Have you ever stopped to think about it for 5 minutes? But then, you never get started again?? Unfortunately this has become somewhat common in today’s society. Is it a matter of procrastination? Is it the loss of the traditional work ethic that built this modern society? Is it the transformation from workers to academics – doers to thinkers? Have thoughts converted to fears of doing something wrong and therefore decided it better to not do it at all? Or, is it just a matter of laziness?

Regardless of the reason, the ultimate outcome remains the same – whatever was needing to get done…….doesn’t. There have been many political and economic debates in recent years on individual’s willingness and desire to work versus free handouts. Although there have been many valid points made on both sides of the argument, I personally believe that it is in man’s (and woman’s) core to accomplish.

So again……..why is it that often the “5 minutes to think about it” becomes indefinite? There are definitely situation which require a momentary pause to clearly and objectively review all the information before making a costly decision. However, more often than not such a momentary pause is not truly necessary. It is merely a delay tactic or an avoidance strategy.

Why delay? Why avoid? The most common reason…….fear of making a mistake.

A popular athletic shoe company ran a successful marketing campaign “Just Do It.” The campaign was not “just try” or “just succeed”. The reason this campaign/slogan was so successful is it struck us at our deepest core. We will just do it. If we do not succeed, then we will do it again. We will learn from each attempt. We will modify where necessary. We will just do it until we accomplish it.
Unfortunately in today’s society many choose not to decide rather than face potential embarrassment, ridicule, or consequences for making the wrong decision. However in reality when one chooses not to decide, they still have made a choice…….the choice being to defer to someone else’s decision. Therefore, no one should ever defer a decision out of fear since in reality they are equally responsible. If the decision is wrong, then learn…adjust….correct…and succeed.

Thomas A. Edison arguably one of the greatest inventors never deferred. In fact, one of his most famous quotes while creating the light bulb was “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” It must be assumed that Thomas A. Edison on occasion stopped to think about it for 5 minutes, but needless to say (based on documented results it must also be assumed) he always started back up after 5 minutes.

So…..the next time you are confronted with a decision or situation are you going to stop 5 minutes to think about it? If so, how quickly are you going to get started again? Regardless of the initial results, the ultimate outcome and accomplishment will gratify you at your core. So what are you going do??

One final bit of wisdom……. ”Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up” – Thomas A. Edison

What is it with parents (or more accurately adults) that cause them to become mean – especially when attending kids sporting events? There are constantly news reports of parent fights breaking out at youth sporting events – even to the horrible degree of assaulting a child.

What change has occurred in society promoting such bad behavior? Parents are traditionally the primary role models for their children. Is this truly the type of behavior a role model should be promoting? Although physical brawls and abuse may not be as common, mental and verbal abuse are unfortunately all too common.

The irony is that parents believe that they are supporting their children but most often when a child is asked what they like least about playing a sport; the most common response is……the parents (typically not referring to just their independent parent but parents in general).

This mean parental behavior was recently witnessed at a youth swim practice. My son Jackson joined the swim team several weeks back due to the strong recommendation & encouragement of his personal swimming instructor/coach (but the reluctance of his parents). Although Jackson may belong to a team, the competition itself is usually individually structured. This is ideal. Jackson’s Autistic developmental and motor skill delays would have not negative impact on the overall team.

Unfortunately, work scheduling conflicts often prevent my participation at practice events. Therefore, I was extremely excited to attend a practice. As anticipated, Jackson was one of the lower skilled swimmers on the team – but from moment he jumped in the pool to the moment he stepped out of the pool the smile never left his face. It was an expression of pure joy.

During practice the team engaged in some Butterfly style lap drills. Jackson was swimming strong until he was distracted by a random plane flying overhead which resulted in him pausing mid-lap in the middle of the pool to watch the plan fly by. After the plane flew out of sight, Jackson resumed swimming all the while smiling from cheek to cheek. I would have to assume that Jackson posted the slowest time in this pool’s history. However, he also posted his own personal best time.

As Jackson was obviously the last swimmer to finish, a mother of one of the other swimmers came over to my wife and asked “is he water safe”? Are you kidding…..water safe? He just swam the Butterfly stroke two lengths of the pools with pausing in the middle to tread water for 45 seconds to observe a plane flying overhead. I truly doubt that this mother could achieve the same physical accomplishment. Needless to say, my wife responded to the mother’s question in a very kind and cheerful manner.

