alpha, bonnieandclyde, dogs, natureofbusiness
In Bidness, Sailing on August 17, 2009
Clyde, in Alpha mode
This is the first in a (potential) series of posts in which I examine natural phenomena with perceived lessons for the business world. If I manage to string together more than a couple of these, I’ll circle back and address the premise that behaviors in nature should actually be taken as business advice. In the meantime, consider it a theme on which to hang a random thought I had o’er the weekend…
Most are familiar with the concept of a lead animal in a pack being “Alpha,” meaning that they are the natural and largely accepted leader of a group. In the business world, we call these people “boss,” “President,” “Head honcho,” etc. While the process of determining Alpha may differ in skyscrapers as opposed to Serengeti, the operational upshot is similar. Read the rest of this entry »
april, banjo, chesapeakebayretriever, chessie, dogs, dysplasia, family, love
In Fam, Memoir on July 28, 2009
My favorite photo of Banjo. After a long play, he'd want to float regally on his raft, which we called "George," after the actor George Raft. We're weird like that.
As a kid, I never had a dog, or any pet for that matter. My mom was terrified of cats, and perhaps had OD’d on pets as a child, as my grandfather kept everything from dogs to monkeys to bears to sheep as housepets. I got a cat on graduating from college: Buffett is now sixteen years-old and looks likely to dance on my grave someday. But it was April who brought dogs into my world.
April and I married in October of 1999, right as we were moving to Charlotte in my first attempt to start a business. Her first birthday as my wife was a couple months later, and it was clear that she wanted a dog — not just any dog, but a Chesapeake Bay Retriever.
Read the rest of this entry »
