The great John Wooden once said, "Never mistake activity for achievement". I’m sure many of you can relate to that statement. We all lived through an extremely difficult 2009, but hopefully you’re seeing month-to-month improvement during 2010 as we have. Confidence is returning and business is moving forward, but there are still significant challenges. That’s why it’s important to rec...

Like the majority of companies, the last 18 months has seen dramatic changes in nearly every facet of our business. When I step back, it feels as though we are vividly living one of the management business fables from the likes of Who Moved My Cheese, by Spencer Johnson.  As described on the website, “Who Moved My Cheese? is the story of four characters living in a "Maze" who face une...

I am proud to be a “sorority girl”.  I attended Miami University and was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta.  I developed many lifetime friendships and created countless memories.  I have never once regretted my decision to make Greek life a part of my college experience.  Unfortunately, the Greek system at Miami has been under fire recently.  Two sororities made news headlines for their inappropria...

As we begin to see some light at the end of a difficult financial tunnel within Ambassador, locally, and nationally, I have found myself more prone to reflect on what has transpired. Within the group of peers, partners, clients, and friends that I network with, a handful of observations seem to repeatedly float to the top of discussion. It seems to be almost universal that difficult economic ti...

My job description recently expanded to include both Marketing and Human Resources responsibilities.  A rare combination, indeed.  As a result, I’m beginning to feel as though my new hybrid role has placed me on a professional island.  Where are my Marketing/HR peers?  Do you exist?  I don’t think you do…but I think you should.  And here’s why…   Marketing and Human Resources – traditionally,...

I just finished a short and inspirational book authored by Billie Jean King, Pressure is a Privilege.  For those of you who might not know of her, she is commonly known for her incredible skill on the tennis court…and oh yeah, that big win over Bobby Riggs September 20, 1973…the Battle of the Sexes! Billie Jean King’s amazing victory over Bobby Riggs was truly a pivotal moment in gender rela...

On June 19, I attended a local event sponsored by the Taylor University MBA program called “Evolve or Die.  The Future of Online Communication”.  The presenter was Kyle Lacy, CEO/Co-Founder of Brandswag.  I have to admit, I went into this event hoping to find the Ultimate Truth of the social media universe.  Don’t get me wrong, we are definitely on-board the social media bandwagon at Ambassador...

My cousin Tim is in prison.   He was a good person who mingled with the wrong people, got addicted to the wrong drugs, did some bad things, and has now been behind bars for 4 years with 6 to go.  Most of his family, including myself, lost touch with him.  Until recently.  For several reasons, I decided to write to him, not knowing what – if anything – it would bring.  To my surprise, he promp...

If you are anything like me, you found yourself glued to the television during primetime for at least a couple of nights over the last two weeks.  No, it wasn’t the start of a new season of Dancing With the Stars.  It wasn’t even the outtakes for America’s Got Talent.  I found myself compelled to check stay abreast of the unpredictable happenings at the Beijing Olympic games. The games were fi...

The phrase "IT strategy" has different meanings for different people.  Some think of IT strategy as a list of sytems that need to be replaced, or the future state of the network infrastructure.  Others see it as a document that gathers dust on a shelf somewhere.  Some even have an instinctive aversion to the topics of "IT" and "strategy," and when the words are put...