LOYALTY is king or [QUEEN of Purchasing, Operations, Design, Communications, her own domaine....READ for MORE

Pure transparency is THE most critical criteria that builds TRUST; trust begets LOYALTY; loyalty creates ADVOCACY.  DO YOU understand the value based on demographics and speak to one, at a time ~ AKA [Also Known As] target marketing instead of mass mktg.

Why should you care?

As you do more things and look up more stuff online, you are creating a definable persona that is geared to your own personal data.

Think of it as your online DNA or footprints to your soul.

Not before long the two worlds could collide [ intellectual will challenge privacy and ownership - less likely copyrighted governance or protection] .... Intellectual Law would be fascinating to learn!

Oscar the Pug | #OscarThePug                          @optioneerJM

                               w w w . g r a FX . o n l i n e

(Backup) Strike when the iron’s hot! OR, be a freak of nature: unique and powerful

It is amazing how clarity 

bounces atcha when ur chilling and mind your own business.  Nestled warmly with my love and my sidekick, Buddy.

My own trials and tribulations more personalized I grapple with constantly.

What if my dad really was Elvis?

How differently life may have turned out, you’d think, eh?

Yet, that would mean no longer Canadian... not something I’d give up.

My mother could have been Grace Kelly

Dusting my shelves in my new studio (transferred basement space) I came across some great photos of my parents I have.  Whatever happened to the tradition of family portraits.  In a place of honour is one of myself and my three siblings.  Some things never change.  The only way we were able to have a family photos at weddings diminished, we had to think how we could solve the challenge to get all four of us together for a photo for my parents to commemorate their 25th Wedding Anniversary.

If Grace Kelly had instead married my father, my mother was who she was.

Being married to Elvis may have taken her away in a Catellac 

Sound your battle cry

Most people would say that they would rather have their eyeballs poked than to meet with a salesperson.

Said nobody.

Not unlikely most people can think of dozens of excuses they could come up with to avoid a meeting with a salesperson.  There is no statistical reference, but the message conveys strong logic.

Bullying supreme.

If far more rampant in the workplace than any other place in the world.  Hidden.  Forgotten.  Ignored.

An acceptable temperament 

of a drill Sargent who scares people, not garnish loyalty.  Ones who decay a corporate pride to an emblem tarnished by the dismal noise from its exuberant military dictatorial culture.  

One guy's blunder causes a debate

One which should not have been needed to be educated on the error of his data.

I will endeavor to do so.

Customer or Client? Mega greed or conspiracy theories?

Jason Bourne 
is to blame.  Tonight, my handsome husband selected a movie for us to watch.  It is a treat he has for me and he seems to always pick the perfect time.  The perfect time?  

Classic
The most classic perfect time in Calgary would be braving the roads from our first real winter "experience" of the season, where people have forgotten how to drive more cautiously and safely.  Then, I spent all day in training at work.  Funny part when the WWW (wicked witch of the west who will remain unnamed, to avoid the social media police that may be trolling my social media sites to ensure that I don't defame, embarrass or name the company or people I work with, have worked with, customer (transactional sale) versus client (continuing relationship where there is an exchange of money for services provided or in providing knowledge to help them make a decision.)

BIG SECRET
Relationship sales is much more satisfying and gratifying for both the representative and the client.  I know that if you are new to sales or think that sales pros speak a unique foreign language, you may think what is the point?  Customer or client? 

CUSTOMER
To me, a customer is a transactional buyer.  They shop, they compare, they buy once.  They move on.  Unless you manage your own headache on the warranty business.  A customer is a like trying to a romantic guy trying to woo a lovely lady with flowers, dinner and a diamond to only turn around and ask "what's for dinner?"    I'm lucky I'm not married to one of those.  My man, is a man's man, a gamer, a cool dude and all-around super guy.  He's smart, which helps.  If he doesn't understand something, he goes out of his way to learn more about it.  A customer is only going to compare, shop, call and ask for a deal, compare, take the deal and go to the other fierce competitor to test to see if they get their dandruff up if they mention who is "trying to win their business" when in actual fact, they are wasting resources (people, technology, profits, shareholder value) trying to squeeze out another dime.  These "customers" are in forums or getting opinions from neighbors, colleagues, friends and the pleasant lad who you stand in line at the coffee bar with.  They take that information as gospel on how to "get a deal".   I'm not sure, but I'd guess that the latest craze of false expertise is to drain advertisers banks and maybe gaining soundbites professing their show-stopping breakthrough.

