Amazon: The Evolution Solution/Now the DEFAULT Solution

I published the below article, "The Evolution Solution" on October 30th, 2017. 

In the article I pointed out how Amazon did not just show up, it evolved into what it is today, April 17th, 2020: The Default Solution.

At that time, Amazon's market cap was about $528 billion (about 100 times that of Macy's); today, in the midst of unprecedented historical events which caused rising disruption of industries and employment, it is $1.16 Trillion. 

It is said that, in business, you need a vision, hard work, and a little bit of luck. Amazon has all of those and more than a little bit of luck. 

Prior to the pandemic, our choice was shop at home or go outside. Now, there is little or no choice but to shop at home. And there is Amazon. So Amazon has further evolved into the DEFAULT shopping solution. 

I have discussed this at length with my classes at NYU, and the consensus is that, once the all clear sounds, we will go outside and hug each other. But, our shopping habits will forever change. The memory of the pandemic will be slow to wear off, if it ever does. So our kneejerk, at least for a couple of years, will be to avoid crowds of unknown people. 

I also wrote an article, "Target vs. Walmart- Who is Your Money On?"  in December of 2017 in which I chose Target as the better alternative for growth as they had focused on store improvement instead of obsessing on online shopping and beating Amazon, as Walmart has done. Based on growth up until a few weeks ago, I was right in my prediction. 

Now, I can say that I am not sure. Target will probably want to scramble to improve its online business as a percent of sales, and Target shoppers will respond to that. But it doesn't happen overnight.

Meanwhile, Amazon will continue to grow and improve aggressively, as they have shown the ability to do every time. Jeff Bezos has not stood still since 1994, and there is much more at stake now.

The cherry on the cake is that Amazon is working feverishly to improve Alexa's skills, and she will definitely grow to be our default shopper. Think about it: You don't need to sit at your computer, tablet or mobile and punch keys; you can talk to a pleasant female voice which is a substitute for personal interaction, but yet not have to leave home. 

But what can Alexa do? If you have a smart home, almost everything. But for the rest, Alexa is developing skills daily and Amazon knows that the Holy Grail is turning Alexa into your personal shopper.

And what about Google Assistant? Let's not underestimate Google, which is the world's Toll Road for information. Google is so much the default site for Search that the name of the brand has become generic for Search- Google it.

That said, and as the title of this article would indicate, Amazon is the DEFAULT solution for PRODUCT Search. Not Google. 

And that is only going to grow in the aftermath of this horrible experience we have all been through.

Stay safe and let's do our best to enjoy Spring from our perch. 

Godzilla rises above Tokyo Bay.  People scream and run helter skelter, in total panic. How did this happen? Surely we are dead now….

Thousands of articles written, speeches made, forums held recently about Amazon and the Category Killers (see http://www.isourcerer.com/2017/08/the-category-killers.html) like Inditex, Uniqlo, H&M, Lidl. Many if not most refer to “disruption,” “unprecedented challenges” and cast those companies as if they hatched some sinister plan to destroy retail. OR they just ominously appeared, like Godzilla.

My questions to those sky-is-falling moaners:

1.     What exactly did they “disrupt” except for your business?

2.     When did they start disrupting, or

3.     When did you first realize what they were doing and what effect it was having on your business?

4.     Do you understand any of what is happening to you?

Actually, they didn’t disrupt anything; they just EVOLVED. And you didn’t.

The state of retail today follows Darwin’s theory of “Survival of the Fittest.” Per Darwin, those who figured out a new tool or technology better than others survived. Those that slept, ignored or were ignorant, didn’t.

The rise of these companies who will doubtless dominate retail in the future followed a clearly predictable pattern of evolution. And they themselves have evolved into their present state over as much as 40-50 years time. Let’s take a brief tour through the evolution that brought us to where we are today:

1.     Brick and Mortar- The Shopping Experience

The shopping mall, which is an iconic and important part of our shopping experience, is not a new phenomenon. It can be traced back to the Roman Forum, the Greek Agora, and the medieval market towns. (Smithsonian Magazine). When Congress allowed companies to accelerate depreciation in 1954, this made the upfront investment in building malls much more feasible and possible. Coupled with rural population growth, this was simply the evolution of shopping habits beginning in the 1950’s. Enabled by social and legislative changes.

