Steve Jobs said, “you can only connect the dots looking backwards.” I believe that year-end is the perfect time to connect these dots by reflecting on your accomplishments and analyzing them thinking backwards. As you review the checklist I prepared below, I suggest, for each of the items, you reflect, and identify: Where are you today? What steps (going backwards) have you taken this year to get here? What actions will you take in the upcoming year to expand and...

(Written by guest writer, my wife, Cantor Laurel Barr) I’m never in a very good mood when the clocks change to accommodate Daylight Savings Time. Darkness descends so early, and especially now during December, winter skies and freezing temperatures only exasperate the gloomy feeling for me. Chanukah, the 8-day holiday of miracles which included the military victory of the tiny Jewish Maccabee army that overcame the aggression of the overwhelming Greek and Syrian armies in the 2nd century BCE, always...

Just six weeks ago we dropped off our dog, Juno, at the breeder’s home to adjust to her new surroundings with them a couple of days prior to delivering her puppies. It wasn’t without trepidation that we entered into this agreement 18 months ago with Deer Pines Labradoodles, for Juno to become one of their dams and eventually give birth to a litter of pups. Even with the best preparation, we couldn’t have known the excitement and wonder that would...

I was and still am a student of the late Steve Jobs. One of the things I admired the most is his use of powerful words and adjectives to describe the products and services of Apple. I believe that when we use such powerful words in our content and marketing efforts, it adds color and spark while help our expressions pop and stimulate and inspire our audience. These words help paint a powerful picture and even move them to take...