Tom Asacker

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1. Predictions for 2012

Metaphors matter!

I've written it here before, but I'm compelled by recent events to shout it out again: metaphors matter!

They're not merely figures of speech and writing, stylistic expressions that enrich communication. Metaphors structure people's thinking. Metaphors condition our sympathies. Metaphors direct our attention and influence our decisions and actions.

James Autry, retired CEO of Meredith Corporation wrote:

"Becoming a manager has much to do with learning the metaphors; becoming a good manager has much to do with using the metaphors; and becoming a leader has much to do with changing the metaphors."

Leaders set the tone for their people. It's time for them to step up and change today's bullshit business and political rhetoric.

There is no place for violent, hunting and war-like metaphors in today's world. War destroys! War creates division. War sucks, plain and simple.

Business and community service should enrich and advance life. They should be enjoyable endeavors that bring happiness to all people.

Screw Sun Tzu and his Art of War. To hell with killing our competition; they're our neighbors. People are not targets, fish to be reeled in, or territories to be captured.

We are our metaphors. Be a true leader and use them wisely. Our businesses, communities, and children's futures depend on it.

Politics and branding

I was recently asked my opinion of politics as it relates to the concept of branding (could be the swarm of politicians in my home state). If you're interested, here's something I wrote almost three years ago soon after the election of our 44th President. I hope it helps make the distinction called "brand" a bit clearer.

Understanding Brand Obama

"The word [brand] is a sloppy metaphor for a whole bunch of stuff (much of which isn't entirely true) with the power to distract you from precise thinking, expression and action."
- Mark Earls,

The title of this article is a bit misleading. I am not about to compare a newly elected national leader, who inherited a complex and highly consequential set of issues, with a can of soda pop or a pair of running shoes. Sorry.

That being said, and despite the fact that I typically eschew the idea of humans as brands, I do believe that President Obama's most recent history provides a valuable lesson on the concept of "brand;" that sloppy metaphor that confuses many and annoys the rest.

Fifteen weeks ago, Barack Obama was enthusiastically chosen by 62.98 million Americans (52 percent of the total number of people who both could, and did, choose). But what precisely did the ardent majority believe they were getting with their brand choice? What were they thinking and feeling at the time?

Ask and they'll tell you "Change" (that was the brand "promise" after all). And change they got: the first African-American President; an intelligent, articulate and polished speaker; and a thoughtful, bipartisan bridge-builder. So you'd expect them all to be feeling pretty good about their brand choice, right? Hardly.

So much for good feelings

Environmentalists are concerned that Obama's requisite focus on the economic crisis will push back their green agenda. And they weren't happy to find out that President Obama, who has said that we can no longer keep "our homes at 72 degrees at all times," has cranked up the thermostat in the Oval office. "You could grow orchids in there," admitted advisor David Axelrod. "He's from Hawaii, okay? He likes it warm."

Liberals are dispirited by the stimulus plan, which by all accounts contains the biggest tax cuts in history. Conservatives are troubled by the superfluous government spending and the soaring deficit, as well as the assertive plan to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq.

Washington outsiders are dealing with the cognitive dissonance of their choice induced by Obama's problematic Cabinet picks, considering his promise to "change the ways of Washington." And tech-savvy voters are dismayed by, of all things, the paucity of "tweets" since Obama took office. What's going on?

Take a long, considered look at the following brand decision representation:

Here's what's going on: President Obama was chosen from essentially two options (duopolistic competition) based primarily on strategically crafted words and images. Voters created an expectation of brand Obama's actions based on those sensory inputs, and his subsequent performance is now creating the brand experience of each voter.

Yes, Obama "promised" change. Unfortunately for him, and for those who suffer from this particular brand delusion, a brand is not a promise. It's a personal expectation and, ultimately, an experience measured against that expectation. And so, many people are now experiencing incongruity with their choice of the Obama brand. It was inevitable.

The bottom line

If the market for "Presidents" was not duopolistic and voters were not "locked in" with their brand choice, many would be actively searching for a more desirable alternative; one better aligned with their particular predilections. But they can't. And that's why the forced, mass market nature of politics, which is driven by words and images, is an inappropriate exemplar for anything to do with modern day brands.

In today's marketplace of abundance, people will modify their brand choice in a heartbeat if they feel that doing so will better align with their sense of self and contribute more substantially to their pursuit of happiness. Hence the nichification of most markets.

