Lucille Ball, CEO – Star Trek – Google Debt to Scotch Tape
“When the people fear the government, there is tyranny.
When the government fears the people, there is liberty.”
Thomas Jefferson
“Freedom is nothing but a chance to be better.”
Albert Camus
“My father described this tall lady who stands in the middle of the
New York harbor, holding high a torch to welcome people
seeking freedom in America. I instantly fell in love.”
Yakov Smirnoff
Russian born American Comic
FOR YOUR EDIFICATION, ENLIGHTENMENT AND ENTERTAINMENT
Lucille Ball, CEO
The B2B “Win Back”
Google’s Debt to Scotch Tape
High Deductible, High Risk?
Econ Recon: A 1.5 Trillion Elephant ….5 Threats to Prosperity?
Lucille Ball, CEO
Baby Boomers (and retro TV fans) will remember actress Lucille Ball as the queen of TV Sitcoms in the 1950s and 60s. With husband Desi Arnaz, they created “I Love Lucy” which enjoyed a seven year run in the 1950s and two successful spinoffs in the 1960s and 1970s. In short, they birthed the genre of the TV Sitcom. In addition to producer and writer duties, she also pioneered such innovations as taping before a live audience, the three camera filming technique that became an industry standard and the first woman to appear in a TV show who was obviously (and actually) very pregnant.
Later, behind the camera, she became the most powerful woman in the entertainment business in her day. The success of “I Love Lucy” allowed her and Arnaz to purchase the ailing RKO Studios which they rebooted as Desilu Studios. After her divorce from Desi, she bought his shares, securing total control and becoming the first woman to own and run a major studio. Most people don’t know that she was responsible for giving the go-ahead for such iconic Desilu series as “The Andy Griffith Show”, “The Dick Van Dyke Show” and “Mission: Impossible.”
Perhaps her most brilliant call was the foresight to overrule her board of directors, twice, to launch one of the most successful TV and movie franchises of all time: Star Trek. Despite a disastrous pilot episode, she saw the series’ potential and insisted on another try, including providing additional financing to the NBC network to underwrite another episode “If it were not for Lucy,” according to one Desilu executive, “there would be no Star Trek today.” Check out this short article on the debt that ‘Trekkies’ owe to the “Queen of Comedy”. If you want to learn more about this remarkable entrepreneur a more complete bio of Lucille Ball can be found here.
The B2B “Win Back”
There are four ways to increase volume: Sell more to existing customers…..Sell to new customers…..Raise prices….and win back customers you lost. Marketing and sales people often assume that a lost customer is gone forever. This short blog posting from HBR outlines a process that may prove that assumption wrong, and may help you and your team to win back what’s been lost. Check out “How B2B Customers Can Win Back Customers They’ve Lost”.
Google’s Debt to Scotch Tape
Many inventions change how we live our personal lives, and some even change how companies manage their employees. To wit, the invention of Scotch tape. This ubiquitous and mundane product was a real breakthrough when it was introduced during the 1930s. It’s utility was enhanced during these years of the Great Depression by helping people “mend and make do” at a time when their incomes were often severely limited and extending the useful life of your possessions was mandatory.
Read this short article that profiles Richard Drew, who invented both masking tape and clear “Scotch” tape. His legacy was not only a great product, but a management practice that became commonplace at today’s most successful companies including Google and Hewlett Packard. Take a few minutes to learn “How the Invention of Scotch Tape Led to a Revolution in How Companies Managed Employees“ .
High Deductible, High Risk?
Health insurance is becoming one of business’ biggest and most rapidly increasing expenses. Many companies are considering renewals at mid-year and the prospect of offering a lower cost, high deductible insurance plan can be very attractive. However, these plans can have adverse outcomes if employees defer or decline needed medical care. Moreover, many employees are coming to resent an insurance benefit that doesn’t look much like insurance until they’ve paid a significant amount out of their own pockets.
With the war for talent heating up, health coverage is one more differentiator to attract and keep employees. This brief article from the Wharton School asks “With High Deductible Employer Health Plans, Who Wins? “
Econ Recon
A $1.5 Trillion Elephant in the Room: Some analysts say that student loans may be the next debt bubble and that their debt repayments are already impacting milestone economic events like first home purchase. However, as in all crises, there may be opportunity. Lauren Saidel-Baker of ITR Economics explores the facts and suggests that the situation may not be as bad as publicized; indeed there may be opportunities in this crisis. Check out Ms. Saidel-Baker’s brief blog on the topic: The $1.5 Trillion Elephant in the Room.
5 Threats to Prosperity: Some economists are warning of a slowing economy, economist Brian Wesbury thinks otherwise. He looks at five events that could trigger a downturn and doubts that most will occur. Check out his latest 6 minute Wesbury 101 video Five Threats to Prosperity.