Why did people flock to shopping malls? For the shopping experience. This is no different than the motivating factor going back to medieval times. In the 19^th and early 20^th century, local neighborhood shopping areas afforded people the opportunity to buy what they needed as well as have a pleasant social experience.

Then, department stores evolved from the neighborhood, promising a big selection, dependable quality and better prices. Sears opened its first department store in 1925 in Chicago, JC Penney some years before that.

The first shopping mall in the US was built in 1956, the Southland Mall in Edina, Minnesota. The last one was built in 2006. (Wikipedia). IN the meantime, more shopping malls were built than was needed given the population, mostly due to the whopping real estate profits that could be made.

Now, with enabling technology, it is no longer necessary to run to the shopping mall to buy what you need; if you want to shop for the entertainment or experience, you also have choices. You can sit at home, just as people did more than 100 years ago with the Sears Catalogue. Simply put, brick and mortar shopping with the department store as anchor has EVOLVED to, “ I can get what I NEED online. For the balance of my shopping experience, I have time for a laser-focused, clear, concise and pleasant presentation of what I should want now or this season.” Solution: Amazon and the Category Killers.

2.     Ecommerce-M commerce?

People shopping remotely is not new.

Sears, enabled by Rural Free Delivery, mailed its first catalog in 1896, almost 30 years before it opened its first store. Sears even sold houses through their Modern Homes catalog starting in 1908 (For $930-$3500)!(Sears Archives) JC Penney produced its first catalog in 1925. (Wikipedia)

Quick-when did Ecommerce first appear? How many of you said 1983?

AT&T produced and distributed Viewtron, beginning with a test in Florida, from 1983-1986. Viewtron was a remote terminal on which you could order merchandise, book flights etc. based on NAPLPS graphics language and sent over phone lines.  The idea failed as people were not accustomed to using technology and did not want to spend the $600 cost.

From there, what we can clearly see the EVOLUTION of what we know today as ecommerce:

1984- First B2C online shopping platform in UK- Gateshead SIS/Tesco

1984- Compuserve Electronic Mall debuts in US

1990- Berners-Lee introduces the first web browser, World Wide Web.

1994- Netscape Mozilla, first secure transaction.

2016- Amazon aided more than 10,000 sellers to generate more than $1million in sales on the Amazon Marketplace.

3.     Amazon and Inditex

Wait- How did we get to 2016? When did Amazon start? Answer: In 1994, as Cadavra, later changed to Amazon with the oh so familiar A to Z logo. So Amazon has been EVOLVING along with the enabling technology for almost 24 years. 

So where was everyone else? Why does Amazon account for almost half of online sales today? Jeff Bezos even said, “There is nothing about our model that can’t be copied over time.” But they didn’t. In 24 years.

Inditex, corporate home of Zara, Massimo Dutti, Bershka, Oysho, Zara Home etc. started in 1963. More than 50 years ago. The first Zara store in US opened in 1989. Almost 30 years ago. By 2010 Zara had 5000 stores worldwide. Today Inditex operates in more than 90 markets worldwide. Only very recently is there frantic talk about “fast fashion” as a force in the retail business. Inditex did not get to where they are in a magic burst. They EVOLVED over time. The shopping experience and the value proposition are what customers want. No discounts necessary to attract customers; the values are there everyday. But when they DO have a sale, well, have you seen pictures of piranha working together to devour a prey?

Other category killers such as Uniqlo, H&M prove that this model, too, can be copied over time. These companies also evolved; those department stores that are closing daily-didn’t.

It can be clearly seen that the phenomena that are Amazon and Inditex did not suddenly appear over Tokyo Bay-they EVOLVED over time with the enabling technology.  Everyone else had the same opportunity to evolve-but they didn’t.

As we follow Darwin’s principles, those who adapt best to the changes and challenges over time, survive. Those who do not, don’t.