Although angered at the insulting statement, I chose to believe it was simply her ignorance of Autism and complete lack of common sense. Nonetheless, it was extremely hurtful. I later came to realize that these statements and condescending looks are commonplace at swim practice. A typical child would recognize this horribly judgmental and insulting behavior by other parents and be devastated, but one blessing of Autism is often the inability to truly read social situations. Ironically, while many parents exhibit horrible behavior, their children are kind, supportive, and compassionate.

As a parent it is heart wrenching to witness the judgment and meanness directed at your child. Although the natural instinct is to protect and defend your child, when your child doesn’t understand the situation how do you then explain to them your actions? Therefore in an effort to be a good positive role model for your child, you painfully take the abuse.

The easiest way to eliminate the pain is to avoid the situation – which in this case would mean Jackson not participating on the swim team. But upon hearing that suggestion my wife quickly reminded me of Jackson’s smile. She said that she would walk through fire if it brought him that level of joy.

Maybe some parents need to talk down other children to make them feel better about their own child. If that is the case, it is not only extremely sad but projects a truly bad role model. Jackson is blessed with a strong loving mother. She may need to cry after many swim practices, but she is truly a good positive role model for Jackson as well as my personal hero.

Needless to say, a child often believes they are capable of making adult decisions at the age of eight. The parent then assumes the role of having to protect their child from themselves (and the absurd decisions they may make). The challenge for a parent after so many years of guarding their child and assuming that they always know what’s best for their child is truly recognizing when their child has in fact become an adult.

This past summer my son interned for a Congresswoman in Washington DC. Although it was quite an accomplishment for him to obtain the internship out of such a large population of applying candidates, like any other parent we still viewed him as our son who we needed to protect. My wife or I would speak with him several times a week giving him advice that he would politely listen to (and then like we did with our own parents when we were his age……probably ignore most of the advice and make the decision that he believed to be the best).

Towards the end of my son’s internship, we traveled to Washington DC to visit him and tour the national monuments. The first night that we saw him, he was half-shaven wearing shorts and a t-shirt and extremely excited to take us to the zoo. Quite simply, he was the goofy boy that I love as my son.

However, the next day my son worked while we toured the museums. As we met him for lunch, he walked out of the Halls of Congress wearing a suit and a security badge. He was professional and walked with confidence. As he walked towards us a few people stopped to ask him questions which he answered in a clear and concise manner. The obvious immediate thought of both my wife and I was who is this man and what did he do with our son?

Did my son go off to Washington and become an adult? Doubtful, since it could be argued that very few people working in Washington (especially the Halls of Congress) actually act like adults. But, there was a noticeable change and transition of our son. He was not longer the youthful boy/young man. He was now a man.

Reality is that this transition into adulthood occurred over a period of time. However since parents are so emotionally close with their children, it is often difficult for the parent to view their child through objective eyes. But, when the parent can witness from afar the interaction, behavior, and maturity of their child, it is realized at that moment that the child has become an adult.

For a parent it is difficult because regardless of your child’s age, the parent instinctively wants to protect and attempt to provide guidance (which is often just an opinion). I saw my son so incredibly mature while working over 3,000 miles from home in our nation’s capitol. I was proud to see the man that he had become. Then, not two days later he said and did something completely immature. Did this mean that he had not yet truly transitioned into adulthood? No…..if that was the case, any given week my wife, my mother, and even my in-laws could claim that I acted in an immature manner and have not yet become an adult.

My boy may now be a man, but I will always be his dad – always there when he needs me, supportive even when I may not fully agree with his decision, and respecting him as a man while loving him as a son.

Customer service is typically the benchmark of a business’ success. The level of service perceived by a customer typically has a direct correlation with the success or failure of the company. For this reason, every year companies invest millions of dollars in training their employees the key components and importance of strong customer service. But…..is it possible for there to be excessive customer service?

The question may sound absurd, but is it possible? Could excessive customer service actually have a negative impact? It may appear ironic but the answer is “yes”.

There is a well-known grocery chain that stresses the importance of good consistent customer service. One element of the training is that the employees constantly engage the customers so that they feel welcomed. In theory this is a great concept. For example, as an employee is restocking the produce, they ask a patron walking by if they need help finding anything. It is a quick inquiry or offer of assistance that can potentially bring value to the customer.

