Business Operations & Communications (especially Digital Media) Specialist
Several years ago Monica Guzman, then with the Seattle PI’s Big Blog, started hosting Big Blog meet ups. I stumbled upon one my posts from one, pinged the folks in the picture, and the discussion shifted to having a re-union.
So, we’ve launched the discussion. Part of the purpose for this post is to have the discussion in a single space, and not fill up our Twitter feeds.
Anyway, please comment below with ideas, suggestions, interests. Also, check back often. I’ll update this as it progresses.
Yesterday was spent driving. Meetings in Late Stevens, Everett and Mountlake Terrace. Not at all uncommon. Though I travelled many miles, my body spent the day seated. This hit me at night: I just had to move. I did a little yoga, ran through taekwondo poomsaes, and was eclectic settle down. My body now expects some motion during the day now.
My culture, my community, has evolved to minimize physical effort. Most energy expenditure gets deferred to our cars. Turns out its killing us. Whether the upswelling of type 2 diabetes or the obesity epidemic, our drive for inaction hurts us greatly. This concerns me.
With this mindset: our obsession with speed. Faster! Faster! More and more in less time. Road Rage’s roots are herein. And those folks who get beside themselves in fury because someone is crossing the crosswalk, or being slowed by a cyclist; they’re deeply trapped in that mindset. Really, your blood pressure is going to soar into pathological levels because you need to wait ten seconds?
I’ve wondered how society would look after healing this fracture. Well, first, we’d walk more. Or bike. We’d also have a rational engagement with time. Becoming unhinged over the most minor inconvenience is deeply unhealthy.
As our urban areas are only going to get more dense, we need to start dealing with this stuff now. Or we don’t need to worry about North Korea nuking us: we’ll explode ourselves with self generated fury.
The day’s busyness
Finally able to sit
Now, to find quiet
Rain is now falling
Seattle reminding me
Of where I live
I’m really looking forward to the next iteration in the Blade Runner saga, based on this trailer. Visually amazing and a solid cast. The potential is solid.
I just had to shake my head after reading this one. This Mr. Lampert is, well, an eccentric chap and, sorry to counter his statement, but either in deep denial about Sears’ states, or a terrible liar.
He spends a great deal of time comparing Sears to Amazon, and in strange, illogical ways.
“The company has not reported a profit for six years, which Lampert compared to Amazon.com Inc’s early unprofitable growth.”
I fail to see this comparison as apt. or even close to related. Sears is no startup, and Amazon has been focused on posting profits for some time (since 2004, I believe). But if their goals is to invest their profits back in the company, do it and then talk about it. Based in reality, it can be a compelling narrative.
Here’s something to mull about, when comparing Amazon & Sears: “Amazon’s total revenues grew 27 percent to $136 billion in 2016, while Sears’ revenues fell 12 percent year-on-year to $22.1 billion.”
This one really puzzled me:
When “…asked if Lampert was in denial about the company’s losses and paranoid”, he “refuted his question, saying there were “behind-the-scenes” counterparties trying to take advantage of the company’s situation“.
Apparently, the reporting is “deliberately unfair”. Wow…serious delusions of grandeur. A whole sector? All the reporters are in collusion against Sears? Sorry, that I doubt. Sears isn’t that big a player in retail anymore, especially as the space got saturated and online started eating everyone’s lunch (in the retail sector).
“”Excuse my rant but a lot of what we’re doing deserves a chance to see the light of day.”
Well, that’s a PR failure, if it’s based anywhere in reality (which I’m having a hard time buying).
Then there’s the reliance on their new loyalty program, “Shop Your Way”. Seems a puzzling thing to bet the farm on. As Erik Gordon (professor at Ross School of Business) puts it: “‘A loyalty program was innovative 20 years ago. Now, it is like saying ‘our stores have electricity.’ Sales still go down, so the loyalty program isn’t turning Sears around”.
Sears is in trouble, an a significant piece of it seems to be leadership. Their ill-fated venture into a Lord of the Flies internal structure was probably the most extreme of their poor choices. Now they’re at a point where they’re destroying their future to stop the cash bleed and keep operations afloat. Cutting hours and pay simply drives your best producing staff to your competition.
With Sears closing stores in solid retails markets (like my nearby Alderwood Mall), it’s hard to put much stake in a turnaround. The retail sector can be scary, and I’m hard pressed to think of a company that’s pulled themselves out of a tailspin like Sears’. Perhaps I’m wrong. I’d like to be. I grew up with the iconic Sears catalog, circling Christmas hints in their holiday catalog. The emotion is there. However, my last few experiences at their stores were of a morosely apathetic crew in dismal, worn out stores. It’s gong to take more than a loyalty program to pull back from that.
On that note, Investopedia has a great piece from last month, “Who Killed Sears? 50 Years on the Road to Ruin“. A solid and detailed look at the history of the venerable brand and it’s turn towards doom.
Reflecting on change
How economics push us
Some times, push us down
I’ve long enjoyed the work of Jorge at PhD comics. This one delights more than most…which says a lot, really.
I like them all, at one level or another.
“I don’t do email.”
How does one function this way?
Resisting progress?
It’s awesome to see all ages at the dojang. It’s a sign of a healthy school. My school has a huge range of student agents, from small children to adults in the 50s and 60s.
Every student brings something great to the school, helps us all grow, to be better.