My conclusion is: Amazon and Inditex are NOT the problem. They are the SOLUTION-the EVOLUTION SOLUTION.

                                                                                                                       

(Next up: How The Evolved create business opportunities and welfare- and how that changes everything about the business process, including sourcing)

Introduction to my Upcoming Book

Introduction: Where are we and what should we eat?

(Author’s Note: The following is the introduction from my upcoming book, “Travels With Mikey- Global Life of a Business Foodie,” which I am currently working on. The book will be a memoir of my experiences working, living and eating in more than 30 countries around the globe. I may serialize some chapters from time to time. Follow this blog and my LinkedIn page for more news!)

Brooklyn, April 2020- Decades from when this all started and in the midst of a historic pandemic-

How is our personality, our curiosity, our hunger for food and learning, our dreams and goals formed? Many people are inclined to say that our early childhood environment and upbringing is the secret sauce. 

I am sure that factors in, but I am convinced there is more; something deeper in our DNA (don’t ask me to substantiate this scientifically). My strongest evidence is the consistent information that two or more siblings can be so totally different, even with the exact same upbringing and environment.

So it was with me- you analyze my story and tell me if I am right or wrong. 

I was very close to my maternal grandmother, Bella. After East European/Jewish fashion, she was an inspiration to us all. She rarely smiled, but this was part of her Persona. She was the matriarch (my grandfather died when I was very young), and her cooking was legendary in our family. 

Her repertoire included such standards as chicken soup, beef flanken soup, matzo balls, kreplach and other typical Jewish fare. But she had a portfolio of dishes that were not typical, and those were the ones we (literally) fought over: chopped liver, gribenes (deep fried chicken skin), and steaks “grilled” on top of a gas stove.

But nothing compared to her salad. As far as we knew, the only non-vegetable ingredient was salt. So how did it taste so magical? Was it the tossing on her breast?

And, in my preschool years, when I was left in her care in her Coney Island apartment, she would schlep me around with her shopping: To the live chicken market across the street where we would see the chicken’s throat cut so we were sure it was fresh, and then she herself would pluck all the feathers to be sure it was done properly; To Kelly (AKA Aniello Gargiulo) the fruit and vegetable guy where Bella would constantly annoy him with her handling and squeezing of his produce, and to Dave the butcher where I couldn’t keep my fingers out of the wood pickle barrel.

So my fascination with food was born. I couldn’t shake it after that, and it ended up leading me around the world in search of where to eat (after business hours); I am pretty convinced that my passion for food led me to embrace a career that I never intended to consider, in the fashion industry, because it gave me a passport to travel all over the globe in search for the next great Bella.

So my stories are always intertwined with food, and, more often than not, these are the strongest memories I retain of the hundreds of trips to more than thirty countries that I made over the years.

Which is said, in part, to explain why my stories to be told are so liberally peppered with food and dining stories:

1. Because I love food, love to eat, (now love to cook) and love to experience how people produce stellar cuisine;

2. Because, more than anything, a culture is identified by its food, and that is what people are most proud of and most excited to share.

3. Because, in most countries, food and business are difficult or impossible to separate; the better you eat, the better you do business.

Inevitably, you will find siblings that don’t share the same curiosity or desires. Such is my case. So I say, again, yes, it is partially due to upbringing, but we cannot rule out the significant role of DNA.

Born to dine? Maybe.

In between meals, I managed to make and ship hundreds of millions of dollars worth of goods.

Some of the countries and cities that I visited are:

• China (Taught and Lived/Worked more than 13 years total); consequently, I have lots to tell about China;
• Korea/Seoul- Best Casual/Street Food anywhere;
• Singapore- From Raffles to High Rise
• Turkey- Beautiful scenery and amazing food.
• Italy- Food is everyone's main focus, even during business hours;
• Germany- The Black Forest; Rhine Valley and young deer;
• Sri Lanka- A restricted Paradise;
• India- Great people, business and food, crap infrastructure;
• Indonesia- The essence of emerging;
• Guatemala- Where I learned to really speak Spanish;
• Costa Rica- A jewel of a country;
• Brazil- Where I spent my 50th;
• Mexico- T-shirts, Tacos Al Pastor, Goat Machitos, and Escamoles.
• Plus lots of topical chapters such as Main Food.

