A Conscious Movement towards Simplicity and Minimalist

Our country, and our world for that matter, have been on a consumption binge the past few decades or so. We have acquired more "stuff", have more "wants" ..... and practically over-indulge ourselves in materialistic satisfaction.

The sign of the times, amidst the recent recession, causes many of us to re-evaluate our priorities. Such is the motive behind Jen Weigel's article, "Key to Genuine Wealth: Simplicity".

Link to Chicago Tribune

She stresses the importance of time, relationships and values. She encourages the return to a simpler era.

We have all witnessed the many TV programs focusing on the theme of hoarding, OCD and other similar mental disorders. These problems are the culmination of society's addiction to flaunting one's belongings, such as a bigger house, a nicer car, or more brand named items in clothing and so on.

Perhaps the bad economic climate is a much-needed jab in the arm, a wake-up call of sort, to help us adjust our priorities and our role in society. Perhaps it is necessary to travel down the path to a simpler, more humble and more minimalist way of life.

2 cents: "The End of Management" - Alan Murray, Wall Street Journal

DoTakeItPersonal.com would like to chime in on this article, because of the relevance to many who are living the typical office cubicle life such as the portrayal in "Dilbert".

Link to WSJ.com

It is unbelievable how destructive the management layer has affected many a start-up company's lifeline. In fact, such is the case for many established corporations that are in the growth and expansion stage as well.

So often, the existence of managerial "decision-makers" cripple the ability of those who are perfectly capable of doing fantastic things for the company. These "peons" are capable of governing/managing themselves, they are capable of making money for the company, and sometimes, even saving the company money along the way. Unfortunately, with a select few who are only there to give orders and to do nothing more than watching others perform their jobs ..... companies that are financially sound and thrive in the marketplace ..... become entities of bureaucracy and red-tape.

This is especially true in a sales department in which a sales manager provides absolutely no value to the organization other than pretending to be an "expert" on sales forecast, project management and economic outlook analysis. Of course, such an individual's main function is to monitor the rest of the sales team members daily like a "watchdog".

Any company, ever since 2007, who still believes in having such a managerial layer, deserves to falter. It really doesn't matter how big the company is, or how small it is. It really doesn't matter what industry is serves, or what demographics its customer base belongs to. By all means, it really doesn't even matter how wealthy it is and where it is physically located. At the end of the day, the fact of the matter is that we no longer conduct business like before, times have changed ..... hence, the pace and speed of execution have changed, rendering the need for greater ownership among employees/"peons" to contribute to the employer. This model also means a more direct relationship between the company and those who perform actual tasks that keep the organization rolling along. The direct process eliminate the need for a managerial layer and the folks who consider themselves "managers".

The Heavenly Seven Top Social Media Gurus and Corporate Bloggers

Social Media is now an essential part of any company's marketing and PR strategies. However, the person in such a role must be capable of managing the most intricate of human emotions. The top Social Media Gurus are expected to have the special skills to relate to the Web masses, and be able to fend off negativity in a calm, cool and composed manner. It is definitely not a job for the faint of heart. Each and every action is in the public spotlight under the scrutiny of an Internet audience that spans the globe. The knowledge and experience, as well as writing abilities of these individuals cannot be under-estimated. They are practically carrying the weight of an entire corporate image on their shoulders. And after scouring the Web extensively from end to end, these are the 7 best Social Media Gurus and Corporate Bloggers, according to the expert opinion of DoTakeItPersonal.com


Kelly Groehler(Best Buy) - Kelly Groehler is the Senior PR Manager at Best Buy. Best Buy launched a major advertising blitz to promote its social media initiative, TwelpForce, as a channel to establish stronger ties with its customer base. Kelly and the thousands of Best Buy employees can be reached using Twitter @KellyGroehler and @TwelpForce.


Eric Ketzer(Charter Communications) - Eric Ketzer is the Social Media Communications Manager who transformed Charter's ability to address customer service on a whole new level. Eric now leads a team of five who utilizes Twitter as the primary form of troubleshooting, and technical support. He can be reached via Twitter @Umatter2Charter.


Frank Eliason(Comcast) - Frank Eliason is the Director of Digital Care for Comcast. He is credited for spearheading an effort to soften the corporate image of Comcast in the eyes of the public, by promoting the phrase, "Comcast Cares". This effort has produced some positive sentiments and helped improve the reputation of Comcast. Frank's blog is linked here and his Twitter account is @ComcastCares.


Jeff Heng(Elcometer) - Jeff Heng is responsible for Marketing/IT/Software Apps/Web Dev Strategies, according to his official profile at PaintTestStore.com, which is a website managed by Elcometer. Jeff has been the driver behind all of Elcometer's social media efforts, including his blog, the Facebook Business Page, the YouTube channel and Twitter @ElcometerUSA.


Scott Monty(Ford) - Scott Monty is the Head of Social Media at Ford Motor Company. He joined Ford in July 2008 and is officially responsible for Global Digital and Multimedia Communications. Scott runs a blog at ScottMonty.com and is very active on Twitter(@ScottMonty).


Matt Cutts(Google) - Matt Cutts is the Head of Google's Webspam team. His primary role is in optimizing search quality and accuracy. Matt is very well-respected within the SEO community and has indirectly become the face of Google's Social Media through his blog and Twitter(@MattCutts).


Jennifer Cisney(Kodak) - Jenny Cisney, as she is known around the blogosphere, is the Chief Blogger for Kodak. Her writings can be found at two Kodak sites, namely "A Thousand Words" and "Plugged-In". Jenny is also very active on Twitter(@KodakCB).

Do we even fully know the extent Wall Street is screwing us all?


The answer is probably not, because if Matt Taibbi's report in Rolling Stone back in July 2009 is any indication, all of us are simply little game pieces on a giant board game known as the "US Economy".

Virtually everything relating to the way our lives are being lived from day to day, the financial engine that shapes our routine of transactions on a daily basis, are directly and indirectly affected.

Roger Lowenstein's article in the New York Times, "The Way We Live Now - Walk Away From Your Mortgage!"

When will the American people stage a public outcry in response to Goldman Sachs ?

Link to article on lawsuits against Goldman Sachs bonuses adding up to more than its total earnings.

Fellow American taxpayers and voters, when are you going to stop bickering, bitching and complaining about political parties and start taking actions ? All these stupidity against a political party, whether it is the Republicans or the Democrats, are downright ridiculous when the real bottom-line is that they are all in the "game". Yes, in case some of you are still as dumb as a rock, both Democrats and Republicans have their hands and their feet with Wall Street. It is time to take it personal, for yourself and the people you care about, your family and community.