Jun 072011
 

Ev Ehrlich over at High Tech Forum wrote an excellent piece yesterday about some recent comments by Google’s Eric Schmidt. According to Schmidt there are four megafirms right now executing well on what he calls “platform strategies” – Google (search), Apple (gadgets/ecosystem), Amazon (online retailing) and Facebook (social connectivity). It’s a good piece, and even […]

Jun 022011
 

Last weekend Gabriele and I took a drive to the outskirts of Fairfax for dinner at Villa Mozart. We’d been in a bit of a “favorite restaurant” rut, and someone I met through work recommended the restaurant highly. The restaurant is small and quaint, and there is an atmosphere of fine dining from the moment […]

May 312011
 
E36 M3 Appreciation - 12 Years and Counting

My E36 M3 turned 12 in April, and is going as strong as ever. It was a busy month on the car front for me, with me purchasing a beautiful 2002 M5 and putting my 2001 530 on the market. Neither of those things lessen my appreciation of the M3, however. In the past I’ve […]

May 282011
 

Here’s my second installment of Parente on Parker, with me reviewing some of Robert Parker’s picks of the world’s best wine values $25 or less. Today I’m discussing two Pinot Noirs that we definitely do not see agree on. I then suggest two others that are really good and should have been included in his […]

May 252011
 
Putting the Band Back Together

One of the tenets of running a professional services company is to follow good executives. All engagements end eventually, and sometimes it’s because the decision maker who brought Strategic in moves on. When you’ve demonstrated success working with a client,  obviously they will look to put the “band” back together when they land at their […]

May 202011
 

Recently I’ve seen an increase in discussion around companies and organizations producing their own content. I’m not talking about marketing collateral, but true editorial content that educates and entertains. Some call this sponsored content, curated content, or content marketing. In the end it’s the same thing — producing your own “news” and sharing directly with […]

May 172011
 

Welcome to a new feature on Work, Wine and Wheels. Periodically I’ll be looking at selections from Robert Parker’s “The World’s Best Wine Values Under $25,” and comparing his notes to mine. It should be fun for me and (I hope) entertaining and informative for my readers. The two wines reviewed below are the 2008 […]

May 132011
 
Burson and Facebook Embarrass Themselves

Previously on this blog I’ve stated that I love the B2B/B2G focus on my agency. We don’t try to sway the masses, manipulate legislation or try to rehabilitate the reputations of foreign dictators. We help our clients achieve their business objectives — sell more of their stuff/services to be blunt — using social media channels. […]

May 102011
 
Selling a Car Private Party

I’m currently selling my 2001 530i private party, and I recently bought a 2002 M5 the same way. When it comes to cars, if convenience is paramount to you and you don’t mind spending more when purchasing or losing money on a trade-in, stop reading this post now. But if you can devote just a […]

May 042011
 

Recently Gabriele and I celebrated our anniversary in Key West, Florida. The most enjoyable dinner we had was at a relatively new place recommended by a discerning client of mine, Blackfin Bistro. We dined there early in the week, and snagged a table right near the door. So the pageantry of Duval street filtered by […]

Apr 282011
 
Protecting Your Online Reputation - Yourself?

“Things published on the Internet live forever.” Most everyone has heard that maxim. In the earlier days of the Internet it meant be really careful about what you publish online, because it will never go away. That of course remains great advice. As the Internet has become more central to our lives the term has […]

Apr 262011
 
Fog Light Bulb Replacement on the E39 M5

This past weekend I swapped out the fog light bulbs in my new (to me) E39 M5. I had hoped my first post after purchase would be detailing how I adjusted the PSS9 suspension. But I don’t have all the answers I need, so that will have to wait. The stock fog light bulbs on […]