Richard’s Dream Career

Well, here is a test. tell me if you experience the same thing. I have my CV (Resume) on the job boards like jobing, careerbuilder, and Monster; I have a Linkedin account; I have a talentzoo account and still the only jobs that are forwarded to me or employers who contact me are offering mortgage, insurance and other sales type positions, for which I have no interest.

Everyone has that DREAM JOB firmly implanted in their brain. The one that all of the self help  and motivational gurus tell you is the one that you would do for free if possible. They then suggest to find a way to do THAT job and you will have happiness yada yada yada…

Well, my dream job is to be in show business, whether playing my guitar, singing, or acting. I have always been comfortable performing in front of a camera or crowds. Hollywood actually did call me, but it was a wrong number. Nonetheless, as we grow older and our dreams get sidetracked by life choices and reality, our dream Job  is substituted by what will pay the bills or support the family and you do what ever it takes to keep a roof over your head and make sure the kids have what they need until that elusive dream job becomes a distant memory as we sit in our cubicle waiting for Morphius to give us the blue pill so we can wake from our slumber. Even if you made all of the “correct” choices; you went to college, you earned an MBA, you have community service and leadership and management experience; you put in the 60 hour work weeks, yet that executive position still eludes you.

All I have to say is “Life isn’t Fair” Get over it!

It doesn’t have to be like this! Stop focussing on that singular aspect of your life. We are not defined by our career or the perceptions of others. Warning! Cliche ahead - Happiness is not a destination but a journey- and it comes and goes, and does not have to be tied to a specific career or event.

So What if you hate your job! Most of us do. We do these jobs anyway because we have responsibilities, and people count on us.

After reading several motivational and get rich books, the one thing they have in common is they never provide the road map or detailed information. So if you tie your happiness solely to material wealth, then write a motivational/get rich book. It will no doubt fly off the shelves like all of the other get rich books.

If, however, you are ready for a different answer then keep reading.

Find joy in other aspects of your life, whether in Church, volunteering, family, friends, hobbies, etc. Life is so much more than the career that we choose or the one that chose us.

So, until I land that great job that is within 15min drive from my home in Surprise AZ, where I am in a leadership position, sitting in a big office with a great view of the White Tank Mountains making big deals like Donald Trump and earning a six figure income, I can find joy in Church, volunteering, family, friends, hobbies, and growing confidence that Jesus is helping me every day.

Echoing Green was Green before Green was Cool.

Here’s an Idea! Be ahead of the crowd!

Joey Belville, the leader of the band, Echoing Green is a genius before his time. Did he know that so many years ago Green would soon be Envoge?

He has captured it all in his marketing concept and imagery conveyed by the name and brand of the Echoing Green.

Echoing conjures up images of a beautiful canyon on a beautiful day. The echoes of nature that stir our hearts to commune with it. The color green has long been associated with healing and strong health and vitality.

The Echoing Green ties it all together in their music which also conveys the emotions and imagery that the name suggests. The branding is so simple and obvious and pure all at the same time. That is why it works so well.

The Echoing Green already has a large Cult Following that keep up with them via their FaceBook Fan Group site and MySpace Fan Site.

Now the Band can fully capitalize on the latest social and corporate trend of “Going Green”; afterall, The Echoing Green were green before going green was Cool!

ACCO Rules the World!

Here’s an IDEA!

