Don’t rest on your REP!

…UTATION that is!

I read an interesting article recently in a handbook for leaders and it talked about the best companies never rest on their reputation. They are constantly striving to get better, to create more value, more opportunities, better products, higher quality in order to stay in the entrepreneurial “game.”

It reminded me of one of my favorite books Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don't by Jim Collins

In the book, Collins gives 7 keys to going from good to great including:

1. Greatness starts at the top. Companies don’t achieve greatness in spite of their leaders, they achieve greatness BECAUSE of them.

2. Surround yourself with top performers and get rid of the weak links – the ones that don’t produce, that bring every one down. This establishes a culture of creating greatness.

3. Create a process for continual improvement and then…

4. Never stop improving.

5. Establish a corporate culture of discipline built around commitment to achieving the company’s goals. Encourage individuals to come up with ways of achieving those goals.

6. Leverage technology to accelerate the progress of going from GOOD to GREAT.

7. Consistency is the key. Build upon each success to achieve greater success.

St. Jerome (father of the Latin Church, 340-420) said, “Good, better, best. Never let it rest. 'Til your good is better and your better is best.

…. And then some!

Heidi

Heidi Richards Mooney, PublisherFounder, Women’s eCommerce Association, International

Today is Wear Purple Day!

Today is Wear Purple Day!

Why was purple worn by royalty? Mainly because purple dyes were so hard to make. Using lichen, the plant had to react with ammonia (this meant urine in ancient days) and sit out in the air for 2 weeks. Then it was mixed with pot ash to be used as a dye. This was much harder than just boiling berries or leaves for other colors, so purple dye was only for the wealthy. Today, all you have to do is spill some grape kool-aid and everything turns purple.

For more fun days in May visit: http://hidates.com/maycal.shtml

More about the color purple:

The earliest archaeological evidence for the origins of purple dyes points to the Minoan civilization in Crete, about 1900 B.C. The ancient land of Canaan (its corresponding Greek name was Phoenicia, which means “land of the purple”) was the center of the ancient purple dye industry. Tyrian Purple,” the purple dye of the ancients mentioned in texts dating back to about 1600 B.C., was produced from the mucus of the hypobranchial gland of various species of marine mollusks, notably Murex. It took some 12,000 shellfish to extract 1.5 grams of the pure dye. Legend credits its discovery to Herakles, or rather to his dog, whose mouth was stained purple from chewing on snails along the Levantine coast. King Phoenix received a purple-dyed robe from Herakles and decreed the rulers of Phoenicia should wear this color as a royal symbol.

According to one article in Paper, Film and Foil Converter Rome, Egypt, and Persia all used purple as the imperial standard. Purple dyes were rare and expensive; only the rich had access to them. The purple colorants used came from different sources, most from the dye extraction from fish or insects.

The imperial purple of Rome was based on mollusk from which purpura comes. Emperor Aurelian refused to let his wife buy a purpura-dyed silk garment, as it cost its weight in gold!

An interesting article on About.com says “Purple is often associated with Royalty and Spirituality: Purple is royalty. A mysterious color, purple is associated with both nobility and spirituality. The opposites of hot red and cool blue combine to create this intriguing color.” … giving purple both cool and warm properties.

Purple is also associated with creativity and imagination. However too much purple can lead to moodiness and disharmony.

Other Purple facts:

Purple has been long associated as the color of mourning for widows in Thailand.

The Purple Heart is given to U.S. Military soldiers wounded in battle.

Oprah Winfrey got an Oscar for her role in the movie “The Color Purple” which was based upon the book of the same title by Alice Walker.

The rock star Prince played the lead in the 1984 movie Purple Rain. The film was very successful earning nearly US$100 million at the box office. The movie won an Academy Award for Best Original Song Score.

There’s a book called Women in Purple: Rulers of Medieval Byzantium by Judith Herrin about, three Byzantine empresses--Irene, Euphrosyne, and Theodora and how they changed history (In the eighth and ninth centuries). Their combined efforts restored the veneration of icons, saving Byzantium from a purely symbolic and decorative art and ensuring its influence for centuries to come.

According to Everything2.com “Contrary to popular opinion, the word "purple" does have rhymes in the English language. In fact, there are two rhyming words, abet words that aren't used in today's vernacular. Hirple is a British word, which means "to walk lamely or hobble". Curple is a word out of Scotland, which refers to the hindquarters of a horse.”

Nature is abundant with purple flowers: In fact, purple flowers are among the most popular with both men and women. Some purple (and shades of purple) flowers include Iris, Roses, Carnations, Dianthus, Violets, Sweet William, Daisies, Allium, Status, Hibiscus, Orchids, Morning Glories, Tulips, Crocus, Hydrangea, Lilac, Peonies, Liatris, Pansies, Wisteria, Stock, Larkspur, Chrysanthemums, Eryngium and Alstromeria to name a few.

In fact, in the past 2.5 years I have designed more purple themed wedding and bridal decorations than at any other time in my 27+ years as a florist.

From this post you may guess that one of my favorite colors is PURPLE! I love the way it makes me feel inside and out. Looking at it makes me smile and wearing it makes me feel special. How about you? Will you be wearing purple today? And what is YOUR favorite color?