~Joel’s Blog
Renaissance Men?
Let’s get this out of the way immediately: No, this blog isn’t an anthem on behalf of men. In other words, I’m addressing both men and women. At the same time, we must submit to the reality that 600 years ago (and more) the term “Renaissance Men” referred to, well, men. Unfortunate, yes, but there it is. That was then. This is now. And I’m here to declare that our world needs Renaissance Men and Renaissance Women and in great numbers.
Why? (more…)
~Janet’s Blog
Is there a place to hide here?
My heart was pumping so hard I thought it was going to jump out of my chest. I found myself staring at the exit sign in the church sanctuary just 30 feet away and thinking, “Maybe if I ran fast enough no one would see me escape!?”
It had been awhile since I had sung a solo and accompanied myself on the guitar. After five years of not being able to play, due to chronic pain in my hands, I was still getting back into the swing of things. It had been only a recent discovery that playing, while it still hurt, didn’t result in a huge increase in pain for days. Before the chronic pain began, I regularly played in public. But that was five years ago. Back when I didn’t think about it. Today, I felt like a fake and the EXIT sign was looking quite inviting. The sermon felt like it was going on forever and yet I never wanted the pastor to stop either. Because then I would be next. (more…)
~Janet’s Blog
Bullying Is For Grown-Ups, too
There was nothing special about that Wednesday night. Joel and I were out with our dog. Bronx loves his walks. And we love to talk through the day and relax.
Little did we know we were about to cross paths with a bike rider out on a mission of hate. (more…)
~Joel’s Blog
I am not concerned that you have fallen. I am concerned that you arise.
~Abraham Lincoln
It’s the core of the American Dream:
Choose your path. Strike out. Stake your claim. Do it (cue Sinatra) your way. Work your fingers to the bone. Pull yourself up by your bootstraps. Seize the day. Make your dent upon the universe.
To which I sometimes declare…
Meh. Can you supersize that with fries, please?
Sometimes.
(more…)
There Be Trolls
By Joel Lund
Smart businesses routinely use surveys to obtain feedback and learn what’s working with their audience and what’s not. Otherwise, all of the company’s effort could be misfiring, resting on a foundation of hopium. So, trying to be smart about growing our business, we sent a simple survey out to our e-newsletter recipients. After waiting for a notification that people were taking the survey, we finally realized that because we used the free version of SurveyMonkey we wouldn’t receive alerts when people used it (OK, note to self). So I logged onto our account to see if anyone had.
Sure enough, a few people did. Yay! Really good feedback and engagement greeted me. Or so I thought. Skimming through the graphical analysis, my eye was drawn to the bottom of the page, where the comment section was. One person had opted to leave a comment and titled it, “May God continue to bless your efforts!”
Except that’s not what they meant. At. All.
Which makes this the most difficult blog I’ve ever written. (more…)
