Fall Movie Season

It’s the Tuesday after Labor Day. I can’t get into the groove about my career, my cats or my life. I am about to embark on a 12-week journey into hell with a ton of travel and conferences. Holy crap. When will I write? When will I see my family? How will I stay sober…

Fast Food and Branding

I just read an article called, Customers in Their 20s and 30s Are Defecting to Fast-Casual Restaurants Like Chipotle, Five Guys. First of all, people in their 20s and 30s are part of three cohorts. People in their mid-to-late 30s are late GenXers and Carter Babies. The definition of “millennial” changes every time someone wants to make…

HR, Compensation and Rich Uncle Pennybags

Nearly two months ago, SHRM published an interesting article. Base Salary Rise of 3% Forecast for 2015 U.S. workers can expect a median base salary increase of 3 percent in 2015 across all main employee categories and most industries, still below pre-recession levels, according to separate research findings by pay consultancy Hay Group and WorldatWork, an…

I Want a Therapy Dog

I travel for a living. I’ve been on planes since I was 25 years old. When I see people walking through airports with therapy dogs, I roll my eyes. You better be a veteran with PTSD or I’m calling bullshit on your small, adorable animal. Except I keep having these horrible experiences at airports, and…

Racist HR People

Facebook brings out the worst in all of us, including me. I lived in St. Louis for seven years. My first HR job was at Leaf Candy Company. We made Switzer, Good & Plenty and Chuckles. It was a busy and vibrant factory, later featured in a Michael Moore movie when Hershey USA purchased the…