As I sit down to write this, I can’t help but think of a certain line from one of my favorite books—The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy: “So long, and thanks for all the fish.” Douglas Adams captured the bittersweet absurdity of goodbyes so perfectly, and it feels...

Five years ago, I was invited to give a presentation to a group of entrepreneurs and small business leaders in a program series entitled "Meeting of the Minds." The host of the program, local entrepreneur Annie Singh-Quern, told me that I could talk about anything. I...

Last week, a friend of mine, who rarely calls me, did that very thing. Noticing that it wasn’t a spam call, I answered. He asked me a simple non-work-related question, but I didn’t have the answer. The dialogue went like this: My friend asked, “Do you know when the...

Thirty years ago, I completed my MBA in Finance at Georgia State University. As a math/computer science undergraduate, it seemed logical for me to extend my learning to know more about how to apply my love of numbers to the practical concerns of business management...

Let me start out this article by getting to the main point — 2024 is going to be a year of change and adjustment for businesses of all sizes, but particularly small, local businesses. We all had to adjust to the changes brought on by COVID a few years ago. I think...

Happy Holidays and hello, winter. It’s Christmas for some, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and Winter Solstice for others. No matter what you celebrate, it’s customary to gather together with our families as we wind down the year. This time of year is not only a time of...

Yes, I use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to help manage my small business and I think it’s something you should consider as well. During my time in the Army, we used the term "force multiplier" to describe any technology or strategy that amplifies the effectiveness of...

Ah, Halloween. The time of year when the air turns crisp, the days grow shorter, and shadows play tricks on our eyes. Just as children brave haunted houses and spooky trails for the thrill and candy, many of us small business owners navigate our own labyrinth of...

The traditional end of summer is usually marked by the three-day Labor Day Weekend, even though summer technically ends in a few more weeks during the Autumn Equinox. Here in the metro Atlanta area there's always a lot of events going on during the three-day weekend -...

EDITOR’S NOTE: In a Citizen exclusive, columnist Joe Domaleski shares his thoughts on the occasion of his company's twentieth anniversary.  Congratulations to you Joe and the entire CFC team. Pinch me, I think I’m dreaming – the one-man company I started with a small...

If you're a business owner or a professional service provider, inevitably you will be asked for free stuff, free advice, and free help. Honestly, most of us have asked for free stuff – it's human nature. However, there's a right way and a wrong way to do it. I dread...

If you've served in the military, you likely chuckled or smirked upon reading the title of this article. I, too, have vivid recollections of numerous "hurry up and wait" scenarios during my time in the Army. For those of you unfamiliar with the term, allow me to shed...

Recently, one of my team members attended a presentation about online marketing. I asked her for a report about the event upon her return. Even though we are a marketing agency, it is important that we stay abreast of the latest trends and technologies. Thus, we...

When I started our business twenty years ago, I worked from home and coffee shops around Fayetteville and Peachtree City. With a laptop, a good cup of coffee, and a stable internet connection, I could do pretty much everything I needed to do in order to build...

This is our twentieth year in business! I know I said that in last week's column, but I'll say it again because it's hard to believe. In my very first column for this newspaper, I shared why i started a small, local business.  It's been a great ride with lots of ups...

This is our twentieth year in business! Owning my business, Country Fried Creative, has been one of the most fulfilling things I’ve ever done, but it’s also been one of the hardest. When times are good, everyone is your friend. When times are tough, friends are...

When was the last time you went against the grain and did something or went somewhere because it was the less popular thing to do? In a world that often urges conformity and follows an algorithmically generated path, there is something undeniably alluring about taking...

In a fast-paced, competitive world, many people seem to be drawn towards sources of short-term media success that are mean-spirited, self-indulgent, or aggressive. As I've gotten older, I've become more inspired by "rocking chair" wisdom that comes from quiet...

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what matters most in life. This past weekend, my daughter Tori got married in a beautiful wedding ceremony near Park City, Utah. It seems like not too long ago, Mary Catherine and I walked down the aisle. Years have passed, the...

Over the Memorial Day weekend, my wife Mary Catherine and I completed the Murph Challenge. The Murph Challenge is an annual fitness event and tribute workout that honors Lieutenant Michael P. Murphy, a Navy SEAL who lost his life in combat in Afghanistan in 2005. This...

For most people, Memorial Day has become the official start of summer. Although Memorial Day and summertime have become associated in popular culture, they hold vastly different meanings. While summertime symbolizes graduations, relaxation, leisure, and a break from...

This past weekend was Mother’s Day, and our family enjoyed some quality time together. Although our kids are grown adults, we still enjoy getting together to go on adventures, play games, and dine together. We did all three of those things for Mother’s Day, and it was...

Over the weekend, I stopped by a local food establishment with the intention of grabbing a donut and a cup of coffee. Seeing the drive-thru line wrapped around the building, I opted to go inside and place my order since I was in a bit of a hurry. Although I expected a...

Hello fellow Star Wars fans! May the Fourth is an unofficial holiday celebrated by Star Wars fans like me around the world on May 4th every year. The date is based on a pun of the famous Star Wars phrase "May the Force be with you," as "May the Fourth be with you."...

This past Saturday was Earth Day, and what a nice spring weekend it was! From community festivals to art shows, our local community here in Fayette County was filled with lots of great outdoor activities. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like nature. During this...

Have you ever found yourself in a meeting or discussion where nobody wants to be the first one to speak up? That can be a challenging situation in which the silence is “deafening”. Leaders often find themselves in situations in which they have to initiate dialog. It...