Yes, words and images are important in influencing choice in that they can help create expectations; expectations of near term experiences. And if successfully rendered, they will compel people to investigate further or, in low risk decisions (or in duopolistic ones), to simply choose the brand with little consideration.

Words and images can also be creatively employed to reinforce brand choice, but they are not the most important part of the brand story. That role on the stage belongs to the performance of the brand, which ultimately creates the reinforcing cognitive experience of the customer. And, as all great marketers know, how people feel about themselves and their decision to choose a brand--enlivened by the eventual realization of their unique expectations--is what creates the good feelings that endure over time.

So how will brand Obama fare? It all depends on his constituents' changing expectations, along with Obama's ability to both shape and enliven those expectations through improved experiences. In the end, only time will tell. But, unlike most other brand choices, his constituents will have no other option but to wait, hope and see.

P.S. We'll know in precisely 305 days.

Happy New Year!

Someone once said that the pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity and the optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty. Which one will the challenging New Year draw out of you? Do you want to know? It's really quite simple.

Every person has both the dog of optimism and the dog of pessimism inside of them. The one you see most often is the one you feed most often. I truly hope that you feed the hopeful one in 2012--the one with the bright, shining eyes of possibility--and live a life of passion, not pretense.

Predictions for 2012

According to TypePad's stats, the most popular post in the history of this blog was one that I wrote at the end of 2008 titled "Nine Predictions for 2009." I just reread it and found that each one of my predictions was dead-on! Go figure.

And guess what? I'm going to make the exact same predictions for 2012.

No, I am not going to add three to make the list a catchy 12. If it makes you feel better, you can. Simply imagine ones having to do with the Mayan calender and the end of the world:

"The world won't end on December 21st," or "Sales of alchohol and Nibiru (Planet X) branded merchandise will skyrocket in Q4 of 2012." You get the idea.

Now for my predictions:

The Earth will complete its 584 million mile, 67,000 mph trip around the Sun without incident

I know, that’s a pretty lame kick-off prediction. But think about those numbers for a minute. We’re all outgrowths of a living mass that is rocketing through space around an enormous ball of fire. Does that make any sense to you? Me either. So stop trying to figure it all out. Stop trying to protect yourself from an unknowable future and instead be a connected and passionate part of the here and now.

“What is important in life is life, and not the result of life.” -Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Many things will change, but many people will not

Most of us will be doing, thinking and feeling more or less the same things this time next year as we are now. If you don’t want that sameness, grab yourself by the collar and yank yourself off of that comfortable, well-worn path and onto the one less traveled by you. Let go of your past and grab onto your future. Because while you’re waiting for that grand insight to point you in the right direction, the beauty of life is flying right on by.

“Without change, something sleeps inside us, and seldom awakens. The sleeper must awaken.” -Frank Herbert
Most people will sit quietly in their seats and watch life unfold around them

A recent New Yorker magazine cartoon made it comically clear: There’s a lot that we all want to experience, but not much that we actually want to do. Most of us simply want to go along to get along and enjoy the ride. Well, the ride is slowing to a crawl. And when it starts back up, it’ll be a much different ride. What kind of ride? The best way to know that is to put yourself in charge of creating it. Grab the wheel and get moving. Let the pull of what excites you and what you care most deeply about be your guide.

“The reason why worry kills more people than work is that more people worry than work.” -Robert Frost
A lot of people and businesses will fail

That’s the unfortunate nature of life. You try something, it doesn’t work. You try something different, it works. If it works big, people copy you (or steal it). You try something new, failure again. If you’re trying, if you’re living, you will fail. So what? Live a life of no regrets. Seize this opportunity to learn and grow and experience, while everyone else snuggles deeper into their comfy routines.

“He who has never failed somewhere, that man can not be great.” -Herman Melville
Many “friends” will be lost and many new ones made

Social networks are all the rage today: Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, as well as the many recurring real world gatherings. And indeed, they can be great ways to stay connected and to gain attention. But many of the people who have “friended” you through these groups did so for a reason; their reason. And once that reason goes away, so will they. Don’t sweat it. Keep connecting. Keep reaching out and sharing with people with similar interests and beliefs. But also, spend more slow and deep time with your family and your true friends; those who accept and care about the real you, not the social status you.

