News SPLASH

Today was a good day for making brownies. We were expecting guests this weekend and I also wanted to bring a meal to a neighbor.  Plus I had a brand new brownie recipe I wanted to try.  I was half-way through the recipe when I realized I didn’t have enough sugar.  Now I am the type to always have a stocked pantry so how I ended up without a replacement package is a mystery.  Still, I was ½ a cup short.  A store run was out of the question and, while I did consider asking a neighbor for the proverbial cup of sugar, I dismissed that idea too.  I searched the cabinet for a solution.  Substitute brown sugar?  Throw in some chocolate chips to sweeten the mix?  Then I spotted a box of individual sugar packages left over from a holiday party.  I ripped open the tiny packages – maybe 30 – and added them to my measuring cup.  Success!

The unexpected happens in business too.  Despite good planning you overlook one element needed to complete a project.  Sometimes circumstances change and you have to adjust your direction.  Or maybe your budget got slashed…but you still must deliver a new product.  That’s when you need to be adaptable.   Think about your desired end result, look at your options and brainstorm new ways to get there.  Life may not always give you enough sugar, but if you think creatively, there’s always a way to make delicious brownies.

P.S.  My son said they are the best brownies I ever made.  Here’s the recipe - scroll down for Firehouse Brownies.

 

 

This News Splash interview is with Tim McIntyre, Vice President, Communications, Domino’s Pizza, and co-author with Dave Melton of “Hire The American Dream, How to Build Your Minimum-Wage Workforce into a High-Performance, Customer-Focused Team.” Not only is Tim an exceptional writer but he is also one of the best PR professionals and corporate spokespeople out there.  By the way, I’ve seen Dave Melton’s teams in action and they are phenomenal – learn his secrets by reading “Hire the American Dream” – it’s relevant for anyone who manages teams.

News Splash (NS):  Tell us about “Hire the American Dream.”

Tim: Dave Melton [Domino’s Franchisee] has built a culture in his four Manhattan Domino’s stores seldom found in the quick serve industry. This is an industry where 150% turnover is typical and managers are replaced yearly in many restaurants. In Dave’s case, his average employee stays 8 years and managers average 6 years. When there has been turnover of managers, it was because the manager went on to become a store owner like Dave. Dave creates this culture by sharing his business philosophy and successes, and reinforcing that everyone wins when the store succeeds. This is a how-to book which shows that anyone can build this type of culture.

NS:  Dave asked you several times to help him write this book and you turned him down at first.  How come?

Tim: An editor from John Wiley & Sons saw an article about Dave in The New York Times and called him to say, “I think you have a book here for managers of entry-level, minimum wage employees.”  Dave came to me, said he had a book deal and asked me if I wanted to help write it.  I turned him down. I have a day job and it’s a pretty busy one. Besides, Dave lives in New York City – swing a pizza bag and you’ll hit a writer. I thought he could easily find a writing partner there. Dave approached me a second and then a third time, and said, “You know who I am. You know Domino’s. Let’s do this together.” I proposed the idea to my boss, Lynn Liddle, and Dave Brandon, Domino’s CEO, and said that if I participate, we will have an accurate portrayal of Domino’s Pizza and be involved in the final outcome. It can also help with recruiting and franchising as well as improve internal operations. I also outlined how I’d do it along with my job. They gave their full support.

NS:  How did you find time to write a book while working full time?

Tim: We had 12 weeks to turn in 60,000 words. We started in June 2008 and the full manuscript was due the day after Labor Day. I did a lot of writing at night, on weekends, on airplanes and on vacation. Dave provided me with a constant stream of ideas and insights into his business philosophies, how he manages people and how he’s built a culture for his stores. It was a matter of taking those gems and turning them into a manuscript. I came in to the office by 7 am before it opened, at lunch I’d pick up the project and then again at the end of the day. I had a supportive boss and family. I have the benefit of having older kids so I didn’t have to attend events like Little League games. I literally looked at the calendar and found chunks of time for writing. I never want to do that again. If I have another book in me, I’d write most of it before approaching a publisher. Then I would spend that time polishing instead of writing.

NS:  What did you learn about publishing during the process that could help others interested in writing a business book?