Have you ever thought about the office products you buy for your home or your company? Have you thought of where they all come from? Go into any Staples, or Office Depot or Office Max and 90% of what you see is from ACCO! Who are they? We all know Swingline staplers. We all use Quartet whiteboards at our jobs or at least have them hanging up in the conference room. We all use the Wilson Jones folders and GBC paper Shredders or lamination kits etc. See my point? It all comes back to ACCO! Where are the competing products? I think it is a conspiracy by ACCO to eventually rule the world. They have spies and highly skilled ninjas eliminate the competition to make way for a new ACCO Office World Order. Even the expo dry erase marker which we have all come to love with their fruity smelling ink is in danger. Quartet, the only maker of the dry erase whiteboards in the world after a competing company had a mysterious fire in a production facility which the fledgling company could not recover from. Well now Quartet is flooding the market with a new dry erase marker called EnduraGlide (yeah I know what your thinking…) Don’t blame me, I didn’t come up with the name; although I am not sure if it was a stroke of genius to name a dry erase marker with a name that conjures up thoughts of sexual products, which then lead to sexual feelings and BAM! I am feeling Randy from a Marker! What an EVIL INGENIOUS MARKETING PLOT!!! It lasts twice as long as the expo markers and even has a window in the barrel so you can see when you are low on ink!!! As part of the marketing campaign to take over the world, and destroy EXPO, they posted a form so people could get a free sample four pack of these EnduraGlide dry erase markers. God only knows how many of these markers were given out, but Expo has to be worried at this point.

Who’s next?

Arizona leaders are working hard to attract larger and international Business

Here’s an Idea!

Instead of complaining that Phoenix may have the perception of the Wild West do something constructive to change that. Well there is a great organization that is working hard to build the bridge between the Global Business World and the local companies in the valley.

Arizona International Growth Group (AZIGG), a group committed to bring international business to Phoenix currently features 33 global business and cultural events.

Be sure to view the calendar on their website each week, as they add more events!

As Dr. Michael Crow, President of ASU, shared with several hundred of us globalists yesterday at the SkySong Opening Ceremony, “SkySong is a linkage point to a world marked by a highly entrepreneurial, market driven global economy.”

Celebrating our interest of linking you to a GLOBALArizona, we share with you our new page: GLOBALTrade.

Preview of a few early April GLOBALArizona Events:

For more events & details, view event calendar

April 2: Protecting your Company’s Intellectual Property in the Global Economy 12:30- 4:30pm at SkySong in Scottsdale

Arizona’s U.S. Export Assistance Centers, part of the U.S. Commercial Service, are federal offices dedicated to helping Arizona companies develop international markets.

April 3-4: Thunderbird Fourth Annual Global Private Equity Investing Conference, At& T Auditorium at Thunderbird Campus

The leading global network and institutional resources for professionals in the area of private equity.

April 5: 69th Annual Chinese Chamber of Commerce Annual Dinner 6:30pm at Great Wall Restaurant

April 7: Arizona International Growth Group (AZIGG) presents “How to Grow Your Business Internationally” from 7:30 - 9am at Maricopa County Supervisor’s Auditorium

Roger Philips - Professor of International Business, Concordia University and Author of Guide to Software Export: A Handbook for International Sales.

April 9: Protecting Your Company’s Intellectual Property in the Global Economy by U.S. Commercial Service from 1-4:30pm at Doubletree Reid Park, Tucson

April 10: Phoenix-Dubai Initiative Breakfast hosted by Mayor Phil Gordon, Phoenix Convention Center - details to follow on the GLOBALTrade Website.

Want more information on the Global Trade Group?

They invite you to share your feedback, global events, resources, opinions and requests via Contact Us webpage, email or post a comment on their blog. Global regards,

Kim Kubsch Global Strategist 480 720 8566 Kim@GLOBALArizona.com BLOG: http://GLOBALArizona.Typepad.com

Carlos Santana, chef Roberto Santibañez open Maria Maria in Tempe

Here is yet another missed opportunity by the City of Surprise in the Great State of Arizona.

Maria Maria Restaurant, a collaboration between musician Carlos Santana and chef Roberto Santibañez, opened Monday at Tempe Marketplace.

This is the pair’s second location, the first opened last fall in Walnut Creek, Calif. A grand opening celebration is planned to coincide with Cinco de Mayo weekend May 2.

Officials describe the menu as “adventurous,” celebrating the diversity of Mexico’s regional cuisines. Santibañez previously was culinary director for Rosa Mexicano Restaurant Group, with locations including New York City and Washington, D.C.

