High Hopes

Many of you may have looked at the title and assumed this is a review of Bruce Springsteen’s album of the same name.  For this week, I will leave the reviews to others.  Rather, this blog post will focus on my goals for 2014, a year for which I have many high hopes.

1. Move the Needle – We exclusively represent almost 2.5m square feet of Class A & B office space in the New Jersey market.  My goal for 2014 is to significantly move the occupancy needle within our portfolio.  How will I accomplish this?  See numbers 2 & 3.

2. Utilize Technology – While technology may not lease space, my opinion is that it’s like chicken soup.  It can’t hurt.  We have recently hired View The Space for our building at Two Tower Center, and I am scheduling a web demo scheduled with Floored shortly.  Staying up-to-date on all things tech related will help with both my landlord and tenant clients.

3. Think Creatively – In 2013, we were approached by a tenant that needed 56,000 sf, but also needed the rights to the entire parking lot for the 72,000 sf building we were representing.  Taking a creative approach, we were able to secure a ten-year deal whereby the tenant pays rent on 56,000 sf, but operating expenses on the entire building.  Without thinking outside of the box, the deal doesn’t happen.  I plan to continue that practice this year.

4. Pay It Forward – I always say I hit the lottery when it comes to my business partner, Joe Sarno.  He has been a great mentor and friend for over 12 years.  My job is to pay that forward with others that choose to work with us and make sure that they are successful in their careers.  My 2014 will not be a success if theirs isn’t.

5. Road Trips – The year won’t be complete without a trip to Disney with my kids.  If I can sneak in a trip to see Bruce Springsteen either in North America or Europe, it’s a bonus.

6. Generosity – I want to be more charitable this year than last.  That doesn’t mean just writing checks.  I have a project I am working on with The WindMill and Sabrett that will be announced this summer, and I look forward to working more with Jeremy’s Heroes this year.

7. Workplace 360 – As I wrote last November, I was amazingly impressed with the new CBRE offices in Los Angeles.  I want to do my part in transforming our office environment in East Brunswick to a similar model.  Having state-of-the-art offices will help us better advise our clients, as we will have experienced the shift from old to new.

8. NeuerSpace – I would like to write more in 2014, with a goal of 40 new posts for the year.  That said, I promise not to put out mediocre material just for the sake of the numbers.  I would love to grow my readership which will only happen with thoughtful content.  Speaking of which, did you know you can subscribe to NeuerSpace and receive an email every time a new post goes live?  Look at the box in the top right corner of the screen.

9. Be Better – If you aren’t moving forward, you are moving backwards.  My last goal for 2014 is to be better in every facet of my life.  It may be impossible, but I am going to try to be a better father, friend, partner, son, brother, broker, etc.

What did I miss? What are some of your goals?  If you are reading this and think you can help with any of mine, I welcome the assistance and am happy to reciprocate.

Wishing you all the best in 2014 and beyond.

JN

2014
01/09
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So This is Christmas

A repost of my blog post from December 24, 2012.  Enjoy and Merry Christmas to those celebrating.

So This is Christmas.

2013
12/23
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Go Short

If you are a long time follower of NeuerSpace, or know me at all, you know I am a lifelong, die-hard New York Yankees fan. Over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, news broke that former Yankees top pitching prospect Phil Hughes had agreed to a three-year deal with the Minnesota Twins for $24m.  This bothered me, not because I was upset that Hughes was leaving the Yankees, rather, it’s my opinion that he was poorly advised by his agent.

Hughes won four games in 2013 and lost 14.  His earned run average, one of the main measurements for any pitcher, increased almost a full run over 2012 and I don’t think anyone would argue that his performance in 2013 was disappointing.  He’s 27 years old and has past success, winning 18 games in 2010 and 16 in 2012.

So why, at the low-point of his career, would he commit to a three-year contract?

Let’s say Hughes signed a one-year contract instead of three.  Then let’s say he goes out and wins 12 games.  Would he be in line for the same four-year, $49m contract that the Twins gave to another pitcher, Ricky Nolasco?  Nolasco is four years older and his career high in wins is 15 and that was in 2008.  Last year, he won 13.  Even if Hughes won eight games, wouldn’t his stock be higher?