Tim: First, publishers like Wiley are looking for books that others can learn from. They like lesson books, not biographies. We always had to keep in mind: Will this help anyone? Is this useable stuff? That’s why we focused so much on offering practical tips on exactly what to do and how to do it. That was also the driving force behind the profiles of people who started as minimum wage employees but are now incredibly successful. For instance, Emir Lopez from East Harlem who worked for Dave had an opportunity to “escape” from his upbringing but he chose to go back and bring Domino’s to the neighborhood he grew up in. He saw opportunity that others didn’t – he knew the neighborhood and that people were hungry for a company to provide the same services that other communities enjoy. He was the first to bring food delivery to the neighborhood and the store has thrived. Our goal was to write a book with value on every page and tell inspiring stories like this.

I also learned the importance of Chapter 1. When someone is in a bookstore with their latte, they look at the front cover, the back cover, and then flip to Chapter 1. We wrote and rewrote that chapter four times because we were constantly pushed by Wiley on that first piece. It makes or breaks the sale.

NS:  There is nothing like a trip to gain perspective.  You just got back from an amazing trip to Machu Picchu.  Any epiphanies?

Tim:  Four days hiking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu was the most physically exhausting – and the most exhilarating – thing I’ve ever done. On day two, we walked (and walked!) up and over “Dead Woman’s Pass,” more than 13,000 feet above sea level, carrying packs on our backs. It felt like cinder blocks had been attached to our hiking boots. The air is thin and the trail is steep. At the same time, we were reveling in the incredible beauty of Peru and were marveling at the technological advances of the Inca people; it distracted us from the physical struggle of the trek. Traveling like this opens you up to the world, to new points of view and to different perspectives on history.  But if there was an epiphany, it was this:  you can overcome challenges if you’ve got the passion, the will and the tools to do so…whether those challenges are hiking the Inca Trail, writing a book in three months or something even more meaningful. You really can do things you didn’t think were possible.  All you have to do is try.

Anyone else find Hallmark's line of hoops&yoyo™ cards hilarious?  If you aren't familiar with the line, there are two characters -- a pink kitty and a green bunny who offer spirited back and forth on a variety of subjects.  Listen to some of their banter here.  My first job out of college was with a division of American Greetings and there weren't too many variations on the traditional greeting card back then.  At that point, sending a HUUUGE card was a novelty (oops, did I date myself?).  The card world has come a long way with innovations like e-cards, voice recording and sound technology to keep customers coming.  And the marketing has come a long way too.  hoops&yoyo not only have their own web site but they have a blog.  Guess we'll see them on Twitter soon.

I'm a big fan of Jim Collins and his books, "Built to Last" and "Good to Great" so was happy to read an interview with him in Sunday’s  The New York Times.  Part of the story discusses where he spends his time.  On a whiteboard in his office, Collins posts these targets:

Creative - 53%

Teaching - 28%

Other - 19%

Reporter Adam Bryant writes:  “That, he [Collins] explains, is a running tally of how he’s spending his time, and whether he’s sticking to a big goal he set for himself years ago: to spend 50 percent of his workdays on creative pursuits like research and writing books, 30 percent on teaching-related activities, and 20 percent on all the other things he has to do.”

Collins actually tracks his time with a stopwatch and spreadsheet.  Do you like this model for tracking creativity?  How committed are you to creativity?

Thanks to the connecting power of Facebook, I recently came back in touch with a theater buddy from high school – Tim McKee.  It’s fascinating hearing Tim talk about his adventures in the entertainment business.  He has trained and worked in New York, Los Angeles and London, and now lives in the greater Washington, DC area.  Tim has an astounding tenor voice (listen to this) and was invited to sing at the White House this past December.  He also works as a Master of Ceremonies, actor and voice-over artist, theatrical and vocal coach and has behind the scenes production experience.  As part of the News Splash interview series, we spoke about the dual approaches to the craft:  the creative side and the “job” side.  As Tim says, “That’s why they call it ‘show business.’”

News Splash (NS):  When you talk about how you learn your lines or warm up, I realize it is not so different than preparing for a presentation or a speech.  Tell us your process.

Tim:  To get the process going, sometimes you have to get away from your desk.  If I’m learning lines, I take the process home.  Say I’m vacuuming, I do it in character.  When I went to school in Boston, I lived across the river from Harvard.  I’d walk along the Charles [River] practicing my monologues and get some pretty strange reactions. 