 I have no regrets about my experience- great people, great business and fabulous food. A win-win, I would say.

Please Help Lotus finish her newest painting

"Our Sweet Homeland" oiginal oil by Lotus Zhang

Please help Lotus finish her newest painting: "Our Sweet Homeland;" Chickens in the Barnyard (like us).

But, she has a question for you. Should she add a red fox to the painting?

Please be kind enough to reply!

Meanwhile, brighten up your life and your barnyard with our colorful solid and patterned high quality shirts- great fun to wear! www.lotusandmichael.com

Post COVID-19 Personal Space and Interactions: How Will We Change?

This week, I gave the following assignment to my Digital Marketing Class at NYU:

Now we are forbidden Personal Distance (physically) and Social Distance is more than 6 feet-
Please answer:
How will that affect future interactions?
Can the internet be an adequate substitute for Personal Distance?
After Corona, Will the internet become a hiding place to avoid physical personal distance OR will people forever long for and cherish it?

The above questions were based on the chapter in David Meerman Scott’s book, “Fanocracy” entitled, “Get Closer Than Usual.”

Wow. That’s a nonstarter now. Even though the book was written before the COVID-19 Pandemic, it still has tremendous validity now in terms of raising questions about three important issues that will face marketers (AND people in general) after the Pandemic has passed and things are back to normal:

1.Will we ever be the same? How will we handle the different levels of person-to-person interaction, one-on-one and in crowds or public situations? Will there be a temporary shyness/reluctance and then go back to Pre-COVID-19 habits? OR, will we be changed forever?
2. Now and in future, can the internet be an adequate substitute for Personal Distance? IF yes, how?
3. After Corona, will the internet become a comfortable hiding place to avoid close physical interaction? OR will people realize how valuable personal contact is and cherish it more?

This is, of course, all speculation but something we should spend some time thinking about- as marketers and as people who will be faced with those questions sooner or later.

I have to liken this event to the asteroid that struck Chicxulub in Mexico some 66 million years ago and resulted in the death of the dinosaurs, and most of the living creatures on Earth at the time: 11 to 50 miles across, it produced climatic changes that invalidated life as it was.

The Black Swan; The Unknown Unknown; the S**t happens with a vengeance that takes us by total surprise, so we can only think about survival. Aftereffects Unknown. The only Known Known is that we who live through it will never, ever be the same again.

First, we need some education, which Scott give us, on the psychological nature of human beings’ distance from each other. Four Categories were coined by David T. Hall, in terms of distance from person to person or person to people, from the outside in:
1. “Public Distance”- More than 12 feet away; lacks precise interactions, just public;
2. “Social Distance”- 4-12 feet away- a stranger
3. “Personal Distance”- 1.5-4 feet away- Family and Friends
4. “Intimate Distance”- 1.5 feet away; lover, family (AKA In Your Face)
Previously, we could manage these distances as dictated by our emotions, mood, marketing or entertainment objective.

But, everything is changed now- While we appreciated Personal Distance from a performer or a speaker in the past, and we experienced either Personal or Intimate Distance as observers or audience, how soon, if ever, will we do that again?

Just as the creatures that survived Chicxulub, we are marked.

So that’s my take; now my own answers to the questions. (Don’t send this to my students:):

Will we ever be the same? How will we handle the different levels of person-to-person interaction, one-on-one and in crowds or public situations? Will there be a temporary shyness/reluctance and then go back to Pre-COVID-19 habits? OR, will we be changed forever? 
This will never wear off in the normal lifetime of the survivors; older people will want to protect themselves, and the younger, more impressionable, will be marked. While we will slowly reconvene to concerts, baseball games, etc. we will always look at them with different eyes. No more Woodstocks. What is more, governments will look to control mass gatherings to avoid potential problems.

