Archive for the Thought for the Weekend Category

We like our sports stories here at Matchmaker Logistics; we’ve made that clear by now. This Sunday, March 13, marks the kickoff of March Madness – by far the best source for great sports stories. For those of you who aren’t sports fans, don’t worry – “March Madness,” isn’t some sort of St. Patrick’s Day-related insanity. It’s the NCAA championships, running from the second week of March through the first week in April. Sixty-eight teams compete in tournament brackets, narrowing it all down to the Final Four, and from there, one champion. The nature

Although not a North Carolina native, I’ve lived here long enough to know what the people of this state take seriously: pigs, pork and pigskins, for starters. Pig and hog farming are big business in this state, with nearly 2,000 farms employing 13,000 people and selling 34.5 million hogs (2012 statistics). It makes North Carolina the 2nd largest pig producer in the country, after Iowa. It’s no wonder that barbecue (aka BBQ pork) and barbecue sauces are such an important part of the heritage and a hotly contested source of local pride. There’s even

It’s Thursday evening, and time for me to produce another Thought for the Weekend, but I have to confess – I’m distracted. My alma mater, Providence College, plays Seton Hall in basketball tonight. With March Madness right around the corner, I can’t help but give the game more attention than my computer screen. When it comes to any pursuit that requires focus, sometimes finding the motivation to give it your all can be hard. After a long day at work, gathering up your moxie to make it to the gym, practice an instrument, or

Today, February 19th, marks a monumental day in American history. Do you know what it is? I’ll give you a few hints: …There’s a Marine Corps monument in its honor… ….at least two major motion pictures have been made about it in the past ten years… …and in many ways, it produced one of the first ‘viral’ images!   Give up? Today is the anniversary of the beginning of the Battle of Iwo Jima, one of the major decisive battles of World War II. Called Operation Detachment, the five-week battle was one of the

With just two days until Valentine’s Day, this is your official warning to make plans for your sweetheart! Romantic gestures require planning, especially if you’re one of the approximately six million Americans who will pop the big question this Valentine’s Day. For example, twenty years ago when I proposed to my wife on Christmas Day, I didn’t just pull a ring box out of my pocket on Christmas morning. I wrapped a large box in gold paper and put it under the tree as soon as it went up. All month long, she picked

With a full month of the New Year behind us, I’m proud to say the entire Matchmaker Logistics team has succeeded in implementing some new habits in 2016: For years, we have started every work day with a virtual team huddle. Our entire team has a 5-10 minute check-in call via video conference to discuss our goals and top priorities for the day. This year, we decided to add one more quick “minute” to our daily routine – The Motivational Minute. Legendary author, salesman, and motivational speaker Zig Ziglar said: “People often say that motivation

Remember when we were kids, how we used to wish for snow? For children, snow days are magical and exciting. Sure, your parents might make you do a little shoveling, but who cares? School’s out, you get to break out your sleds and snowsuits, and it’s a free day devoted to fun and play. Winter storm Jonas reminded us that once we’re adults, the magic of snow kind of wears off. Even if your workplace shuts down, just like the snow, the work doesn’t stop piling up. In fact, inclement weather creates its own

Today, I’m flying home from some business meetings in Texas. Which means I’m spending my Friday in the least relaxing place imaginable – the airport. The TSA has certainly stepped up its game in recent years, what with our changing world and the need to be vigilant. But I have a hard time thinking of anything more awkward and uncomfortable than the TSA line at the airport. I don’t know about you, but I don’t like checking bags – it’s costly and a hassle – so I arrive at the airport wearing and carrying

The day after Christmas can be a wonderfully relaxing time – enjoying visiting guests, eating leftovers, and playing with new gifts. But for many of us, it was back to work as usual, as shipping doesn’t sleep! The folks at the Port of Los Angeles were hard at work – not unloading Santa’s sleigh, but another vehicle making record-breaking deliveries. The world’s largest cargo ship, the French CMA CGM Benjamin Franklin, was berthed in the U.S. port on December 26th, a sign of the new worldwide trend in massive container megaships. As long from