Hotcakes & Outtakes

by David Lively | About Retail, Blog, Communication, Family Business

“Hangin’ On To The Good Times.” The catchy riff of the lyric is repeated over and over… “and we were fightin’ the good fight, hangin’ on to the good times.” This past week I had the pleasure of talking with (or emailing...

Spam and Salutations

by David Lively | Blog, Communication, Family Business, Personality Type, Retail Idioms

Remember Aunt Edna? The one who pinched your cheeks and mussed your hair every year at the annual reunion? You liked playing with her marble collection, and the awkward hug was the price of admission. Remember Uncle Frank? He grunted a gruff “howdy,” none...

Soil and seed can be like the chicken or the egg.

by David Lively | About Retail, Blog, Communication, Family Business, Personality Type

What do you make of this? A farmer planted seed. As he scattered the seed, some of it fell on the road, and birds ate it. Some fell in the gravel; it sprouted quickly but didn’t put down roots, so when the sun came up it withered just as quickly. Some fell in...

Put this on your tombstone

by David Lively | Blog, Family Business

“Death from overwork” has become so common in Japan that it’s been given a name: karoshi. There is hope. You can greatly reduce your risk of karoshi: * When your calling becomes your career… * When you’re committed to causes you care about… *...

Idiom: Security

by David Lively | Blog, Communication, Family Business, Retail Idioms

Homeland Security. Security blanket. Social Security. Security system. Security is our most basic human need. If we feel insecure we are unable to love, to work, to shop. Yes, to shop. Certainly you remember the uncertain anxiety in the days following 9/11 and...

Idiom: Home

by David Lively | Blog, Communication, Family Business, Products, Retail Idioms

“There’s no place like home… there’s no place like home.” If you keep up with our posts at The Lively Merchant, you’re likely in retail. You make a living selling stuff for your customer to put in her abode. What do you really know about...