Continuous Improvement

Continuous Improvement

Kid brains: unlocking genius and profits

When we were kids, we had no limits. We knew we could be anything we wanted in life. I assumed I’d be able to choose between being a football player, astronaut, railroad tycoon, or professional Nintendo player. It felt good to live in that world. I built a fort out of an extra pallet of bricks behind our house that faced an empty field. I single-handedly fended off battalions of invading soldiers, victorious every day, despite my many bullet hole wounds that only hurt when I pretended they did.

Continuous Improvement

How to build culture and why it matters

Today's job market has nearly every employer stumped. What more can I offer to attract quality employees? And how do I better retain the employees I have? Salaries and benefits are more competitive than ever, but it just doesn't seem to be enough. Why is that? A new generation controls the majority in the workplace and they are placing value in different areas than the generations before.

Continuous Improvement

Frappuccino moms or burger dudes? Know your customer.

In an abundant market saturated with sales opportunities, yet plagued with supply chain and labor shortages, finding your niche is paramount. Hear me out. Being able to zero in on a niche target market (or even better, a target persona) and the products they want is a superpower of ultra successful companies. Trying to be everything to everyone is a good way to be mediocre and please no one. The old adage “Jack of all trades, master of none” sums it up nicely.

Continuous Improvement

The courage to fail

Nobody wants to fail. We’re shamed (usually unintentionally) starting as children until we develop an aversion to failure. Spilling the milk as a clumsy toddler turns into not applying for a promotion as our developing child minds become adult. We avoid failure, or rather, the chance of failure to protect ourselves from the degradation it might bring upon ourselves. If we don’t try, we don’t fail, and that’s the safest thing to do. 

Continuous Improvement

The "work from home" shop

Imagine walking into a house and seeing mineral stained ceilings, half painted walls, and waterlogged plywood covered holes. Imagine exposed pipes, sagging conduit, and cobbled-together tangles of wire. Imagine cobwebs in the corners, and a thin layer of dust covering everything. Imagine clutter on top of, under, and around the furniture. Imagine bad lighting, harsh smells, and abrasive sounds. Imagine somber people glancing at you from the shadows.