So why did his agent advise him to sign a three-year deal?  Maybe he doesn’t believe that he will bounce back.  Maybe Hughes wants the security of knowing that he will be paid $24m over the next three years and will likely never have to work again.  Timing the market is tough and we rarely know the mindset of players, especially when they say silly things like “It’s not about the money.”

In commercial real estate, when we advise our clients with respect to lease term, we do have the benefit of knowing their mindset.  Sometimes, our clients want to go long-term to maximize concessions and take advantage of a weak market.  Other times, they want to go short, similar to what I think Hughes should have done.

Signing a short-term lease maximizes flexibility.  Companies can adjust their headcount – as well as their location – using short-term deals.  Given the ever changing economy, some companies want to be in a position to take more space in good times and shed space when it’s time to tighten the belt.

In a rising market, some companies want to go long-term to protect against future increases.  However, given the long-term lack of rent growth in New Jersey, you could argue that if rents are starting to increase, a short-term deal will buy a company time until rents come back down.

Of course, there are advantages to going long-term as well.  In 2009, we were in the final stages of renewing a lease for 115,000 in Portland on behalf of one of our clients.  The economy was terrible and we negotiated a rent that was an historic low for that particular building.  At the very end of the negotiations, we were able to stretch the deal from a five-year deal to a seven-year deal, locking in two additional years at record low rents, while also negotiating a termination option at the end of the fifth year to maintain some flexibility.

This more resembles the contract that CC Sabathia signed at the height of his value after the 2008 season, which also included an early termination option. He later used that termination option to add years and millions to his deal.

Timing the market is impossible.  You never know when it’s hit bottom until it’s on the way up.  However, in the case of Phil Hughes, he knew he was at the bottom of his value and still was willing to sign a three-year deal.  If I was his agent, I would have recommended a one-year deal.  Going short sometimes has long-term advantages.

JN

2013
12/11
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I’ve Seen The Future of Office Space…

In 1974, after attending a small concert, Jon Landau, then a music critic, wrote, “I’ve seen the future of rock n roll, and its name is Bruce Springsteen.” After visiting CBRE’s new Downtown LA office, I can safely say “I have seen the future of office space.”

In my last two blog entries, I wrote about workplace and technology respectively. The new CBRE space is a melding of both.

With regards to the workplace, it’s not about a denser environment. In fact, the space feels wide open, almost cavernous. Everywhere I went, there were wide corridors, open spaces, and most interestingly, people working together.  

When I entered the space, a concierge standing behind a desk greeted me. She invited me wait for my tour guide, Lew Horne, CBRE’s Executive Managing Director of Los Angeles and Orange County, in the area known as “The Heart” of the office. The Heart looks like a hotel lobby with several different types of casual seating, as well as a bar-like area. Inside the bar were all sorts of different snacks, as well as bottled water, free for employees and visitors.

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I sat at one of the tables, opened my laptop, and was connected via Wi-Fi within seconds. All of the employees who work within the space connect wirelessly with their laptops through a secure connection. To my left, there were several glass-walled conference rooms, each with large flat screen monitors. Some were being used for presentations, while brokers working collaboratively used other screens as a large computer monitors.

Before the tour, Lew gave me a quick overview of the space and played me this video. The new space is 20% smaller than the previous space, but he can fit 20% more seats. There are 15 different workspace types, including a workstation that doubles as a treadmill, which he claims gets a lot of use.

No one has a dedicated office or workstation. Even the office’s Executive Vice President, Andy Ratner, doesn’t have a dedicated space. I saw him working in “The Heart” when not giving tours. Rather, teams have neighborhoods that include open work areas, private offices that can be reserved for the day, smaller private offices that can be used at a moment’s notice, if empty, as well as conference rooms. The smaller offices have desks that go up and down, allowing them to be used either sitting or standing. When I walked by his team’s neighborhood, Vice Chairman Steve Bay was working with one of his junior brokers in one of the small offices.

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Because no one has dedicated space, at the end of each day everyone has to clear his or her workspace. Each broker is given one small file cabinet and a locker. This may seem impossible, especially to someone like me who typically has a layer of paper on top of his desk, rendering the desk unseen. However, they have a paperless office. Everything is scanned and saved. I didn’t see any paper as I walked through the office, including in the legal department. Even the mail is scanned into electronic format. Presentation materials are discarded after meetings rather than saved for posterity.