The 400-seat restaurant offers a variety of indoor and outdoor areas ranging from the intimate Candle Dining Room to the festive Playa Room with a covered patio. There also is an oversized outdoor space. For more: www.mariamariarestaurants.com.

HERE’S an IDEA!

City of Surprise, AZ, Please start bringing businesses and high profile social spots like this to our City.

Obituary for Jesus

Here’s an Idea!

While this is not a religious blog, it is Easter and I am a Catholic so I wanted to post this Obituary for Jesus.

Timesheets: Necessary? Evil? Or Both?

If you work for a Creative Agency, you no doubt have to deal with the dilemma of tracking your time against the project. While I hate the idea of a time clock, I can see the need for it to track profitability etc. I just can’t shake the uneasy feeling of big brother looking over my shoulder. That is part of the lure of creative work; to get away from the rigid time clock mentality, where it is just as important to be seen at your desk from 7am to 6pm as it is to actually be productive.
What do you think?

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XOXOXO for the NFL, Glendale, and the New York Giants

What an experience! I took my family to enjoy the day of the NFL Experience, the day before the Superbowl. I could not have been more proud to be an Arizonan. Mayor Scruggs did our State proud. The NL Experience was just that; an awesome experience that we will remember for a very long time. Three days later and I am still feeling it. Yes I participated in every event they had, from the 40 yard dash, the training camp, the blocking dummies, the field goal kick and so on. What made it truly memorable was seeing the smiles of my kids as they played the same games - even my 5 year old daughter. The professional players made the day special as well. participating in the skills clinics for the kids and talking with the fans and freely and happily I may add signing autographs was a fantastic part of the day. Seeing my oldest son getting tips and receiving passes from Brady Quinn (Who my son at 8 didn’t know who he is) was just great. I even got to talk with Neil Rackers, the Kicker for the Arizona Cardinals. Being from St. Lous, I am not a big fan of the team but Neil was also great. It turns out that we grew up in the same area and went to rival high schools. Maybe I should warm up to the team now. All and all the event made me and my family even bigger football fans, and hopefully made all of the visitors for the game bigger Arizona fans and more importantly “West Side” fans.

BizTech Magazine: Dressing for Success

Dressing for Success hasn’t changed. Regardless of Industry or the size of your company, maintaining a level of professional dress never goes out of style. Even the super creative Ad Agencies with their very relaxed atmospheres should pay attention. Those who know me well, know I am just as creative in a suit as I am in a pair of shorts. While I am all for a fun and creative work environment; there is a fine line to be careful not to cross. A relaxed attitude or atmosphere if not managed well can deteriorate into chaos and hurt business. So, I restate the old line of “Everything in Moderation.”

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The All Time Top List of All Top Lists of 2007

Now that I have your attention. A friend of mine, Alan Levine, just posted the Top 0 List of 2007. This started a thought of all the lists out there. These lists of the Top 10 Must Have Electronic Gadgets for 2008, or the Top 25 Ad Agencies of 2007, The Best 25 Places to Work in the Valley and and so on. Who makes these lists? What makes these lists valid? IF we aren’t on the list, does that make us inferior? Well, not counting The Best Places to Work List, many of these lists are simply fluff to fill newpapers or magaizines. Who really cares about the top gadgets of 2007? Do I need to trade in last year’s gadget for this year’s gadget? My inner Guy voice says YES, but that is beside the point.

What if I disagree with the All Time Top 25 List of Movies? Then what? Is my opinion then devalued? Of course not.

Now the Top News Stories of the year makes for an interesting read and creates a nice summary for the year. But again, how did these stories make “The List.”

I think Alan is on to something with his Top Zero List. I for one need a break from all of these Best of Lists. Instead of following the rest of the herd, I will instead take some advice from a fellow marketer, Seth Godin and look for a Purple Cow.