Business/Personal development

March 20 2026

A few takeaways from the rise of Trump

Pres. Trump has been in the news for one reason or another since eternity. The mercurial leader of the free world is debatably known as a brash personality. I would agree. And I am not surprised. Why? He is a New Yorker. (Home of brash personalities.) A very tough place.

Certainly, there are some negatives and positives (as with everyone else). However, there has been an uptick in negative press regarding The President’s behavior and today I’m going to demonstrate how… It is just as easy to extract some positive examples from facts we can clearly see with how The President rolls.

Fact 1: He’s an older guy that has worked most of his life.

The idea of someone still working past 75 years old is remarkable. Respect it. With all the money earned, all the power etc… Why would he still be working? What could be the goal? Couldn’t he just retire and live happily ever after? He didn’t have to run for office (again).

That being said… If I’m not mistaken, those are the traits of a workaholic. Someone with purpose. Right there, an example can be extracted in the idea that this individual is showing us what life is really all about. Working towards a goal. Whatever it may be.

Like… working beyond senior citizen eligibility! You know, “to make the world a better place.” (If we’re gonna go that route.)

75+ and working (in my opinion) seems like a value and attribute of a fading generation. It’s hard to see people of today wanting to work until they are 70, let alone beyond it. Especially when retirement age is well below that figure.

Sure there are a lot of life long hard working people out there but, I sense the concept of instant gratification gaining momentum. Making a quick dollar is more popular and accessible than ever.

Fact 2: His offspring are headed in a similar direction of being lifetime workers.

Some time ago, I thought to myself “If they grew up wealthy, why are they working?” What could be the reasons? Some people would argue “Pres. Trump’s descendants shouldn’t have to work.” Others could say, what about life work? Starting to get the idea?

Their family doesn’t need money nor power. They have that and are still working. This should be a clear indicator that work is important and just because you are born wealthy doesn’t mean you will not or should not work. In fact, the idea that these folks work harder than the average person could be thrown around.

It’s hard to envision getting much rest when there are multi-billion dollar companies to run and families depending on their income from those companies. A lot of moving parts in that scenario. With all that responsibility, retirement would be a luxury. Something worth considering when the idea of wealthy people having it easy creeps around.

Fact 3: He has built up a lot of resources for enterprising Americans to take advantage of.

Trends are pointing towards people wanting to earn more money without doing as much for it. More money. Less work. A pro business president with pro business acumen could actually be very beneficial to the average person so let me share this idea…

If you are in any position of power, would you not look out for those of the same background as you? So is it really shocking that a person from a business background is all about business? Many people and businesses are still doing business with him (one way or another), regardless of public opinion. In fact he’s doing business all over the place. Which should be a reminder to self.

Do what makes you feel good, so you can build it indefinitely.

It’ll never feel like work.

Among the many examples we can take from observing the rise of Pres. Trump, keep in mind the blueprint he laid out for the watchful eye. “The Apprentice” is actually a free and useful educational resource in learning how to develop a business and leadership abilities. Viewing the show has actually taught me quite a bit about how to run a business and what it takes to survive in the boardroom. All the while getting a behind the scenes view into the decision making of a billionaire.

They call it the idiot box. However, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Take advantage by using everything as a learning tool. So instead of using an angry mob approach toward the Commander in Chief, why not qualify intelligence by sharing some groundbreaking solutions?

Maybe he’ll listen. Maybe not.

In closing, it’s always worthwhile to search for an opportunity to extract useful information from life experiences.

Negative or positive.

March 16 2026

The branding drive-thru (fast tracking a startup)

In the web2.5 era, virtually anyone can develop or even become a brand. However, not everyone has a brand or is familiar with how to create one. Today, we’re going to share a few ideas on how to get a brand started (fast).

Branding can be easy or difficult, either way a considerable amount of thought should go into its creation. Using cheat codes can make things significantly easier in conjuring up ideas.

Some working examples are:

Identify the industry’s authority.

If I make cookies, determining who my brand’s primary competitors are is essential to establishing a standard (across the board). Identifying what technologies they use, financials, distributors and the backgrounds of their leadership are just a few data points that should be of interest. Figuring that out can give us an idea of where we are in the grand scheme of things. Investigating these metrics provides a measurement of how far we need to go, in order to get where we want to be (irrespective of our roadmap).

Develop a competitive product.

My brand must closely study our competitor’s practices in order to produce a product that is competitive in quality. Having a unique flavor and/or design can help provide a level of separation that would distinguish us from being just another cookie company. Some contributing factors could be using better ingredients, having an unusual/innovative preparation process, limited edition versions or having an alternate version (a la plant based cookies). This can be a compelling angle and an advantage for my product. Consumers love OPTIONS!

Beat their marketing.

Analyzing the aesthetics of my competitors’ platforms, digital/physical media, product packaging and overall vibe demonstrates a general idea of what works for them. Consequently, revealing a clue into what may or may not work for me.

Researching their marketing budgets, advertising contractors, partnerships, sponsors etc. are key factors in their visibility.

Having that information can be crucial in determining where we may need to venture and what our competitors may be missing (that we can use to secure an edge in visibility and/or consumer engagement).