But what was really amazing was the technology. Most of the conference rooms have Steelcase tables that connect laptops to the screens on the wall. Each broker has his or her own wireless headset that they can pair to any phone in office. In “The Heart,” there’s a wall of screens displaying market information and the office’s Twitter feed. As the workday was winding down, the wall of screens was changed from market info to Monday Night Football, again encouraging people to gather.

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The coolest piece of technology is called Liquid Galaxy. It’s an area of the office used for presentations that includes six high-resolution screens on a curved wall. Liquid Galaxy is an overlay on top of Google Earth that allows for high-resolution maps to be combined with market data and video information. Because it uses Google Earth, it can zoom down to a street level view. Lew and Andy both have become experts and we not only had fun looking at sites of interest like The Hollywood Bowl, but also CBRE‘s New York City office at 200 Park.

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In addition, the space recently received the first Well™ designation awarded anywhere in the country by Delos ®, the pioneer of Wellness Real Estate™. With 1,000 plants, smartlighting systems, energy absorbing flooring, advanced air purification, water filtration systems and anti-microbial coatings on all surfaces, the space sets a new standard for healthy office spaces. If employees are healthier, they will be happier, more efficient, and certainly cut down on sick days.

So you may be thinking, “It sounds cool Jeremy, but why is it better?” Well the feedback was overwhelmingly positive and centered around being smarter. Kevin Bender, an Executive Vice President, told me that he sits in the open area in his team’s neighborhood at least three times a week. It not only allows him to hear what his team is working on, but he’s also more accessible to other team members. He feels that he knows more about what’s going on in the market now because he’s in the mix, so to speak.

Lew mentioned an interesting fact to me as we were wrapping up, which he credited to Steve Bay. If a law firm is signing a 10-year lease, the partners at the end of that lease are still in law school now. For our company, many of the people we want to hire during the term of the lease are still in high school. If we aren’t on the front end of workplace innovation, we will not be able to recruit and retain the best talent in the industry, which is our goal. How can we help our clients stay ahead of the curve if we, who are supposed to be office experts, are using space the same way we did 20 years ago?

I am proud to say that CBRE is an industry leader. Period. In the four months since the office opened, almost 3,000 visitors have come to see the space, including some of our top competitors. If the competition is checking you out, you must be doing something right. Personally, I am going to push my Managing Director, Jeff Hipschman, to adopt a similar model for our East Brunswick office when our lease is up. After all, at the end of our next lease, I will likely be 50 years old. It would be a shame if I were using space the same way at that age as I did when I was 35.

JN

2013
11/22
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What I Learned in Vegas – Technology

In a recent blog entry on NeuerSpace, I mentioned how I recently attended the CBRE North American Conference and the CoreNet Global Summit, both in Las Vegas.  There were great sessions at both conferences, teaching me a lot about the industry.

While those conferences were insightful for the industry at large, I was extremely attracted to two recent technology conferences in NYC: The Corporate Real Estate/Technology Intersect Conference, as well as the Business Insider Ignition, The Future of Digital Event.

First, some general observations on technology:

• If you aren’t embracing new technology, you are going to get left behind.  There are countless new apps and web sites that can help us learn, be more efficient and improve our work performance and lives.  Especially for service providers, it’s so important as this is the direction all of our clients are headed.

• It’s all getting easier to use and it’s all going mobile.  While I am told the ObamaCare web site is a bit of a disaster to navigate, that’s the exception – not the rule.  Sites are being built to be user friendly, using the most modern features and technology.  Also, with the expanded use of smart phones and tablets, most companies are providing a mobile solution realizing that technology is being consumed and used on the go, rather than through desktop, or even lap top computers.

• Major investments are being made in technology companies that focus on corporate real estate.  Some of these sites will fall by the wayside, but not due to a lack of funding or creative ideas.

As I mentioned above, there are great sites and tools geared towards corporate real estate.  Here are some of my favorites:

• The News Funnel – I’ve mentioned The News Funnel (www.thenewsfunnel.com) before, but the site has recently made some major improvements.  Primarily, it has become a source of great, original content through their FunnelCast blog, which offers daily real estate related posts.  However, at its core, it still provides a customized news aggregation service that is unique in the industry.

