土曜日, 5月 28, 2005
Mastering the 30-second pitch
Was cleaning up my desk when I got hold of this piece of paper Orson handed me before I left for US.
Trumping the Deal. We make lasting judgments about individuals in a slittle as 2 second. The first two seconds have to do more with body language than content, but what you say follow close behind.
First Steps. Back up with facts! Make your client want to hear more.
The Four Questions.
1. What is my service, product, company or cause?
2. What problem do I solve?
3. How am I different?
4. Why should you care?
*To captivate prospective clients, distill the most pertinent information about your business or put product into a quick and compelling message. The secret to successful business is to "choosing your words carefully and getting right to the point".
Trumping the Deal. We make lasting judgments about individuals in a slittle as 2 second. The first two seconds have to do more with body language than content, but what you say follow close behind.
First Steps. Back up with facts! Make your client want to hear more.
The Four Questions.
1. What is my service, product, company or cause?
2. What problem do I solve?
3. How am I different?
4. Why should you care?
# posted by Unknown : 12:35 午後
金曜日, 5月 27, 2005
I met Abby Lockhart! (Memoirs of US Trip)
I missed my flight from LA to San Francisco. I got pretty nervous 'coz I need to be back in the office by Monday night and if I miss my San Francisco flight to Tokyo, then I'll be really damned. I was praying 'Dear God, please don't make me miss my flight.' The Am Air attendant was kind enough to book me on to the next flight but the problem is with my luggage. If I check it in, then I would surely miss my flight. Then she said'can you promise me to stuff all your stuffs into 2 bags? So I can let you in and we don't need to worry about the connecting flight.' I said, 'Yes' (of course!)
Everything happened so fast and the moment I got into the JAL checkin counter, I just looked for the status 'OPEN'. Whew~ I'm 50% safe, I thought. As usual US security was so tight, but I managed to make it just in time for boarding. I was praying again to God, 'Lord, please make the next seat available so I can fully rest'. But unfortunately, before I could even finish my sentence, a caucasian girl sat beside me. She's all smiles which of course, any Asisan girl would probably think it's strange. I noticed she's vegetarian. And she kept on moving and trying to figure out how the remote control works. I wasn't in any mood for conversations so I took the earphones, covered myself with the blanket and try not to hear the other guys next to me who happen to be flirting with each other...Ugghh~
Most of the flight went on generally smoothly for all it's 9 1/2 hours. 1/2 before take off, this strange caucasian girl who always smiles at me and looks at my direction suddenly started a conversation. She talked about how she loves Japan and she stayed in Hokkaido for 2 months, and went to Niigata. She's been traveling around the world for 4 years now and she's 22 years old, and tomorrow's her birthday. She has a boyfriend who went home in New Zealand ahead of her but will pick her at the airport. She said she doesn't really feel at ease with US. She feels more relaxed and guininely safe in Japan and in other Asian countries. What interested me was her comment 'it seems here in the US, they give more importance to boobs, rather than brain.' What that was heavy stuff, which I kind of like agree (pardon me ~) . And then finally she asked me 'so do you study? are you having your semester break?'
'I said, whoa~ I'm not a student, I'm too old to be a student. I'm turning 29 soon. '
'So what do you do?'
I said, 'I have a boring desk job'.
'Boring but the pay's good?', she smiled. And I nod in agreement. Then she went on 'but don't you think it's great 'coz with your job that's paying you good, you can spend time and vacation anywhere you like'.
'Yeah, I guess you're right.' I replied back. 'So what did you do in US?'
'Oh, I snowboarded. I've been trying different places to snowboard. That's my work, I coach in New Zealand.'
'I snowboard too! I learned to love it.' It got me pretty excited here.
'Cool!' she said. Before we went on further to our conversation, the paging system sounded and we were about to land. It was a very smooth landing and we started to pack our stuffs and go. She went a step ahead of me and as soon as the got off the plane, there was a plackard that says 'Abby Lockhart'. Hmm..she seems a special person.
The secret stalker in me searched her name in the internet. What I found out amazed me. This bright-eyed, friendly, sensible girl is Abby Lockhart, one of the world's best lady professional snowboarders!!!! Wow. That's the only thing I could say.
