For Better or Worse, Qatar Plays Host to World Cup 2022

As a lifelong soccer enthusiast and one who has been involved in the sport professionally for over forty years, I am very much looking forward to watching the competition. I visited Doha for ten days a couple of years ago while attending a global soccer conference in the runup to the games. Unlike previous World Cups, I have truly mixed emotions about visiting Doha again to watch in person other than to be among soccer fans but I will not be there for these games.

There has been a lot written and said about the awarding of the games to Qatar. Many accusations of massive acts of bribery and collusion have been directed at the tiny, wealthy, Arab nation as well the sport’s governing body, FIFA. Additionally, there have been concerns about Qatar’s human rights violations, the welfare of tens of thousands of workers who were brought in to build the entire infrastructure: a public transportation system, roadways, housing and seven stadiums needed to host the games. Qatar had none of the facilities or capabilities necessary to host the world’s largest sporting event. Everything but one stadium had to built from the ground up and that one existing stadium needed major renovations. Given all the criticism, Qatar is considered by many as a prime culprit in the practice known as Sportswashing - the practice of unsavory regimes and nations seeking to cover up criticisms of their policies by using sports to appear mainstream.

Qatar claims a total of three workers died during the construction phase leading up to the games. This would be almost laughable if it wasn’t such a tragic distortion of the truth. The Guardian newspaper estimates the number is more than sixty-five hundred workers perished. Most of these workers were migrants from underdeveloped countries who worked excessive hours for the equivalent of about $1.50 an hour. They were housed in substandard quarters, not allowed to leave the country without permission and forced to work in temperatures that regularly reached 120 degrees Fahrenheit.

Some people question why FIFA would consider a host nation with no history in the sport. FIFA’s response this week was to ask everyone to focus solely on soccer for the duration of the games. In doing so, FIFA did nothing to enhance its own image which has been severely tarnished over the past couple of years with issues of graft and corruption. Obviously, for soccer to grow, it does have to pursue opportunities outside of the traditional hotbeds of the sport. On the other hand, as a Muslim country, Qatar has very rigid cultural and social restrictions carrying harsh punishment related to the manner of dress, alcohol, dating, women’s freedoms, and LGBTQI+ rights. This tiny nation’s citizens will be vastly outnumbered by tourists during the games. Visitors may unwittingly stray from the host country’s rules and face harsh consequences. As an example, if a man takes off his shirt in public at a place other than a swimming pool or the beach he will almost certainly be arrested for indecent exposure. It is a nation of about three million people, most of whom are expats. Only about four hundred thousand residents are Qataris. it’s estimated over a million and half visitors are expected for the games.

An online blog called Fans for Fans had someone drive from the northernmost stadium to all seven of the other stadium locations. Visiting all eight stadiums took about two and half hours. The farthest stadium from Doha is about twenty-eight miles away. The nearest is about four miles from the capital city. This makes lodging and transportation super easy for fans but raises the question of what this tiny nation will do with eight world-class stadiums after the World Cup. One of the stadiums (Stadium 941) is constructed of that number of shipping containers and will be dismantled after the games. But of the other seven? It’s estimated Qatar spent in excess of $200 Billion to prepare for the games. By comparison, Russia spent $18 Billion to host the most recent games in 2018.

I laughed when I heard a Qatari official being questioned during a TV interview about preparations for the games. He spoke of how Qatar is a nation of warmth and hospitality. During my visit, I experienced the “warm” part. It was damn hot. As an example, I asked the hotel concierge what there was to do in town and he directed me to the Arab History Museum, and he couldn’t think of another thing to do except shopping and a pro tennis tournament that was taking place. He graciously offered to get me tickets to the tennis event but he pointed out that due to the excessive daytime heat the event started at 11:00PM! I skipped it.