• View The Space – After meeting the team again at the CRE/Tech Intersect, we recommended to one of our clients that we hire View The Space (www.viewthespace.com) to help us market our available space.  It’s not only about presenting the building in new way, but the analytics they can provide.

• CBRE Global Labor View – Our Labor Analytics team has won the CoreNet Global Innovation Award twice.  Jim Trobaugh and his team have come up with a tool that allows corporations to analyze labor data from their own computers on a subscription basis through Global Labor View.  It’s a game changer.

• Liquid Space – Geared towards the mobile workforce, Liquid Space offers users the ability to find an office, a conference room, or a quiet place to work, on a short-term (hourly) basis.  It also allows companies to monetize spaces that aren’t being used and it all happens through their app.  They also have the capability to allow clients to manage their internal use of space, through the same app.

• RealConnex – Still in beta testing, RealConnex is set to launch in early 2014.  It’s goal is to connect people within corporate real estate who are looking for each other, but may not know it.  It’s a bit similar to LinkedIn, but gives users the ability to search for service providers or users, that they may need for a project.  Seems to be an ultimate referral tool .

At one of the conferences, there was a session on new apps.  Some highlights:

• Umano – This app reads articles to you.  You can customize your interests and then it gives you suggested articles.  Simply click on the article and it’s read to you.  Great when I am driving in to work.

• Waze – A more interactive traffic app.

• Evernote – Great for taking and organizing notes, which is especially helpful if you are attending conferences.

• Postagram – This site allows you to turn a picture from your mobile device in to a postcard.  They even mail it for you.

• CallPlease – Great for organizing calls…exponentially better than Outlook.

• CardMunch – My brother, Zak Levy, told me about this one which is owned by LinkedIn.  Simply take a picture of a business card and it’s transmitted to their team.  They upload the contact information to your Outlook and automatically invite that person to connect to you via LinkedIn.

And finally, as I type this while sitting on a plane to Los Angeles, I have learned that while it’s a little frustrating to be on a plane for several hours without internet connectivity, it’s also a little relaxing.

The next entry will be on my visit to the new CBRE offices in Downtown LA, and the one following that will cover the topic, “Winning Tenants” from a landlord perspective.

JN

2013
11/19
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What I Learned in Vegas – Workplace

It’s been over a month since my last post.  I’ve missed you all!  Since my last posting, I have been to Las Vegas twice on business; once for the North America CBRE conference and once for the CoreNet Summit.

During my trips, I was lucky enough to participate in a number of great break-out sessions and came away with new insights on three topics that I have and will continue to blog about: Workplace, Technology, and Why Tenants Lease Space.

“Workplace” has been a key buzzword in the industry for years and continues to be all the rage.  At both conferences, there were sessions on the changing workforce and how office space design needs to accommodate these changes.

The most interesting session on the topic focused on the new CBRE offices in Downtown L.A..  Georgia Collins, Managing Director of CBRE’s Workplace Strategies Group gave an overview of why workplace design is important as companies move forward.  Some key observations:

– One strategy doesn’t fit all.

– Workplace is about people and performance, not cost savings.

– People come to the office to see other people.  One of the keys to a good workplace solution is connecting people to people and people to information.

– Density forces people to work together.  Food helps people collaborate.

– Space needs to evolve over time, especially as technology continues to change at such a rapid pace.

– Most companies are at 50% utilization of space.

– A “green” workplace will promote health and well being, leading to greater productivity.  If people aren’t sick as often, they will be more productive.

After Georgia’s discussion, Lew Horne and Steve Bay joined her on stage to talk about the new Downtown L.A. office which recently moved in to new space where no one has an assigned workstation or office.  It is all free address and is also referred to as “untethered”.  Teams can work in neighborhoods, but everyone has to clear their workspace at the end of the day and put their belongings in a locker, as that space may not be theirs the next day.  People can also choose to work in the “heart” of the office, near the entrance, which resembles a cafe with couches and less traditional work spaces.