I digressed A - L O T ... I won't apologize because if you come here to read my writing, it is going to be about sales or leadership or business with a twist of social media insight.  I'm long winded and detail oriented.  You don't often get one without the other:  someone who speaks out what they are formulating or have figured out, usually means telling someone else about it.  Or, in their gathering information and feeding their knowledge junkie habit, they ask a lot of questions, survey a lot of people, the web, often with Google's support, to find answers.

So, there are clients that do the same thing other sales pros would say.  I agree.  However, a really super smart sales savvy superstar can actually distinguish between what the car auto sales term (that I like to adopt as point of reference because buying a car is a universal buy that crosses all incomes, intellects and class or religion) ..... a tire kicker.  

If you were put on a platform with the "That was EASY button" notoriously campaigned and launched by Staples however many years ago ... would you be able to handle a flurry of questions like the rat-tat-tat of the sound of your voice mimicking a war toy?  Have you ever thought of holding a company olympics?  You should.  BUT don't limit it to ONLY the salespeople.  Make it mandatory for executives to participate too.  There are no classes and everyone is among the masses.  That is humility in executive leadership that you don't see, if ever.  (Unless you are of a certain type, of which it looks like I have another idea to write later).

Client
If you are any kind of company, you have created revenue streams by having "relationships" with a select group of buyers.  They may make transactional buys, but they are pretty loyal where they dispose of their money.  The money that there shareholders, owners, employees, suppliers need to see coming in on a steady stream.  They are not transactional customers, they are clients.  Some hip marketing sound bite made it popular to recoin that term into a defendable definition.  

That's the mini-lesson this evening.  After sitting in a training class all day, surviving nail biting slick driving conditions in a city that knows that it will inevitably happen lose their minds, AND it being so damn cold that the only thought you can conjure up about Christmas or "The Holidays" are penguins marching with gifts in tow.  Too cold to pump your own gas, but you have to so you won't run out of it after letting your car idle before the mad dash from the house to jump into the cocoon, that warmth enclosure, that quickly becomes a death trap as soon as you take the emergency break off and put your foot gently, cautiously on the gas pedal.  Only to almost be side swiped by some idiot driving like a maniac (and if it were safe to do so, take a video to post on YouTube for instant stardom ... which you don't because that would be considered "distracted driving" in a Province that has an offense as such, with a punishable penalty of a fine of the equivalent of all your Christmas gifts combined.)  

We need more Americans living in Canada.  Then again, there are already quite a few if the call-in rate for being sick on Black Friday because it was American Thanksgiving.    We didn't even have the tradition of super big deal sale day Black Friday without learning how to be better consumers from our cousins to the south.  Talk about biting the hand that feeds you when you think how quickly the masses on eastern shores have taken on the tradition and surpassed the consumer power from their teachers.

Buyers Supreme
One conspiracy theory I have in world dominance is going to be whoever holds the largest purse.  In a corporate world, that would mean usually the C.E.O. (Chief Executive Officer or chief elusive opportunist).  If you doubt me, look up who the richest CEOs are in your country.  The bigger the company does not necessarily mean the bigger the bonus.  They are their own public relations team and talent manager all tied up into a bow as one.    The buyers pay for that CEO even if they are delusional.  

World Domination
I don't know if anyone has noticed but the largest consumer culture of the americas is quickly being passed and left behind.  There is this place that is in the far east that has been making a lot of dough off of those americas companies by politely taking the jobs off their own soil, because their "consumers" or customers or clients don't care as long as they get the best price.  Now those poor unfortunate farmers and caretakers of the land are working in factories or building shipping operations to get those goods back to where the consumers are:  recycling of a new age kind.  

Consumers
Now where do you imagine where those big buckets of cash consumers reside?  Well, certainly not in the americas because those folks are riding the waves of job loss, pending home loss, and dignity lost a long time ago when they stopped being able to contribute to society:  as in consume.

Shifting tides
When you read a long long time ago that most of the owners of the debt in the americas are, you might be getting it:  they aren't in the americas.  Heck, stop worrying about the Mexican immigrants who are taking the jobs that nobody else wants to do.  In our consumer-entitled world.  Who, will soon be raising children who will be getting the best grades in school because they understand the value of education (where race, culture, background, financial picture can be eradicated if we ensure that all children on all continents are afforded an education.)  If you doubt me, consider who is graduating as doctors, pharmacists these days?  I can almost certainly say it isn't the third or fourth generation countrymen who are still stunned and striving to avoid destruction from the fall out of losing their jobs.  Offshore.  Huh?

