Jokes Heard around the Mad-House

Hee Hee Haa Haa Hoo Hoo - life in the Mad-House! Sometimes we work so hard - it's time to take a moment and laugh.

"Two Eskimos sitting in a kayak were chilly.. They lit a fire in the craft, it sank, proving once and for all that you can't have your kayak and heat it too." as told by Mr. Freeze

"Doc I can't stop singing 'The Green, Green Grass of Home'"
"That sounds like Tom Jones syndrome. "
"Is it common?"
"It's not unusual." as told by The Joker

"What do you call a fish with no eyes? A fsh." as told by Scarecrow

"You know, somebody actually complimented me on my driving today. They left a little note on the windscreen. It said, 'Parking Fine.' .......So that was nice." as said by Harlie Quinn

Making it happen

Video from Justice League Animated Series, Warner Brothers and DC Comics

Are you one who can see the opportunity that needs to be taken advantage of, and can just make things happen. Open doors, so to speak? What's it feel like for you when you get a chance to show how you shine when you are living in your potential? What kind of comments do you get from your peers that you respect and admire?

I'm part visionary, part action-hero. I really enjoy getting to dream big and being creative, but I am equally talented in putting the plan into action. The best part is, when I can help open the way for others to think better and put their plans into action I truly feel like a superhero!

Building Friends?

Trouble making Friends -- Build them!

Lego's now have DC Super Hero figures -- what wisdom can we learn from this? That if you become a legend - GENERATIONS of people will follow you

(of course these toys are not for the next generation in the Zeydel home - these are MINE!)

I guess another bit of wisdom is - Don't take yourself too seriously - find time to play!

(thanks Wes Harris for reminding me about that today!)

Less Shocking This Time Around

“Oh, it's you.........Our relationship must be maturing. These entrances you insist on making, shock me less and less.”

Toiling in the middle of the night, Commissioner Gordon isn’t surprised as much when he looks into the inky darkness that fills his office, and out steps Batman. Many of us who work “9-5” I say with a tongue in my cheek, do a lot of work at night. The outside world sees what we want them to see, but there is much that just has to get done. Many a night I am at the computer in the basement of my house, just the light of the screen to light up my work area. I have done it for years, and I guess that is why no one is surprised that I have such a fond connection for those other heroes that work throughout the night, leading double lives.

But something else we learn, is that with planning, and making sure that the work gets done, that the planning for the next day is lined up, and we are less surprised by anything that might all of a sudden appear. Patience, Planning, and Persistence. Yes I am not shocked as often when I have been really working at my three P’s.

John "Z"

Now we know the words...

Batman Always Has An Exit Strategy

If you talk to Fire Fighters, they say having an exit strategy will keep you alive.  When you take your seat on a plane, part of that droning on and on that you have to listen to before take-off is about an exit strategy. Batman always has an exit strategy before confronting any crazy criminal. We also need to have exit strategies for our business. The most successful exits require considerable planning. The sooner you start, the more rewarding your eventual exit is likely to be.

"Most entrepreneurs over time should start to think about a future exit strategy because preparing for an exit takes some time," says C.J. Fitzgerald, managing director of Summit Partners, a growth equity firm with offices in Boston, Palo Alto, and London. The range of exit strategies includes taking the company public through an initial public offering (IPO), selling the company to a strategic acquirer, or recapitalizing and selling the firm to the management team, also known as a management buyout. "Most of those options take some forethought and preparation," Fitzgerald says. "Management should be thinking about what their end goal is and what is the best way to get there for the company, its shareholders, and its employees."  This goes for small business as well as large business.  You might get out alive, but at what cost?

Different people start companies for different reasons, and that can influence their exit strategy. "Some people want to change the world when they start a company," says Eric Young, general partner with Canaan Partners, a global venture capital firm that has invested in more than 250 companies over the past two decades. "Some people don't want to work for anyone else. They want to stay small for perpetuity."

The right exit strategy depends a lot on the objectives of the people who own the business. Initially, the founder(s) own 100 percent of the business. If they take on investment over time from venture capitalists, angel investors, equity investors, or individuals, they usually give up a portion of the company, or shares and those shareholders will have a say in any potential exit strategy.

There is no “one and true way” and you might want to set your plan up to have multiple exit strategies.  Batman goes into each fight with his utility belt holding several different options available to him at any time.  You can’t predict the future, we can forecast, but we never know what will happen in the next minute.  Prior planning will give you and your business chance at the more lucrative options. Consider the steps involved, as well as the all-mighty dollar, and then consult with investors and those close to you that know your goals so you can make the right decision for everyone involved: you, your company, your employees, and your customers.