A Blog by Adrienne Wallace

"I hope that this note finds you doing especially well."  I start most notes that I send this way and the fact is that I mean it.  I am here reflecting on a very full week and closing out what was a quick Saturday. In the midst of it all I have been itching to journal  about the things that I am grateful for lately. They fall below in no particular order. 1) Cable TV servicer that arrives on time and goes the distance to make sure I get the service I ordered.  (Monday) 2) Safe commutes into New York city during the week. 3) Catching the train with 2 minutes to spare 4)  A pair of gold; leather Ralph Lauren ballerina flats in my pocketbook that  served as back up when my heel broke on my fancy Italian shoes. 5) New connections and friends that are sincere, funny, and engaging 6) The rebloom of roses and exotic flowers in my front and back gardens 7)  My brilliant and open mind if I do say so myself 8) My iPhone...let's just give it up fo...

No matter your industry, if you have invested your time and energy in creating a social media presence for your company or brand(s) you need to know and react to the rules/ regulations that exist for your product type. Best practices are important. What are winning brands doing in/ with digital media? Evaluate and  comply the rules as it relates to other types of media, like TV and anything that is broadcast. It's important to compare and contrast and show responsibility. Remember that social media, the web , and interactive is easy to share and transfer. There is good exposure and bad exposure. Know how specific markets interact with, engage  and use digital media. So multicultural, trade vs. consumer and research and insights are vital drivers. Ongoing analysis is critical to setting strategy and driving ROI. Extended attribution is important . This means being able to measure and track the value and possible repeat purchase of friends, followers, viewers, likes, ...

U.S. Leaders Rank Diversity Least Important Leadership Principle

I hope you know the secrets of your own heart and can find them in your business life as much as you do in your private spaces. Trust your instincts. Sell only what you would buy. Don't work for anyone who does not think that you deserve to eat what they ask you to hunt. Promote what is real. Maintain your integrity. Be at peace with your God and learn from every experience of embrace or attack. Do the work and perfect your skills. Do it now. Innovate, change, get online and connect. Collaborate. Listen and learn. Write it down. Be humble, but not shy. Be honorable to your customers .. Do not deny your friends or family your time or love. Turn off the smartphone and computers and turn on the laughter. Connect with your heart. Care about your team. You want the same thing. Ask about your clients hobbies and family and mean it. Choose what to cheer and recruit for each day. Understand what requires private counsel. Know who has your back. Have faith in your risks and work fo...

Companies downsize when the see failure on the horizon, after it has occured, or when there has been a merger and acquisition that changes the scope of business or its concentration. They also do so when they see that shedding domiciled employees or products makes the best financial decision. Here are some indicators for an imminent failure or downsizing. 1) If they MANUFACTURE anything ...they are doing much of it offshore. Think $7.40 a dayin Asia versus $7.40 per hour in the United States. 2) The MANAGEMENT is poor and lacks vision, accountability, integrity, people skills, respect and often times ...diversity 3) There is not and obvious or exercised MORAL foundation under which the company exists and the customers and employes suffer for this. No repeat buys and no motivation and morale 4) MARKETING is a begging line and rarely makes it on the P&L as a cost metric.  There are unrealistic expectations for marketing to do what sales does instead of supporting i...

Things fall apart often and we should expect that or nothing at all.  It's quite natural and we are a part of nature.  Transition is a part of living. No changes ...no worthwhile life. Sitting here in the middle of summer and looking at the leaves that had dried and fallen to the ground  in my backyard  while  I watched over playtime, my niece declared "It's going to be fall soon!"  I smiled at her and said " You're 5 years old, don't rush it..you'll have to go back to school!" She responded, " I know! I get to start first grade and I'm going to be the youngest in my class. I love school!" Who can argue with that embrace of transition, a positive spin, optimism and enthusiasm? Lesson  - When things seem   to fall apart (and they often will)...be optimistic as to what opportunities and new experiences come with the change. Better than that, here is a list of 10 things to do when things fall apart. Be it an illness, job lo...

   How do we define necessity?  Must we have peanut butter and jelly on our bread?  It's a favorite treat of American children (sans the peanut allergies).  I certainly had it growing up with my sister and brothers and we had our choice of bread in my family's kitchen too.   My parents provided us with white, wheat, Jamaican hard dough and it was in abundance. We grew up well fed. We  were and are blessed beyond measure. A well respected mentor of mine used to say to me, "Better than I deserve" this was his answer when I asked how he was doing.  As I look at our survival in this time of global unrest, war, suffering, economic and social crisis,  I know now that he actually meant, "Blessed beyond measure in comparison to the rest of the world."  Drought, famine, warfare and factions, spiritual unrest,  the absence of birth control, disease is prevalent.  Children are suffering and dying. These are the things that have...