Leadership
The 7-D’s of Success
This month has been a rough one for the Auburn family, as we lost legendary quarterback Pat Sullivan. He played under coach Shug Jordan, along with my friend Dick Schmalz,…
The Weekend
Constructing Memory Lane
Ten years ago this summer, I made a trip to Maine, where I spent a week with the cabinet makers of Thos. Moser crafting a couple of rocking chairs. I…
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A Few Things to Remember
It’s the season for holiday parties, when we’re often catching up with folks we haven’t seen in a while and meeting a few new faces. It’s a good time to…
Community Service
Our Towns
Switch on the tv, and you’ll hear an almost endless stream of negativity. “Our nation has never been more divided,” they say. I have never felt this way about most…
Management
Devil in the Details
Several years ago, I wrote a post about Van Halen’s contract with their promoters. They have a clause in their agreements stating that the band should always be provided with…
Construction Trends
Changing Places: More Bang for the Buck
We have been fortunate to participate in a number of adaptive reuse projects over the years, with the most recent being the conversion of a former industrial warehouse into commercial…
Leadership
When to Hit the Pause Button
At some point in life, I feel like many of us are guilty of reaching that “got to have” goal we set for ourselves and then not hitting the “pause…
Leadership
Behind the Scenes of Land Conservation
Each year, we make a pilgrimage to South Dakota, west of the Missouri River, near the Black Hills, to spend a few days with our friends at Lame Johnny Ranch….
Construction Trends
Nothing is Forever, Especially in Retail.
If there is one constant in life, it’s change. When it comes to habits, things swing one way, then another, before finding the equilibrium for a while. Then the cycle…
Leadership
The Fox and the Hedgehog
A Greek poet by the name of Archilochus famously said, “The fox knows many things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing.” In this conflict, a fox would seem to be…