Negotiating a deal. Yay, NFL! Boo, Government!

Stickit2Man.com here! I wouldn't have wanted to be on either side of the NFL lockout. Days on end negotiating in boardrooms and stuffy hotels. No, thank you!

Here's the bottom line. Owners wanted to protect their assets. Players wanted to protect themselves. Both felt justified, yet both were vilified for sacrificing the fans' interests. That wasn't their intention, but neither side was bound to generate much sympathy. Not the owners (in this economy? Pffffft!)

And not the players. Most fans would simply argue that these gentlemen -- many being multi-millionaires -- are certainly not "the little guys." But as Chris Rock once said (regarding basketball): "Shaq is rich. The white man who signs his checks is wealthy." That's the effective dichotomy in football as well. And these NFL "rich dudes" are extraordinarily talented and put their bodies through physical hell. Two points worthy of mucho dinero in a free market.

So, give the players credit -- their negotiating eliminated two-a-day practices, reduced full-contact practices and successfully held off the implementation of an 18-game season -- perhaps for a long time. In doing so, they empowered future generations of players many years down the line. Of course, it's easier to do when you're unionized!

But I digress. With the regular season fast approaching, the two sides realized their revenues were at stake. Not from the die-hard fan (like me), but from the casual one who might purchase memorabilia (perhaps as a gift) or add to the Nielsen ratings by tuning in on a whim. This made both parties compromise in a hurry. Hey, at least they found the motivation.

I can't say I have the same confidence in our government regarding the debt ceiling. They just seem too stuck on principles -- and that goes for both political parties. This August deadline to reach a deal, unfortunately, will likely make victims out of Social Security recipients, our military and small businesses who do business with the government. Unfortunately, neither party cares enough to place principle above dogma. For shame. In my view, both major parties are worthy of being deemed "The Man." They're certainly going to keep us down.

So take rising up into your own hands. How? "Surf the site. Live the life." Stick it to The Man!

Lessons from Stew Leonard

Forget about "stick it to the man" on Tuesdays! Every Tuesday, I'm with my two sons, ages 4 1/2 and almost 2, and generally don't do much work. It's a bit hellish for my fiancee to shoulder the burden, but she is good about it. Not that being a parent of two young children isn't REAL work. My father used to tell me that having two kids is three times the work of having one. I'm inclined to believe he was trying not to scare me. It's more like six times.

But if I have to have to combine having the kids with a shopping trip, I'm grateful for Stew Leonard's. For those who live in Connecticut, no further explanation is necessary. For the others, let me briefly explain: Stew Leonard's is known as "The World's Largest Dairy Store." It's part supermarket, part theater and part fantasyland. Kids LOVE it! While known initially for its dairy products, it now sells almost every perishable grocery imaginable.

From Wikipedia:

"The New York Times called Stew Leonard's the "Disneyland of Dairy Stores." The store has taken tips from educational practices, were they implement visual, auditory, and kinesthetic strategies into their sales. Stew Leonard’s have created animatronics characters called the farm fresh five. These animatronics are life like, which perform songs and dance that entertain the customers from all ages. This has made the shopping experience more engaging and exciting for families. It provides an area for kids to have fun while the parents shop.

"This new concept of selling has taken away the stress from long lines at the grocery store.^[3] The stores are not set up like traditional grocery stores; one must walk through the entire store (though there are short cuts). As customers walk through a path of aisles, they are greeted by different employees dressed up in costumes and by animatronic favorites such as Twinkie the Kid, the Chiquita banana, and Clover, a cow's head that moos when one pulls its rope. The stores also feature petting zoos and outdoor cafes in the warmer months and sell a variety of prepared meals year round. Customers are also offered an unusually large number of food samples for a supermarket, as well as free drink samples."

Stew Leonard himself, now well into his senior years, is a marketing genius, a tireless entrepreneur, a generous soul and a convicted felon. In the 1990s, he served four years in prison for tax fraud, a crime he readily admitted. Yet, even in his guilty plea and prison sentence, he remained as upstanding as possible. He acknowledged his faults, protected other family members from being indicted and served his time. And today, he exhorts others (through his autobiography) to "do the right thing" -- in business and in life.

There's more to Stew's story (and his autobiography is on sale at his four stores), but my point is simple: The man has always treated customers like family, known that "relationships" are key to business, been exceedingly generous to his employees (Fortune Magazine rates the store as one of the "100 Best Places to Work For") and loved what he does. Shopping at Stew's isn't a chore. It's an adventure. And even though I'm a cheapskate who disparages most "lifestyle" marketing campaigns as ripoffs, I could go for the Stew's lifestyle more often.

Stickit2Man.com aims to instill a lifestyle in its customers as well. Don't take no for an answer. Fight for what you want. Stay empowered, but stay positive as well. Screw moping. Get up and GET GOING!

Till next time: "Stickit2Man.com: Surf the site. Live the Life." See ya at Stew's!

Glass Half-Full

Designing and running an e-book and e-commerce Web site like Stickit2Man.com -- well, let's just say I wouldn't call it a labor of love. "Labor of a curmudgeon" might be more like it. Many nights I've been coaxed by my fiancee out of a good night's sleep to work on this site. But I've thanked her for doing so. Without her nagging, I'd still be building -- or, worse, I'd have quit. If you know my career path even slightly, you'll understand why I've chosen this line of work. I want to combine all the skills I've ever acquired (PR, marketing, journalism, creative writing) and put them to good use. And I never want to work for anyone other than myself ever again. But that doesn't mean I don't ever doubt myself or hit standstills.

For starters, I have horrible ADD. Diagnosed at age 5, raised on every amphetamine, SSRI and anti-depressant imaginable. The best analogy I've heard is that it's like having a "radio station" in your head with a moving dial you can't stop. And even today, with a good sense of motivation and a little discipline, my distractions are plentiful. Especially in the age of YouTube and Facebook -- hey, I need entertainment sometimes! Sometimes I just have to encourage myself with a motto stolen from a Verizon ad campaign several years ago: Make progress every day.

That's actually the message of empowerment I want to pass along on Stickit2Man.com. The phrase "Stick it to the Man" isn't intended to be vengeful or angry. It's meant to convey a simple message: "You're a lot more empowered than you think. You can change your life -- or at least the parts you don't like. You just need a few tools." In this case, they come in e-books!

If you haven't done anything else today, do something to better yourself. And then do something unselfish for others. Even if your life isn't perfect, these actions should help your attitude adjust to one of "glass half-full." Self-esteem derives from doing esteemable things. Believe me, I know.

That's all for now. Till next time: "Surf the site. Live the life."