# posted by Unknown : 9:16 午後
Lessons From Star Wars...from the eye of a 14ner
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...
So our story begins with the classic text fading into the distant starry sky and that familiar tantananan of the Star Wars theme. Yup, this is it. This is the last of the Star Wars prequels, the Missing Link, where the questions (i.e. What’s with the helmet?), which have been asked for 27 long years, even before our time, will finally be answered.
In Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, it is three years into the clone wars, and we see Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi and his apprentice Anakin Skywalker cementing their reputations as legendary warriors by leading numerous victories against the droid forces of General Grievous. After months of separation, Skywalker reunites with his secret wife Senator Padme Amidala and learns that she is pregnant. (Now we know how Luke and Leia came to be.) He is haunted by nightmares of her dying in childbirth, just as he was with visions of his mother’s death just before it happened. Only this time, Anakin will do everything in his power, and even things beyond it, to keep his terrifying dream from turning into reality.
The film oozes with action, accompanied by the low "zzzz" of the lightsaber. Rides on starships and space vehicles will keep you on the edge of your seat, especially with Anakin driving. A considerable number of rather important characters die in this one. There is also a touch of humor here and there, but don’t expect it to be much of a comedy.
Episode III, more than anything, is the story of the tragedy that is Darth Vader. Anakin Skywalker is the Jesus, so to speak, of this fictitious galaxy. Sure, the Jedi is quite headstrong and isn’t very good at resisting temptation, but the point is that he was the Messiah, the hope of this galaxy, but he fell into darkness. Just imagine how different history would be if Jesus decided He didn’t want to die on the cross. We’d all go straight to hell, and that, pretty much, is the intensity of Darth Vader’s becoming. His succumbing to the dark side of the Force is thoroughly explained, and is surprisingly not as sudden (yes, it began long before we noticed it) and as irrational (well, maybe not entirely irrational) as I had expected. Anakin didn’t just wake up one day and say, "Hey, I want to become a Sith Lord!" He crossed over one little seemingly petty step at a time. He began with emotions – things that we, too, feel – and made decisions blinded by the desires of his deceitful heart. This escalated to more and more mistakes, lacking the guidance of his mentor and dominated by wrong principles and priorities. One man who made bad decisions out of good intentions that resulted in grave consequences is the core of it all. He set off a chain reaction that led to the fall of the Galactic Republic and, ultimately, the Revenge of the Sith. This is the one Star Wars film that can actually be understood by a person who has never heard of Star Wars. If we choose to look beyond the jumping Jedi and the larger-than-life technology, we will see a very human story.
Anakin’s story is one of love, fear and mistakes; of trying to "fix" things by taking matters into one’s hands and ending up with a mess much worse than before. In many ways, his story is also our story, and this much heart is something we almost never expect to find (and almost never do) in a science-fiction movie. Episode III: Revenge of the Sith might surprise you, thrill you, make you laugh, or make you sad, even to the point of making you cry. Nonetheless, I guarantee that it will be one heck of a ride.
# posted by Unknown : 2:36 午後
Instead of complaining about the thorns on roses, be thankful for the roses among the thorns
# posted by Unknown : 11:04 午前
水曜日, 5月 25, 2005
I'm exhausting most of my time and energy into the CP Project again. Technically speaking, it's already none of my business but I need to help bridge the gap. Good thing my G1G3 members are understanding and we fully support each other.
*
Bought the very first stuff for my new home. I bought tangerine and lacy while curtains. The combination looks good by itself but I realized that when the flourescent lamp strikes at it, it radiates with more brightness and spreads all over my room. Now the challenge is to neutralize it thru a floor rug ~ my next mission tomorrow! Oops, but I have lunchdate with BPAs and then Otsukaresama Party with Coach and the rest at night...Hmmm..how do I go about buying the rugs? I need to put them in place before I buy the furniture this weekend. Finally I have something to figure out in my personal life hahaha! And what great a-stress reliever it is!
I might be travelling again middle of June until start of July so I need to complete the basics of my new home. Slowly, I'll get there..somehow.