Politics
Cannot be shoved aside.  I worked at the largest tech company in the world, who was conniving and pushing jobs offshore.  I was hearing from colleagues who had left mostly on their own accord.  Drained and strained to the max under the theory of their own self-destruction that tech will continue to replace human capital.

If I can find it, I will come back here and post the frame.  The CEO (chief elusive opportunist .... called such because you won't see them unless there is an opportunity for them to plug themselves or their company which plugs their cash meter).  The person was at the final Presidential Debate, and got in a soundbite by a notably large media outlet who hasn't caught on to the bigger story, and said "Whoever wins better ensure that they can create jobs".  

No reaction, no fall out, no media storm.  It was sexier to exploit the biggest battle of the sexes of all time than to clue in to what is happening.  Right under their collective noses was a bigger story.  Duh!  That CEO had been shoveling jobs offshore by the bushel to try to ensure the executives get their bonus and the shareholder noise is quieter.  Talk about the decimation of the oil industry why don't cha?

Decimation (Roman army) - Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decimation_(Roman_army)

Decimation (Latin: decimatio; decem = "ten") was a form of military discipline used by senior commanders in the Roman Army to punish units or large groups guilty of capital offences, such as mutiny or desertion. The word decimation is derived from Latin meaning "removal of a tenth".

‎Procedure · ‎Sources · ‎Post-classical instances · ‎Current usage of the word

Does 'decimate' mean 'destroy one tenth'? | OxfordWords blog

blog.oxforddictionaries.com/2012/09/does-decimate-mean-destroy-one-tenth/

Sep 10, 2012 - A classic example of this is the word decimate. ... But the claim that decimate should be used to mean naught but to ‘put to death (or destroy) one of every ten’ has deeper problems than that. ... Currently, decimate meaning ‘to tithe’ makes its first appearance in 1656 (more of ...

That very same person that I would watch on the global corporate-wide town hall trying to calm nerves when stories or how they tried to insinuate as "rumors" of tens of thousands of jobs going to be cut.  That very same person said they hoped that the new incoming president would "create jobs".  Ha!

Dictators
While the riches of the one hemisphere are being lost in droves, unrest befalls the populace.  As the entitled soon learn that the tables are turning.  All the "spoils" from the ignorance of others, pad the pockets of others who pounce on the opportunity to capitalize on that greed, politely take their money in pennies if that deflects attention from what they are really doing.  Giving jobs away because they are cheaper to appease the shareholders who line their pockets with gold, or what is more commonly known as a "bonus".

The climate is right, the temperature is ripe for a dictatorship.  Think about it.  When and where in our past has dictatorships risen?  Hmmmm, feeding off the entitlement of whatever hot buttons are needed to get the masses fired up?  Now, who has done that before?   Rising to power based on hysteria, indignation and fueling that by creating more outrage.  Can we think of where that has happen before?  Why, yes, some may even recognize a hint of it founded on religion.  

Scope
I'm asking you to think a little bigger picture here.  When and where have the people gotten all fired up and gotten on opposing sides of a great divide?  Why yes, very often it is blamed on religion.  If that is what people think is the answer, then the parasites can latch on to that and use that to climb onto a self-built pedestal that can be raised by loyal followers who think they too can join in and even perhaps gain favor, why not a job,  a bonus wouldn't hurt.  Is it on the tip of your finger yet?

Revolution
A revolt often evolves when two opposing sides become more impassioned and ablaze, deciding that their choice as the right way.  Wait.  Don't blame the HunksterHubster, he doesn't even know I'm writing this.  In fact, I'm pretty safe from my own family rising to any opinion because they don't read this either!  Lucky for me, Google has translation built right into a gadget on this blog that allows visitors to translate into their own tongue, to embrace it, Brazil.  !Gracias! 

I read this article and posted this comment on "MEDIUM" after stumbling upon this rich, resourceful, amazing "CREW" .......

The best designers and developers don’t want to deal with crummy work that has a poor budget — this undervalues the work they do.

From a Mailchimp email and Wufoo form to $25k in 3 months

Mikael Cho

2902

BRAVO! Well said :o) Thank YOU *^*jm “The best designers and developers don’t want to deal with crummy work that has a poor budget — this undervalues the work they do”.This is so true of true creative types as well; try talking to a publisher, graphic designer or advertising agency, writers and imagineers; it is unfortunate when some drive prices down or deteriorate the brand of the industry or innovators by low-balling price by half-assed “entrepreneurs” who bastardize genius disguised behind the mask of greed. The deal makers and the price droppers. ~Jeannette

 Jeannette Marshall https://optioneerjm.blogspot.ca/2016/12/dont-be-ninkomphpoof-practice-golden.html

Advocacy for education

Education is a right for every child in our hemisphere.  In my opinion, it evens the playing field.  We are often reminded by great achievements by those who climbed out of despair, poverty or abuse to rise out of the shambles.  Education has a way of doing that.  It is something that we perhaps take for granted.

