On The Fly

“He was an old man who fished alone in a skiff in the Gulf Stream and he had gone for eighty-four days now without taking a fish.”   No, no, it's the Au Sable river in Michigan.  . . . It’s time for enlightened self-interest. Place your financial future front and center in your life. I’m not a person looking for a job. I’m a company, a financial entity providing cash flow to enjoy a healthy lifestyle over the next 50 years. Wake-up! Your eyes flicker and slowly open. The clock on the dresser says 3:45 a.m. In a semi-consciousness state you stumble out of bed. You make your way down the hall to that little room where the world has absolved you of all obligations to communicate with another human being. Privacy. Well, now that you're up - let’s enjoy a cup of of hot coffee. One sugar and a little milk please Junior. Who am I talking to? Shaking your head, you realize, no one in their right mind is up this early, go back to bed . Right Junior? The cat is sitting...

“Bontemps, wake up – Adamas, my boy, wake up.” I awoke from deep sleep to a pair of piercing yellowish-green eyes looking directly into mine. Immediately, I realized it was the lean, smiling, congenial face of my colleague Alister Peridot. Groggy from jet lag, it was all coming back to me; it was day two of our trip to India – Yes, of course, . . . the sapphire case. Peridot was standing over me, completely dressed, in his slippers, wearing a necktie and a silk vest. “We have an appointment this morning with the client who engaged us to examine the Ceylon Sapphire he’s interested in purchasing. Kal Purush Kaniyar is a former Bollywood Star who immigrated to America - home visiting his parents. Our hotel room was a suite with two bedrooms and a sitting room in the center. A comfortable room with hardwood floors, a large flat-screen TV, plush chairs, Wi-Fi, and all the business amenities. While I showered and dressed, Peridot calmly walked to the desk, opened his laptop, and began ...

Look down at your feet, right now. What do you see? Are you wearing shoes? You might be wearing slippers, flip flops, running shoes, supple leather dress shoes, or your most comfortable everyday shoes? I’m looking at a pair of brown, soft  suede  leather, around-town walking shoes, they're new. My go-to, most comfortable shoes. As I was putting on my old faithful, worn out, daily shoes to run errands today a thought flashed into my mind. When your shoes wear out you’re simply back on your feet - right where it all started. It’s said, “A journey of a thousand leagues begins with a single step.” That quote is attributed to Lao-tzu, the ancient Chinese philosopher who wrote the Tao Te Ching, born 604 B.C. Imagine how worn his sandals must have been? But what about today? Your personal journey begins with a single step every day. Just how many pairs of shoes are in your closet, or under the bed? More than you think, I’m sure of it. I see you running off to count them, h...

In this episode - Free Agent . . . Are you waiting for a job description? Do you take the initiative to provide outstanding customer service? Who is your customer anyway? Reality check - in business and life as individuals, we are President & CEO of our own personal services corporation - Free Agents . Responsible for the brand called You! The most valuable corporation in business today. Whether you're a free agent (between jobs), a producer, or a player, you are free to sign with any club or franchise. Whatever your current status, believing in yourself and your potential is important. It’s been said, “Today, loyalty is the only thing that matters.” It isn't blind loyalty to a company. It's loyalty to your colleagues, loyalty to your team, loyalty to your project, loyalty to your customers, and loyalty to yourself. It seems each of us must discover this fundamental truth repeatedly throughout history. William Shakespeare said it so eloquently; “And this above all, to ...

On April 6, 2013 , an at times poetic interlude of authors, geologists, gemologists, hobbyists, and lovers of that rare and beautiful mineral corundum (Al 2 O 3 ), met to celebrate the late author and collector of gemological literature, John Sinkankas. It was a wide spectrum of gem enthusiasts that attended the Eleventh Annual Sinkankas Symposium - Ruby . The event is co-hosted by the San Diego Mineral & Gem Society and the Gemologicial Institute of America (GIA). This one-day only event took place at GIA world headquarters in Carlsbad, California. The conference organizer and master of ceremonies was Roger Merk, who serves on the board of directors for the San Diego Mineral & Gem Society. This celebrated day was devoted to sharing the collective knowledge of rubies, and presentation titles included; Mineralogy and Geochemistry, Geology and Ruby localities, the Implications of Optical Orientation, the Ruby Mines of Nepal, Rubies of Afghanistan, Photographing Rubies for Th...

He was never on Facebook, not Twitter or LinkedIn yet he was one of the most connected people I knew. He loved life, treated people with the utmost respect, an avid reader, a true educator, and a wise man who knew how to make everyone feel special. Every birthday, which he always remembered, his special gift to me was books, printed books, not electronic, subjects designed to broaden my understanding. He would send me articles on business, technology, sports, and politics. He always encouraged me to grow, to learn new things, to write, to always be me. “Never compromise your Midwest values, never stop being Patrick.” Always smiling and laughing we met for lunch when he was in town. It was always at 11:20 a.m., he wanted to beat the crowds. That hour together we always laughed, never about gossip, never at the expense of another, a deep hearty satisfying laugh, the kind that when you part you’re smiling inside. After lunch he would  insist on driving back along the Carlsbad coast....

Dana Point Harbor “It’s five degrees (-15 below Celsius), winds over 20 mph, a wind chill of fifteen below zero, and snow accumulating up to up to six inches - it’s too cold to go outside!” Just got off the phone with my mother in West-Central Illinois - hello winter . While the majority of the U.S. (30 States) is suffering through frigid cold temperatures and snow we can only guess what it’s like from television. Meteorologists calling this a Polar Vortex, brutally cold air from the Arctic gripping the country. Concurrently in Southern California we’re looking at crystal clear light-blue skies, 63 degrees fahrenheit, west-north-west winds at six miles an hour, perfect weather for our weekly Sunday bicycle ride. How is this possible? It’s probably a blessing (for the rest of the country) the weather channel does not highlight our weather conditions in Southern California. For those deprived of sunshine allow me to paint you a picture. Preparing for our morning ride, I glanced ...

Don ’ t be alarmed, yes, it ’ s me, I ’ m the ravishing beauty on your wrist, and my name is Jade. I know just what you ’ re thinking - how can this possibly be - this bracelet is talking to me? People don ’ t realize it but we try to talk to your species all the time. It ’ s just that most of you are too academic to listen. If I reveal my inner secrets to you will you share them with your world? I am what your species calls a mineral; one of over 3,000 known minerals, and a gem among gemstones. Most call me Jade. However, gemologists classify my family into two species, nephrite and jadeite. I realize that my cousin, nephrite,  has slightly different characteristics. But what does that matter? We ’ ve been around much longer than you. Grab a seat and let me tell you my story. My interest in your species began in ancient Burma (Myanmar), where the majority of my species is from. I am utterly fascinated with how your people respond to my beauty, mystique, inherent value, ...