“In prosperity, our friends know us; in adversity, we know our friends.” -John Churton Collins
The passionate will not only survive, they will thrive

What’s bugging you? Whatever it is, for your sake--and for those unwilling or unable to change--do something about it! That’s the key to growth and success. The inventor David Levy referred to it as the curse effect: “Whenever I hear someone curse, it’s a sign to invent something.” Well, perhaps that someone is you and that “cursing” is resonating between your ears. If so, don’t let it irritate you and drain your life and passion. Use it to fuel you and drive you forward. The future belongs to those unwilling to accept the stifling status quo; to those who stay puzzled, excited, frustrated and surprised.

“Whenever anything is being accomplished, it is being done, I have learned, by a monomaniac with a mission.” -Peter Drucker
Success will go to those with the best questions, not those with the cleverest answers

Do you know the definition of an expert? An expert is someone who knows more and more about less and less until he knows absolutely everything about nothing? And a generalist? A generalist, like so many afflicted with digital A.D.D., is someone who knows less and less about more and more until he knows absolutely nothing about everything. Successful people know that they’ll never know enough, especially about what really matters. So, they pay attention. They catch on and refocus rapidly. They never stop trying and learning. They’re driven by the questions, by their desire to understand and to change things.

“All you need in this life is ignorance and confidence, and then success is sure.” -Mark Twain
Execution is the new strategy

E.L. Doctorow wrote, “Planning to write is not writing.” Here’s the funny thing: Writing is not writing. It’s editing. You’re really not sure where you’re going until well after you’ve begun; until you’ve put pen to paper (or type to page). And then, the work unfolds in unpredictable and mysterious ways. Sure, vision and planning are important. But with the accelerating pace of change in today’s world, the important insights are more likely to come through doing and editing, than through speculating and strategizing.

“Change will lead to insight far more often than insight will lead to change.” -Milton H. Erickson
Making a difference will trump making a buck

Walt Disney’s mantra was, “I don’t make movies to make money. I make money to make movies.” What about you? Why do you make money? Think really hard and long about that simple question. If you’ve been putting off being passionate about your work in order to make a lot of money, now may be the time for you to make a change. Why? Because the business of making money simply to make more money is quickly coming to an end. The future is not in making a buck; it’s in making a difference.

“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” -Winston Churchill

That’s it. My clear-eyed prognostications for 2012. Email me on December 22, 2012 and let me know how I did.

Viktor Frankl wrote, “Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.” The reality of the coming year is that the sluggish economy will create a collective pause; a “space” of epic proportions for organizations and individuals.

Yes, it will be unpleasant for many. But it will also be an opportunity in disguise for those willing to seize the moment. Are you willing?

If you've enjoyed my predictions, please pass this post around to your friends and colleagues. It may help them understand, and more importantly deal with, their impending “space” in the coming New Year.

In closing, the great Danish physicist Niels Henrik David Bohr wrote, “Prediction is very difficult, especially if it’s about the future.” But, the first woman to receive the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry, Edna St. Vincent Millay, reminds us, “It’s not true that life is one damn thing after another; it’s one damned thing over and over.”

Physics and poetry. Such is the nature of our paradoxical world. Just remember, it’s your future that you have control over, and only you have the power to change that one damn thing.

Stay passionate and God speed! See you in 2012!

Breakout, breakthrough or breakdown.

Forget about the reality of the economy in 2012 and instead focus on your reality.

I'll never forget an enlightening conversation with college friends back in the economic heydays of the 90s. It has stuck with me for the past fifteen years and often helps inform my decision-making, especially during uncertain times like these.

As we relaxed and enjoyed a Labor Day cookout, and our good health and fortune, I spurted out that I was, once again, venturing into the great marketplace unknown.

At the time we were all disengaged yet seemingly secure in executive positions with established organizations, unquestioningly embracing the status quo.

Upon hearing my news, one bewildered friend glanced at me, shook his head from side to side, and professed, “I could never do what you do.”

“What’s that?” I asked.

“You know,” he answered, pausing to sip his imported beer. “Risking it all.”

“Risking it all?” I replied. “It’s you who are ‘risking it all.’ And for what it’s worth,” I continued. “I could never do what you guys are doing.”

What they were doing, what many are still doing, was playing it safe instead of playing it with passion. And by “playing it with passion,” I don’t mean “following” ones passion. I’ve never “followed my passion,” because, frankly, I have no idea what my singular passion is.

