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By Vegasbab, January 31, 2009 6:24 pm

Managing people is a tough job. It’s also an art form that few people excel at. Before you sign onto a job that involves having people report directly to you, make sure you can do the below things. Of course, a lot of other things make up rock star managers, but this is a rant

1. Have Balls. At some point, you’re probably going to fire someone, rescind a promotion, give constructive criticism and scold employees. Have the balls to not only do all of the above, but also do it gracefully. Don’t forget, women have balls too. Usually, they have bigger and better ones than their male counterparts
2. Be Flexible. Not only to your employees’ needs, but also to their styles. Not everyone likes to be managed the same way. Be flexible enough to adapt your style to different types of people. If you can do this, you’ll get a lot more bang out of your employees.
3. Don’t be a Douchebag. This one goes hand in hand with having balls. If you have to do “dirty work,” do it with confidence. Do it yourself; don’t hide behind your boss. Do it face to face. Doing it by email, IM, DM, phone, etc. is weak and lame.

If you can’t do the above, rethink positions that involve you actually managing people. Why? Because you’re going to suck.

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By Vegasbab, January 28, 2009 7:31 pm

For the last week, I’ve sat and watched as everyone settles instead of fighting. It’s frustrating. It’s wrong. Part of me understands it. Part of me doesn’t.

The part that understands? I understand being tired and so worn down and frustrated that giving in is 10 times easier than continuing the fight. I understand that reading how 70,000 people were laid off on “Bloody Monday” is depressing. But, have one of those umbrella drinks, kiss a hot pool boy and stop being a pussy! 

Some pussy moves:

• - Delaying Digital TV for four months! Yes, 4! Why? Because 6% of the population isn’t ready. Trust me, when their precious TV stops working, they’ll get on board and figure it out fast. Rumor is there’s some law that says the government can’t take away your TV and that’s what the delay stems from…
• - $335M for STD prevention. Really? That’s what is in the stimulus package for job creation? If you’re not smart enough to use a condom or verify your partner is STD-free, then you deserve any disease you get.
• - Letting Corporate Headquarters determine what you should do at the local level. Grow some balls and put your foot down. You know better than some drone who is not in the trenches every day.

Stop waiting until tomorrow or the “perfect” time. Stop settling. Start fighting. And most importantly, start chasing those butterflies again. They’re out there. I promise.

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By Vegasbab, January 27, 2009 8:09 pm

Do you remember the first time you realized you were in love? Do you remember the first time you said, “I love you” to someone besides a family member?

I do. In fact, I remember it down to the toenail polish I was wearing (bright coral). My trip back to Florida brought that moment into sharp focus; more than I thought it would. Funny, how the past sneaks up on you at the oddest moments.

The fairy tale part of the story? We bought the place and planned forever there. The reality? While I still own the house, I lost the man. And, I’m okay with that. Every now and then, I still miss my best friend. But, I think I’d miss the people in my life today even more. Gotta love perspective

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By Vegasbab, January 25, 2009 8:48 pm

As I was doing some cleaning, I ran across this quote:

Somehow I can’t believe there are any heights that can’t be scaled by a man who knows the secret of making dreams come true. This special secret, it seems to me, can be summarized in four C’s. They are Curiosity, Confidence, Courage, and Constancy and the greatest of these is Confidence. When you believe a thing, believe it all the way, implicitly and unquestionably. – Walt Disney

I liked the quote back when I stumbled upon it and I still do. It also made me think about Outliers by Malcolm Galdwell.

While a great book, Outliers is tough to swallow. Boiled down, it basically says that the sole reason people succeed is based on the year and/or month they were born, their ancestry and the lucky breaks that occur. No more, no less.

While it’s hard to analyze your own life, I’ve tried to think of some personal experiences and boil them down to Galdwell’s theory. So, here’s a few that work and a few that don’t:

1. Most swimmers are born in October. Not sure why. But, I’m a Libra through and through. I’m also a fish in the water.
2. My quick Irish temper often gets me in hot water. I suppose if I wanted to put all the blame on myself (which I don’t), my “fiery” temper has been the cause of some major life changes.
3. My brother is the real “Outlier”. Born in July, my parents, after much debate, started his schooling a year early. This meant he was almost a year behind all his counterparts. Still, he became a football superstar, got a college football scholarship and is wicked smart.
4. I’ve never met so many young, married people in one place than in Minnesota. Vegas? Not so much. Maybe it’s something they put in the water there. Maybe it’s their Midwest upbringing.

And, while I liked Gladwell’s book and saw the merit in some of his theories, I like Disney’s idealistic quote better – if you’re nosy, confident, steady and have balls, you can accomplish anything

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By Vegasbab, January 24, 2009 4:02 pm