NS:  That was before the days of Bluetooth.  How do you warm up if you have a performance?

Tim:  If I’m doing solo work, I warm up on the way or at home.  I also like being on an empty stage with no one around.  Then I can sing -- can I hit the back of the house? -- and listen in a relaxed way.  Later when the audience is there, I can bring that relaxation with me.  Being in an empty auditorium also helps you dream and think about goals.

NS:  A performer has the same challenge as a business…how to get noticed.  You did that at a recent audition.

Tim:  I got an audition for America’s Got Talent here in the DC area.  From seeing the show, I know they go for a certain type so the question was how to stand out.  I decided to dress as an Irish Minstrel.  After my first song, the producers asked me to sing in front of the camera which I thought was a pretty good sign.  I didn’t make it on the show but you’ll see me in one of the promos and, somewhere in the NBC archives, you’ll find me singing Danny Boy.

NS:  How did you come to sing at the White House?

Tim:  The DC community is very supportive and great for networking.  You never know who you’ll meet.  A friend who works at the White House sent me the application to sing at the Holiday Open House.  It’s a fascinating process with all the security measures post 9/11 – you send in the application and a demo, then call to provide the UPS tracking number of your package.  I sent it in and didn’t give it much thought.  Then several months later, I got a message on my cell phone saying the White House would love to have me sing.  It was quite an experience.  My wife and I got a parking pass for the White House, were personally greeted by the White House social committee, and, after the performance, we received a private tour of the White House decorated for the holidays.  It was a surreal day. 

NS: What’s your next project?

Tim: I’ve put together workshops for seniors, inspired by my 81-year-old mom who, after many years of sitting in the audience watching her husband and sons perform, has taken an “improvisational” class at her assisted living house in Bethel, Connecticut.  She is having a blast!  I’ve done a lot of research on the subject and it helps stimulate the brain and body, etc. There are a few communities near where I live that are extremely interested and I’m working out details with them now.

This is the tale of a cracker and a new name.  I am a Triscuit® fan.  This simple whole wheat cracker has gotten me through early morning flights, afternoon hunger pangs and two pregnancies.  My favorite variety is low sodium – not because of any health mandate but because a hint of salt seems just right.  But alas!  My crackers disappeared from the supermarket shelf.  I looked and I asked, but all I heard from my grocer was that they were discontinued.  I tried other flavors but they were too salty or flavorful for a quick snack.  I gave up hope (well, not really, I still checked the shelf every week).  Then a few weeks ago I spotted a new Triscuit box in the lineup:  Hint of Salt. 

Brilliant!  Instead of a clinical moniker – low sodium – that smacks of reductionism, my favorite cracker relaunched with a name that enticingly offers something extra.  Instead of losing something (salt), I am receiving (a hint of salt).  Time will tell if this tweak bolsters sales but Nabisco has one happy customer right here.

The right name can transform a product…or focus a marketing campaign…or help raise the odds on a horse (but that’s another story).  

I was visiting the AARP web site (for a client, not because I am eligible for membership) when I spotted a fabulous first person account of the creative process by choreographer Twyla Tharp.  It is excerpted from her book, "The Creative Habit." (2003)  The portion below especially captured my attention. 

Ms. Tharp writes:  "Creativity Is Not Just for Artists. It's for businesspeople looking for a new way to close a sale; for engineers trying to solve a problem; for parents who want their children to see the world in more than one way. We think of creativity as a way of keeping everything fresh and new, while habit implies routine and repetition. That paradox intrigues me because it occupies the place where creativity and skill rub up against each other. Without the time and effort invested in getting ready to create, you can be hit by a thunderbolt, and it'll just leave you stunned. That's why I'm a stickler about preparation. There's a process that generates creativity—and you can learn it."

I urge you to read the article to learn about scratching, bridging and the project box...all ways to keep your creativity brimming. 

Can you identify this photo?  Sometimes just changing your perspective can spark a new idea.  This means looking at familiar things in a fresh way - or from a different angle.  Travel is a fantastic way to shake up your brain by immersing yourself in new experiences...eating local foods, speaking with strangers, admiring a different landscape.  Even if travel is a regular (and exhausting) part of your job description, use it as an opportunity to look at business challenges from a new perspective.  That's what I did on a recent stop in San Francisco (big photo hint).  Do you feel invigorated after a few days in a different location?