Madison+Main Weekly Report for August 12th, 2016
On the Menu Tonight: Elephant
Hey folks,
One of all-time my favorite quotes is “when eating an elephant, take one bite at a time.” U.S. Army General Creighton Abrams said that years ago and it has become a great mantra for business people. Essentially, it is figurative speech that reminds you to tackle really big projects in small pieces and, more importantly, to do that sequentially. When I speak to young people, I have to qualify this phrase, because most millennials are very literal, and if I start talking about eating elephants, they recoil in horror and report me to PETA.
Whether it’s a big project at work or planning for a wedding (I have two colleagues that are going through that process right now), my best advice is to “eat the elephant one bite at a time.” Getting back from vacation this week, I took my own advice and started with a pile of 593 emails. I opened them and then deleted them… one at a time.
About fifty of those e-mails were praise for Communications Manager Kent Brockwell, who did an outstanding job with last week’s Weekly Report.
“Even better than Dave’s Weekly Report. Love it!!”
—Wayne Boggs, Richmond Alarm Company
“LOL”
—Sen. Glen Sturtevant
“Loved this week’s Weekly Report. Funny and very creative! Love you guys!”
—Maryann Hartzell, CowanGates
Monday, August 8th – Vacation, All I Ever Wanted
On Monday, I was still vacationing in the Isle of Man, where my wife Sue is from. The Isle of Man is a beautiful little island midway between Ireland, Scotland, and England. It was once described as “60,000 alcoholics clinging to a rock in the middle of the Irish Sea.” That description is funny, but it really doesn’t describe just how beautiful the place really is. On Monday, we went to Cornaa Beach. You just have to see it for yourself.
On Monday, our client Vera’s Fine Jewelers, was nominated for the Richmond Times-Dispatch “The Best” awards. Do me a favor – take a minute and vote for Vera’s in the Best Jewelry Store category.
Tuesday, August 9th – Travelin’ Man
On Tuesday morning, I took a ferry from Douglas to Dublin. Then I hopped a delayed Delta flight to JFK, and then finally arrived in Richmond 21 hours later. I have instructed my colleague, Sophie, to smack me in the head the next time I try to book a flight on Delta.
Meanwhile, back at the office…
Our campaign for Virginia Energy Sense
is on full display at the SCC building on Main Street.
Wednesday, August 10th – Pomp & Circumstance
On Wednesday morning, I slowly eased back in the saddle and on Wednesday afternoon, we hosted my Virginia Council of CEOs Roundtable at Madison+Main. It was good to see the gang, or should I say it was good to see half of them. #EveryoneIsOnVacationInAugust
Graphic Designer Kaity Carr, Senior Account Manager Kaitlin Riddle and Account Manager Lindsey Durfee graduated from their Dale Carnegie training course Wednesday night. I was especially proud of them for their hard work and effort over the last eight weeks.
The only person smiling broader than these three ladies
at the Dale Carnegie Training graduation was yours truly.
Congrats to Lindsey, Kaity and Kaitlin!
Thursday, August 11th – Welcome Back
On Thursday, I was officially welcomed back by a jam-packed calendar that started at 7 a.m. and ended at 7 p.m. We had a great meeting with Frank Butler and his team at Proxios Thursday morning. They are located in the highly secure Federal Reserve building, and have a grand view of the city. The building is impressive, and so is Proxios. The Richmond-based “IT as a Service” provider has grown tremendously in recent years, and boasts an impressive client list. Visit their new website to learn more.
I was double-booked for lunch appointments on Thursday, so Sophie stepped in and represented us at the Chesterfield Chamber‘s monthly luncheon, where Chesterfield County’s new Administrator, Dr. Joseph Casey, spoke to the crowd. She also reports that our friend Dennis Bickmeier, President of Richmond International Raceway, talked about next month’s Federated Auto Parts 400. All of the Madison+Main-iacs will be there, and we hope to see you there too. There are a few tickets left; get yours today.
Friday, August 12th – HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HATS!
This morning I’m feeling especially old because my little girl turns 18 today. Happy birthday, Hattie! She is still visiting family on the Isle of Man, and will celebrate by hitting all 14 pubs in the town of Ramsey (population: 5,200). The legal drinking age in the U.K. is 18, and her cousins, Tara and Monique, will be carrying her around downtown tonight. I will be staying up late to watch the whole evening unfold on Instagram. #LifeCasting #Millennials
Friday’s Moment of Zen:
Last Friday, I stumbled into a cafe in Port St. Mary, and discovered the King of all bathrooms.
I brought two Isle of Man TT hats back with me, and I’m giving
one to my friend Charlie Diradour, candidate for Richmond City Council.
Which one should I keep: red or blue?
“Off the top of my head, I could rattle off close to 2,000 things that are a more Richmond thing to do than buying Elephant Auto Insurance.”
– Jeff Kelley, August 9th Facebook post
Dave Saunders
Chief Idea Officer
Madison+Main
(877) 623-6246