From the minute I got off the plane at the Doha airport I was stunned by the lack of hospitality, blatant harshness, and down right nastiness I witnessed. Arriving at my hotel, the driver was forced to stop well down the driveway. As a safety precaution, vehicles were not allowed at the front of the building. Passing through the main entrance, I was greeted by guards dressed in Polo shirts (these are frowned upon as immodest anywhere other than the U.S. hotels) and khakis with AK-47 like automatic rifles. Every person entering the hotel was required to put all of their luggage and packages on the conveyor belt like you see at any airport. We had to show our ID, empty our pockets, and pass through a metal detector to enter the hotel. The hotel grounds were breathtakingly beautiful but I found the military gunboats that cruised the property’s shoreline to be a bit off-putting.

I met a very pleasant desk clerk from Ethiopia who was very gracious and sat with me for a few minutes to explain the Qatar culture. Qatar is a nation that not so long ago was populated by nomadic tribes. The tribes didn’t trust each other, and that suspicion of others remains a key characteristic directed at all foreigners, especially Americans, whose vast military presence in the country is considered by the locals to be somewhat of an occupying force. This lovely Ethiopian woman holds a master’s degree, ran a large Paris manufacturing facility for a few years and was polished, sophisticated, bright, and articulate even in her less than perfect English. She took this job in Doha, at an American hotel, to master English which she felt she needed to advance her career in the world of global corporate manufacturing to which she intends to return. She admitted that as a foreigner, she too faced a high degree of prejudice from the Qatari people. Shortly after our lobby interaction there was a knock on my door. It was the desk clerk with a waiter carrying a tray of Arab delicacies, pastries, fruit, and Coca Cola which was being offered to me as a courtesy of the hotel. Every day of my visit, this supply of goodies was replenished. I learned it was not a standard service offered to all guests. Both the desk clerk and the waiter declined the gratuity I offered in recognition of their thoughtfulness.

A colleague and I decided one afternoon to go exploring in Doha. We happened upon a massive, brand new (as is almost everything in Doha) shopping mall. It is a pedestrian mall that stretches for many blocks. We arrived a little after 11:00am to find it was a ghost town. There wasn’t a single person in sight anywhere except for a security guard. He happened to speak English, so we asked him why the place was deserted and he pointed out that this was the hottest time of day when people don’t come out. He encouraged us to wander around and check out the stores. They were all open and staffed but there wasn’t a customer to be found.

We entered many of the stores, not to shop, but to marvel at the splendor. All I can say is while the retailer names were familiar, the interiors of these stores were unlike anything I had ever seen. They are nothing short of opulent. The fixtures, finishes, elaborate tile work, artwork, tapestry and details were spectacular.

We also noticed this walking mall of many blocks was surrounded by luxurious looking skyscrapers that were obviously filled with hundreds if not thousands of apartments and condominiums. We asked the security guard “Who lived in all these units?” He answered, “No one.” They were built for the many visitors anticipated for the World Cup. Qatar and the real estate developers are hopeful the visitors will be so enamored they’ll purchase units as permanent or vacation homes. No story of my time in Doha would be complete without sharing the one bright moment, aside from the desk clerk encounter, that happened when my colleague and I were visiting the ancient labyrinth-like marketplace known as Souq Waqif that loosely translates to “Standing Markets.” It’s a series of narrow streets that could be considered more like alleys with shops on either side. These shops resemble rows of attached one car garages with three walls and a front that is fully open. Each street offers a different category of goods. One was all manner of spices; another was birds of every type and size. Women, in particular jam this street at night looking for the perfect bird to buy and take to the desert where they will release it in the hopes it brings good fortune. The next day, shopkeepers go into the desert and collect the birds to resell that night. One street was tailor shops that only offered men’s clothing. That clothing was limited to one style called a thobe. It’s a long white garment worn over loose pants. A headdress known as a ghutra (or gutra), in white or red and white cloth is secured with a black rope called an agal. In shop after shop, from floor to ceiling, shelf after shelf contained bolts of white linen - nothing else. One shop carried bicycles in every color imaginable, stacked on their sides in piles to the ceiling. It was comical to watch the shopkeeper try to steady a pile of fifteen bikes as he wiggled out from the bottom of the pile the one bike the child selected.