Perhaps it’s why I’m so amused by comedian Mitch Hedberg’s absurd declaration: “I’m sick of following my dreams, man. I’m just going to ask where they’re going and hook up with ‘em later.” But why follow them? Why hook up with them? Why not be the leader of your life and let your dreams hook up with you?

Don’t be stuck. Don’t be confused. It’s really simple: Your life’s purpose is the quality of your life’s experiences. Living life with passion is following your passion.

Unfortunately, most people believe that passion will mysteriously appear, or that the purpose of life is the pursuit of comfort. They view life as a waiting game with a series of problems to avoid, rather than an exciting game with the clock ticking and opportunities to pursue.

Comfort is an illusion; a fantasy that imagines freedom from pain and suffering if only we stay still and avoid change. What most fail to realize, typically until it’s very late in the game, is that change happens to us whether we like it or not.

G. K. Chesterton wrote, “If you leave a thing alone you leave it to a torrent of change. If you leave a white post alone it will soon be a black post. If you particularly want it to be white you must be always painting it again; that is, you must be always having a revolution.”

Without intervention, without progressive change, without revolution, everything in our work and our lives gets worse. Our bodies degrade, our relationships fizzle, our jobs disappear, and our ideas become obsolete (it has happened to countless organizations and to most of my friends).

Face it: We are either breaking out of our spiritsucking routines and breaking through to new insights and experiences, or we are breaking down.

When the opportunity to step out of your comfort zone screams at you in 2012, and it will definitely come, take it. Say no to the sure thing and say yes to a creative challenge. Say no to short-term, comfort producing activities, and say yes to fear and passion.

The Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard wrote, “To dare is to lose one’s footing momentarily. Not to dare is to lose oneself.” Lose your footing in 2012, experience life fully and perhaps, just perhaps, you’ll find yourself again.

Maybe "branding" needs to be rebranded (and other random thoughts).

I've been posting my thoughts on business, brands and organizational success on this blog for the past eight years. During that time, I’ve written four books and I’ve spoken to hundreds of organizations around the world about marketplace success during chaotic times.

I recently paused to consider what I’ve discovered during my journey. What has changed? What has remained the same? What has puzzled me? Have my principles stood the test of time? Where is the world of business headed?

Rather than trying to distill my thoughts and insights into a pithy piece, I thought I’d simply share the results of my random, spiraling ruminations. I hope they make sense to you and provide worthy cause for your own reflection. And I'd love to know your thoughts as well.

The Grand Illusion. Most people understand the world by chopping it into bits and categorizing those bits. But it’s an illusion. For example, there is no discrete thing called “tree.” “Tree” is simply a word we’ve created to refer to a particular pattern of ground, atmosphere, energy consuming and producing cells moving in shapes we call “branches,” etc. The same is true in business. An organization is not a bunch of disconnected departments and activities, like marketing, finance, HR, operations, IT, et al. Rather, it’s an arrangement, or pattern, in which every so-called part is a function of the whole. I’ve come to find that this “whole” is only seen and appreciated by a very few exceptional leaders, and that this one distinction, this dominant viewpoint, makes all the difference to their ongoing success.

Bye-Bye Branding. Despite my effort with A Clear Eye for Branding and the efforts of many others, for the vast majority of people the words “brand” and “branding” will never take on the strategic and unifying significance that we preach. Rather than suggesting a business philosophy and systematic approach to creating happy customers and increasing profitability, brand and branding will continue to evoke naming, logos, design and other aesthetic and mnemonic concerns. Perhaps we need a new word; a new "brand."

What’s the Recipe? Business people hunger for a recipe for marketplace success. They swarm like bees to the plethora of books, articles and advisors that promise “the way,” despite the fact that there is no one way. At Southwest Airlines, the employee comes first. At Whole Foods, it’s the customer. At Apple, it’s the product. There are no formulas, but there are patterns. My goal is, and has always been, to expose those patterns and to have people feel them in their bones. Success is about discovering insights, seeing with new eyes, not about following a new blueprint.

Drowning in Complexity. The marketplace is growing increasingly complex. Rather than understanding the underlying patterns for success and being driven by purpose and passion, leaders are parsing events and information to an unmanageable degree. Their ever-frustrated effort to gain complete assurance by analyzing data is creating anxious, fearful and dispirited employees. And this insipid attitude is spilling over to their partners, customers, and to the bottom line.

