There Is No Substitute For Love by Madeline Frank, Ph.D., DTM

My husband and I recently saw the off Broadway play in New York City "Frankenstein: A New Musical". Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley wrote her story of "Frankenstein" in 1816 during a cold, wet, and dreary summer. She was with her husband Percy Shelley, the poet, and George Byron their friend. The Frankenstein Musical adds to the story with the music of Eric B. Sirota, Ph.D., composer, playwright, physicist, and research scientist. Dr. Sirota saw the short-lived Frankenstein on Broadway in 1981 and said "I re-read the book and heard the story sing in my head as a musical."

As I was watching "Frankenstein: A New Musical" unfold, I saw the creator, Dr. Frankenstein, view the creature he had created in his own image, with horror and fright. He wanted the creature gone!

Dr. Frankenstein did not welcome his new creation, as one would welcome their new baby with love, hugs, kisses, and smiles. When new babies are born they have only "blank pages"! My Mom always said, "Be careful what you write on them!"

Dr. Frankenstein was immediately fearful of his creature from the first time it got off the table from underneath the sheet draped over him.

"The creature" from the beginning of his life saw only "fear" in the eyes of his creator.

Dr. Frankenstein wanted "the creature" to go away and he did. It fled! From that moment on, when people came in contact with him, they were frightened when they looked at his face. He felt frightened and threatened. He protected himself by killing the person that threatened him!

It didn't have to be like this! If Dr. Frankenstein had "loved and hugged" his creation from the start, the creature's life would have been different!

Love makes all the difference in the world to others!

If the creature had been loved, hugged, and cared for from it's first moment of life, like a newborn, he would have been happy, content and sure of himself.

Love makes all the difference!

As a small child I always remember my Momma smiling, hugging, and kissing me. No matter what happened in my young life, I knew she loved me and I mattered to her. She spent time with me and I knew she cared!

The creature never received the caring he needed from his creator, Dr. Frankenstein! If it had instead been loved, his face would have looked better. He might have even looked handsome with the scars. When we are loved hugged kissed, and cared for, we are happier people who care about and can love others also.

Every person, even a monster, needs someone to love and care for them. If they feel love, they are happy, they can smile, and their faces change, becoming even beautiful when they are not!

If you look in the mirror and change your frown into a smile you look 100% better! Try it! When we are loved we look better, feel better, and are happier!

In all of life we have a choice. Give others love, hugs, and care for them or make them terrified and afraid of us just like "the creature".

Think of classic bullies in literature like Shakespeare's character Iago in the play "Othello" and Darth Vader in the movie "Star Wars". These men became bullies because they were "unloved and uncared for!

By being loved and cared for, the picture changes inside of us, whether we are a person, a monster, or an animal.

Every living thing needs love!

Love makes the deference!

There is no substitute for love!

Former NFL Football player, Bill Glass, for many years had a ministry in prisons. After talking with thousands of men in prisons individually he said, "He had never talked to a man in prison that truly loved their father. Most of them hated their fathers and they took out their hatred on themselves, drugs and alcohol, and the rest of society."

Ninety three percent of these inmates had these feelings.

Zig Ziegler says, through history and today, "the Jewish father says to his son, whether the boy is three years old, thirty years old, or sixty years old he is still a son."

Step one: "Bless you my son."

Step two: "I love you my son."

Step three: "Then he gives his son a big ol' hug and in many cases, all of their lives, a big ol' kiss."

Many other cultures give this devotion as well.

For this New Year, what one thing can you do to make the world a better place for you, your family, friends, your family pets and others?

Show others you care by smiling, loving, hugging, and spending time with them to show how special they are to you !

Say something nice to them. Make them feel welcome.

Love them and hold them tight. Lift them up. Don't drag them down! Show them love, respect, and appreciation.

Be like Mother Theresa not like Darth Vader! Love others.

Madeline Frank, Ph.D. is an Amazon.com Best Selling Author, speaker, business owner, teacher, and concert artist. She helps businesses and organizations "Tune Up their Business". Her observations show you the blue prints necessary to improve and keep your business successful. Her latest book "Leadership On A Shoestring Budget" is available everywhere books are sold. If you need a speaker contact Madeline at: mfrankviola@gmail.com

Don’t Die In The Middle of Texting by Madeline Frank, Ph.D.

Did you know that one out of four accidents are caused by texting while driving? To save your life switch your cell phone to the "off" position, and place it out of reach as soon as you get in your car.

I was driving my brand new 50 year Anniversary Ruby Red Mustang with my husband in the passenger seat on a bright clear sunny day with temperatures in the 40's on April 18, 2015. We were waiting patiently at a yield sign for the traffic to clear when we felt a heavy jolt on our seats. The SUV behind us had plowed into the back seat of our new Mustang. My husband immediately called the police. I quickly got out of the Mustang and walked behind my mustang before the driver backed up and left the scene of the accident. I looked at the driver, a young woman around 21, and noticed she was texting!