At one of the entrances to the marketplace is a large public square. A two-story restaurant with a wall of glass looks out on the square. Inside the glass wall is a massive TV screen facing the square. The audio is pumped out into the square where a couple of thousand men gather to watch soccer games, and drink tea.

My colleague and I wandered into the square just as a game was starting between Real Madrid and Barcelona. Because all the seats were taken and a crowd had formed, elbow to elbow in the aisles, we stood near the back. The audio was in Arabic, which neither of us knows a word of, but we are both long-time soccer coaches, and we knew both teams very well. We began quietly conversing and analyzing the play on the screen. The Qataris around us took note, probably because we were the only two Americans in a sea of Arabs and our English stood out. Suddenly, the men around us began to create a space, like the parting of the Red Sea, and gestured for us to move forward, deeper into the crowd. One of the men understood English and began translating our running narrative observations of the game to others in the crowd. They seemed almost giddy about our understanding of the game. Big smiles, pats of the back and fist bumps were exchanged every time we made an observation about what was happening on the screen.

We left the square at halftime because we were hungry and wandered over to the restaurant row that was also housed in the marketplace. Every place was packed with fans watching the game. So as not to miss any of the second half we hopped into a tiny pizza place that told us they had an open table. Unfortunately, it was in a hallway off the dining room and did not offer a view of the TV. Shortly after being seated, a British woman came to our table and said that she and her children were getting ready to leave and asked if we’d like to move to their booth which was directly in front of the TV. We looked at each other in amazement. How lucky could we get? As it turns out, we were the only customers in the place ordering food. Every seat and square inch of aisle was jammed with people watching the game but not buying anything. The waitress had to climb over people to deliver our food but we got to enjoy a delicious meal and watch the second half from the best seats in the house.

The point of this story? Aside from the kindness of a desk clerk, and a kind restaurant patron, the only time I felt even remotely welcome or safe in Qatar was when I was crammed into crowds of fellow soccer fans; proving once again that the game is the same everywhere you go on this planet and is truly a global unifier. I determined the best way to follow FIFA’s advice to stay focused on the soccer was to do it from the comfort of my own home. As I watch the games of this World Cup I will reflect on the experiences I shared with the soccer fans in Doha.

Always Be Asking "What Comes Next?"

Yesterday, I accepted a seat on a corporate board of advisors. Earlier today, one of the founders sent me an article published by McKinsey and Company entitled: “Scaling up: How founder CEOs and teams can go beyond aspiration to ascent..” The article pinpoints six factors that contribute to exponential growth, I was asked my views on the topic.

Having owned and invested in other companies I’ve come to the conclusion that every company on Earth would experience exponential growth and unlimited success if not for the people involved. Yes, I say that somewhat facetiously, but there is also a modicum of truth to it. People make up organizations and most challenges in companies are organizational in nature. Identifying and engaging talent is the number one issue within any organization. Some people will tell you that insufficient resources (money) is a bigger problem but I don’t agree. Gather the right people and the money will follow. The biggest barrier to exponential growth can almost always be traced to the failure of people to be working on what comes next. Start-ups are especially vulnerable to this mistake. They are often so busy supporting their most prominent idea, product or service that they fail to invest energy, and resources in what comes next.

An example from my own career occurred some years ago when I joined Grey Advertising in L.A. on the Taco Bell account. The entire account team and creatives were gathered in a massive conference room and we were shown the creative reel being used at the time by the client. It just happened to be a clever and exceptionally popular campaign dubbed “The Crashing Bell” depicting humorous scenarios where folks were suddenly struck by a craving for Taco Bell food following the sudden crashing appearance of a giant bell in the middle of whatever activity they happened to be doing. My favorite was the destruction of a glass greenhouse around two elderly ladies who were tending to their plants. The women were oblivious to the destruction as one nonchalantly suggested to the other she had a taste for Taco Bell.

