Mr. Bill George Presents

Posts Tagged ‘The Corporate Tree’


Radio Edit: Censoring The Competition

In Music on July 26, 2009 at 10:38 AM

Whoa! Have you heard the new song “Boom Boom Pow” by the Black Eyed Peas? It is a pretty catchy dance/pop song this year. Wait… I have a question though. Have you noticed what I have noticed? No? You must have heard the song on terrestrial radio then. You might not have noticed what I noticed unless you have the album or you are a Sirius XM Satellite Radio subscriber. Many of the radio stations nationwide have decided to censor “satellite” from the following lyrics:

… here we go, here we go / satellite radio / ya’ll getting hit with (boom boom) / beats so big I’m steppin’ on leprechauns …

That is right! They censored the word “satellite”. That is pathetic. I have to be honest… this legitimately blows my mind. Radio stations have decided to bleep out the word “satellite” due to the fact that satellite radio is competition. They have treated the word like a curse word. Would you bolt to your closest Best Buy and purchase yourself a plug-and-play satellite radio due to one word in a song? It is not an advertisement, it is a song for crying out loud.

On the other hand, I slightly understand that it would be bad marketing to “advertise” a competitors service by allowing the word to be played but it just seems immature in my book. Now, I have to admit that I am a loyal Sirius XM Satellite Radio subscriber and love it for many reasons including no censorship and no advertisements during music but I am paying for the service. If satellite radio was not that great, I would just listen to the free alternative… terrestrial radio.

However, I need to know something. Is terrestrial radio starting to struggle enough as a “free” means of music to prevent competition to be named in a song being played on their station? I think this is just a ridiculous move by terrestrial radio. In my opinion, this creates more of a reason to become a satellite radio subscriber.

I just needed to get this off my chest here, as The Corporate Tree is more business related. Ummm… I don’t know if I crossed this line like the Black Eyed Peas… are the three words The Corporate Tree going to get censored from this post? What do you think of this type of censorship? Please leave comments and express your opinions. Until next time…

Well… here we go, here we go… satellite radio…

Censored Sirius

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Jimmy Hoffa: Leader With Strength

In Business, Politics on May 29, 2009 at 2:42 PM

Leadership is a characteristic trait that not everyone has. As we all know, this trait has become difficult to find in true form. I am currently writing an article for my own website which centers around the topic of leadership. I had to place that article aside and write this post because it brought me back to a class I enrolled in during my undergraduate studies.

That class was conveniently called Leadership. During that semester, we had to select an individual we felt was a good representation of a leader and present him or her to the class. The professor mentioned various leaders that other students have went forward with like Winston Churchill, Martin Luther King, Mohandas Gandhi, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and Nelson Mandela. Many of the students went with leaders the professor mentioned. However, I submitted my own list of the following individuals to my professor: Bill Clinton, Jimmy Hoffa, and Henry Ford. My professor returned my list and said “Jimmy Hoffa? This is an interesting choice. Please go forward with this.”

Why did I place Jimmy Hoffa on my initial list? That is a good question. I do not even know why he crossed my mind at that time. I have to admit though… the man was a leader of a different breed. He may not have been the most straightedge individual, but he knew how to guide a group of people in the same direction to accomplish a common goal. If you are not sure who Jimmy Hoffa is; he was the President of International Brotherhood of Teamsters. The Teamsters is a labor union in the United States that helps employees achieve proper wages, work rules, complaint procedures, benefits, working conditions, and other various key areas of employment.

Jimmy Hoffa really knew how to rally people together and display a level of motivation that would sincerely empower people. He did not place himself on a higher level than the people he led. He always placed the people he was fighting for first. There is not much footage of Jimmy Hoffa online, but check out this CBC video: Retrobites: Jimmy Hoffa. When given the choice between power or money, he chose power in order to help the workers within the union. In my opinion, Jimmy Hoffa could be placed among some of the best leaders in the United States.

I do not want this post to become a biography of Jimmy Hoffa, so I must conclude with this paragraph. A leader does not always have to be a United States President or the CEO of a company. Some leaders end up turning up on the “dark side” after accomplishing positive objectives but Jimmy Hoffa wanted to help the workers in the United States and did what he could to make that happen. He led with a desire to help the every day man. If you ever get the chance, check out the movie Hoffa, starring Jack Nicholson and Danny DeVito.

Jimmy Hoffa


Impressions: Where Did They Go?

In Business on May 16, 2009 at 9:42 AM

“I don’t know if you’ve ever noticed this, but first impressions are often entirely wrong.” – Lemony Snicket

“I want to make an impact here.” Have you ever heard an individual mention that before? How serious was that individual? Were you that individual? We have all said something along those lines or know someone who has said something like that. I have heard it before but never saw any results. I have see the complete opposite as well. Everyone would like to stand out and make a positive impression. I know I do. However, it seems like many people just think that that so-called “positive impression” is going to come out of thin air. They think that there is no such thing as effort.

I really find it amusing that some people think that effort is no longer a necessity when making a positive impression. They are completely wrong. Effort is such a key factor. I believe that you will always at least get back what you put in. We all know that. That is just the way it goes. If you want to get an ‘A’ in one of your classes, then you better put in ‘A’ effort. If you want your marriage to see its 50 year anniversary, you better put in 50 years of effort. If you want to get that $4 per hour raise at work, you better put in that $4 per hour additional effort. There is a trend here.