I quickly took a picture of the back of my new Mustang which had her license plate embedded in the bumper of my car. Her SUV was not damaged other than her missing license plate stuck in the back of my formerly new now damaged Mustang. The back of it looked like a folded accordion. At least no one was hurt.

The police and fire department were there within 10 minutes of the accident. We showed the policeman her license embedded in our Mustang. The policeman removed it from the back of the Mustang with great force handing it back to the SUV driver, instead of impounding the evidence!

The young woman a few minutes later, told me how sorry she was about damaging my new Mustang. She said, "I was on my way to College to take my final exam as I have been sick. My final was postponed until today!"

The young woman's mother showed up and didn't want her daughter to sign the police report admitting her guilt.

My damaged new Mustang was driven to the dealership and then to the local repair shop.

Meanwhile the young woman who ran through my new Mustang with her SUV while texting had her insurance company representative call me. She said, "It was your fault and the police do not count as witnesses. Our insurance company will not pay the claim!"

I told her insurance agent I had a passenger in my car who was a witness as to what her client had done to my new 50th Anniversary Mustang and her clients license was imbedded into the back of my car. I had taken a picture to prove it! 

After her call, I called my insurance agent and told him what she had said and asked him to handle it!

It took 6 months and over $12,000 to repair my 50th Anniversary Mustang to look like new! The fire department sent me a bill for $200 and the repair shop gave me a bill for $200 after the insurance was paid.

My insurance company paid the claim and eventually forced her insurance company to reimburse them for their client's damage to my Mustang.

Most people are conditioned to respond immediately to the needs, alerts, and messages of other people. Just like a lab rat addicted to drugs, our brains have been rewired to respond.

In the United States drivers who are texting cause 1 out of 4 traffic accidents a year. That's 1.6 million crashes every year. “Nearly 330,000 injuries” and deaths are “caused by texting while driving”.

Is your life worth not being able to wait a few minutes to respond to the ping or alert you've just received?

One thing I've found useful is to switch my cell phone to the "off" position, and place it out of reach.

If you need your phone for navigation, disable the alerts from all apps other than your map app. They'll be there when you arrive at your destination. Most importantly... you will arrive at your destination safely!

Madeline Frank, Ph.D., is an Amazon.com Best Selling Author, speaker, business owner, teacher, and concert artist. She helps businesses and organizations "Tune Up their Business". Her innovative observations show you the blue prints necessary to improve and keep your business successful. Her book "Leadership On A Shoestring Budget" is available wherever books are sold. If you need a speaker contact Madeline at: mfrankviola@gmail.com

Outstanding Customer Service

Do your sales associates at your business give “Outstanding Customer Service”?

Shopping At An Apple Store:

Last weekend my husband and I went to the Apple store in MacArthur Center in Norfolk, Virginia at 11am to purchase several Apple products we had researched. The store was very crowded with customers when we arrived.

At the door of the Apple store, a sales associate wearing an Apple logo shirt, greeted us with a smile of welcome, and remembered us from our last visit. She tapped in our names into her Apple phone screen sending an email to another sales associate to assist us.

A minute later, one of the 11 sales associates in the store, smiled, and asked us what we needed after shaking our hands and introducing themselves. When the sales associate didn’t know the answer they quickly excused themselves and asked another sales associate for assistance and came back with the information within two minutes.

We made our purchases in less than 15 minutes. We bought an Apple TV Package, a cable to connect the Apple TV, and an Apple watchband.

What three things did the Apple Store sales associates do to give us “Outstanding Customer Service”? 

1) Their sales associates had positive attitudes, were likeable, and we trusted them.

2) Their sales associate “listened” to what we wanted and needed in the Apple product and told us the benefits of the product and how much it would cost. The sales associate had the solution to our problem.

3) The sales associate had a passion and eagerness to share their knowledge of their Apple products with us. The sales associate knew everything about their products and if they did not know the answer to our question they quickly excused themselves and asked another sales associate for assistance and came back with the information within two minutes.

What are three steps you need at your business to give “Outstanding Customer Service”?

1) Your well-trained sales associates “greet” your customers at the door with a smile, wearing your store uniform to identify them, (Apple logo on shirt), introduce themselves, ask for your customers name, shake their hand, and ask what service your customer needs.

 2) Your sales associates "eagerly and politely" assist your customers as "quickly as possible". We were assisted within “a minute”. When your sales associate does not know the answer to your customers’ question, they quickly excuse themselves, and ask another sales associate for assistance and come back with the information within two minutes.

