The Imperfect Buddha is the Perfect Buddha
by Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey
Why do we take such exception to authority figures who are less than perfect on the one hand, and find thought leaders who admit to their mistakes more credible on the other? It seems counter intuitive to expect perfection in all areas from those we consider experts...
DON’T CALL IT MUSH!
by Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey
Hot cereals have long been part of the healthy breakfast. Most doctors recommend them as essential for good health, and a tasty alternative to the American standard of bacon and eggs. There are a variety of hot grain cereals to choose, from iconic Quaker Oats and the...
BLINDED BY THE LIGHT
by Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey
Orders for domestic solar roof installations are, well, “through the roof!” As solar power finally becomes mainstream, we thought we’d share our experience with solar. We were early adopters. We put in our first solar array in 1998 and have been using solar to produce...
PROHIBITION GAVE PERMISSION
by Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey
It’s ironic that the same former federal courthouse in downtown Las Vegas that was the site of hearings and criminal proceedings against so many mob members wound up being a tourist attraction in the very town that was, in large part, originally built up by the...
BARIO TO BRAVO
by Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey
We all have them in our towns: 50s-era strip malls with parking in front, originally designed to be convenient to an automobile-oriented society. Simply drive in, get your products and services, and drive out. Not much walking, not much community feeling, and...
WEIGHT, WEIGHT – DON’T TELL ME
by Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey
A microbrew, also known as a craft beer, is produced in a small commercial brewery that produces no more than 15,000 barrels (or just under half a million gallons) of beer per year. Exact definitions vary, but the terms are typically applied to breweries that are...
GROW OR DIE!
by Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey
There’s no treading water in the market stream. Some say, “Sink or swim.” We always like to say, “Swim upstream or get washed out to sea!” What really distinguishes so-called serial entrepreneurs from their cousins, the merchants, brokers, and...
OUR FAVORITE THREE-LETTER WORD
by Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey
We were recently asked by the CEO of an international corporation with over 100 brands, “What is fun?” At first we were taken back by the question because it seems so self-evident. But as we began to think about how to phrase our answer, we realized he intended to use...
THE BRAND BEHIND THE BRANDS
by Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey
For the second year in a row, our client VinoPro again made the Inc. 500 list, showing 190% growth over last year. In 2013, they hit the ultra-prestigious Inc.500 list where they ranked No. 238 with a whopping 1,810% growth. Now, that is something to cheer about! But,...
“YOU REACHED 9 PEOPLE”
by Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey
Without notice to its subscribers, Facebook suddenly changed its algorithms, essentially reneging on its basic brand promise. Remember, the brand promise is not so much what is made by the brand owners as it is the expectations of the brand’s customers, what they have...