But, what happens when this concept of engaging the customer is taken to an extreme? It is one thing to be offered assistance, but it is another to be forced to engage in conversations that customers may have no desire to participate. This type of conversation will occur every time you shop at this particular grocery store. As a person checks out, both the checker and bag boy/girl will initiate a conversation.

I must admit that initially, I felt a certain degree of guilt assuming that I was simply being anti-social. Then, I was at a social gathering and this topic monopolized the conversation for almost an hour. It was amazing not only how uncomfortable so many people were but the number of them that no longer go to this particular store when only needing to pick up a few items.

It is customary for someone to ask you how your day is going, but when they begin inquiring about your plans for the day, or attempting to generate conversations based on items that you purchased, the conversation becomes forced and uncomfortable.

While it appeared that some customers simply decided to shop elsewhere, it was humorous to hear some of the other techniques people used as a defense mechanism. One said that his first response was always that he was getting food for a funeral. This would typically eliminate the clerks desire for further dialogue, however, he did mention that once the bag boy asked him if it was a close family member who died – I guess his training stressed that he must converse with a customer at all times.

One person stated that he intentionally will purchase hemorrhoid cream or feminine hygiene products each time and will focus the conversation on these items. He appeared to take pleasure in the fact that he was going to make the employee equally as uncomfortable as himself during the conversation. Although I personally never proactively directed the conversations, I must admit that for a period of time I began shopping elsewhere when needing just a few items rather than be forced to converse with the staff. Although I did return to the grocery store for all of my shopping needs, truth be known……the only reason that began shopping back at the grocery store was because they installed a few self-checkout aisles – which meant the only conversation that I would be forced into would be with myself.

Customer service remains the key ingredient to every company’s success. However, it is important to always remember that true customer service is based on the customer satisfaction and experience. The grocery store had all of the right intentions, but failed miserably in their execution – which ultimately costs them customers and made them the topic of many unfavorable conversations.

Modern society is filled with a massive variety of people and personalities. Therefore, it is almost statistically impossible for a large population of people experiencing the same situation to have the same emotional reaction. What is upsetting to one person may be exciting and intriguing to another. It is virtually impossible to predict an overall population’s opinion of any one thing or situation. However, there is one exception……..The DMV.

The Department of Motor Vehicles is the one place that the collective opinion of people everywhere is pure negativity and physical anxiety (maybe with the exception of DMV employees). When a person is first advised that they must visit the DMV, their stomach drops. Then, shortly after entering the DMV office and the knowledge that they will be there for at least a few hours, their blood pressure rises. I was recently blessed with the misfortune of having to go to the DMV.

In an attempt to be proactive, I scheduled an appointment a couple weeks prior for 8:30 am on Wednesday morning. Imagine my surprise when I arrived at the DMV at 8:15 am to see a line of about 20 people had already formed outside the building. As I stood in line, the gentleman standing ahead of me was extremely upset – and we hadn’t even stepped inside yet. He turned to me red-faced and said; how can they even set an appointment when they aren’t even open? He then showed me his appointment confirmation for 8:15 am. He quickly followed with a number of colorful adjectives before stating that the office does not open until 9:00 am on Wednesday. I was very sympathetic of his justified frustration. But then it hit me……I too had a confirmed appointment before 9:00 am.

Where in private business a customer’s frustration must be addressed in a prompt and productive manner, the DMV is not the private sector. There was no apology. There was no attempt to expedite our level of service. There was simply the response that “it happens” as they gave us a number tag and instructed us to go sit down. Even the number tags are deceiving. I received the number tag 7. However it was not until I sat down that I realized that I would not be the 7th person to be called. The tags issued were alpha-numeric tags. My tag G7 would insure at least an hour wait.

When called to the window, I informed the representative that I was simply renewing my license that expires the following week. He stated that I owe a $55 reinstatement fee. I asked if that is the renewal fee. He said; no that is the reinstatement fee….you will then owe and additional $35 for the renewal fee. I asked what the reinstatement fee was for which he quickly replied the reinstatement of my license.

Confused, I asked the representative if my license was currently restricted or suspended. He looked at the computer and said no. But then quickly asked; so how do you want to pay it? I said the renewal fee to which he responded; no the reinstatement fee. It was like an Abbott and Costello routine. It was finally determined that my license was apparently suspended in 2009 for a period of 35 minutes. It is this 35 minute period that I had no knowledge of and was never notified that required my payment of $55.