Now and in future, can the internet be an adequate substitute for Personal Distance? IF yes, how? NO, the Internet will never be a total substitute for Personal Distance; as David Meerman Scott says, that is how we are hardwired. BUT, marketers and people will strive to find new and engaging ways to communicate so that people will be happy with virtual personal interaction. What is more, Omnichannel will be a virtual drug fix for customers: Wow, I can control the amount of virtual and personal interaction in my life. TELL ME: What will you think about before entering a crowded bar in the next one, two years or more?

After Corona, will the internet become a comfortable hiding place to avoid close physical interaction? OR will people realize how valuable personal contact is and cherish it more? 
Even if not a hiding place, the internet will be a social and commercial sanctuary, embedded in our minds as a medium that can serve us as well as protect us. So, even if not a hiding place, it will be a comfort place for us. First priority for shopping- the percentage of retail attributed to internet will spike in the short run, maintain its growth longer term. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the ecommerce percentage of retail jump to 25% in the short term (now about 15%)

We will never be the same.

Any person, company or family that does not acknowledge the imperative to observe and change is due for disappointment, or worse.

But here’s the Good News: This Pandemic erases all global distinctions between us. So people anywhere in the world have to embrace the fact that we, despite nationalistic jargon to the contrary, we are all in the same space. Hopefully, it will take a big bite out of Ethnocentrism. That is what we longed for all these years; also will separate those who believe this with those who want to f**k over people they consider less critical than themselves.

The bottom line is how we will change, emotionally and rationally, as a result of what we have had to endure. It is said that shocks to the system are what change us; please let me know if you agree with my speculation above; even if you don’t, tell me what you think will happen Post COVID-19.

David grew to love Grateful Dead, as I did the Rolling Stones. That said, we should all find direction in Bob Dylan; whom I consider the poet laureate of our generations.

So, as inspiration, Let’s hook up with Bob Dylan’s work:

"The Times They Are A-Changin'"

Come gather 'round people
Wherever you roam
And admit that the waters
Around you have grown
And accept it that soon
You'll be drenched to the bone
If your time to you
Is worth savin'
Then you better start swimmin'
Or you'll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changin'

Come writers and critics
Who prophesize with your pen
And keep your eyes wide
The chance won't come again
And don't speak too soon
For the wheel's still in spin
And there's no tellin' who
That it's namin'
For the loser now
Will be later to win
For the times they are a-changin'

Come senators, congressmen
Please heed the call
Don't stand in the doorway
Don't block up the hall
For he that gets hurt
Will be he who has stalled
There's a battle outside
And it is ragin'
It'll soon shake your windows
And rattle your walls
For the times they are a-changin'

Come mothers and fathers
Throughout the land
And don't criticize
What you can't understand
Your sons and your daughters
Are beyond your command
Your old road is
Rapidly agin'
Please get out of the new one
If you can't lend your hand
For the times they are a-changin'

The line it is drawn
The curse it is cast
The slow one now
Will later be fast
As the present now
Will later be past
The order is
Rapidly fadin'
And the first one now
Will later be last
For the times they are a-changin'

Springtime In Corona City

Where is Everybody?

We are all too aware of what is going on in our city and world- Except the world itself. A lesson? So I wrote this poem:

Springtime in Corona City

The Birds

Are Singing

The Trees

Are Blooming

The Sun

Is Shining

Don’t they know 

What is going on?

Or are they telling us 

Something?

“Do not fear

Spring will be here.

Do not fret

The best is yet

to come.

Enjoy this moment

And be Fearless

About Tomorrow.”

It all makes sense

if we stop and listen.

What We Learned About Fashion and Sustainability- from Lotus & Michael-The Art of Shirts

We learned. So can you. 

We can all be better for our customers.

After all, what else counts?

Here are some of the lessons we learned and applied, from many years in the fashion industry, which we passionately carried out in our mens and women’s shirt line, Lotus & Michael- The Art of Shirts:

1- There is almost no plastic or synthetic used in our packing, packaging, or shipping? Only the butterfly clip is plastic (not for long!) . Our shirts are wrapped in paper for shipping to us and to you.