I often volunteer to help kids in education.  For almost three years I have been volunteering for Junior Achievement, where one is armed with teaching aids, representing major companies in the community as a way of giving back.  The skills covered are economics, budgeting, finance, credit, applying for jobs, understanding expenses and so on.  As volunteers, we are also setting positive examples for kids aged 14 and 15.  

I have also volunteered to prepare and distribute lunches to kids in an elementary school with demographics that show much lower than average household finances.  This was under United Way, another great organization that helps the community thrive.

Recently, our organization, did a fundraiser within our department about a month ago under the charity Stephen's Backpacks  It was set up as a contest among about 10 teams of about 13 individuals on each.  Basically, we were given two backpacks and filled it up with supplies for students, given suggestions by breakdown by group of elementary, junior high and high school (as needs vary).  As our social prime, we also raised funds, some donated filled backpacks, others supplies and others money.  It was a worthwhile cause, helping kids in education.  It helped build team work.  Sprinkled with a little competitive spirit to make it charged.   

I grew up with advocacy for education.  My parents gave each of us the opportunity to go beyond high school to post secondary education.  I was the only one of four to take advantage of it.  It wasn't always easy.  Sure, my tuition, housing was covered while I had to become innovative to get food.  I ended up volunteering on the Yearbook Staff, then moved into the Student Union as its Secretary.  Part of the reward was monthly meetings and afterwards a paid dinner at the cafeteria.  I also was a Floor Senior in the Students' Residence.  There must have been a free meal in their somewhere.  Both allowed me to attend social events for free, and there must have been free food in there as well.  I worked part time for a while but the hours of 5pm to 2am didn't always compliment getting up for 8am classes.  

I am thrilled that my second youngest daughter is attending University.  Her father had tried to take her to the Armed Forces recruitment office to subsidize her education.  I advocated her to follow her passion and dreams.  Both her father and I contributed towards an education fund the moment all three of our children were born.  It certainly helps today.  My daughter says that she knows how lucky she is to be getting an education without the cloud of graduating with massive debt.  She took a gap year off, traveled a lot, played competitive soccer and partied some.  I was always nervous that she would get too used to money and put off going back to school.  

I surveyed lots of friends and associates on the matter.  Was a gap year wise?  Looking back, I can see why she did do it.  She is a January baby, very articulate early, starting preschool in French emersion at age 3.  It wasn't playschool it was PREschool.  Then, she was a year younger at graduation than most of her classmates.  I understand she needed a break before she buckled down and went to school.  She took the time to explore her interests and decided on Fine Arts.  That was after Marine Biology, Meteorology, etc.  

What kids have today in some of the schools is career planning early.  Taking quizzes and skills tests to cross reference attributes with career paths.  She was advised to be a stock broker, given the reason that she was in strong in math and had personal integrity and honesty.  Her dad would have done back flips since he had taken the Canadian Securities Course from interest and built knowledge for investing.

My stepdaughter was all set on going into nursing from the time I met her.  She started work as soon as she could and glided from that into a strong position with a strong organization that provides ongoing on the job training which is not the same as a post secondary education.  We can foresee her working her way up as she has already moved upwards a fair bit for someone her age.  

Our youngest has moved cities, expanded herself and spread her wings.  She is starting to say that she has started to settle on an education direction now.  Communications.  I hope she does.  At least I've learned that they have to make the decision themselves even if the expectation is deep rooted and money set aside.  

The best thing we did, was start from the get go with an education fund.  It allowed the opportunity to always be there to back up the encouragement.  Their father and I met at college but didn't graduate with student loans.  

In the long run.  Education is the distinguishing factor that can set anyone apart.  It takes sacrifice, discipline and intelligence to start and continue.  If our governments really wanted to avoid political positioning by playing with education, they would encourage parent or organization finance for post secondary education for all.  

I understand that many US citizens consider the government paying for things like education and health means gravitating towards a socialist state.  I'd say, put your paranoia aside, it doesn't have to mean you're on the brink of communism.  It simply means that you are investing in your future.  Your children.  Their education.  A better chance of survival and financial security than some of their parents.  Educated households, I would imagine, statistically have less abuse of drugs, alcohol or domestic violence.  

We can break the chain of disfunction by protecting all of our futures by investing in our children's education.  

Speak up or shut up?