Lew discussed the planning process and how he engaged key people in the office.  He knew that a radical change was not going to work unless he had buy-in from top producers and leaders.  Our Amsterdam office had already adopted a free address model and he took stakeholders to see that space, how it worked, and encouraged them to talk to their peers in that office.  Everyone came away with the same impression: it works.

Now that the office is open, it is getting rave reviews, not only from those who work there, but from the industry as well.  Steve Bay talked about being more in-tune with his team in the new space.  He didn’t mind giving up his office because he believes that this space will help him better serve his clients.  The space was so well received, our corporate headquarters decided to move there as well.

Lew encouraged anyone in the session to come to LA for a visit, which I am doing in two weeks.  Once I see it for myself, I will report back.  You may recall a previous blog post, They’re Coming To Take My Office, which concluded with me stating that I would be open to giving it up if given a compelling reason.  It seems they might have one.  If it will make me better at my job, I will move tomorrow.

JN

2013
11/07
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Lessons from Mariano

In the last two weeks, countless articles have been written about Mariano Rivera as his retirement approached – and I read many of them.  In this post, I am taking a bit of a different angle as one of my all-time favorite baseball players retires.  Below are some of the lessons I have learned from Mariano Rivera.

Be a good person.  Brandon Steiner once told me that Mariano is a better person than he is a pitcher, which is hard to believe.  However, with the stories that have filtered out recently about his farewell tour, which included delivering a pizza to a long time stadium worker in Oakland, as well as a touching story about a family that recently lost a young child in Kansas City, it’s apparent to me that Brandon was correct.

Class above all else. In an age of over-the-top celebrations, I can never remember Mariano getting overly excited about a win other than those that clinched a playoff series.  He did his job with class and never embarrassed an opponent, which is probably why he received a standing ovation from both dugouts at both the All Star game and his last appearance at Yankee Stadium.

Know why you are successful and don’t try to be someone else.  People say he had one pitch, the cutter.  However, students of the game know that in addition to the cutter, he also threw a two-seam fastball.  He didn’t try to develop new pitches or pitch like someone else.  He knew how to get hitters out, his way, and stuck with that through the duration of his Hall of Fame career.

Own your mistakes.  Game 4 against the Indians in 1997.  Game 7 against the Diamondbacks in 2001.  Game 4 against the Red Sox in 2004.  All postseason blown saves.  After each one, Mariano stood at his locker, answered every question from every reporter and owned his performance.  He didn’t pass off any blame.  He simply said that he didn’t get the job done, gave credit to the other teams for beating him, and moved on.  Which leads too…

Have a short memory.  If you are overwhelmed by today’s failures, or successes, you can’t be at your best when the next opportunity arises.  When I first entered this business, a deal I had worked on died as the lease was ready to be executed.  I was devastated.  A senior broker gave me some great advice – never get too high and never get too low.  It’s the nature of the business.  Seems like it’s the nature of being a relief pitcher too.

Have humility and share the praise.  Mariano was always quick to share the credit for the wins with the starting pitchers and other teammates.  After all, without them, he wouldn’t be in a position to get the save.  We have so many people that work on each deal that we do including lawyers, construction experts, building management, tenants, landlords, etc.  It’s impossible for deals to get done without the whole team doing their respective jobs.

Share.  Roy Halladay of the Phillies credits Mariano with teaching him the cutter.  While Mariano was fined in the Yankees kangaroo court for helping an opponent, that shows the kind of individual he is.  He also spent countless hours mentoring others in the Yankee bullpen.  Being a gracious competitor and a mentor was obviously a priority for him.

Have a great theme song.  Wouldn’t it be great if we could all pick a song that would play when we enter the room?  Just kidding.  However, it should be noted that the Hard Rock Cafe has retired Enter Sandman by Metallica from all of their locations, except Yankee Stadium.

Mariano Rivera is not only the greatest relief pitcher in the history of the game, but a great teacher as well.  I hope he enjoys his retirement…he earned it!

JN

2013
09/30
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Timeless

Hard work is a timeless attribute.  But if you are working with antiquated information and tools, how far can you really get?  In business, it’s not enough to rely on past successes.

As you read in my last blog, I took my family to Disney World last month.  We rode “It’s a Small World” at least three times.  I don’t think the ride has changed since I was a kid.  It’s timeless.