I wrote about my 10 Pet Peeves here, but I have a few more

1. People who use their cell phones anytime they are with a small group. i.e. during dinner. Alan Wolk’s post touches on it slightly; you’re not being social if you’re alienating yourself with your phone. Besides being downright disrespectful, you’re also telling the people you’re with that they are uninteresting and whatever is on your phone is MUCH cooler. Of course, if you’re waiting for a call/message or check discreetly every so often, that’s fine. But blatantly having it out for the whole dinner? RUDE.
2. Having to be a broken record. I thought only parents had to do this. Seriously, just change my title to Broken-Record-Babysitter. Oh, and I can’t even tell you how many times I said, “I’m in Minnesota” only to get the response, “So, how’s Michigan?”.
3. People who scream for honesty and wax on about wanting to hear your “real” opinion. However, when given what they ask for, they turn into assholes. Don’t ask for things if you can’t handle the truth. Next time I’ll just say, “I’m busy washing my hair” and “yes” you along. Either way, you’ll get pissed off. But, at least I’ve saved myself a few breaths.
4. I’m no longer annoyed by Gristades Supermarket in NYC. I am, however, supremely annoyed with Johanna Foods and the fact that I still can’t find a place that will ship their yogurt. Maybe I’m just annoyed that my powers of persuasion have yet to work for this
5. Network Security. They finally made everyone password protect their Blackberries. I get it. It’s smart. I should do it anyway. But, it DRIVES ME CRAZY to have to type in a ridiculously long password (thanks to their specs) before I can access my text messages, emails, etc.

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By Vegasbab, January 23, 2009 6:30 pm

I can’t pinpoint why, but I am insanely and madly in love with the Giant Cherry Spoon. Okay, it’s official name is, “Spoonbridge and Cherry,” but that just sounds boring.

After getting home and looking at some additional pictures, I realized there’s a fairly large lake around the sculpture. It’s a good thing I was wearing non-waterproof boots. Knowing me, I would have tromped through the snow to get a closer look, managed to break the ice and fall into the icy water I also discovered that during the summer, water runs down the cherry. I must go back to see this.

I admit, I was more than slightly bummed that I didn’t make it to Mall of America or have time for a massage, but seeing the Giant Cherry Spoon made up for it.

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By Vegasbab, January 22, 2009 8:14 pm

I also smell hope. I like change. Actually, I LOVE change; after the fact. But, hope? Hope, to me, is silly, stupid and pointless. As Yoda said, do it or don’t do it. There’s no “try”. Hope is like trying. Stop hoping and do it… or don’t do it.

So, that’s what I’m doing… I’m ripping out the old carpet. I’m throwing out the furniture and the phantom memories. Essentially, I’m gutting the apartment, packing my car and heading East.

Maybe now that I’ve grown my platinum balls back, I’ll start blogging again. To say I’ve missed a few days would be an understatement.

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By Vegasbab, January 13, 2009 11:03 pm

We’ve only had 13 days in 2009 and I can already tell that the below topics are going to be used ad nauseam. I vote for banning them now.

1. Personal Branding. What you really mean is reputation. Yeah, personal branding sounds cooler, but it also focuses on making flimsy, virtual connections. Me? I’d rather have real world people vouch for shit I actually do vs. how “valuable” my tweets are.
2. Twitter. Is it just me or has it started to get lame? I really have expanded my following pool, but I still see the same retweets and the same links. HELLO, we all read the same industry newsletters. There’s no reason to regurgitate that stuff unless you’re asking a question or it’s beyond interesting.
3. Corporations and Social Media. NO, not all companies should join social media. Shut up. Also, stop asking/complaining when brands don’t give away free shit. Ummm, brands need to make money. While you support a family off your salary, brands support ALL their employees. I’m going to guess that number is a whole lot more than your family of four.
4. Social Media Boy’s Club. Get over it. It happens in real life too. It’s just a helluva lot easier to see it in places like Twitter and LinkedIn. It’s not ending anytime soon… this and personal branding go hand in hand
5. Douchebags. These men need to get over themselves. A woman smiling and being nice to you does not translate to, “I’d like to sleep with you.”

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By Vegasbab, January 11, 2009 7:23 pm

I’m cynical and snarky, so don’t hit me for the below

If you don’t know about David Armano asking for a “favor” on twitter that led to him raising $16,020, then you’ve been living under a rock.

While I’m all for helping great causes, especially ones that involve women who have the balls to leave an abusive relationship, I have a few questions and issues about this one.

1. The goal was $5,000. It was exceeded in less than two hours. Yet, people continued to contribute as if they felt the need to be cool enough to be part of this webelebrity’s request. Yeah, I’m sure she needs the additional money. But, before setting this up, they sat there and came up with a goal and thought that $5,000 would be enough to help this family. I really hope they take the $11,020 and use it to help others. But, since no mention of that has been made, I’m guessing not.
2. People, Armano included, acted like this was the first time twitter had ever been used to raise money. UMMM, doesn’t anyone remember Tweetsgiving? I know there’s several more, but I’m lazy and don’t feel like searching for them tonight.
3. Okay, here’s my biggest question: Armano’s original tweet said, “OK, here’s the favor. It’s a big one. For big hearts. Please help. http://is.gd/eKbo Please retweet.” Note that in the intial request, there’s no mention of a request for money or a donation. According to psychology studies, if you mention money when asking for a donation, people to provide a service to your charity, etc. you’re much less likely to get a “yes”. If you ask for the donation and avoid mentioning money, people are significantly more willing to help. SO… my question is, if Armano’s first tweet had been different (i.e. said the word money and/or donation) would he have raised so much? Would people have retweeted it 226 times? Personally, I don’t think so.

My favorite response to this example is by Tyson spokesperson, Ed Nicholson. I won’t say more because he said everything I feel, but ten times more eloquently.

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By Vegasbab, January 11, 2009 10:05 am

Thanks to TweetScan and Wordle, below is a tag cloud of my last 900 tweets. I took out most of the @replies as they skewed the visual just a bit. Enjoy!