The entire account team was very proud of the work, and rightly so. Advertising Age Magazine designated it as the Campaign of the Year. The Executive Creative Director was beaming like a proud papa when he turned to see my reaction.

Since the campaign had been running for months, I asked one simple question: “What comes next?” He responded, “We’ve agreed with the client, in an effort to save money, we’ll hold back on any new creative for a while, let the campaign run its course, and then assess next steps.” He could tell by the expression on my face that I was dumbstruck by that answer. Almost immediately, I blurted out, “We’re fucked.”

I couldn’t believe the client and the agency let this once in a lifetime opportunity to capitalize on a runaway success slip through their fingers because no one had considered what came next. Within weeks the public’s interest in the ads, and their visits to Taco Bell declined. Without something in the works the agency was caught flat-footed and within months of producing the Campaign of the Year were fired by the client.

Fortunately for me, the client invited me to move to its new agency. I’ve carried the lesson of “What Comes Next?” with me for my entire business career. To ensure I am worth the money they’re paying,and we get off on the right foot, I emphasized this mantra in my response to the co-founder of the organization to which I’ve been recently added.

World Cup 2026 Is Coming To North America

FIFA, the governing body of soccer around the globe has awarded the 2026 World Cup to North America. Canada, Mexico and the United States to host games in a total of 16 cities. This will be the first international tournament ever hosted by three nations. It will also be the first World Cup involving 48 teams, expanded from 32. The environment and challenges will be unprecedented.

By comparison, the 2022 World Cup will be played in Qatar where all eight stadiums are within a few miles of one another and will be accessible by local, public transportation. Imagine the travel, logistical, security, language and time zone challenges with games spread across the entire continent of North America.

As the Chairman of the Board for the Chicago 1994 World Cup Organizing Committee, Jim Paglia was deeply involved in the every aspect of preparing for those games. In addition, he spent weeks in Italy prior to and during the 1990 World Cup as an official observer among the VIP dignitaries with behind the scenes access and detailed information about those games in preparation for the 1994 games.

He believes in additional to all the challenges listed above, the 2026 World Cup will offer some unique challenges including the role of digital communications and overall fan engagement never before seen. As an example, in 1994, overseas fans, who purchased airfare to the U.S. on American Airlines, could buy a pass for unlimited trips between host cities so they could follow their team. That seems far more difficult given the three governments and their varied security requirements.

Following the 2022 World Cup, Jim will launch a podcast offering insights and observations related to the 2026 World Cup based on his unique perspective, experience and network contacts in international soccer.

Jim Paglia As Featured Speaker at United Soccer Coaches Convention

Update added in 2022

As a long-time soccer coach, administrator and consultant to the industry, I am thrilled to confirm I will be presenting a workshop titled “10 Steps to Distinguish Your Club’s Killer Brand” in Chicago during the United Soccer Coaches Convention on January 12, 2019 from 11:00 - 12:00 in room CC W475 A/B. The convention runs from January 9-13 and is the premier coaching event in America. United Soccer Coaches represents more than 40,000 members and is the largest coaching association in the world. The Convention is expected to draw over 10,000 attendees.

I am equally pleased that the United Soccer Coaches has adopted the 7-point Cultural Cornerstones to serve as a voluntary commitment by member coaches to improve the overall culture of soccer in America. The Cultural Cornerstones is the result of a day-long workshop I facilitated during the 2018 Convention involving scores of coaches and administrators from the youth, club, high school, college and professional ranks. The 2019 Convention will see the roll-out of some Cultural Cornerstones components with more to follow throughout the year. When the program was announced through social media on October 10 of this year, more than 1000 coaches signed up within the first 72 hours.