Yet Disney World doesn’t rely on the nostalgia of its oldest rides to attract new customers or encourage repeat customers.  Disney continues to reinvent itself with new attractions, new technology, and new experiences.  It’s the combination of timeless and fresh experiences that bring people back over and over again.

I am trying to enjoy the last season of Mariano Rivera’s amazing career as much as possible.  His performance this year, at the age of 43, is simply spectacular.  It sometimes seems as if his cut fastball, the key to his long success is timeless.

However, as with every athlete, time will run out on his career.  After 17 years and over 600 saves, the Yankees will be forced to find a new closer, reinvent the bullpen, ever evolving as no player can stay forever.

No one ignores his success more than Bruce Springsteen.  Just last month, Bruce Springsteen was #1 on Rolling Stone’s list of “The 50 Greatest Live Acts Right Now.”  Having attended the last two shows of the European Tour in Ireland, and countless more in my life, I share that opinion.  During one of the shows in Ireland, he played the entire Born To Run album, giving me goose bumps several times.  Yes, the music is timeless.

He has an arsenal of classic hits, but his shows aren’t about the hits.  What makes him #1 is that none of his three-plus hour shows are ever the same.  This tour alone, he has played over 200 songs and he continues to reinvent himself, putting out new music, developing new messages, and he has an audience that embraces that new material.

Driving my kids to school earlier this week, I played Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da by The Beatles and my 2-year old daughter insisted I replay it five times.  When I saw Paul McCartney over the summer, no song garnered a more enthusiastic response. It’s a timeless song.

While McCartney has one of the most timeless catalogs of music, there’s nothing new about his live shows.  While he may sprinkle in a new song here and there, there are fans that frown when he plays a song from his days with Wings.  Perhaps that’s why he’s #15 on Rolling Stone’s list and not higher.

It’s obvious to me that those who truly excel continue to evolve, continue to learn, and continue to add new skills.  Those are the people that I emulate.

It wasn’t enough for my friend Michael Beckerman to have the leading PR firm in our industry.  First, he acquired another firm, expanding from real estate in to other business areas including clean energy and technology.  Then, once this expanded firm was established, he started The News Funnel, a web site that gathers news and delivers a customized feed to its users.   The News Funnel is getting rave reviews within the industry and has taken off nationally.

My aspirations are to emulate Springsteen, Disney, and Beckerman.

I’ve been very fortunate in my career to have represented some amazing clients and have completed some great deals which I am extremely proud of. Relying on the past isn’t something I am interested in.  I truly believe that if you aren’t moving forward, you are moving backwards.

Focusing on what’s next, how to stay relevant and how to improve is my focus, both professionally and personally.  Timeless is great, but I certainly don’t want to be sitting around talking about my Glory Days before I am ready call it quits.

JN

2013
09/13
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What is great customer service?

The week before Labor Day, we took the kids to Disney World for the first time.  I hadn’t been to Disney, other than a dinner event at Epcot, since I was a teenager.  Always trying to learn something new, I was curious to see the famous Disney customer service in action.

When I received my welcome package in the mail, I was pleasantly surprised to see that if I put a special orange tag on my luggage, I could check my bags at Newark Airport and they would be delivered to my hotel room at The Contemporary.  Not only did this eliminated one of the major hassles of airline travel, but it was free.  Wow!

But then a strange thing happened on the way to Disney.  When we landed in Orlando, we had a hard time finding the bus to the airport.  In my mind, the signage was to blame.  Then, when we found it, the lines were a little long and they asked for our identification several times.  Managing three children, the carry on luggage and the identification process was not a walk in the park.

When we arrived at the hotel, the computer system was down and we couldn’t check in immediately.  On top of that, the kids were now very hungry and growing impatient.  Disney was not off to a great start.

However, the computer issue was quickly resolved.  We checked in and given a box of wristbands called MagicBands, one for each of us, that was basically our room key.  The box had our individual names and looked like a present, which delighted the kids.  In addition to acting as a room key, the wristband also contained our tickets to the park, our “fast pass” information, and allowed me to charge things to the room throughout the hotel and the parks.  I read afterwards that the MagicBands project was an investment of over $1 billion by Disney. Pretty cool.

