Bruffy’s Tow in Marina Del Rey, CA

The following is, as always, my personal opinion and view of the situation.

Allow me to introduce you to Bruffy’s Tow in Marina Del Rey, CA.  The owner, Kevin Bruff , is probably the most honest tow truck operator I have run across (not that I meet that many lol).  After my car was towed twice in one week out of Venice, CA I was very unhappy and believed that there was some sort of malfeasance occurring. … read more “Bruffy’s Tow in Marina Del Rey, CA”

Human Connection in Business

Many businesses that we interact with have a lot of information on who we are and what we like, but never use it.  The businesses that do use the information they have about us are greatly appreciated.  Examples:

  1. The waiter who when you walk into the restaurant says, “Hi Joel, Welcome back to Quinn’s! I know you love dark beer and I have a new one on tap. 
read more “Human Connection in Business”

What is a brand?

The brand formula is:

(Expectation) * (emotional power) = Brand

Some brand formula examples:

Google:

(Expectation of answers to questions) * (very consistent & useful)= Very powerful brand.

Seattle Times:

(Expectation of news) * (pretty consistent, decent news writing) = Solid brand.

Wells Fargo:

(Expectation of banking services) * (random fees, too many upsells) = Weakening brand.… read more “What is a brand?”

Want to be a World-Class Expert?

According to Malcolm Gladwell, it takes roughly 10,000 hours of focused practice to become a world-class expert.  His findings show that this holds true regardless of whether your area of expertise is chess, business, dancing or athletics.

So how long is 10,000 hours?

3 hours of practice every day for 10 straight years.

Sound overwhelming? It is.… read more “Want to be a World-Class Expert?”

LA Parking Tickets & Towing: A Tax for the Poor

Today I went outside to get my car to drive to a business meeting only to discover it had been towed.  I called around and found it at Bruffy’s Towing in LA.  It had been towed because of a temporary tow away zone that apparently they only need to give 24 hours notice for. Such a ripoff.… read more “LA Parking Tickets & Towing: A Tax for the Poor”

Robot Answering Systems SUCK!

At first glance, using a robotic answering machine for your business seems like a genius idea.  Pretend your a Wells Fargo business analyst ten years ago.  Let’s say that Wells Fargo at that time had all human tellers answering their phones and taking information.  Doing so took 40,000 man hours a month at $10 per hour, resulting in a cost of $400,000 to Wells Fargo.… read more “Robot Answering Systems SUCK!”

Blind to Your Mistakes?

Scientific research has shown that people filter out evidence that is contrary to their beliefs.  People also hate to admit their faults even to themselves.

How can filtering evidence and hiding faults hurt you?

Let’s say you are the CEO of Acme Widget Manufacturing and you believe that the South American market does not have enough money to buy your widgets. … read more “Blind to Your Mistakes?”

Common Personal Finance Misunderstanding

Most people thinking about personal finance focus on budgets and expenses.  They try to reduce the money they spend on food, clothes, rent, entertainment, etc. and increase the amount they save and invest.

These people forget the other side of the coin though: INCOME.

You should put an enormous amount of effort into boosting your personal revenue streams. … read more “Common Personal Finance Misunderstanding”