What the Dog Saw During the Crisis

It all started at home before it started everywhere, I think.  It started to rain and thunder.  I hate rain and thunder, so I settled in my spot under the porch to wait it all out.  Then there was a big bang. The rain stopped. Then came a smell, then sirens.  Between the smell and the sirens, my master came home.  He looked concerned as he came through the garage and onto the porch. He didn’t so much as acknowledge me, he just looked up to the sky and then rushed inside.  Then the sirens came, and everyone was suddenly

2019 Book of the Year

Ideas. They move the world forward. They make businesses and communities succeed through growth and innovation in an everchanging marketplace. But more importantly, ideas are important for what they do and create for the individual. Ideas illuminate us and those around us. In our 2019 Book of the Year, What Do You Do With an Idea?, we can see how ideas impact the individual that then impact the world. Creating is one of the most special and meaningful things we can do as humans. And in order for us to create and generate ideas, we have to create homes, workplaces,

Size Doesn’t Matter When It Comes to Competing With Your Big Business Competition

Written by guest blogger: Marissa Perez, Business POP There are several misconceptions about running a small business; some think entrepreneurs have all the time in the world since they create their own schedule, while others think huge risks are a daily task needed to see success. As a small business owner, you know these aren’t true, but you still may have misconceptions of your own, one of them being that you can’t possibly compete with your larger competition. You won’t be taking down Amazon anytime soon, of course, but you can still compete with the best of them. Find Smart

The Lactation Consultant For the Love, Leave Me Alone!: How (Not) to Lead When Skill and Will Are High

Our third child came into the world just perfect, then he stopped breathing and turned blue when he tried to nurse.  After two scary attempts at feeding, the pediatrician on call came in and told us he thought he had a tracheoesophageal fistula.  In laymen’s terms, I came to understand this as a hole between the esophagus and the trachea causing fluid to pass between these two “tubes” when it isn’t supposed to.   This would require surgery to correct, thus requiring a transfer to the NICU.   Scary to say the least, but after getting our new blessing to the

Autonomy and Productivity… Better Together!

Tuesdays from 4:00- 5:00 pm.  In the car. While our middle child is in gymnastics, I have found that this hour of concentrated time in a concentrated space leads to some productive homework time with my oldest.  While his newborn brother snoozes in his car seat, we tackle third-grade homework. And there is a lot of it.  Take our list for Tuesday of this past week:  -A math worksheet due Wednesday -At least 10 minutes of multiplication facts practice that has to be signed off on each day by a parent for a grade -Practice for a vocabulary test on