Group items tagged

Although we are comprised of lawyers with unique and diverse backgrounds we share common values and goals

Although we are comprised of lawyers with unique and diverse backgrounds we share common values and goals .

We think about networking as a very modern notion, with our accumulation of virtual "friends," "followers," and people-who-might-be-useful-to-us-someday. To me, it is just an extension of what my people, my family have been doing since 70 AD — making critical connections that enable both our survival.

In 2007, cancer claimed the lives of about 7.6 million people in the world.

In 2007, cancer claimed the lives of about 7.6 million people in the world.

In 2007, cancer claimed the lives of about 7.6 million people in the world.

Before we get onto the positive effects of internet use, let’s start with these much touted negative side effects.

We have a responsibility to protect our oceans for future generations. To help supermarkets and consumers make better seafood purchasing choices, Greenpeace has created a Redlist of the 15 most destructively fished or farmed species, including Atlantic cod, tropical shrimp and some tuna. (Click here for the complete Redlist.) Greenpeace wants supermarkets to stop stocking Redlisted species and develop sustainable seafood policies. The fish on the Redlist are there because fishery and/or production methods have negative impacts on the target species and/or other marine species, lead to ecosystem alterations, have social implications or are poorly managed or corrupt. Each Redlist fish went through the Greenpeace red-grade criteria — one for wild species and one for farmed. During the ongoing assessment process, Greenpeace reviews the most recent scientific research relating to each stock or aquaculture system, scrutinizes government sources and consults grading schemes used by other organizations.

Greenpeace believes the only way to allow our oceans to recover and ensure there are fish for the future is to stop overfishing and destructive practices such as bottom trawling and dredging, while protecting our polar oceans and setting aside no-take areas in marine reserves to safeguard against growing threats from climate change and ocean acidification. In Canada and around the world, progress in marine protection has been slow. Greenpeace is working to step up the pace by lobbying governments and industry.

The connection between our breathing and our emotions has been known since the earliest days of our ancestors. So have the links between our respiratory, circulatory and nervous systems.

Our response to music is universal. And relaxing to music is by no means just a matter of mood and "feel-good-factor". Recent research shows that external rhythms - such as music - do influence internal rhythms.

In its role as a neurotransmitter in the brain it relays our thoughts and feelings such as joy, sadness, pain... and stress! It repairs our cells and fights infection and tumours to help us live longer and healthier... It can increase blood flow by up to 200%, which has numerous health benefits. Not least among them, it allows men to produce erections and heightens sexual stimulation for both sexes. The principle action of Viagra, by the way, is to raise nitric oxide levels... Increasing blood flow also improves the circulatory system by keeping blood vessels clear of plaque and other harmful build-up... Nitric oxide plays a major role in maintaining healthy blood pressure by signalling blood vessels to expand!

Train employees to be respectful of all customers, including children. If employees are kind and engage a child, a parent may be more likely to stay in the store, says Jones. For example, a small business in Valparaiso, Ind.—Flanagin's Bulk Mail—uses coloring sheets to keep clients' children and grandchildren occupied while in the store. Each time a child comes in to her store, the owner, Donna Flanagin, asks the child to color a sheet so it can be displayed on the front door. When the child's birthday arrives, Flanagin sends the coloring sheet and a birthday card to the child. "It costs virtually nothing, yet reminds the parents and grandparents about her business and helps her makes a connection with her customers," says Jones. Make waiting in line an entertaining experience. Nobody likes to wait in line, even for a Disney attraction. But it's a fact of life. At Disney, employees are trained to strike up conversations with guests and to offer useful information about new attractions, fun facts, and upcoming show times. A small grain company in Kansas that learned this concept at the Disney Institute applied the idea to its plain waiting room. Since customers often brought children or grandchildren along, the grain company added magazines and toys and books for kids to its waiting room. The company also trained front-desk employees to let customers know the approximate waiting time and offer tips on less busy stretches of the day, in case customers preferred to return later. Be "show-ready." Your "stage" communicates a lot about who you are. Disney will not tolerate trash and trains all employees to pick it up so that the resorts remain "clean, friendly, and fun." If a leader were to walk by trash without picking it up, it would send the wrong message to staff. For a small business that might not even have a physical location, this concept can be as simple as making sure your Web site is professional and easy to navigate. According to Jones: "your Web site is your front door. If it's not show-ready, it can make or break your business." Keep the show on stage. Disney employees must always follow company guidelines for dress and customer service in guest areas. They can take a break and relax in areas unavailable to guests. As a small business owner, try walking the floor as a customer. Do you see or hear conversations that are best held amid the privacy of employee areas? Can your team members be easily seen by customers as they take a smoke break or talk on cell phones? If so, explain the difference between on-stage and off-stage. Encourage your team to be "assertively friendly." Disney encourages its employees to actively seek contact with guests. For example, they will approach a family that appears confused about its park map or has misplaced its car in one of the vast Disney parking lots. They will proactively offer assistance instead of waiting for people to ask. All these tips require leaders who understand the importance of communications and how to extend the conversation to secondary guests. The effort will pay off. Disney has discovered that if a customer appreciates your store or service and speaks highly of her experience, then her children and grandchildren are likely to become loyal customers, along with their friends, neighbors, and acquaintances.

Ask marketers and advertising experts why Mac users are so loyal, and they all cite the same reason: Apple's brand.

$11 billion in annual sales.