Addendum: I was honored to be asked to conduct a workshop at the 2022 United Soccer Coaches Convention in Kansas City. This workshop was part of a club leadership certification track where I blended the topics of board development, brand and stakeholder experience topics. I am equally honored to announce I have recently agreed to conduct another workshop on board development at the 2023 Convention in January.

Papa John's Pizza Continues It's Cheesy Ad Approach

Papa John’s Pizza has introduced a new TV campaign that appears to be intended to offset some of the negative publicity and I suspect a decline in sales as a result of the actions of its founder whose name is reflected in the brand and around whom it has been built its identity before his fall from grace. Ironically, the replacement campaign is as seriously flawed as were those that featured the founder.

 Trotting out “real” employees and franchisees whose names are scrolled through the Papa John’s logo at the end of the spot in place of John’s is merely acknowledging the damage that was created by over-relying on Schnatter’s image and reputation. Featuring the faces of actual employees is almost a pity plea. Why should customers care about these people? Offer a better product at a better price – or better yet, support the previously unsubstantiated claim of better ingredients.

 Full disclosure here: my dislike for John Schnatter’s ad performance and what I have learned about him over the years through his publicity has kept me away from ever experiencing the product. I’ve found his communication style to be too slick, glib or self-absorbed for my taste.

The reasons for his well-publicized exit from the company are not my concern here. Instead, I see the pizza chain’s current dilemma as one of its own making. Over the years, I’ve spoken out and written often of my disdain for ad campaigns that are built around the founder. Typically, the founder/CEO  spokesperson lacks the talent, as did Schnatter, to deliver a believable message beyond “I care a lot about my business.”

Inside the ad business, the use of a founder as spokesperson is considered by many to be a function of the agency/marketing department inability to generate an acceptable concept. “When in doubt, propose the customers would LOVE to hear from the boss.” Since these people are not professional spokespeople, they’re often urged to “just be yourself in front of the camera.” This generally results in ads that come off as folksy, quirky, or just plain odd. Because founders are justifiably proud of their accomplishments and few people are willing to admit “the Emperor has no clothes” they’re flattered into believing no one can deliver the message more convincingly. I might also ad, secretly among many marketing people, these campaigns are roundly mocked as lazy efforts on the part of the marketing staff/agency.

Papa John’s will eventually face one of two alternatives. 1. Struggle for a few years until Schnatter is a faded memory; 2. Seize the occasion to refresh the brand entirely and perhaps severe the tie with the damaged name entirely.

Updated 8/2021 - The brand currently relies on Shaquille O’Neal, of NBA fame, and a current Papa John’s franchisee to serve as the face of the company. In my opinion, Shaq is no better suited to represent the brand than was the founder. The ads in which he is featured rely of lame, sophomoric situations meant to demonstrate his lighthearted and playful nature. These ads are mixed into a rotation featuring new product offerings and enhancements. It appears someone in marketing is hung up on having a spokesperson. I’m still not buying it or their pizza.

I Hired a Slave, a Sex Worker, a Stinker and a Skyper!

Horrendous Hires: The Common Denominators? They were all nuts and I hired them!

This month represents the 23rd anniversary of In's & Out's, LLC, also doing business as Brands That Stand. In reflecting on that with a former employee, she reminded me of the oddball hires I've made over the years. My attention was more focused on some of the very best people with whom I have ever worked anywhere, who gave their services to this company, and helped to offset the many mistakes I've made in keeping this baby afloat. Although much of the work is done by freelancers and subcontractors, the glue that held us together has been the employees. The best among them, in somewhat the order of their employment, to whom I feel most indebted are, Stacy, Pat, Ginger, Michelle, Brad, Evan, and Bryan. Another set of employees did adequate work but were just passing through. Unfortunately, there were a number of hires who didn't work out as well. Curiously, four of the most notable were people who functioned largely as receptionists. Apparently, I am really bad at hiring people for this role. To avoid needlessly embarassing anyone, but myself for hiring them, names have been changed.

