The FED raised short term rates by 75bps as expected and the mortgage bond market approved of the measure by closing up by 47bps today. This move was “leaked” last week and was just a formality of hearing the official word today. In Jerome Powell’s remarks he signaled there would be a “slower pace” of further increases, likely meaning he thinks dropping down to 50bps at the next meeting and seeing what things look like moving forward. This is only half the story. Unemployment data and the first look at GDP numbers for the second quarter are this morning. Despite Janet Yellen’s repeated attempts to avoid the “R” word, it is likely we will have a negative growth number for the second quarter and that signals recession. Now, it’s only the Atlanta Fed forecasting a negative growth number and the official number will be only a first look this morning,…
Posted On Tuesday, 02 August 2022 00:00 Written by
You cave to peer pressure and put your name in a contest to ride a bull. Suddenly – you win! What was a joke and dare moments before, you now see your name on the rodeo board, everyone is freaking out with excitement because you were chosen, and the exhilaration quickly turns to dread.
This is what happened to my son, 10-year old Royal Hewlett, the other day at the world-famous Oakley Rodeo.  When I say “riding the bull”, it was actually a young neutered steer who will eventually grow up to be an ox, but that doesn’t make it any less intimidating to get on the bareback of a wild animal with longhorns trying to buck you off. The Hewlett’s are city folk who proudly wear our country cowboy hats, belt buckles and boots whenever we get the chance.  Having grown up spending summers in beautiful Pine Valley, just outside…
Posted On Thursday, 28 July 2022 00:00 Written by
Mindset is absolutely everything in this world we live in, and having a specific mindset in the professional world is a quantifiable asset. How we think on a daily basis determines our professional output, whether we are an entry-level employee, middle manager, or a C-suite business executive. Out of those categories, having a positive mindset about your industry as a business leader is perhaps one of the most critical, as business leaders make integral decisions that trickle down through an organization, directly impacting employees at all levels.
Technological Factors That Impact Your Business Mindset Of course, maintaining a positive and even transformative professional mindset as a business leader is not as simple as motivational videos and literature may make it seem. The world both inside and outside of your industry has a direct impact on your mindset. Common factors that may impact your professional mindset may include organizational culture,…
Posted On Tuesday, 26 July 2022 00:00 Written by
We have talked about the importance of following the data and knowing the facts. We have addressed how those in the mainstream media, social media “gurus”, and those just trying to generate clicks to support their revenue streams, all like to post big scary headlines without much regard for looking at the truth and the facts before they try and spin their fiction. Housing bubble, foreclosure wave, higher rates stopping purchases, first time buyers can’t afford houses, blah, blah, blah! It never seems to stop. Yes, home resales are off about 18% year over year. Fact, the resale volume is right about the same level of home resales prior to the pandemic. In other words, NORMAL!  Foreclosures and short sales are less than 1% of all transactions. So, what happened to the wave of foreclosures that were going to happen due to forbearance? I’ll tell you what happened, they paid…
Posted On Monday, 25 July 2022 00:00 Written by
Title IX is of particular interest to young people because it prohibits institutions that receive federal funding from excluding students from educational and athletic programs based on sex. In sports, this very literally means that whatever boys/men’s teams are in existence in a school there must be an equal opportunity for girls/women.
Title IX of the Civil Rights Act was signed into law on June 23, 1972 – 50 years ago last month by President Richard Nixon. We as a nation have been struggling with its interpretation ever since. In 1972 I was an inner-city high school principal in the middle of that struggle. My concern was finding enough money in our school’s athletic budget to fund sports that the girls weren’t playing but wanted to.  We didn’t have much schoolyard space but did have interest. How to do it? I remember a conversation I had at another school…
Posted On Friday, 22 July 2022 00:00 Written by
She is a formerly trained classical & opera singer, who for many years hid her healing and spiritual gifts for fear of being seem, being heard and fear of her own light. Back in March 2018 she felt stuck ,weighed down by the feelings that she wasn’t fulfilled and that there was more she should be doing with her life. She knew things had to change and she made the brave decision to stop hiding and really step into her power and capabilities as a healer. She now uses her powerful singing voice for what it was meant for - helping others to heal. Rachel uses sound, energy & intuition to help purpose-driven women get unstuck so they can fulfil their deepest desires & make a lasting impact She works with clients from across the globe to help them free themselves from their past, release heavy emotions & deep pains…
Posted On Thursday, 21 July 2022 00:00 Written by
In part one, we asked an important question regarding the future of customer service technology: Can machines replace human customer service representatives and processes permanently if they find a way to make them empathetic? While machines, artificially intelligent applications, and other types of customer service software will only accelerate in its ability to better serve customers on all levels, it will disrupt the way things are currently done. This disruptive wave transforms the roles of those in customer service positions at organizations of all kinds, but with an Anticipatory mindset, you as a professional or business executive can get in front of these disruptions.
In a recent episode of my new “Opportunity Hour: Conversations with The Masters,” Shep Hyken shared a few examples: “Now there are companies out there that already have voice recognition technology able to authenticate a customer’s account with nearly 100% accuracy within 10 spoken words…
Posted On Tuesday, 19 July 2022 00:00 Written by
Lots of new information to digest and more on its way. As I have said before, you must keep an eye on what can move the markets. Information can be spun to suit the needs or to create and support a particular position, it can also be used to clarify and counter opinions or interpretations of these facts. Here is what I found interesting and some of the reports and data I want to take note of in the weeks to come. Yesterday the CPI report revealed that inflation is hotter than expected and rose to 9.1%. This will likely lead to the FED raising rates by 75 to 100bps at the July meeting the end of this month. This could go a long way in stabilizing the long-term bond market. The PPI report that comes out this morning, the unemployment data, the labor participation rates will help clarify the…
Posted On Monday, 18 July 2022 00:00 Written by
In 2009, Deanna Lambson, a U of U graduate, elementary teacher and mother of 6 decided to help the children at her local elementary school use technology in healthy and positive ways. She discovered that although there were a few lessons here and there saying 'Don’t post personal information!' or 'Be kind online', there was a huge void when it came to teaching kids how to navigate through a media saturated world. No one wanted to touch the topic of pornography. Deanna noted, “No one knew what to say. And no one knew how to say it to little ones as young as kindergarteners." Deanna was determined to change that. She enlisted the help of Sarah Jane Weaver and Lisa Anderson to develop a program to teach principles of media safety in a kid-friendly way. “Our goal is to help kids WANT to make healthy choices online. Our purpose is…
Posted On Thursday, 14 July 2022 00:00 Written by
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