your family. CEO is just a title. The "DAD" of the company is the title that really matters. Your people don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care about them. 

Enjoy your Sunday. And "May the (Dad) Force Be With You......Always."

Me and my two Padawan in the 90s

Stimulating Your Vegas Nerve

If you are reading on a smartphone, use landscape / hold phone sideways. 

InfoComm 2022 from the Press Box

Hey Tom, what happens if you stimulate the vagus nerve? 

Glad you asked! When stimulated, you feel calmer, more compassionate, and clearer. It benefits your autonomic nervous system and mental health. Healthy vagal tone means emotional regulation, greater connection, and better physical health as well. 

You know, like the OPPOSITE of a trip to Las Vegas. 

OK, so trade shows - LIVE trade shows - are back! 

Ah, maybe. 

LIVE! From Las Vegas! InfoComm 2022 is now in the history books. I declare InfoComm a success, in my humble opinion. For many people, this was the first LIVE trade show since the pandemic. During the LAST day of the show, everyone's smartphones got the text - the CDC changed the COVID-19 level to HIGH. Mask up people! 

So, here is the deal. Las Vegas is GREAT! LIVE trade shows (anywhere) are GREAT! And the COVID-19 virus is (still) saying to all of us "hold my beer" - oh, and please meet my friend, Inflation. 

Inflation is causing gas prices and therefore travel costs to skyrocket. Now, I am seeing many people saying on social media that they are feeling symptoms of COVID-19 after returning home from Vegas. This Wednesday I am supposed to attend an event at Hershey Lodge in Pennsylvania with several hundred people. Later this month, NYDLA.org members are all supposed to attend COLLISION in Toronto, with 33,000+ of our closest friends. 

COLLISION in 2021 had 38,000+ attend online, 100% virtual. 

I did a BBC interview about COLLISION online. Almost that same number of people are expected to physically travel to ENERCARE CENTRE, TORONTO for June 20-23, 2022. If COVID-19 continues to spike, will this change the attendance numbers? Will people cancel their travel, but still attend COLLISION - virtually from their homes? 

Are you going to www.CollisionConf.com ??? NYDLA.org members get in for FREE. 

I said in my BBC interview last year: "You cannot replace the power of a handshake, or a hug. There is just something about human touch that is in our DNA. After the (first) COVID-19 lockdown was lifted, what was the first thing you did with a friend or relative? You gave them a hug. Humans crave touch, you cannot get that from a 100% virtual experience. What do people do at the airport? Whether people are coming or going, there will definitely be hugging."

Because I run the NYDLA (and now, NADLA) I'm all about hybrid. Hybrid events. Hybrid meetings. I don't think there shall be another meeting or event or trade show (moving forward) that does not offer a virtual option. And who knows what is coming with the adoption and acceptance of the metaverse, right? 

So! I'll see you at the Hershey Lodge next week! 

And I'll see you in Toronto! LIVE, later this month.

Unless COVID-19 spikes again. Because if that happens - then I'll see you LIVE - but from my home in GOOD OL' BOONTON USA. And, if my travel plans are effected, I'll be sure to stimulate my vagus nerve like a true trade show veteran. 

BoontonWorks - the Business Foundry

If you are reading on a smartphone, use landscape / hold phone sideways. 

YESTERDAY, I was asked to speak at InfoComm in Las Vegas. At 5pm on this upcoming Wednesday. Turns out that someone had to drop out, and I'm considered to be a decent last minute replacement. Well, since I never met a microphone that I did not like, of course I said yes. The topic I am to cover? The future of work. 

Ah yes, the FUTURE of WORK. Got it!

 

Eh, so what what the heck am I going to talk about? 

I live in Boonton Township, New Jersey. 30 miles West of Times Square. We share a zip code (07005) with the Town of Boonton. There is only one BOONTON USA. The Boonton Iron Works were founded around 1770 by Samuel Ogden who, with others in his family, purchased a 6-acre tract along the Rockaway River. Here, rolling and slitting mills were erected in the manufacture of nail rods and bar iron. With the construction of the Morris Canal, the New Jersey Iron Company was born. This new company was a big deal, for the entire country. It imported skilled mechanics from England, and BOONTON USA was thriving. The new Iron Company flourished for nearly 75 years. Yes, the Iron Works flourished - until it didn't. 

An Iron Foundry needs lots of raw materials. Transportation. Water. People. 

Now let's fast forward to 2022. What does a BUSINESS Foundry need? You know, a thing that can produce all of the things that enable a business to thrive?

High Speed Internet. Computers. Transportation. People. 

The Boonton Station provides train service on the NJ Transit Montclair-Boonton Line with service to Newark Broad Street Station, Penn Station New York and Hoboken Terminal. Lakeland Bus lines provides bus service to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan. 

BOONTON USA is in the heart of Morris County New Jersey. One of the wealthiest counties in the entire country. An easy ride to NYC or Philly or Stamford, Connecticut (also 30 miles outside of Manhattan). Verizon has its HQ just 17 miles south of BOONTON USA.  

At last count, there were 11 Pizzerias in BOONTON USA. I figure at least a half a dozen nail salons, a few dry cleaners, and multiple Italian, Mexican, Japanese restaurants. To support so many competing businesses, there must be......people. Lots and lots of people in and around BOONTON USA. 

OK, land the plane Tom........ where are you going with this?

BoontonWorks - the Business Foundry. In the spirit of the old Iron Works days, the things necessary to give birth to a new business: Knowledge + Technology + Talent. BoontonWorks - from the Heart of Morris County. 

Give someone a (Lenovo?) laptop, a (Jabra?) headset and 5G (Verizon?) and they are ready to work. From ANYWHERE. Add in cloud products like Zoom and BlueJeans and Box and Salesforce and FreshBooks and QuickBooks and Klaxoon and Workplace and Shopify and BigCommerce (and...and...and...) well, you get the idea.

Work from home. And "home" can be ANYWHERE. Work from Main Street BOONTON USA. Take the bus which runs down Main Street and you are in Times Square in around an hour, if there is no traffic. Take the train to Philly for the day. Or have clients / customers come to BOONTON USA for the day. Have your Lunch 'n Learns and your Sunset Seminars from BOONTON USA. There is even an old theater on Main Street that used to have vaudeville acts. A perfect location for "TED Talk like" hybrid meetings and events. For example, you can have 200+ LIVE in the theater, and 200,000+ LIVE but Powered by BlueJeans Studio and then 20M+ watching the archives via Workplace from Meta. Easy to cater such events, when half the town seems to be restaurants and pizzerias, right? 

InfoComm is all about Pro AV. The products and services that enable all of us to live, learn, work, play, teach, train, coach, mentor PEOPLE - in the global cloud economy. The future of work, the future of education, is in the clouds. www.5Gfor.biz is changing the game for everything, for everyone - no matter where they live. 

"OK, Google: How many LA Fitness gyms are there?"

"Good morning Thomas, there are more than 700 LA Fitness locations, worldwide" 

Ah, so LA FITNESS is NOT just in Los Angeles alone? Got it. 

"OK, Google: How many BoontonWorks.com locations are there in the USA?"

"Good morning, Thomas. Today, I see only one - but I've got a feeling you should ask me again after InfoComm." 

BOONTON USA

Photo Credit: Heather Kohut