Creation-Centric to Communication-Centric. The modern marketplace was built by entrepreneurs obsessed with creating breakthrough ideas that transformed people’s lives. Sadly, many of today’s leaders are milking the innovations of their predecessors. Instead of gaining new insights into how to improve people’s experiences and moving forward with bold innovations, they’re wrapping old offerings in new sales, communication and entertainment packaging. It’s a short-sighted, uninspiring, and future-mortgaging decision.

Where’s the Meaning? The marketplace is, was, and always will be about meaning; meaning that communicates to the world--and to ourselves--who we are, what we believe in, and to what groups we belong. We choose products, services and causes based on a feeling of receiving distinctive value--a unique bundle of social, aesthetic, and functional meanings that feed our hungers to be liked, respected, and discerning. Apple, and a handful of other organizations, understand and embrace this reality and therefore continue to draw meaning-making consumers towards their highmargin models. To my utter confusion, the rest continue to chase the elusive, deal-seeking consumers with large, leaky nets of promotions, discounts and incentives. And that’s no way to grow.

So, what do YOU think?

The paradox of success.

In a turbulent environment, control is your enemy.

So here's the fact: Success in the marketplace of products, services, causes and ideas is driven by scarcity--always has been and always will be. However, achieving scarcity is a very different pursuit in today’s chaotic, connected and rapidly evolving marketplace.

The old way of attaining scarcity, and thus success, was through control--control of resources, control of the airwaves, control of distribution, control of capital, control of real estate, control of knowledge, and even control of interactions with people. Paradoxically, these days success is achieved by giving up control.

Consider selling: A universally accepted, time-proven approach. Today, the simple word “sales” conjures up controlling tactics like “foot in the door” and “closing techniques.” Modern day consumers repel at such stratagems. They want to feel informed and cared for. They want respect and understanding. They want you to slow down and focus intently and confidently on them and their feelings.

This new desire has created a new scarcity, and a moment in time that holds more possibilities than any period in the history of business. And the only thing standing between you and the results you truly want is you--and your need to control them. Control blinds you to opportunities. Control is driven by your ego’s need to serve itself. Control is an illusion you cling to primarily to alleviate your fears.

We like to believe otherwise. We like to believe that control is a good thing—an attribute of a strong individual. In our upside-down way of thinking we assume that by being in control we can prevent bad surprises and get precisely what we desire out of life. Nothing could be further from the truth.

The need for control comes from insecurity. It is fearbased; fear of the unknown, fear of failure, fear of being judged by others, fear of loss, fear of not making quota. And this fear is what prevents us from discovering our true passion and purpose. It prevents us from doing what we do best and letting others do what they do best. It stifles growth and pushes others away from us.

Great leaders understand the distinctions of today’s tumultuous marketplace. They’ve given up the need to control events, have come to terms with their egos, and are dedicated to adding value and happiness to people’s lives. They inspire. They embrace change. They accept the uncertainty of the future.

Do you want to be fearless in this new and complex environment?

Do you want to get past the impatience and skepticism of today’s savvy customer and employee and create something truly scarce? Simply change your intentions. Start right now by listening to your inner voice and never act again without first asking yourself: “Am I passionate and proud of this approach? Is this a caring thing to say or do?”

When you create this openness and excitement for life, the feeling radiates within, and to others around you. Sincere caring for others will act as an antidote to reduce fear and anxiety. You won’t be afraid of what others think or whether or not you’ll be successful. You’ll simply feel good about your efforts to engage with, and help, others.

Giving up control will also create a huge sense of internal relief. By giving up control, you won’t have to pretend to be perfect, to know it all. You can set grand expectations and thus avoid the disappointment that comes from trying to micromanage people and events. By allowing for the unexpected, you’ll stay mindful and in the present.

Let your anxious mind go. Feel and understand with your heart and gut. Don’t be quietly cynical or apathetic. Don’t push or persuade. Be open and optimistic, compassionate and kind. Give up control. Give up trying to be the best in the world and instead focus on what matters most: being the best for the world.

Let those grand ambitions for wealth, status and power fade away with the old economy. It will take time and patience, but it will make you scarce . . . and successful.

Changes in attitudes.

People’s attitudes about an idea are changed in two primary ways: through their active participation (behavior-induced) and through persuasion, where you use semantic and symbolic means to convince them to change.