3) You business should have enough well-trained sales associates to help your customers. There were 11 well-trained sales associates at the Apple Store each in charge of different aspects of the sale. One sales associate brought the products to us. The well-trained sales associates at the Apple Store worked together as a team.

To give “Outstanding Customer Service” at your business just like the Apple Store, train your sales associates following the above 3 steps and your business will give “Outstanding Customer Service” too!

Madeline Frank, Ph.D. is an Amazon.com Best Selling Author, speaker, business owner, teacher, and concert artist. She helps businesses and organizations “Tune Up their Business”. Her observations show you the blue prints necessary to improve and keep your business successful. Her latest book “Leadership On A Shoestring Budget” is available everywhere books are sold. If you need a speaker contact Madeline at: mfrankviola@gmail.com

 

 

Lessons from Jobs and Mulally on Fixing Your Business by Madeline Frank, Ph.D., DTM

Don’t let your business rely on past glories and successes. Keep pressing forward to change and improve your business by prospecting, selling, and marketing no matter what state your business is in.

How Steve Jobs saved Apple;

When Steve Jobs returned to Apple in 1997, the company he had co-founded 12 years earlier and was forced out of, Apple was 90 days from bankruptcy. He made the tough decision to bury the hatchet and revive Apple by asking for $150 million cash infusion from long time rival, Bill Gates of Microsoft.

When it was announced that Apple would partner with their rival, Loyal Apple fans booed! Jobs knew without the cash, Apple would not survive.

Jobs then, simplified Apple’s product offerings. They had a dozen versions of the Macintosh computer and offered a huge assortment of other products. He asked, “Which ones do I tell my friends to buy?” When he didn’t get a simplified response, he drew a grid on the white board and wrote in the top two spaces, “Consumer and Pro”, and on the sides, “Desk and Portable”. On this grid he listed “4” Apple product offerings; a laptop and desktop for business, and a laptop and desktop for personal users. This action reduced Apple’s product offerings by 70%, cutting operation expenses in half, reduced the workforce by 3,000 people.

Steve Jobs decisive actions and tough shakeup paid off! Apple went from losing $1.04 billion the first fiscal year following Job’s return, to turning a profit of $309 million 12 months later, in 1998.

Steve Jobs saved  Apple with the following 3- step plan:

1) Revive Apple by asking for $150 million cash infusion from long time rival, Bill Gates of Microsoft.

2)  Streamlined Apples products from 15 to 4 products, reducing Apple’s product offerings by 70%.

3) Cutting operating expenses in half and reducing workforce by 3,000 people.

Alan Mulally was hired as Ford’s CEO and President:

Alan Mulally was the former CEO and President of Boeing. He had worked at Boeing for 37 years. Ford hired Alan Mulally in 2006 as CEO of Ford to save the struggling car company from bankruptcy. The automobile industry in the United States was known for running on a “status quo” basis, on an existing state of affairs. Detroit and the auto industry were sinking in debt, living on their “glory days” when Detroit was America’s wealthiest city. Ford continued to use outdated tactics and beliefs.

Alan Mulally was an aerospace engineer who had no preconceived ideas of how Detroit operated. He saw the potential and tapped into the talents and resources at Ford that had been ignored.

Bryce Hoffman said, Mulally as CEO of Ford Motor Company followed this 3-step plan:

1)   Streamlined their product line up just like Jobs had done at Apple and used the money he saved to give Ford’s remaining products Class-leading features and..styling.

2)   He worked with suppliers and the United Auto Workers Union to create a winning environment for the both of them. The concessions from the union were necessary to keep the automobile production in the United States and to profitably produce the new vehicles.

3)    Mulally relentlessly focused on team and culture. Ford shed its caustic careerist culture by showing the company’s executives how they could be “more successful working together as a team” than they could ever be as rivals. (Created his “One Team”: “One Ford” Mantra)

Mulally in a little over 3 years made Ford Motor Company profitable and they didn’t need the Government bailout!

In fixing your business it is a good thing to have an outside expert come in like Steve Jobs and Alan Mulally did. Apple and Ford were going bankrupt, had to many products, cost overruns, and work forces that did not work as a team. They each cleaned house by borrowing money, cutting down the number of products and there by cutting costs down, and creating workers who worked together as a team. By following the 3-step plans of Jobs and Mulally you can repair your business too!

Madeline Frank, Ph.D. is an Amazon.com Best Selling Author, speaker, business owner, teacher, and concert artist. She helps businesses and organizations “Tune Up their Business”. Her observations show you the blue prints necessary to improve and keep your business successful. Her latest book “Leadership On A Shoestring Budget” is available everywhere books are sold. If you need a speaker contact Madeline at: mfrankviola@gmail.com