When it comes to attempting to make a positive impression, do not… absolutely do not wait for opportunities to come to you. If you want to sit there and wait, then plan on waiting there for a long time. You need to create the opportunity to make that good impression. However, if someone wants to acknowledge your potential and hand you the opportunity… there you go. Take it. Take that opportunity and apply your best effort.

When an individual accomplishes a positive impression (i.e. completes a difficult task with ease), the whole idea sometimes becomes forgotten. The drive to continue displaying positive impressions disappears. That becomes a bad trait. You need to continue setting the bar for yourself. Each time you attempt something, you need to think of it as setting the bar at least one notch higher. That becomes important. It shows the ability to continue growing and the ability to continue applying the required effort to become successful at whatever it may be. Always think that “with one positive impression, another needs to follow.” Do not end at the “first” impression.


Hello CEO… Go Ahead & Fly Privately

In Business, News on April 20, 2009 at 8:25 PM

It has been a while since I have read anything regarding aviation.  However, this past weekend I decided to get back in tune with my roots.  I was reading some past articles regarding companies and their private jets.  Most of them were about how the government discourages the use of this form of “luxury” transportation and the negatives of a CEO flying privately rather than commercial.  Just take a moment and think about it with me.  It is not always about the luxury.  These articles seem to center on words like: luxury, expensive, abused, impractical and so on.

Let me tell you.  If I ever become a CEO of a significant company, I would expect to fly privately.  I would 100% expect it.  Do not put me on a commercial aircraft that flies numerous times a day with 150+ people on board.  Okay, relax… I have my reasons… and they are legit.  I am not stuck up.  I am not materialistic.  I do not feel like I need to be showered with only the best.  I am being reasonable here.  Let me explain why flying privately is beneficial for a company.

Being the CEO of a company is such an important role.  With a great CEO, you have a great company.  We all know examples.  He or she is a public figure, the face of the company.  In my own opinion, there are three major reasons why a CEO or other key individuals of a company need to fly privately.  First… security.  There are limited threats and access to a CEO compared to being on a commercial aircraft with complete strangers.  There are some whacky people out there.  We all know that.  Second… maintenance.  The maintenance done on private jets is incredible.  The owners and companies flying these aircraft expect them to be in perfect working condition and nothing less.  This high level of maintenance allows the CEO to know he or she is safe on their trip.  Third… scheduling.  There is nothing like having multiple meetings in one day around the country and being able to attend all of them with ease.  I have seen it done.  When a CEO from the east coast has a meeting on the west coast, then in the midwest, and finally back up north… it can be done.  The CEO could arrive at the airport, board the jet, and depart the airport getting him or her off the ground before any of the commercial companies can get half their passengers in line to board.  These are not the only reasons why flying privately is beneficial, but they are three great reason why it is beneficial.

Obviously there have been companies that abuse their private jets but realistically, this form of transportation is justified.  They just should not be using a 16-passenger aircraft when flying only three or four people.  Purchase or charter the aircraft that is most practical.  That’s all.  Now, with all that said… go ahead and fly privately.  I support the idea.


Red Bull: A Way Of Life

In Comedy on April 17, 2009 at 11:50 PM

Right there on my desk is the quite familiar can.  I’m staring it down as I try and figure out… “Why do I buy this so-called energy drink?”  I think I have probably drank 1,000 or more of these cans.  I highly doubt I am exaggerating either.  I’m looking at this 8.4 fluid ounce can that costs me about $2.26 each.  That’s right… $2.26 for only 8.4 fluid ounces.  You could get two 2 liter bottles of soda for that price.  It’s not like it really gives me “wiiiiings” like this advertisement states: Red Bull Gives You Wings.  Could it be the slim physique that is the perfect shade of blue and silver with the dueling bulls as its logo?  Honestly, I have no idea.

Red Bull has become a way of life for me.  Anyone and everyone who knows me understands that Red Bull and I have a relationship.  My wallpaper on my iMac contains four Red Bull aircraft painted in the same scheme as the can.  The wallpaper on my iPhone… a Red Bull can.  What is that on my dresser in my bedroom you ask?  Three different types of Red Bull products from Austria (where the product originated).  Some say I am pretty obsessed… wait… they shake their head and say, “you’re addicted.”

Could someone like myself really be “addicted” to Red Bull?  I know it has caffeine and all but… seriously.  Couldn’t I just be like that person who is obsessed with a BMW 5-series car?  No wait.  How about that person over there that is just obsessed with some singer like Jimmy Buffett and his Margaritaville type of music?  Is it bad that I love Red Bull as much as they love their car or their music?

Actually, forget it.  I thought I’d come up with an answer to why myself and so many other people drink Red Bull… I was wrong.  The product is amazing.  The company is amazing.  They hold over 80% of the market share.  I’m not the only one here.  I know I’m not what everyone says… “addicted.”  So, I am not too worried about why I get sucked into buying a can for $2.26 and drinking as if it was my last one.  I’m just going to go ahead and drink this can and enjoy it.  Ahhh… like I said.  It is a way of life… for me at least.