Persuasion was a perfectly fine marketplace approach when people were predisposed to believe various claims, both overt and subtle ones, and when commercial messages were welcomed and consciously assimilated. But not so much today. The marketplace has changed.

Thirty years ago, the average American was targeted by around 500 daily commercial messages. Today that number is closer to 5,000. And people have changed with this changing marketplace reality; they’re digitally empowered, much more marketing-savvy (and weary), and extremely distrustful.

That’s why people increasingly employ message-blocking technologies and use Google as a message validation machine: “I wonder what others think of this idea?” “What have the outcomes been for people like me?” “What other alternatives are available.” And so on.

But there is something they trust even more than Google. Something in which their confidence has never waned, especially when faced with an overwhelming amount of choice and information.

Themselves.

In an age of hype, spin, and desperation, what looks good to people is increasingly a personally relevant experience that they can wrap their minds and hearts around.

As the philosopher and communication theorist Marshall McLuhan argued, it’s “experience rather than understanding that influences our behavior.”

So give people an experience that reveals the vision and intention behind your idea. An experience that conveys look, feel, and, especially, meaning in a no spin, passionate way. An experience that allows people to alter their own attitudes of mind, without a hint of external persuasion. An experience that creates a motivation to act.

Can your audience see themselves reflected in your brand?

The British economist John Kay wrote, “I am irresistible, I say, as I put on my designer fragrance. I am a merchant banker, I say, as I climb out of my BMW. I am a juvenile lout, I say, as I down a glass of extra strong lager. I am handsome, I say, as I don my Levi’s jeans.”

What do people internalize when they interact with you? What image does your idea help them conjure up about themselves? Your audience aches to believe that you “represent” them and that you’re in it for, and with, them. Your ability to reach outside of yourself, and connect with them in a meaningful and reflective way, demonstrates this bond.

You’re them. They’re you. Connect your passion and purpose to their passion and purpose. Relate your unique view of the world and your place in it to their unique view of the world and their place in it. They long to see themselves and their unique needs in the reflection of your carefully polished idea. They crave your humble, yet confident and wide-eyed passion for the possible. They want you to display personality and to be vulnerable and human, like them.

Bill Cosby once said, “I don’t know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody.” Being reflective is ignoring everybody and being one with your audience. It’s about regarding them the way they regard themselves--as insiders, collaborators, and protagonists of the idea.

It’s feeding their spirit, giving them a sense of belonging and adding to their feeling of identity by being special and standing out. Reflective helps people experience the most powerful feeling in the world, “It’s not just me who feels this way. I am not alone.”

How does the glass look to you?

An optimist sees the glass as half full. And a pessimist sees the glass as half empty. But we can always dig a bit deeper into people's perceptions.

For example, how would an engineer see the glass? Probably that it's twice as big as it needs to be. The accountant would want to know if the glass really needs all that water.

The physicist would say that the volume of this cylinder is divided into two equal parts; one a colorless, odorless liquid, the other a colorless, odorless gas. Thus the cylinder is neither full nor empty. Rather, each half of the cylinder is full, one with a gas, one with a liquid. And the quantum physicist would tell you that the glass has a 50% probability of holding water.

The government would say that the glass is fuller than if the opposition party were in power. The opposition would say that it is irrelevant because the present administration has changed the way such volume statistics are collected. And the so-called "super committee" would fail to reach any kind of agreement.

The economist would say that, in real terms, the glass is 25% fuller than at the same time last year. And the banker would say that the glass has just under 50% of its net worth in liquid assets.

The psychiatrist would ask, "What did your mother say about the glass?" The philosopher would proclaim that if no one looks at the glass, who's to say how full or empty it really is? And the social media expert would want to know how many "Likes" half full and half empty have received.

Oh . . . and the seasoned drinker would say that it needs a bit more Ketle One and some ice.

But, my friends, the truly important question today is, How does the glass look to you? If you have your health, hope, loved ones and freedom, your glass is a bright, sparkling gift.

Be thankful.

(Rest assured, we will never provide your email address to anyone. Period.)

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Tom is timely, thought provoking and all about the new brand vision packaged as a Seinfeld stand up. I went to school on his ideas.

Jeff Taylor, Founder, Monster.com and CEO, Eons.

When Tom Asacker writes, I read. Opportunity Screams is the right message for the right time.

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