Dan Liutikas Posts

Just when I thought every conceivable use for an iPhone had been devised, along comes another app to prove me wrong. I recently stumbled upon the ‘Fake Conversation’ app which lets me setup a bogus call along with a phony ringtone, display and voice feedback just to complete the deception! I’m not sure what bothers me more; that the demand for a sham call program is so great or that a software developer actually sat down and built it. From fake beer goggles to a mirror program that uses the fron ...

The recent U.S. election inspired this week’s discussion on the value of public advocacy for our industry.  While we are privileged to live in a free and democratic country, navigating the political landscape and ensuring your voice is heard may conjure up thoughts of David facing down Goliath. This is especially true for small businesses that often do not have its own public advocacy group or access to people who care for their concerns in Washington. But you can stand up and be heard; not with ...

It’s been a tough football game. Your team is down by four points but has the ball on your own twenty-yard line with less than two minutes to go and no time outs remaining. The coach has given the quarterback several plays that he believes will accomplish the short-term goal: to get the ball in the end zone and allow the team to win the game. After several well-executed plays, the quarterback is faced with what could be the last chance to score; third down and eight yards to go. He takes a time ...

With Halloween rapidly approaching and increased reported sightings of vampires, werewolves, zombies and other creatures from the netherworld; I can’t help but note the similarities between these creatures and a business transformation gone awry. While no one would intentionally transform their organization with visions of ghoulish, brain eating zombies as a potential outcome; a company reminiscent of the walking dead could be the unintended result of poor planning and execution. Despite the ris ...

In one particularly memorable episode of The Simpsons, Homer joins a secretive organization similar to many of today’s service clubs.  When Marge asks him about the new club, he exclaims “It's wonderful Marge, I've never felt so accepted in all my life. These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined.” This quote is particularly funny since it seems to occur so often—sometimes joining an organization can truly be this impersonal and seemingly ...

We all need community. Through relationships, both business and personal, we receive support and can support one another. Through community we can interact, share and develop valued programs and solutions to our problems. These connections also allow us to make the world a better place. Business owners can often feel isolated when facing threats on their own, wondering many times if they are the only one facing a particular problem. Whether facing the current economic climate, keeping pace with ...

A friend of mine (in his early thirties and in good health by all appearances) recently went in for his annual medical checkup, where his physician notified him that his cholesterol was dangerously high. Without the intervention of his doctor, he would likely have faced serious health problems at some point in the future. But a few simple changes in his lifestyle reversed the condition, putting him back on a path of good health. In much the same manner, a recent routine trip to my mechanic resul ...

Just prior to Super Bowl III, Joe Namath famously guaranteed “we’re gonna win the game, I guarantee it,” in response to taunts from a particularly loud Colt’s fan.  Johnny Sample, the Jets defensive captain, reflecting on Joe’s rash promise said “…we all thought we'd win the game. We had studied film on the Colts and we were really confident. But to make a guarantee?” The rest of the story is history; under enormous pressure, Joe Namath delivered on his promise and brought both the AFL and the J ...

On January 24th 1848, James Marshall found gold while working on Sutter’s Mill in northern California.  Word of this discovery spread quickly throughout the state, then extended like wildfire to the rest of the country and the world. It wasn’t long before everyone in the free world understood that fortunes could be made mining for gold in California. The result was an influx of treasure hunters who increased the population of this formerly remote area by as many as 86,000 p ...

There is nothing like watching a courtroom drama on TV when the prosecutor has the suspect on the ropes and is slowly wringing him in with the final line of questioning. Whether you’re a fan of Law & Order (insert your favorite version here), JAG or any other show with a legal theme, you likely root for the good guys to prevail in the end. When the situation occurs on television, it’s entertaining. But when you’re called into court to face criminal charges or answer a civil lawsuit in real l ...