#37 some inspiration

I am re-reading a favorite book of mine:

Passion: Salon Professional's Handbook for Building a Successful Business [Paperback]

Susie Fields Carder (Author), Susie Fields (Author)

And today these words of wisdom, on page 95, caught my attention:

Never stop reaching for more:

Do more than exist - live.
Do more than touch - feel.
Do more than look - observe.
Do more than read - absorb.
Do more than hear - listen.
Do more than listen - understand.
                           - John H. Rhoades

Today I am going to keep this in my thoughts. I highly recommend this book to any professional in a customer service oriented business. You can order it on Amazon here: http://www.amazon.com/Passion-Professionals-Handbook-Building-Successful/dp/156253419X

#36 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

As many of you are aware, we recently experienced Hurricane Sandy's wrath here in New York. Though most of Manhattan has recovered, some of the outlying boroughs are still not back to normal. Much of the nation has been very generous in charitable support to help those in need. It is a comfort and a matter of pride that we as a nation are so giving.
On a happy note, the annual Macy's parade was held as usual. I have attached a bunch of links for your enjoyment. If you ever consider visiting NYC at this time of year, the parade is a must-see. I remember my father taking me when I was young enough to sit on his shoulders. Some of my favorite balloons back then were the Muppets! I remember the Kermit balloon very clearly. Looks like he's still afloat. Rock on, Kermie!

http://www.foxnews.com/weather/2012/11/22/macy-thanksgiving-day-parade-kicks-off-in-nyc-bringing-festive-mood-to-area-hit/


http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/lifestyle/2012/11/22/mexican-marching-band-rocks-macys-thanksgiving-day-parade-2012/

http://tv.broadwayworld.com/article/Photo-Flash-Highlights-from-MACYS-THANKSGIVING-DAY-PARADE-20121123

http://www.cnn.com/video/?/video/us/2011/11/24/vo-2011-macys-thanksgiving-day-parade.cnn#/video/us/2011/11/24/vo-2011-macys-thanksgiving-day-parade.cnn

#35 Bzzzzz......

A co-worker of mine recently came into the office celebrating the fact that she received a big box of Burt's bees products in the mail for FREE! She said she was awardd the box by an online survey company called BzzAgent. I was skeptical because in the past I've seen online survey sites that bombard my email and spam me until I unsubscribe. She told me that BzzAgent was definitely NOT like that and to give it a try.
It was very easy to sign up. It was even easier to take the surveys! They were all so simple I finished them. Now I have to be patient and wait for more to arrive. My answers will be used to eventually let me try products for free. I can't wait for my first campaign!
Anyway, I would like to officially endorse BzzAgent. They seem like company genuinely interested in people's opinions and I have not received one spam yet. It's also a lot of fun to read what other Agents are trying. Everything is very clearly explained and easy to understand. Try, share, repeat.
I will post when I get to the next level and get my first campaign!
Please try it yourself at www.BzzAgent.com! Feel free to comment and let me know what you think.

#34 On discounts...

I recently reviewed my inbox and discovered that I have a terrible habit of signing up for discount websites. Presently I receive discounts from the following sites:
 Seamless http://www.seamless.com,
Groupon  http://www.groupon.com,
 Priceline.com http://www.priceline.com/default.asp?refid=PLMSN&refclickid=50649141 ,
Amazonlocal http://www.local.amazon.com,
and Mypoints http://www.mypoints.com.

Let me explain each one.
Seamless is a great site if you like to order food. Restaurants post their menus on it. You basically click on whatever you want and pay via credit card (or cash on delivery or pick up). Its a very popular service here in NYC and I'm sure in other major cities as well. By the way, here in NYC even McDonald's delivers! There is a similar site that I have not used yet - www.grubhub.com.


Groupon is a site that delivers daily emails on special deals in a specific area. You can narrow it down by your interests, such as restaurants, travel, family, etc. Great deals, but you have to purchase them in advance and then wait for a voucher that you print. Sometimes there is a limited number which creates a sense of urgency, or a narrow time limit. But a lot of the deals are well worth it.

I use Priceline when I travel. I'm sure you've seen the tv commercials. You can bid on a hotel room and sometimes you can get a room up to 50% off! However, you don't know what hotel it is in until you win the bid.  And once you win there are no refunds - you are committed. I've saved a ton of money using this service when I need a hotel room. Flights and packages are also available.

Amazon Local is very similar to Groupon.

Mypoints is different in that it doesn't offer discounts in the same way. It offers special links to online sites that will grant points if you purchase through them. When the points collect you can redeem them for gift cards, cash back or travel miles.

I love shopping online and I hope you find these sites as useful as I do. Have fun!