This letter is to certain members of Corporate America-and you know who you are:

I believe that I have earned the right to talk to you about business. After all, as the richest man in Bedford Falls, I have achieved the type of monetary success that few people will ever have. 

As I sit here dictating this letter to you, I must admit to having some mixed feelings. On the one hand, I want to congratulate you on choosing to do business the way I would. I love it when you raise prices prior to a "sale," so that the customer thinks he is getting a bargain. I think it is terrific business when you coerce a customer to tell you what she wants to spend, under the guide of "helping her", only to then raise the price of the good or service to what she told you she wanted to spend.

I have spoken with your sales employees who have been taught by you to lie and cheat to push  products and services on your customers. I have visited your real estate developments, driven your cars, eaten your food and worn clothing that was made as cheaply as possible to increase your profits.

I am amazed that you have invested more of your resources in something known as "search engine optimization" (quite frankly, I am not sure what that means) while you seemingly reduce or eliminate investing in your employees and customers. It is fantastic to see you get more excited about a new software upgrade, computer system, building method, and/or marketing campaign than you do about your very own people. I enjoy seeing your people stuck in an endless trap of non-advancement, while still instilling in them a sense that they should feel privileged and honored to work for your company.

So what if they call you "Mr. Potter" behind your back? So what if they call your development, your company, your store, dealership or anything else, "Pottersville?" Who cares if 60% of your employees don't like working for your company?

After all, why effectively train people you can replace? If they want to leave, regardless of the thousands of dollars that you have invested in them and how talented they really are, let them go right? If they're foolish enough to leave your company and take their talents somewhere else, because they are disillusioned and discouraged, those aren't the people you want.

Yet with all of these things, I see that the there is another gathering at the Bailey residence and this leaves me feeling conflicted. I saw Mr. Martini bringing over some food, Mr. Gower the pharmacist was by earlier with some medicine for the children (I don't think George Bailey even paid for it), Ernie the cab driver picked up little Zuzu from school (again, no charge) and Bert the policeman is roasting a chicken for the Baileys right now. If I am not mistaken, I think some of the other townspeople are carrying a basket full of money to the Bailey home?

Even through my insulated window, I can hear the sound of the piano playing, Christmas carols being sung and, can you believe this, I believe that I just heard George being called "the richest man in town." I don't understand it. George is a lousy businessman and he is only in this mess because he didn't listen to me and take more of those people's money when he had the chance.

Thankfully, some of you are listening to me! 

The rest of you in Corporate America, who have found a way to create profits, be sustainable and responsible, while still valuing your employees and clients, and taking the time to know and develop meaningful relationships with your people, your customers and your community- I don't think there is any hope for you; and you are giving the rest of us "Potters" a bad name.

After all, everything in business is only about money right?

Still, I wonder...I am the real "richest man in town," aren't I?

Yours sincerely,

Mr. Henry Potter

(As dictated to Rommel Anacan)

How do you explain a tragedy like that which happened in Newtown, Connecticut just a few days ago? How do you explain someone killing his own mother? How do you explain someone walking into an elementary school and choosing to murder 20 children, all first graders, and eight adults? How do you make sense of it?

I've read people make the case that more gun control could have prevented this tragedy. I have read articles from people who have said that looser gun laws and/or arming the teachers could have prevented this. The truth is, we'll never know if anything could have prevented this tragedy. 

I do know that we will probably never ever make sense of what happened. How can we? Even if investigators find some type of motive or reason, that justified the killer's actions in his mind, I don't think we can ever make sense of something so senseless. 

Yet as human beings we want to find answers, don't we? We want to create some good out of bad. We crave it. We need it. We look for it. 

Here is the only thing I can be sure of in the aftermath ... and it has nothing to do with gun control or gun rights, being soft on crime or tough on crime, whether you vote Republican or Democrat ...

Evil exists. 

And the only way to combat evil is with good. This is the story and the battle of the ages, isn't it? The battle between good and evil. Those who would do evil try and convince us to not only do evil, or do bad, but to turn a deaf ear and a blind eye to situations that require our good. 

There is an oft-quoted statement, attributed to several people that says, 

"All it takes for the forces of evil to prevail is for enough good people to do nothing."

So I ask you...what can we to do to help the cause of GOOD today?

In this highlight from "It's a Wonderful Movie: Understanding People the Hallmark Way", I talk about why understanding people is so critical to your success. 

I recently read a thought-provoking post from Brent Williams from Multifamily Insiders about whether or not multifamily communities should use Facebook as part of their marketing strategies. 

While people differed on their opinions of whether Facebook and other social media was worth the time and effort, based on a variety of factors, the one thing that seemed to “pop up” consistently was the idea that if you have chosen to enter social media you need to make sure that you are doing it “right.”

Author and social media expert Scott Stratten says that “social media is human.” The appeal of social media is that people can connect with companies in ways that are more engaging, interactive and natural. In short, social media has the power to “humanize” companies, when done right. 

How do you know you’re ready to do ‘social’ right?

In this highlight from "It's a Wonderful Movie: Understanding People the Hallmark Way" I discuss what really makes people feel important and successful. 

Okay, I am on a Hallmark movie kick right now! But why not, it is Christmas! 

One of my favorite Hallmark Christmas movies is "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year." In one of the beginning scenes, Ralph (a retired New York cop portrayed by Henry Winkler) is in an airport and doesn't quite know where to go or what to do. As he scans the monitors to figure out what gate he needs to go to, a person runs into him with a baggage cart. 

Indignant, Frank yells (in his New Yawker accent), "Hey, I'm standing here!" The airport baggage handler simply ignores him and continues on his way. (I won't spoil the rest of the plot, but it is a great movie!)

Just recently I was at our local IKEA when someone, with a shopping cart, decided that he absolutely had to pass through right where we were standing. Not to the left . . . not to the right . . . but right where we were standing. 

I originally wrote this post last Christmas season. Yet, the message still resonates with me a year later and I hope it does for you too! 

There was a time in my life when I wanted a ginormous mansion, with marble, travertine and granite everywhere. I admit, I wanted a home so big that I would need an intercom to be able to call out to my family in the other wings of our chateau. I fancied a Jaguar in the driveway, perhaps a Mercedes-Benz in the garage and a Lexus for "roughing it." 

But now, I'd really like a nice, comfortable home in a small(er) town. The kind of home that says "Hallmark Movie." You know, the types of homes you see in a Christmas movie where everyone comes from wherever they are in the country and as soon as they walk into the door they know they  are "home." I picture a brick fireplace, wood floors, French doors, a wraparound veranda and the smell of apple pie baking in the oven.