This week we lost a philosopher of our times, someone who influenced more than 25 million people worldwide. I thought that this edition of my blog newsletter should be a tribute to a man who has influenced many people -- including me. In the late 1990's I read the book First things first and still, today, I use the concepts Stephen Covey taught me in my business and teach it to my clients. Another one of his books, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People was developed after he studied hundreds of books and essays on success written since 1776. What he found in the first 150 years was based on 3 sound principles of character:

It started around 6pm last night.  Nicole Wexler a business owner, www.linkedin.com/in/nicolewexler and friend, now living in Isreal, sent me an email.  Then I heard from a Salt Lake City Newspaper and the HTML forum wished me a Happy Birthday.   At 10:30pm my sister Joan, in NY, sent me an email, too. Today I awoke to a client ringing my doorbell,  Barbara of www.AbledNetwork.org, bringing me cake and a very funny looking cross-eyed girl pumpkin. This afternoon, Elisa Balabram, of www.WomenAndBiz.com, someone I've never met, but she's published my articles in her magazine, wished me well.  She's also a NY gal. In July, my sister Martie, a Realtor at Sotheby's International Realty, in Scarsdale NY, came to visit.  She brought

I am a New Yorker. I might live 3000 miles from home, but there is no question about it. I am a NYer. I did not have a family member or friend massacred on 9-11.  However, on the list of the dead, was a salesman from an office I once worked at, and two children of traders I had worked with when I was an executive on Wall Street. I remember when they were born. Like most NYers, I have lots of memories of the Twin Towers as we called them. Some of my memories are below. I'd love to hear about your memories of New York, of the buildings, of New Yorkers, of that very sad

Agree? Disagree? This is some amazing guy. Warren's article in the NY Times:  http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/15/opinion/stop-coddling-the-super-rich.html Warren on Charlie Rose 8/15/11: http://www.charlierose.com/schedule/?date=2011/8/15 Of course this won't fully get us back to having no deficit, but his ideas need to be listened to.  It's fair, it makes sense and it's a start of what needs to be done. What do you think?  

Have you noticed the new excuse companies are using to lower the quality of their products and/or customer service? In the last few months, Nutrese (think hair color) lowered the quality of the gloves they provide in each kit. When I wrote to them because the new gloves break every easily and the product gets on my hands, they used the "environmentally friendly" excuse. I mean, this is hair color. Not only that, it comes in a box, with 1 plastic bottle, 1 small plastic contain and 1 metal tube. They could at least provide quality gloves and protect the hands of their customers! Then in June 2011, AVON, using the "environmentally friendly" excuse stopped providing