Following these guidelines can work wonders for the perception of how serious my cookie brand is to be taken.

(These methods can be used across a broad spectrum of ideas).

So if starting a brand has been a problem for you, hopefully I’ve provided a decent solution to help get it started. Good luck in creating that brand, be consistent and stay focused on your mission!

March 16 2026

Window of opportunity (don’t miss it)

Window of opportunity

“Time waits for no man” is how the adage goes. So today, we will quickly examine windows of time that open and close.

For example:

Imagine being in a public space and happen to observe someone that you know can provide an opportunity for you to level up?

Because you have no idea if you’re going to see this person again… you MUST act quickly, or not.

(Time window begins)

Seeing the person again is almost totally out of your control. Unless… You take action, which IS within your control (automatically increasing the probability of a future encounter). You have only seconds to shoot your shot and/or decide which future you want. Being proactive can create a possible future of becoming acquainted with the person. Isn’t that what you’d like? So, what are you waiting for?

Not taking action will lead to the expiration of your window to affect space and time, while simultaneously decreasing the chances of having that future encounter. This will almost certainly create a probability of wondering what could have been (if you acted when given the opportunity). We’re in this game to win and not shooting your shot will result in zero points scored.

You can’t win a game with no points but can certainly lose one that way!

(Time window ends)

This reveals… a “numbers game”. Which can help enable you as (the observer) to more accurately project what might come next. Everything is always in the numbers. So, you have to do the math. That’s why analytics is a must have tool in business. The numbers will always paint a picture and/or tell a story. It gives us insight into how things work. Being objective participants in this reality creates more control over how we affect it. The practice of using numbers, equations, logic and reason may exponentially help with achieving a desired result in anything.

(So when a window of opportunity opens, the scales of probability are in your favor.)

Before the window closes.

Inactivity can be a reoccurring and life altering issue. The solution is almost always the opposite to the problem. So, get out there and be active!

March 15 2026

Biting the hand that feeds you (can result in having your last meal)

So I had this old friend.

He wanted to start a business and asked me to be a partner. I asked him why. He pretty much alluded to the success we’ve had with a project I’d helped him with previously. Though (to him) making me a partner made sense, to me it didn’t. However, at the same time… it kinda did.

Why it didn’t make sense to me is because:

1. I have no reason to go into business with him, as I don’t need his resources and can do whatever he brings to the table (on my own) AND better.

2. He is a “habitual line stepper” and the needed time to build his business is not there. So, it just isn’t worth the energy.

Why it did make sense to me is because:

I know my friend is crafty and only does things when he stands to benefit. So, I figure he already has an idea of how he wants to use me.

To HIM it made sense because:

He thought he could get free labor out of me and ~~spy~~ on, I mean learn how I put together business plans (among other things). Then claim 50% of the proceeds when he would have deserved less than 10% (if that close).

This reveals another reason I wouldn’t go into business with him: Character.

Case in point.

Exhibit A:

Several years ago, I helped him develop a product. The product could be considered volatile because the price of it is on a sliding scale. It sells from as little as $1 and can sometimes escalate to $100. That’s good money!

His problem was… poor (cheap) packaging.

Because of my part in the product’s creation, I hold a license to reproduce and distribute it. Which I have done a couple of times but, with premium packaging. The most I’m aware of him getting is $20 per unit. I’ve reached $100.

Why? You guessed it… Packaging. Presentation means a lot. It’s a tried and true method.

‘Til this day, he hasn’t taken the advice to upgrade the product’s packaging.

It’s hard to do business with people that cut corners and don’t listen to information THEY asked for.

Exhibit B:

Several months later… (after my friend ‘again’ asked for advice), I advised him to buy a dot com for his business and offered to build him a homepage. He immediately proceeded to buy the dot com then, call to tell me he did and would be hiring a web designer to build his site for him! What? Can you imagine the look on my face when he called to tell me that? All this, “after” he asked me to be a partner!

Clearly, this guy is in “The twilight zone”.

I imagine he is behaving in this way because I am a “friend”. Either he was totally oblivious to how insulting his actions were or “insert all other options here”.

Sometimes people don’t take their friends seriously because of all kinds of foolish reasons.

Those are not what I believe to be “friendly” characteristics. So let’s get this right…

He would rather pay a ‘stranger’ to build his home base, than to hire me (his “friend” that gives him free consultations) to do it for him???

As of publication, the construction of his website STILL hasn’t begun. Of course, he can’t turn back to me because… The deal is off the table (after that debacle).

All this, without being partners?

Just those two examples are enough for me to see (a partnership with this guy would be problematic ‘to say the least’).

Repeated examples of family and friends in violation of business etiquette prompts me to,

Limit who knows the identity of some (if not all) of my business’.
Limit my involvement when asked to do business related favors for family members and friends.

Sometimes it’s best to keep them separate.

People are unpredictable and can ruin what you’ve worked long and hard for, overnight!

A wise man told me… Never bite the hand that feeds you.

Perhaps, someone could tell this guy what that means?

In closing, the solution to that potential problem is to NOT go into business with him.

End of story!!!