Thursday, December 23, 2010

A Christmas Story

It was 5:00 pm Christmas Eve 1989, and I was locking the front door of the supermarket where I was Store Manager.

Over the years, I made it a tradition for me to close the store on Christmas Eve.

Inside the store, my employees where rushing around counting their register tills, sweeping the floor, and generally preparing the store for closing down, so they all could rush home to their families for Christmas.

At approximately 5:30pm, I heard someone tapping on the front door.
“I just got off work and I need to shop for my family", the gentleman on the other side of the glass door shouted.
“Sorry, we are closed.” I answered.
“Please, I really need to shop and you are the only grocery store open.”

In the background several of my employees yelled out to me… “Mr. Gambone, I hope you don’t let him in, we all want to go home.”

I turned to my office manager and said , “Cindy, I feel bad for this guy…will you stick around with me until we get him checked out.”
She looked at me with a frown, “Well, I hope he only needs a few things, OK.”

We let him in…he was very gracious, grabbed a buggy and started to shop.

“I’ll only take a few minutes,” he said.

Then all of a sudden, he turned around and looked at Cindy and me in desperation… “Shit!..I’m sorry for swearing, but I left my wallet in my overalls at work….I can’t believe this!!!”

He abandoned the buggy and started walking towards the front door to leave.

Cindy looked at me and said… “Well, I guess we can leave now.”

“Hold on!” I said… “Sir, you pick up what you need and come back the day after Christmas and pay us.”

Cindy looked at me as if I was crazy. The gentleman was overjoyed and continued to shop.

When he completed his shopping, Cindy and I checked him out and bagged his groceries. He purchased lots of milk, cereal, bread and basic groceries along with some gift-wrap and children’s toys.

We wished him a Merry Christmas as he left and Cindy and I locked up and went home to our families.

...............the gentleman never returned...................

Yes, I took some heat from my boss when he found out…but that’s okay. I knew in my heart that it was right thing to do at the time.

“The good you do, will come back to you.”.... Lou Z.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and may you and your family have a glorious New Year.

Bob Gambone, The Pecan Pie Guy!

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Roads of Success

The other day a client of mine asked me, what is the difference between a coach and a consultant? ...a teacher and a trainer? ...and a mentor and a coach?
He inspired me to write the following:


The Roads of Success


Show me the road,
and you are my teacher.

Show me how to travel the road,
and you are my trainer.

Show me the road that you traveled successfully, and you are my mentor.

Show me the road that you have improved for me to travel successfully,
and you are my consultant.

Show me the road that you and I will travel together successfully,
and you are my coach
.
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***This is just a sample!... if you would like a full-slice of "Pecans of Wisdom", be sure to indulge yourself in my new book:
"Pecan Pie: 32 Business Success Strategies Passionately Baked To Order"
BY IT NOW on AMAZON.COM --click on link below.
“Copyright (12-15-2010) by Robert V Gambone Sr.”

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Entrepreneurs need a “Secret Recipe”

Entrepreneurial experts around the world continue to debate over why small businesses fail, however they do agree on one thing; now more than ever entrepreneurs need to differentiate themselves in the marketplace.***

We have all heard the buzzwords:

“Branding”

“Point of Difference” (POD)

“Unique Selling Proposition” (USP)

“Secret Recipe” (from yours truly)

Think about this; every Fortune 500 company has a brand, a trademark and a tagline. Did you ever ask yourself, why?... Yes!...we all know the answer!
Because it is a fundamental business strategy!

So why do millions of entrepreneurs fail to create a “Secret Recipe”?

David F. D’Alessandro (best selling author ) says it best:

~ A business based on brand is, very simply, a business primed for success. ~

***Sources: Small Business Administration, Entrepeneurship.org, Personalbrandingblog.com

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***This is just a sample!... if you would like a full-slice of "Pecans of Wisdom", be sure to indulge yourself in my new book;

"Pecan Pie: 32 Business Success Strategies Passionately Baked To Order!

"BY IT NOW on AMAZON.COM --click on link below.
http://lnkd.in/TNNzBM

“Copyright (12-09-2010) by Robert V Gambone Sr.”

Monday, December 6, 2010

“Taking Care of Business!”

“Taking Care of Business!” by B.T.O.

I love that song!

Yes, I know, I am really dating myself…but that’s ok because we all need a song to get us fired up!

...And no matter how many times I hear it … I get fired up!

Music can really be a mood changer, and for me I always look for a song that will brighten my day, or get me out of a rut, so to speak.

How about you? What song or songs set you free!... Change your blight into excite?

Now don’t procrastinate…you know what song(s) ignite your passion.

Get that song(s) on an IPOD, MP3, tape, CD, etc…. and keep it handy… listen to it when needed and start Taking Care of Business!

T.S. Eliot says it best...“You are the music while the music lasts.”

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***This is just a sample!... if you would like a full-slice of "Pecans of Wisdom", be sure to indulge yourself in my new book; "Pecan Pie: 32 Business Success Strategies Passionately Baked To Order!

"BY IT NOW on AMAZON.COM --click on link below.
http://lnkd.in/TNNzBM

“Copyright (12-06-2010) by Robert V Gambone Sr.”