This past Saturday, my wife Mary Catherine and I participated in an orienteering meet at Chattahoochee Bend State Park. Despite the torrential downpour, waterlogged flood plains, and cold wind, we managed to find all of our control points. We were out there for quite...

Happy Spring, everyone! As the days get longer and the weather gets warmer, it's a great time to revitalize your business and give it a fresh start. The first quarter of the year is over, and it's likely that you have a good grasp of what's working and what's not...

Recently, I was asked to share some of the things I did to start and grow a successful company that is now celebrating its 20th year in business. Without hesitation, I said that the ability to network and make in-person connections in the local community may be the...

Last Friday was St. Patrick’s Day, the one day of the year when we all wear green and contemplate such profound topics as “luck.” But how does one cultivate luck in business? It's a great question that has a pretty straightforward answer rooted in history. The Latin...

Managing an organization, team, or project almost always involves a fair number of details to consider and decisions to make. Whether you’re managing people or providing prompts to an Artificial Intelligence (AI) chatbot, it’s important to provide the right level of...

Cutting off someone’s service due to non-payment is one of those rarely needed, but often necessary business tasks and I really don’t enjoy it. This is not a skill they teach you in business school, nor is it something that I can easily delegate to someone else as the...

Over the weekend I had the unique opportunity to endure two periods of physical discomfort by choice. The first opportunity was the GORUCK Trailblazer event at Piedmont Park. Over a period of four hours, a group of 27 of us (including my wife) endured the physical...

Social media is everywhere, but what should a business leader do with it? Let’s define what it is. I really like this definition from Tufts University Office of Communications and Marketing - “Social media refers to the means of interactions among people in which they...

Q uite often we have a need to pass something along in life and in business. Since the Super Bowl just happened (congratulations Kansas City Chiefs), it seems timely to use football as an analogy. During a football pass, a team generally calls the play ahead of time....

S ome years ago my boss (and mentor) was reviewing one of my project plans I had prepared for a project I was about to manage. He made the comment that my project tasks were “necessary but not sufficient” to get the project completed. That simple phrase made a big...

I ’ve often heard it said that there are three main functions in a business or organization - sales, operations, and finance. Like three legs on a stool, each of these functions is needed to ensure stability and balance. Sales, sometimes called business development,...

I am not sure if it’s my age, the times we live in, or the fact that I deal with lots of people in my work but selective memory has become a real problem lately. Please know that I am not a counselor or therapist so I’m going to use the term “selective memory” in a...

The ability to look at things in a new light is a powerful, but often overlooked skill. In today’s disposal society, it has become commonplace to discard the old and bring in the new. This applies to resources, situations, and even people. Rushing to replace something...

It’s a new year and with that comes new challenges and new opportunities. Heraclitus, a Greek philosopher, has been quoted as saying "change is the only constant in life." Indeed, change is inevitable and is part of the life experience. Sometimes change is external...

Welcome to a new year. Last week, most of us lost track of time as we entered that strange week between Christmas and New Year’s Day. This week, it’s back to work, school, or whatever it is that you do regularly. Some of you are contemplating resolutions for the new...

Have you ever said or heard, “hope is not a strategy?” Taken at face value, that seems to be a self-evident truth. One simply can’t wish the way to a better future. Just thinking or dreaming about something doesn’t make it happen. We live in a data-driven world in...

It's been an interesting year for our company. This time last year we won the 2021 Fayette Chamber Small Business of the Year Award and ended 2021 on a high point. Despite a slow first quarter in 2022, business really took off starting last spring and into early fall...

With a title like that, you’d think this would be an article better suited for Halloween. Rest assured, we won’t be talking about ghosts, apparitions, or other haunted spirits. What we will explore is the concept of “ghosting”. Ghosting as a term first gained...

The struggle is real, especially during this holiday season. How do I provide effective leadership by finding the balance between what I’m thinking (head), what I’m feeling (heart), and what I’m actually doing (hands)? Let’s explore each of those three concepts in...

As a society, we’ve gotten comfortable - perhaps too comfortable. When we turn on the faucet, we expect clean water to flow. When we turn on the light switch, we expect the lights to come on. When we’re ready to eat, we pop something into the microwave, and out comes...

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! It’s that time of the year when we use a traditional celebration of the harvest to express thankfulness for all of the blessings of the past year. We most often associate the Thanksgiving holiday with family and friends. I’d like to extend...

Happy birthday to me. Over the weekend, I turned 55. To quote country music star Toby Keith, “I ain't as good as I once was, but I'm as good once as I ever was.” Instead of complaining about the aches and pains of being old or ranting about how times have changed, I...

You are not alone, although you may feel that way. This is a difficult time of the year for many people. As we edge closer to the holidays, there is a push to get things done before the end of the year. Stress and anxiety build as we try to live up to expectations of...

H appy Halloween! As I write this column, our community is decorated with pumpkins, ghosts, skeletons, and other objects associated with scary things. Whether you personally celebrate a happy fall festival or a scary Halloween, I thought it might be a good time to...

H ave you used the phrase, , “lead, follow, or get out of the way”? I know that I have and I hear it said in meetings, read it in business books, and see it on social media posts. It’s a phrase that stuck with me long ago and something that still resonates with me...

A s the Chief Executive Officer of my business, Country Fried Creative, it’s been my job to steer our organization through good times and bad. Along the way, I’ve worked with some great folks. Over time, two, in particular, have stood head and shoulders above the...