Abbey: She often let the phone ring excessively. We instructed her to try to answer each call within two rings. If we heard a third, one of the rest of us would grab it. Abbey never seemed to get calls in time. I should have suspected something was amiss when on the first day we opened, with the first call we received, Abbey yelled to me, "Someone is on the phone, I think he wants to talk with you." She didn't catch his name. She gave no indication of who he represented, leading me to ask myself who else did she think a caller would want to speak to on our first day of business? It turned out to be a colleague from another business interest of mine and he'd given her his name three times. After about a week of this, I pressed her for a reason why her phone skills were so bad. She revealed she is totally deaf in one ear and has minimal hearing in the other. The rest of us hadn't picked up on this because she was so very good at lip reading.

The next day, while trying to determine how to handle the situation I came into the office unexpectedly and she wasn't at the front desk. Other colleagues informed me Abbey went to her car to smoke a joint. Sure enough, parked right by the front door, there was her car, the interior of which was so cloudy I couldn't tell if she was in there. What made this even more interesting was the fact that the FBI's Chicago western suburban offices occupied the entire floor directly above us in the building. Agents and other assorted law enforcement officers were constantly streaming in and out of the building within in inches of her car.

I invited Abbey to join me in my office where I promptly fired her.

Later that day, her father called me in a rage and threatened to sue me for violation of the Americans WIth Disability Act. He denied his daughter was smoking pot, offering it was merely herbs. He also demanded payment of $20,000 for them to go away, which I declined.

Two days later, a mail carrier dumped a pile of envelopes on our reception desk. All of it was addressed to Abbey. There might have been 50 envelopes strewn about. When I called her to inquire why she was receiving so much mail at my place of business she told me it was personal. A quick check of her company email account and Internet use revealed she was providing online sexual favors to strangers during her "slow hours" and was being paid through the U.S. mail.

Her father called back a couple of days later to appeal again for the $20,000. When I informed him of his daughter's "side job" he stated that what she did with her "personal time" was her business. I pointed out that she was doing it during business hours at my place of business. He insisted it was still her "personal time" and issued an idle threat about hearing from his lawyer. 

That was not the last I would see of Abbey. A few weeks later she barged into the offices with a long object, wrapped in a brown paper bag, tucked under her arm, which scared the crap out of the new receptionist, as Abbey stormed straight into my office. She pulled a set of fancy juggling sticks out of the bag and began a spellbinding routine. When she finished, she tossed the sticks at my feet and demanded that I pick them up and attempt to use them. Her therapist had suggested the stunt to help her regain her self-esteem, which I allegedly had some role in destroying. As Abbey explained to me, this demonstration and challenge were intended to prove she was good at something that I was not.

As fate would have it, a casual friend had introduced me to juggling sticks just a few months earlier and even gave me a set. I picked up the three colorful sticks and began using them as intended, if not as elaborately as had Abbey. Seeing her plot fail, she snatched the sticks from me and ran from the office, never to be heard from again.

Then came Liz. She had been going door to door in office buildings trying to sell phone systems. She happened to have walked in at a moment when Abbey was struggling to manage our system. She promptly swung around the desk and gave Abbey a quick tutorial, which I happened to observe. She left her card and suggested that if I ever needed additional help to let her know since the door-to-door thing wasn't her calling.

