Category Archives: blogging

Introducing Guy Kawasaki, former Apple Mac evangelist, venture capitalist and business philosopher.

I've added him to my recommended Blogs, based on two great articles; 10-20-30 guide to PowerPoint and Zen for Business Plans (look 'em up on Google before you see it here).

His first Blog by way of introduction.

Better Late Than Arrogant

Welcome to my first attempt at blogging. Admittedly, I’m three years behind the bleeding edge, but I had to get over the inherent arrogance of blogging: that people would give a shitake about what I have to say.
A book every two or three years is one thing, but a daily blog? (Not that I’m committing to daily blog.) However, many people pounded on me, so here goes. Not that you can hold me to this, but I’ll write about entrepreneurship, venture capital, innovation, public speaking, Macintosh, and hockey.
From time to time, I will also discuss things that I do not “know,” but I’ve never let ignorance get in the way of expressing an opinion—and clearly, very few bloggers do! So let the good times roll…

Written at Atherton, California.
December 30, 2005.

I have to agree with what he says about bloggers. I reached the same conclusion about writing for myself - who cares if I know what I'm talking about! I have an opinion or an idea and I'm determined to share it. Although I do try to remember the warning from my mother, "Don't waste your time confusing them with the facts when they've already made up their minds." I don't want to be one of those people.

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blogging, business plans, elevator pitch, PowerPoint

Too much time has passed since my last posting. Apologies to any avid subscribers, but I expect my absence was hardly noticed. My feeble excuse was being away for a dynamite golf and family visit in beautiful BC.

It was easy to be distracted by the spectacular scenery of BC at it's best in May/June. Lush green hillsides rising to snow-capped mountains reflected in the clear blue lakes. And we experienced a perfect father and son day at Whistler with a morning of spring skiing on Blackcomb and an afternoon of golf at Nicklaus North with a black bear on the 7th tee and waterskiers around the 17th green. Not to mention the outstanding sushi feast at Whistler Village.

So back to business after the reminder of how it's like golf. As my father would say about baseball "It's not good enough to swing and hope". You have to study, practice, and do it a lot to succeed. Watching it on TV or reading about it may help a little, not a lot. Better equipment is not the easy answer. Keeping score is the only way to really know how you're doing. And I'm sure there are other ways business is like golf. Material for a future Blog. Stay tuned.

Meanwhile enjoy the summer weekends, golf or no golf.

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blogging, business and golf

Now that I've said I'm committed to blogging for the greater good, more than just the personal satisfaction, I'm going to have to keep it up.

Flurry of topics to consider - more business advice from Uncle Ralph, comments on the Virginia Tech massacre, business issues discussed at lunch, or the best seller I finally bought "Good to Great" by Jim Collins?

Let's settle on the latter - best business books that must be read if you're serious about being a better manager or running a more successful business.

On my list:

  1. Built to Last, also by Jim Collins
  2. In Search of Excellence by Tom Peters and Tom Waterman(?) the original business best seller that is claimed to have started an industry.
  3. Ben Franklin's 12 Rules of Management by Blaine McCormick and the Autobiography of Ben Franklin by Ben himself (obviously).
  4. Swim with the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive by Harvey Mackay
  5. The Bootstrapper's Bible by Seth Godin
  6. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey
  7. First, Break All the Rules by Marcus Buckingham & Curt Coffman

And on your recommended reading list?

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blogging, business books, recommended reading

OK, after more browsing of other people's blogs I have been suitably inspired/motivated to try harder.

You can give the credit (blame) to the bloggers listed in my sidebar - Mitch Joel, Rick Spence and finally Jim Estill. You may not know them but they're worth a visit; maybe they'll inspire you too. Mitch is a marketing guru in Montreal, Rick is a business writer on entrepreneurship, and Jim is a very successful entrepreneur in the Canadian computer industry.

It seemed to me that blogging was very narcissistic - a self absorbed, lonely, anti-social mission to make daily diary entries and expose them to the world. Who wants to browse your bad writing about who you are, what you're doing and what you think? Who cares?

But now I can appreciate that it is more of an expression of the personal desire to share ideas and information and to expand our personal networks through the Web. It is also a good discipline to force ideas into writing and then expose them to interested readers for critique and discussion.

So this blog is now the introduction to Uncle Ralph and the e2eforum's mission to inform, educate, advise and inspire other business executives and entepreneurs.

Stay tuned.

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blogging, e2eforum, Uncle Ralph