You can't help but read about Jian Ghomeshi from Canada.  There is a lot of news surrounding one of our media types named who has plead innocence to numerous allegations of sexual harassment. 

Does speaking up harm your reputation?
It got me to wondering about the women who spoke up.  There is certainly safety in numbers ... being made easier when it wasn't just one whistle blower but several.

Is lodging an official complaint a detriment to your career?  I would imagine that being the first one brave enough to come forward was the trickiest.  Putting oneself up to the microscope is intimidating and scary. 

Unfortunately, society puts that person under a great amount of pressure and scrutiny.  We all see it play out so many times, its no wonder that there is deep reflection and struggle before stepping forward.

For every one person who blows the whistle, how many haven't?  What about the stories that don't come out?  The ones about people who have similar experience but not involve well known figures like Ghomeshi or celebrities like Cosby?

I created a new blog that is a bit more anonymous than one that has a greater audience.  I want to be able to write about things that mattered to me but were not associated with who I worked for or related to my career.  I am quiet about my identity.

Having said that.  I am bothered right now about an announcement I just heard at work.   Recognition in expertise.  Among them, was this young male colleague that made sarcastic offensive comments to me on a regular basis when I first started.  So bad, that those within hearing sucked in their breath, widened their eyes and looked at me to see my reaction.

He thought he was funny when he slighted my height (I'm short), made underhanded jokes about my age (I'm old enough to be his mother) ... you get the picture. 

I was new to the organization so I didn't want to start off my career going under the trouble maker or whiner umbrella.  Even so, the comments cloaked under humor were offensive and he should have been reprimanded. 

I'm not going to judge those within earshot for not doing anything.  They were not the object of this person's sorry humor.  Perhaps maybe they had been and thought I'd be strong enough to do something.  Even though their reaction clearly showed how unacceptable it was.  I didn't cower from him, but nor did I lodge a complaint.  Hind sight, I probably should have.  Not because of the recognition but because he is being set as a positive example.  Little do others know.

I was probably right by standing off and not doing anything, thinking that it will eventually catch up with him, as it often does.  I was wrong to think that it wasn't my place to lodge an official complaint because I have a sense that people who get away with bad things are good at a number of other things. 

I had done something before.  Years back a female junior colleague came to me to confide about a senior male who had more than sexually harassed her, he had abused her.  I was considering leaving anyway thus I only brought it up on my exit interview when asked:  "what could have been prevented to make you decide to stay?".  I honestly told.  Nothing was done.  I was left, the offender stayed for years after.  It came off as sour grapes to smear someone perhaps.  Timing is everything, but the opportunity did present itself to say something.

Further along in my career in a much more senior position, I reported directly to a President of a company.  He was responsible for leading, ensuring signatures and carrying out its Code of Ethics.

During one conversation he voiced concerns about a person allowing personal problems to impact performance.  I thought there was an opening and it was appropriate timing to voice that I thought that this gal was a manager who started a personal relationship with a new hire, was a violation of our Code of Ethics.  I spoke up not using that terminology simply expressing concern because the "victim" was a subordinate, non manager who ended up with a broken family - a wife with a newborn, betrayed,  asked the guy to leave his home.  Looking for a place to live, etc. impacted his work performance poorly.

It was clearly a breach of Code of Ethics everyone signed.  That executive didn't do anything.  One could contemplate it was because the offender had been with him for 15 or so years and he had directly helped her climb in her career.   

Sadly, the anguish expressed was from decreased performance, not whether it breached any code.  Unfortunately, everyone else saw them leave on breaks and sitting in a parked car together.  It sets a tone culturally.  I remember his answer that several young people had met and married at this company.  I didn't argue, I got that he couldn't distinguish the difference in the situations with two consenting adults.

How difficult is it to separate a personal performance with poor judgment.  One can understand where it may come from.  However, companies take a no nonsense stand when drugs or DUI situations arise.  It just seems so much more difficult and sensitive with personal relationships aligning with company policy.

Do I regret bringing it up with my boss?  For my own personal beliefs, absolutely not.  Because I signed the same Code of Ethics the others did, absolutely.  What is the point of having the clause that a boss cannot have an affair with someone he directly manages or is senior to? Regardless of gender.

Sadly, companies pick and choose who they may make examples of.  They may have been considering getting rid of one party anyhow, so they find an excuse to get rid of the person who brought the matter up.  Economy, decline in business, yada yada yada.   Thanks for your contributions, best wishes for your future.

What saddens me most is that the person who is offended enough to try to right a wrong is caused so much anguish. 

One can't contemplate how bad things are going to have to get before someone does something ... sooner than later.