Since I had now experienced more than two hours of the DMV dysfunctionality and obviously could not effectively communicate with the non-motivated DMV representative, rather than argue I paid the $55 reinstatement fee followed by the $35 renewal fee. I then was informed that I was the unique winner of being randomly selected to have to retake the vision and written driver’s test – which meant being transferred to two different lines (each resulting in an additional 30 minute wait).

The vision was good. The written test was passed and the only thing remaining was to wait in (yet another) line to get my new photo taken. The new photo was probably the only beneficial thought I had when I first entered the DMV office given how bad my existing driver’s license photo appeared. Oh my ignorance …….the new photo basically topped off the DMV experience.

However, the poor photo may be strategically designed by the DMV. If not for the photo, I would have left the DMV filled with anger. Instead, I left the DMV completely self-conscious and for the first time in my life considering immediate lipo suction in an effort to eliminate my apparent 3rd & 4th chin as well as contemplating hair plugs.

The DMV experience is typically one of horror and anxiety. Luckily it is an experience that only occurs once every 8 years or so (if we are lucky). So the next time you think you are having a bad day, just think how much worse it could have been if you were forced to go do the DMV.

oes a good child result in a future good employee? Often they do, however, a Manager can often make the same mistake managing a good employee as the mistake a Parent makes with their good child. Unfortunately the consequences for a manager are far more dramatic. An employee can choose to change their place of employment while a child can never change their family.

Parents often direct the majority of their attention, energy, focus and finances on the child that is the least responsible, least mature/respectful, and least dependable while seemingly ignoring or taking for granted the needs of the “good child.” In defense of the parent, it is assumed that there is less to worry about the good child since the child has proven to be self-efficient and self-motivated while possessing a good character foundation.

The bitter irony of the situation is that rather than the good child feeling proud, they often feel as though they are viewed as the lesser child. There is a perceived punishment for being good. They receive less attention. There is less support (emotionally or otherwise). The topic of conversations is often directly related to the sibling’s situation rather than about something relevant to the good child. Quite frankly, there is a perception of being loved less.

But as previously stated……a child can never change his/her family. Therefore although the situation is sad, “it is what it is” and must just be accepted or tolerated by the good child. But, in business a good employee is not forced to simply accept or tolerate a situation in which they are made to feel inferior to a co-worker. They have the option to make a career change.

Similar to a parent, it is easy for a manager to tunnel vision their focus on a problem employee. A good employee is efficient, self-motivated, innovated and profitable. Since there are rarely any issues or concerns with good employees they are often “out of sight….out of mind”. However issues with problem employees always appear to have a spot light on them. Therefore, it requires attention. The critical key for a manager is to effectively balance the level of attention and accountability among all employees.

The time the manager invests in an inferior employee in an effort to raise them up to an acceptable productivity/quality level must be balanced by the same level of time invested in acknowledging the highly effective employees for a job well done. General communications should not be focused on the topics of the troubled employee (basically implying that the problems are the result of all employees) but praise the overall success of the team with a footnote that the goal is that all employees will ultimately achieve the same goals.

In the end it is important to remember that the number one reason that an employee makes an employment change is not money, company, or position. The number one reason an employee decides to stay with a company or leaves a company is the relationship and level of appreciation the employee feels from their direct manager. It may sound pathetically hyper-emotional but it is important for a manager to frequently look in the mirror and objectively reflect on your behavior toward different employees. Are you taking them for granted like a good child? If so……realize that the lack of love felt by that good child may have just cost you a very good employee.

Do you remember how in your teens and early 20s you had a stomach made of steel? Nothing eaten would ever negatively impact the stomach. Then, with the 30s came a little more digestive awareness. Maybe it was the level of spice being consumed after a certain hour or that late night cup of coffee, but nonetheless a conscious awareness was required to maintain digestive harmony. Then, comes the 40s.

I am currently in my mid-40s and while attending a business conference some rather exotic food was served. How can food be such a one-sided relationship? I loved this food. I enjoyed and cherished every bit of this beautifully displayed tasty sensation. However, in a very short period of time it became abundantly clear that the food did not like me.

