Future
Univ. of Rochester 5:22 PM I just got back from a Symposium at the University of Rochester titled, “The Future of the Book.” Fitting for where I currently am in the process. It was great to be a part of the creative energy campuses seems to emanate. I also managed to come away without a parking ticket, which is always a bonus. There were 4 lecturers from various capacities within academia and the publishing world. The audience was more adult than student. My guess is some professors were there to learn about their future. In the university setting, it is publish or perish. Pretty...
Read MoreTommy P
11:54 AM One of my favorite singers noted: “The waiting is the hardest part, Every day you see one more card, You take it on faith, you take it to the heart, The waiting is the hardest part…” This is a weird time for me. I am still on the high of getting an agent and then having him send out my book proposal to publishers. Now I’m so close to what I see as next, the waiting to hear back from the publishers is painful. It’s hard for my mind to focus on much else. Yet, I can’t do a thing about it. Back in my sales days, I could have more of a direct impact on...
Read MoreWalk
Lake Ontario 2:38 PM It looks like Spring has finally come to upstate NY. I just came in from a walk. It is a 60 degree day with minimal clouds and light wind. Walking outside, the birds were chirping in full force. It had been many months since I’ve heard their chatter. The trees don’t have their leaves yet and the grass still is sopping wet from the melted snow. I walked on the beach, with Lake Ontario bounding onto the beach. Driftwood, remnants of the powerful winter storms and currents, was strewn about the walk. In front of our houses were a few big ones, which I dug up and lugged...
Read Moreblink
11:36 PM I just finished up the book, blink, by Malcolm Gladwell. He’s also the guy that wrote, The Tipping Point. blink is an interesting read. The focus is on our brain and how we think, even sometimes without thinking. There are numerous examples of our brain working in ways we don’t expect, including why most CEO’s are tall and why a musician loved by execs was not loved by the masses. He even gets into a doctor who can predict if a marriage will fail or last based on a few minutes of watching and listening to the couple. There are also police policies and training working on...
Read MoreIt’s Personal
Rochester, NY 10:22 AM Last night I went to hear an author talk about his recently released book. The author, Arunas Chesonis, is also the CEO of PAETEC, a billion dollar company based in Rochester. I was drawn to this talk for a couple of reasons. I wanted to see what it is like to have your book in front of you and people asking you questions about it. Of course, I imagined myself in that situation in the not so distant future. More so, I was intrigued by a guy who writes that his business succeeded because of their philosophy of focusing on their people. That motto is what I share during...
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