Your typical shirt packaging has plastic clips, plastic bag, plastic inner collar band, and plastic buttons- at least. Shipped in cartons with extra cartons inside. Shipped to customer in plastic zip bags. How much global trash for each shirt?

How bad is this?

Mens shirts volume 2019 (3.5 Billion pieces)

Women’s shirts and blouses 2019 about the same

This means 7 billion items packed in plastic (just the SOLD, not including the inventory)

2- We ship the product to our customers in 100% kraft paper custom bag with the shirts wrapped in paper.

We spent a lot of money and time to develop a package that would be waterproof and not consume resources. Some people’s shirts cost less than our bags.

3- Our buttons are mother of pearl, not plastic, which are thinner (easier to button) and stronger?

Plastic buttons have to be thicker, and are more brittle. SO- hard to open and close, and your laundry more likely to break them, oops.

MOP buttons are a natural shell material which does not need to be so thick, and is much easier for people with dexterity issues (or in a hurry) to manage.

Try replacing those plastic buttons when your laundry or machine broke them…

4- Our shirts should be built of high quality and construction materials so our customers’ shirts will last much longer than today’s average, thus reducing disposable clothing waste in the environment.

In the world of textiles, the fatter the yarn, the less time it spent getting spun tightly to provide great quality; like the difference between a coarse and tight rope. Finer yarns can be woven more tightly and create a dense and durable surface. 

Today’s typical shirt will react poorly to the normal wear and tear you give it; 3-6 months, if worn continuously, it looks like shit and you don’t want to wear it any more (or you do and look like you need a handout).

Our shirts will far surpass those requirements; each shirt is tested BY US to meet the highest durability standard available. Ask your current shirt vendor if they do that.

So one of our shirts per, say, 2 years may equal to 4 of theirs. 

NOW, let’s reanalyze the price and the consequences on our environment.

5- We finish our shirts to be wrinkle free, so our users need to spend less time and energy to iron.

Finishing process adds a benign substance that infuses the fibers and lets the shirt look new and wrinkle-free all day, while reducing the amount of heat and time necessary for ironing or pressing.

6- That both our mens and women’s fit has been tested to be flattering and complimentary on most body types and equally well on both genders.

What company today can honestly say they studied women’s shirt fit and they understand it or, more important, even care about it? We did.

We have decades of experience with fit, and we know that, given the right fit, wearers will all look great. If the fit is right, custom fitting will only improve the fits-great equation by 5% (maybe); So we are spending all that money and time on 5%?

Sun Tzu's Six Principles- Wait- 2,500 year old strategy still works today? Yes, It does

REPOST- Still valid after all these years (2500)

Timeless, spot on and still studied today, 2500 years later.  Sun Tzu wrote a lot about Strategy and Leadership, but these six principles are the cornerstone of his teachings, and continue to apply to business today.

First, here they are:

1. Win all without fighting
2. Avoid Strength, Attack Weakness
3. Deception and Foreknowledge
4. Speed and Preparation
5. Shape your Opponent
6. Character-based Leadership

Now, let's look at their application in today's business world:

Principle 1- Win all without fighting

1. Gain business and/or market share without:
1. Spending large sums on gaining that share-eg., advertising; advertise cleverly and use social media for your advantage;
2. Compromising your product by reducing price and/or quality
3. Do not use price as a strategy- fashion merchandising which makes your offering special will get you an advantage (Inditex)
4. Analyze costs of growth- more business does not necessarily mean more spend (Think Big, Be Small)

Principle 2- Avoid Strength, Attack Weakness

1. Find your Market NICHE- what separates you from your competition?
2. Don’t try to COPY dominant product- IMPROVE or REINVENT it;
3. Find a customer who has not been served or served properly;
4. Find a new Geography- eg., urban vs. rural
5. Fill a need- eg., Untuckit
6. Incumbents have more money than you so do not compete head on;
7. Incumbents may not have the will to enter a new market segment-it will cost you less to start up than it will them.