Although there is never the ideal location for a digestive revolt, the home field is always the preferred location. There is the familiarity of the surroundings and no obstacles located in the path to the restroom in an emergency evacuation situation. There are the proper tools and medication support present for battle. There is quiet and solitude.

With that said, the most inopportune location for a digestive revolt would probably be a business conference. To be successful, a business person must be at his/her best at a business conference. It is an environment not only to solidify/strengthen your existing client base but provides an environment to engage potential new customers and effectively network among your marketplace. But, it is also an environment which makes positive first impressions critical for success.

While working the floor of the conference, I was constantly canvassing the exits for the quickest evacuation route should the pressure get to the point of critical mass. The population of the conference was almost double the anticipated attendance. This provided adequate cover for my casual exiting and re-entering the conference.

The conference began at 10:00 am with the food consumed approximately an hour later. It took less than 30 minutes for the negative reaction to take full effect. The conference was scheduled to end at 6:00 pm – which probably resulted in the longest day of my life. Although I may have worked the conference the entire day, I have never had such a cardio workout in a single day (resulting from the continuous wind-sprints to and from the restrooms). It may have been a successful event. New clients were actively engaged, existing clients were further nurtured, but I also became intimately close with every stall in every restroom on the first floor of the hotel as a result of my 47 visits throughout the day.

I was reminded that evening by one of my peers (who chose not to partake in the exotic food) that for every guilty pleasure in life there is often a consequence – which I thought was a very appropriate metaphor. However he then followed it with a more practical (and unfortunately very true) statement; if it is hot going in……it is usually equally hot coming out.

Nonetheless, there is another conference in two months of which the calorie intake will be limited to plain bagels and potentially a turkey sandwich. Guilty pleasures in life do come with consequences and rarely does the pleasure outweigh the consequence. No more exotic food for me.

I was raised in Los Angeles County where fireworks were illegal (which pleased my father), but we would often celebrate the 4th of July with our friends in Orange County where fireworks were legal and firework stands were plentiful. My father once stated that an anticipated brief moment of enjoyment could accidentally result with life-changing consequences (physical injuries, uncontrollable fires, loss of life and/or property, etc.). He delivered this message with passion and elegance. Although my brother and I listened intently, we then quickly rushed off to the firework stand to purchase as many fireworks as our saved up allowance would permit (discounting my father’s statements as simply him being grumpy).

Ironically, as I reflect on my youth now; my father actually had more to worry about than he ever knew. Boys often view themselves as invincible. I recall while in middle-school my brother, our best friend Eric and I playing one night at the local elementary school shooting bottle rockets at each other. It was somewhat of an absurd form of chicken with each of us firing the bottle rocket on the ground at each other to see who had the greatest accuracy as well as who would be the first to flinch. It is truly amazing that none of us actually got hurt. It is once again that time of the year. I am no longer a young boy but now the father figure. Since we moved to Northern California I received one of my childhood dreams………fireworks are legal in the county in which we reside. Unfortunately, I am no longer a child and have assumed the role of a father – ironically, what was a childhood dream became a father’s nightmare. The 4th of July is probably one of the most stressful days of my life. Every year the news has stories of children who have permanently disfigured their hands due to premature exploding fireworks. There are also frequent stories of homes burning down as a result of fireworks. Unfortunately, every year there appears to be as many painful stories as there were stories of celebratory events in the community. With that said, I have two boys just like my father did. Although the stress may have been overwhelming for my father at times, he absorbed the stress and allowed his sons to safely enjoy the fireworks and the 4th of July festivities. Therefore, like my father before me…..I spent about a hundred dollars on fireworks for the boys this year. As we waited for the sun to set, I filled a bucket of water for the boys to have readily available. Since there are open fields around my property, hoses were strategically positioned at all property lines as a precautionary measure. Then, a silent prayer was said and a worried father held his breath in hopes of an event-free evening. The sun set and the fireworks began. The smiles and excitement on the kids face definitely warmed my heart. It may have been a somewhat stressful evening, but it was a joyous evening for the boys. The greatest thing about the cycle of life is that in about 25 years, my son’s will be reflecting on the irrational fears of their father when they were young and realize that they too have assumed those same fears. Life is humorous.

Blind Love most often exists between a parent and their child – especially children with special needs.The love I have for both my sons is unconditional. I love them when they are good. I love them when they are bad. I love them at times of praises and I love them during times of consequences/punishment.With that said…..although the love for both my boys is unconditional, the love for my youngest son could probably be considered Blind Love.