Again, I missed all the signals. During the interview, her boyfriend called her cell phone and insisted she hurry up because he was getting hungry and waiting in the parking lot. I have some severe allergies that are triggered by certain fragrances and her perfume was one of the worst I've encountered. It not only gave me an instant headache and clogged my sinuses but the smell literally made me nauseous from across the desk. I hired her anyway. She lasted a couple of weeks. After deliberately jamming a ballpoint pen into a disk drive so badly that the repair person was sure it was an attempt to destroy the machine, and then asking if she could change her schedule to come in late (after 9:00) and leave early (3:00) to better accommodate the schedule of her young children, and wanting to take a rotating day a week off. I knew something more than her perfume stunk. The fact that our normal hours of operation were Monday through Friday, 8:30 to 5:00 were of little concern to her. When I declined her request, we mutually agreed it would be best if she moved on. She spent a couple of months trying to convince unemployment she was entitled to benefits, which they denied. Occasionally, I cross paths with someone wearing a similar fragrance and a gag reflex reminds me of her.

Marcy followed Liz into the "chair of bad hires." But Marcy was a great employee. She was conscientious, hard-working, attentive to details and thorough. She also happened to be a very pleasant person. She arrived one morning and made a big show of placing a stuffed animal on the corner of the reception desk. This cute little bear had bands of paperclips secured tightly around its neck arms, legs and midsection. I guess you could say it looked like bondage. Actually, it was.

Marcy revealed to me that she was part of a lesbian bondage community in Chicago where individuals were considered the property of others and she placed the bear on her desk under the instructions of her "master/owner." She also showed me her arm, around which was wrapped a lengthy electric blue, nylon dog leash coiled around most of her forearm. At home and in public, the dog leash was attached to a dog collar around Marcy's neck. The other end of the dog leash was controlled by her master. She was instructed to wear it to work so as to remind her and others to whom she belonged.

I pointed out to Marcy that what she did on her own time was of no concern, but in the office, her ass belonged to me, not her other master (literally, in those terms). She seemed very accepting of this and agreed to remove the bear and the leash but insisted I had to call her master to inform her of my rules. Because Marcy was an outstanding employee, I agreed to be on the call. Her master was not pleased with my edict but agreed to accept the terms of employment. 

It wasn't long before the master insisted Marcy needed to be at home more to tend to their fledgling online leather and vinyl specialty (S&M) apparel business and Marcy left my employ. Frankly, I missed her cheerful disposition, reliable performance, and efficiency.

Rounding out the cast of bad choices, was Donna. She was a matronly lady who took a series of temp jobs to support herself and her husband who had been out of work for years. She was pleasant, presented herself well and needed the job. Everything seemed to be working out fine for the first few weeks until one day when I came into the office unexpectedly and noticed she barely looked up from the Skyping she was doing with her daughter and new grandbaby. It seemed a little odd to me since they lived nearby, but I wasn't too concerned until the next day and the next day when I found she was answering the phones and doing her work while maintaining all-day Skye sessions with her daughter. Admittedly, there were slow periods for her so I understood she was trying to keep herself occupied and I didn't mind if they connected once or twice a day.

Basically, I was happy with her performance. As a means of encouraging her,  I gave her a washer and dryer we were trying to sell from home since I'd heard her say more than once that she and her husband spent a lot of time at the laundromat because they couldn't afford to buy machines. We seemed to work out an acceptable balance of work and Skype time at the office until the day she presented me with an ultimatum. She wanted a defined list of her exact duties versus those that were mine, or she intended to quit. I reminded her that she was presented with and signed an employment agreement that clearly delineated her responsibilities and tasks when she started. Donna wanted more time to Skype with her family and suggested that as long as she completed all her tasks each day/week she should be free to spend the rest of work time as she pleased without worrying if I was going to challenge her Skype time. She also made it clear that she would not be doing anything that was not on the agreed upon list.

She left for good that very afternoon.

It wasn't long before I heard from unemployment. In addition to pointing out she left voluntarily, I'd learned she had already taken another position for pay under the table. Her claim was denied.

Don't get me started on the Account Executive who literally begged me to hire her. A month later she and husband agreed over dinner that she was capable of taking the company to greater heights than I could and felt she deserved to be a 50/50 partner with a 300% raise. She got a 100% decrease instead.

For a company that has used the brand name, Brands That Stand, the question has to be asked, "How the hell is this company still standing?"