Throughout our four days, I was amazed at the level of care and expertise each Disney employee expressed.  Rather than look at the map, I would simply ask an employee for directions.  Everyone, from the employees working the rides to the garbage handlers, greeted me with a smile, gave me explicit directions and wished me a “magical” day.

On top of that, Disney provides a free mobile app for my iPhone that the concierge encourage me to use called My Disney Experience.  This app manages the entire theme park and dining experience.  It provides real time updates for wait times on each ride, and also tells you which rides are close to you at any particular moment using the phone’s GPS.  You can also update your dining reservations, as well as your “fast pass” selections.  The app was completely free with no advertisements.  Disney clearly spent a lot of money on an app that simply enhances the customer experience and it paid off.

As our vacation was coming to close, I thought back on my initial frustration at the airport and the hotel.  I realized that even though the experience got off to a bumpy start, there were plenty of Disney representatives who were consistently trying to make it better and they succeeded.

Problems come up in every walk of life.  I realized that great customer service isn’t about delivering a flawless experience.  It’s about how companies face those problems head on for their customers and do whatever they can to enhance the overall experience.

Honestly, I cannot wait to go back to Disney.  People say it’s expensive.  I say it’s worth the price because of the experience.  And, they promised that the app was going to be better next time I am there.  I find it hard to believe, but when you wish upon a star…

JN

2013
09/03
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A-Rod – My Commentary

Major League Baseball announced yesterday that Alex Rodriguez would be suspended for 211 games for taking performance enhancing drugs and his role in the Biogenesis investigation.  The details of the investigation have been widely covered, but there are a few lessons to be learned here, specifically regarding the way the Yankees are handling the situation.

A-Rod has a reputation as someone who rarely says or does the right thing.  Most of his decisions have proven to be wrong throughout his career.  By appealing his suspension, he is perpetuating this reputation.  I’m sure there are lawyers, agents, PR consultants, psychiatrists, and other members of A-Rod’s inner circle encouraging the appeal.  After all, he stands to lose in excess of $30 million if the suspension is upheld.  But at some point, when does integrity come in to play?

This applies to the Yankees too, having missed a prime opportunity to display integrity last night.  While I understand that their goal is to win baseball games, if I was owner Hal Steinbrenner, A-Rod wouldn’t have played last night or any other night until the appeal is heard and decided.  While I understand this is not a legal setting, when a criminal is found guilty, he’s not allowed to roam free during the appeal process.  He sits in jail.  The Yankees should have instructed A-Rod to stay home, collect his salary, and not be a further distraction to the team.  Instead, they released a statement that claims they support both the Drug Prevention Program and the appeal process.  The statement is weak, at best.

I didn’t watch the game last night.  It was my personal, silent boycott.  I may not watch the game again tonight.  I am sure there are others who did the same, choosing not to support an organization that clearly has misplaced its moral compass.  As a Yankee fan, I understand the compass is typically pointed towards winning at all costs, but this isn’t about winning and losing.  And it’s certainly not about making money.  I think the Yankees would probably make more money by cutting ties with A-Rod.  This is about taking a stand against a man who has repeatedly cheated, lied about it, and carried himself as if he’s above it all.

So what should have happened?  A-Rod should have taken a deal, apologized and moved on.  As a society, not matter the lie or transgression, we are typically ready to forgive public figures who apologize and show genuine remorse.  Once he didn’t, as I said, the Yankees should have benched him.  Going forward, I think the Yankees should release him the day after the suspension ends, severing ties with one of the most polarizing figures ever to wear pinstripes.

I work for a company that talks about RISE Values, which stands for Respect, Integrity, Service, and Excellence and it’s not just talk.  The leadership of the company stands by those values.  My partner and I have run our business similarly for the last 12 years, making the right decisions, not always the most profitable ones.  I am of the opinion that whatever you put out in to the world comes back to you.  It goes back to putting the client first, which I have discussed in the past.

The Yankees were having a great season, injuries notwithstanding.  We should be focused on Mariano Rivera, a man of seemingly endless integrity, and his yearlong retirement party.  Instead we are all talking about yet another amazing talent, that was supposed to break all of the hitting records, but went over to the dark side.  I guess they don’t call the Yankees the Evil Empire for no reason.

JN

2013
08/06
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