My eldest son is an incredible young man with an incredibly bright future. He will begin his senior year of college this fall. He is working in

Washington DC this summer interning for a Congresswoman. He is humble, respectful, loving and has a lot to offer society (needless to say, I may be biased in my opinion). My youngest son is an incredible boy with an incredibly unknown future. He is bright and hardworking, but has his struggles. He is humble, loving, and respectful and has a lot to offer society in his own way. My youngest son is Autistic.

Where there exists Autism…….there exist Blind Love. Actions, statements and behaviors in a normal loving relationship are premeditated and often include an underlining meaning. Actions, statements and behaviors in a loving Autistic relationship often come with no meaning.

Therefore, Bind Love allows us to enjoy the journey of Autism (while ignoring what might be viewed by an outsider as questionable behavior). Autism is not an event. Autism is not a destination. Autism is truly a journey. The best analogy of the Autism journey would probably be the song “The River” by Garth Brooks.

The Autism journey is like a river ever changing as it flows. As a parent (or even a sibling) we cannot get frustrated but simply follow where the river flows (and advance our child’s skills/abilities where ever possible). There will always be rough waters and we will all take some emotional bumps and bruises during the journey. We constantly try to learn from the experiences behind us, but we never truly know what’s in store ahead. Needless to say, this makes every day a constant battle just to stay afloat and keep him advancing forward.

We may not know the ultimate destination of our son’s abilities, but he will never reach his destination unless we try. Our Blind Love for our son not only makes the journey of Autism tolerable, but it also allows us to look at life’s events through a different set of eyes. What once may have debilitated us, now gives us strength. Although sadness and grief still occur (sometimes more frequently than with a typical child), we recover quicker.

But, the true blessing of Blind Love for my son is the Joy and Humor we now recognize in our lives through everyday events.

When dining out the level of service does not always go hand-in-hand with the caliber of the restaurant. Like most people, I have received the absolute worst service at some of the finest restaurants while receiving some of the most attentive service at a more economical family restaurant. Although the quality of the food may be relative to the differing cost, the level of service should be consistent.

With that said, the obvious expectation would be that the fine restaurant would provide both a higher quality of food as well as a higher degree of service. The irony is that often, the level of service at certain finer restaurants is inferior. Therefore, service is not based on the quality of the restaurant but the quality of the individual.

A perfect example is a recent family dining experience. My youngest son’s favorite restaurant is IHOP or better known by the finest pancake connoisseur….the International House of Pancakes. IHOP may not impulsively be considered as a fine dining experience, but it is a matter of perspective. My son Jackson would probably argue that it is the finest of dining experience – while his mother would probably want a few minutes to rebut his claim.

Nonetheless, it was going to be dinner at IHOP. Being that Jackson is Autistic, he can at times be perceived to have odd behaviors and struggles to communicate effectively. Although it can be challenging and frustrating for him; for his continued advancement/development it is important that he engage with people in a social setting – which includes ordering his own meal. This interaction can be awkward and sometimes take a waiter/waitress by surprise.

When our waitress Chrystal first came to the table, we appeared to be your average family. When she began to take our order, she quickly observed that we were going to be a slightly different family. After a few prompts from my wife, my son Jackson ordered his food (combining speech and sign language). Chrystal was extremely patient and compassionate as she took his order. Not only did she not judge him but she made a point to engage with him. Throughout our dining experience she was attentive and respectful. At one point realizing the need for Jackson to engage, Chrystal asked my wife for the signs of a few words and she used them in further communicating with Jackson.

Although the food was good based on what one would expect from a restaurant chain, what will bring us back to this particular restaurant was our waitress Chrystal. Chrystal was not only a very attentive server but she is an incredible individual that represents IHop in a wonderful manner. She recognized and adapted to our family situation. She was respectful. She was engaging. She made you feel as though you (or your son) were the most important thing in the world. As a manager, these are the characteristic that you wish existed in all of your employees.

It is often said that the best form of advertisement is word of mouth. Word of mouth is typically based on a personal experience – which can have either positive or negative implications. Strong, positive, attentive, and caring employees willing to go that extra step to bring value to their customers will always prove to be the best advertisement. However for an employee to truly project these characteristics, they must first observe them in their own company leadership.