  

 

 

Fair Winds, and Following Sea, Skipper.

Bob Gailen, a long-time friend, gifted graphic designer/artist, and sailing partner passed away last Monday, at the age of 71. I want to express my deepest condolences to Carol, Hannah, Winnie, and the rest of his loved ones.,

Bob was perhaps the single greatest influence in my life at the time and the person I considered my best friend in the early years after I moved to Chicago nearly four decades ago. His even temperament, keen observations, creativity, and wisdom helped me find my way in many senses of the word. We spent countless hours every weekend on Lake Michigan aboard the Blueline. We could go the better part of the day, just the two of us aboard, without saying a word to each other and yet we shared a special connection as we skimmed across the water, each doing our job and having supreme confidence in the other person doing theirs. There were plenty of times, especially Wednesday nights, racing in the Chicago Yacht Club Beer Can Regatta when the boat would be filled with guests serving as crew. Secretly, Bob and I always agreed it was the most fun when it was just the two of us. Some days, when the winds were dead, we'd just drop anchor or drift for hours and talk about life. Bob wasn't into macho guy talk, and his humble nature kept him from focusing the conversation on himself. Those conversations remain some of the fondest, most honest and memorable I have ever had with another person.

We took the boat across Lake Michigan to Michigan City, IN a few times and spent the night. As anyone who has sailed Lake Michigan can tell you, at times, it can be as daunting as any ocean. One particular trip, a sudden, vicious storm hit while we were in the middle of the lake. We got tossed around, had our sails torn, nearly snapped our mast, and came close to being swamped by waves or capsized numerous times. That experience bonded us like no other. We eventually limped into the harbor in MC, smiled at each other and had a couple of beers without saying more than 10 words. I truly trusted Bob with my life and despite having the boat pounded, never lost faith in him as a sailor or a friend. Sometimes, we'd spend the whole day just cleaning the boat, never leaving the mooring (when in Monroe Harbor) or dock at Burnham Harbor, and despite the hard, hot labor, we'd leave exhilarated. 

Bob's craft as an artist and mine as a marketing person gave us lots to talk about professionally.  Politically, we were somewhat opposite, but we could have highly-spirited discussions without being disagreeable. Bob couldn't have been more thrilled for me when I joined him among the ranks of Porsche owners. It was but one more passion we shared. 

When we each started families, mine a couple of years before his, we fell out of touch. I just couldn't justify spending as much time on the boat and away from family. When Hannah came along, Bob and I were having a chat and he admitted how his life would never be the same again, and how deeply he loved being her father. Once again, we shared a passion - fatherhood. I regret he left the world too soon to enjoy all the riches a Dad can experience of his child as an adult.

 Each time I visit Chicago I gaze out on Lake Michigan and imagine one of those distant boats skimming the water is the Blueline. Sail on Skipper.
 

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Diet Coke™, Just Because I Can't.

I admit it, I don't drink soda very often but on the rare occasions I do, I prefer the full-bodied flavor of real Coke™. I just don't care for the taste of Diet Coke™ products. I care just as little for its current ad campaign. 

Admittedly, I am not the target audience for these ads or the product. When a male actor, who is young and gushing attitude expresses (sarcastically, I believe) how much he enjoys getting a haircut and then waiting for people to comment on it, this old bald guy is clearly not the person to whom he is appealing. Another ad featuring a bouncy female actor demonstrates a flippant attitude about choices people make and concludes she drinks the stuff "because she can."

Some people believe the product taste profile is the way it is to remind people they are sacrificing to lose weight or keep their figure in shape. I can't buy into the "No gain without pain," "We suffer to find our success," or the "Screw the world, I do what I want attitude." Even with your spiffy new packaging, four new flavors and lots of what is to me baffling attitude, I can't bring myself to try again a product I have always found too bitter for my taste. Diet Coke, just because I can't.