Congratulations are in order for Mary Nicholas, Pam Carrier, and Shelly Stoddart at Matchmaker Logistics. All three of them have new job titles that are more in keeping with their responsibilities in our organization. Mary, who is the second in command at Matchmaker, has been named Vice-President. In addition to her work with our shippers and carriers, she will be leading our Business Development program and developing what we call a “WOW” Process for our customers and our employees. Pam is now our Senior Carrier Sales Representative and will take the lead with all
Read more →Blog
A few months ago, I sent a Tuesday Tip called Customize Your Cubicle. In that email, I shared some creative ideas to add personality to your office space. If you haven’t already done a complete cubicle makeover, maybe you’d like to start with a tennis ball. The humble little tennis ball has many practical uses in a cubicle. It can be a key holder, a mail holder, or a towel holder. Add some plastic eyes, and even I have to admit, these little fellas are pretty darn cute. If you don’t want to press
Read more →One of the great things about living in a coastal town like Wilmington, NC is that we live where other people go to vacation. This year, our Fourth of July vacation was a stay-cation of sorts, as we enjoyed boating, beaches and hotel pools with friends and family here and in neighboring Myrtle Beach, SC. If I learned anything this past week, it is that location is everything, especially when it comes to raising your kids and the way they talk. As a child raised in the Northeast, I grew up on “soda”. But
Read more →Summer is in full swing; the heat is on; and, the office feels more stifling than ever. Looking for a way to inject some fun back into your work routine? Check out these five fun purchases* that will bring some refreshing summer entertainment to you and your co-workers: 1. Chill out: A tiny desktop refrigerator can hold and cool exactly one standard 12 ounce can. It’s powered solely by USB via your computer, which makes it a fairly portable personal fridge that can sit on your desk and keep your drinks cool, one at
Read more →The Fourth of July has become synonymous with the barbecues and summer fun. While there are numerous variations on the menu for an Independence Day cookout, you can almost count on traditional favorites such as hamburgers and hot dogs, chicken, ribs, garden salads, potato salad, chips and watermelon. When you tuck in to that all-American fare this weekend, remember to thank the truck drivers and logistics professionals who made it possible: There’s a 1-in-6 chance the beef on your backyard grill came from Texas. The Lone Star State is the leader in the production
Read more →Last year, after 244 years of publishing, Encyclopedia Britannica stopped printing its 32-volume set of printed encyclopedias. So many things about printed encyclopedias seem insane now: an entire set weighed more than 100 pounds, took up tons of space, was obsolete by the time it was printed, and had to be paid for in installments by middle-class families who wanted their children to be well-informed. Today, thanks to free, crowd-sourced sites like Wikipedia, we have a reservoir of infinite knowledge, most of which is virtually free to access. And, it takes up no more
Read more →There’s an old adage: “A day spent without learning something new is a day wasted.” I was feeling about as old as that adage recently, but it was a small price to pay to learn something new from my employees. I learned about life hacks. Bear with me…the concept is actually much cooler than the scary-sounding term. No axes or serial killers involved, I swear! Life hacks are more along the lines of “sharpening your saw”. Life hacking refers to tips, shortcuts, and tricks that lead to productivity boosts. In other words, any clever,
Read more →I’ve written before about Murphy’s Law. Murphy must have been an avid traveler, because it seems that every time I’m on the road, something goes wrong. You may have noticed that our Thought for the Weekend is a Thought for the Week today, coming to your inbox on a Monday afternoon, instead of a Friday morning. My travel schedule, combined with a few other unforeseen factors, resulted in this uncharacteristic delay. Although my business trip was a success, these days, the act of getting across the country and back is rarely a smooth one.
Read more →I recently read this phrase that drives home a great point: “There is no such thing as time management; only event management.” One of the best ways to manage your time (when it isn’t yours to control) is to make sure the meeting (or event) is well managed. That’s why you should always: Ask for an agenda. Meetings can be a major time drain. Have you ever sat in a meeting wondering why you were there or thinking about the million other things you should be doing? When you get a meeting request, no
Read more →This weekend is Father’s Day weekend, an opportunity to show gratitude and love for our dads. Last year, I shared the greatest lesson my father taught me about parenting. In that Thought for the Weekend, I mentioned that my favorite family moments with Dad included camping, fishing, and watching football. Professionally, my first sales call with Dad (who founded Matchmaker) had a huge impact on me. When I asked the team members at Matchmaker Logistics to share their favorite memories of their dads, the responses were a perfect mix of all of the things
Read more →
