Category Archives: Uncategorized

06/12/17

CEOs Only — Shoptalk Networking

Big Red Car here in a bright, sunny ATX masterpiece. We will be talking about CEOs today. Ahh, the poor, lonely CEO.

So, The Boss likes to go to Lakehills Church out on the edge of Austin toward the Hill Country. Never takes the Big Red Car because somebody doesn’t like getting their church hair messed up, but I listen in through the electronics in the Lexus. A Big Red Car has a long reach, y’all.

So, the pastor gives a sermon and mentions a favorite passage from Proverbs:

“As iron sharpens iron,
So, one person (friend) sharpens another.”

It is intended in a Biblical and religious way to lobby for the assembly of Christians to further their faith, but the Big Red Car is thinking of it from a different perspective.

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05/12/17

Jessica A Ellis, Combat Medic

Jessica A Ellis was a combat medic who was killed in Iraq on Mother’s Day 2008.

Sunday is Mother’s Day. It made me think of her.

May 29, Monday, is Memorial Day. I will think of her again.

On Sunday, I want you to take a second and think about the price of freedom and who we ask to pay it. If a tear comes to your eye, all the better.

Jessica Ellis 3

Jessica A Ellis, combat medic, KIA 101st Airborne Division, Iraq, May 2008. Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Army Commendation Medal, M4 Expert marksman.

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05/11/17

Wisdom of the Campfire

Big Red Car here in secret telling mode. Guy sends a hateful email to The Boss saying, “Why can’t I get on the Wisdom of the Campfire website?” Pushy sort of human.

So, Big Red Car tells him, “It’s a fiction. That’s the name The Boss uses for his CEO coaching gig. Doesn’t have anything to do with you.”

“But, there’s a domain and y’all control it. Are you hiding something?”

“No,” sayeth the Big Red Car. “Nothing to hide.”

Logo RED no background copy

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05/9/17

Criticism and Other CEO Appetizers

Who doesn’t love criticism? Haha. Me, too.

Big Red Car here on a grayish day in the ATX. Getting a new roof, so I have to get finished quick as the mortar fire (the dropping of bundles of shingles on the roof from height) starts in three, two, one! Bam!

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This is roofing. This is chaos. This was done voluntarily. This is the Big Red Car’s parking space.

OK, so today we talk about the breakfast of champions — criticism. Who doesn’t love some criticism?

So, when you’re a writer, you join a couple of writer’s confabs. You go to some coffee shop — dude, it has to be a coffee shop because coffee shops kept the light of learning aglow during the Dark Ages, right? before Starbucks even — and bring 2-3,000 words of you latest masterpiece with which to WOW your fellow writers. You feel it?

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05/8/17

Telling Stories and Storytellers

Mockup with book

Telling stories and storytellers, Big Red Car? Whatsup?

Big Red Car here on a lovely Monday. On Earth as it is in Texas, y’all.

One of the things I have to put up with is The Boss hogging the computer. He’s always writing something and he’s gotten a few stories published. Like the guy needed a little more to humble brag about. This has been going on for a long time, but he’s just in the last five years admitted it publicly that he’s some kind of a writer. Who knew?

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04/21/17

The Tax Code

The Tax Code, Big Red? Really? Come on, can’t you come up with something better than The Tax Code?

Big Red Car here getting over the Easter holiday. Yes, I know, a little slow on the uptake. Tell me about it. Too much chocolate, I think.

So, the Trump administration is going to tackle the Tax Code, y’all. [The House Republicans did such a crackerjack job on Obamacare, no? Haha. Maybe they get it together next week. We’ll see. Clowns.]

So how did we get into this mess, you ask? [I know you didn’t actually ask, play along. Please.]

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03/25/17

J & H Upholstery — Rehab Your Leather

Big Red Car here in a sunny ATX with the good vibe of the Carolina Tarheels making it to the Elite Eight. Gotta love those Heels. OK, now they play … Kentucky, who beat them 103-100 in the regular season, but that “regular” season was a long time ago. I thought Kentucky looked fabulous beating UCLA.

So, today the Big Red Car is keeping company with a slightly oldish 2006 GMC Yukon, which The Boss received for free. Free is good. Free is also complicated.

Free — after $2,250 worth of upholstery repair, fluid changes, A/C work, new brakes, shocks, bit of power steering work — is not always inexpensive. Still, let us not look a gift horse in the mouth as it rides like silk and will be a great road trip car.

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03/20/17

Uber – Cultural Wheels Falling Off?

Big Red Car here on a slightly cloudy Texas day. It is a good day because The Boss’s North Carolina Tarheels prevailed while the wicked Dukies were defeated by the valiant South Carolina Gamecocks. Go to Hell, Duke. [The Heels didn’t exactly cover themselves in glory, but they won and they advance.]

Duke loses

Duke’s Grayson “Tripper” Allen catches a glimpse of the scoreboard which says: “Y’all are losers, Dukies.” OMG, is that sweet or what? [Full disclosure, the second the Tarheels are out of the Dance, the Big Red Car is all, “Go Duke!”]

So, “Uber Uber Uber alles, Uber alles in der Welt” is having a few cultural issues. Recognize them for what they are — cultural challenges which start at the top.

Cultures are defined by the VALUES of the top dog. Lots of folks want to believe that culture comes mythically from the Culture Fairy, but, alas, that is not so. The CEO (founder) defines the culture when he unpacks his values in his fancy new office.

Therein lies the problem at Uber. The top dog, one Travis Cordell Kalanick has some very questionable values. No, let’s not say that. Let’s explore what’s happening over there at Uber and let you decide. So, no judgmental nonsense from the Big Red Car. You decide.

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