Principle 3- Deception and Foreknowledge

1. THOROUGHLY research and know your market, your customer- what they have, what they need, what their shopping habits and fashion choices (Untuckit);
2. Never stop research and discovery-even for a day;
3. Use all available resources provided by technology (AI, CDP, Social media);
4. Always be first-do something new every day
5. There is no limit on disruption (Amazon)
6. Keep your competition guessing;
7. Know your capabilities- don’t bite off more than you can chew;
8. FOCUS on what you do best;
9. Have better fashion insight than your competitors- hire the team that can see the future.

Principle 4- Speed and Preparation

1. Speed to Market- be faster better cheaper (maybe)
2. Gather the best information available
3. Never give yourself too much credit for what you did yesterday;
4. Prepare your offering with Common Sense;
5. Use the best technology available for information and customer service;
6. Have better and faster service than your competitor;
7. TALK to your customer;
8. Be decisive- sometimes you will fail, but not if you don’t try;
9. Shorten your design/delivery cycle;
10. Think It Through.

Principle 5- Shape Your Opponent

1. Make your competitors chase you- not the opposite- make them play in YOUR sandbox;
2. Second is last- be FIRST
3. Update/change/grow your offering faster than the competition (Apple)
4. Your fashion and product/brand image should be an EXAMPLE your competitors want to follow;
5. Your offering must be simple, accessible, easy to understand and buy.

Principle 6- Character-based Leadership

1. Hire PEOPLE, not RESUMES;
2. Hire by CHARACTER fit, with at least the following characteristics:
1. Courage
2. Will to Succeed and Win
3. Intelligence
4. Loyalty
5. Likability
3. A leader will only succeed with a strong TEAM whose skills complement each other;
4. Build Great Captains, whose character and skills will help you as you grow;
5. Challenge to change and react, never sit;
6. Original Thinking-the Fashion Industry is build on CHANGE;
7. Open- Minded Management
8. Humility- Never get too impressed with yourself;
9. Lead By Example-all the above won’t work if it is not part of your style.

Sounds simple, right? How many of you business leaders can state with perfect honesty that the above is exactly your management philosophy, style and execution? (I can)

When we attend the funerals of those brands and institutions that have passed on, we can look at the above and always find the causes.

Study it. Learn it. Succeed. Or don't.

"Lessons In Manliness from The Old Man And The Sea" by Bryan Schatz and, "The Shark, Or Me" by Me-Lessons for all of us-AND Retailers

I wrote this poem just yesterday; Afterwards, looking for a picture to illustrate, I found the article:
Lessons in Manliness From the Old Man and the Sea by Bryan Schatz

This article is inspirational and great advice, especially now; and, let me be clear- I believe this advice is equally valid for men AND women. I encourage you to read the article (especially if you are an old man or are likely to be), but I will summarize the key points here. And THEN, I close with my original poem about the same subject. Read on:

Lessons in Manliness Summary:
1. "A Man is Not Made For Defeat"
2. A Man Does Not Depend on Luck
3. A Man Bears Pain and Hardship Without Complaint
4. A Man Does Not Boast
5. A Man Finds Inspiration From Others

6. A Man Goes Down Swinging- No Matter His Age

It is this last aspect in my own life that inspired me to write the below poem. I rarely write poetry and feel my style is a big Ogden Nash-y, but this one came out in about 5 minutes. So here it is:

The Shark, Or Me?

A Poem By Michael Serwetz

It doesn’t happen if you sit there and cry;

It happens if you stand up and try.

Then you say, “why me?”

But you should be saying, “why we?”

Because everyone is in the same boat

Like the old man & the sea

who finally said, 

“It’s the shark or me.”

What will you do in the face of the shark?

Will you sit there and cry?

Or, will you stand up and try?

3/18/2020

Here is Me (imagine the fish):

Postscript: I have been consistent with this philosophy, about myself and those in the Retail Arena. In my 2018 Article, "J.C. Penney and Sears-The Hollow Men- An American Tragedy", I closed with the following lines from the great Dylan Thomas:

"Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Let's do that.