# posted by Unknown : 9:32 午後
Bay Watch Pose
Although I am too fat to wear strings, the beaches where Baywatch shoots surely adds sexiness to the feeling and the sand stretch is so amazingly long and wide (although the water's not that great)and the excitement that Britney could just pop up of nowhere, I mark Sta. Monica beach, a good one. BTW, lots of famous personalities own condos that are just across the street :)
# posted by Unknown : 12:04 午前
Universal Studio Drop Off Area
Hollywood has captured so much stories about life and transformed them into movies that made each moment larger than life!
# posted by Unknown : 12:03 午前
Universal Studio
The world in itself is a continuous series of stories about life, and about emotions and some of the best creations are from here. Welcome to Hollywood, welcome to Universal Studio and the world of movie making!
# posted by Unknown : 12:02 午前
火曜日, 5月 24, 2005
Cupertino Workshop
Here is a rare picture of the serious, lady-like, professional and tamed me! Sandwiched by two dashing colleagues of mine, Brian on my left (who seemed to be hesitant to put his arms around my shoulders) and on my right is Doug whose daughter happens to have the same name as mine!
# posted by Unknown : 11:46 午後
"What are you doing here? We don't need you"
Couple of months ago I was appalled at the treatment of a resource manager to one of my team's trainees. "What are you doing here? You're not included in my list of attendees" It was the most unprofessional thing that a person, worse, a manager, could say or do.
Just today, I heard the same lines only this time the players are different with the perpetrator this time was a JP colleague of mine, and me as the recipient of such insult. But instincts told me to keep my ground and act as professional as I could. I should brag that I didn't walk out nor did I fought back. Instead, I calmly stayed there and ignored the whole thing as if nothing happened and business, went on as usual. I passed the test with flying colors!
Yet deep inside I wanted to cry. HB told me not to mind her because everybody thinks she's crazy anyway if I allowed myself to get affected, I will just be a plain loko-loko. I said I know that but it hurts anyway. He gave me a piece of paper with her name written on it and he said I should squeeze it as hard as I can and imagine it is her. I not just squeezed it but crumpled and tore it into pieces while I and HB were talking. Inside my head, I was thinking that I shouldn't be rude to anybody, coz I don't want to be a cause of other people's emotional stresses.
While all of these were happening, one colleague of ours approached me and HB and said, 'you two have a strange relationship, you keep secrets between the two of you.'
I gave out an amazing response 'yes, we have a strange relationship and it's going to the trash together with this piece of paper which holds the secret to the truth about our relationship. '
What do you know, for the first time (although it's a little bit too late) I acknowledged the word 'relationship'. Although I was trying to be amusing to HB's friend, truth is, our relationship has already gone all the way to the garbgage. What we have now are remnants of where we began...and that is friendship, nothing more, nothing less. Just the way it works best for both of us.
# posted by Unknown : 11:19 午後
I am home
I am back home. It feels great to be back home. It's funny 'coz I felt so nervous about coming back to Japan. I had butterflies in my stomach, I couldn't eat, couldn't sleep and my hands were so cold. Will they still like me? Will they still remember me? So much has changed over the month, and I don't know what these changes are. I feel so left behind. But as if God has heard the fast beating of my heart, the most amazing thing happened. When I arrived at the office, HB opened the door, said 'okaeri' and took me to my new cube. Now I'm beginning to believe that he's really bound to be my guardian angel. There's a lot of new faces, but the old faces, they're still there alright!
This month-long journey took me to places I've never been, showed me new stuffs, opened new doors of career growth opportunities and best of all taught me valuable life lessons and restored my belief in the goodness of people and of the amazing things the world can offer us. Who would have thought that a 4-year old daughter of my friend whom I visited in LA could pop an innocent question that would make me re-think about my life.
"How old is your son?" Leila"Oh~ I don't have a son" me"What about your daughter?" Leila"I don't have children" me"Why?" Leila"'Coz I am not married" me"Why?""I don't know" me"You should marry soon" Leila"I don't have a boyfriend right now"
me"Why?" Leila"I...(at this point, I already don't know how to answer back..I don't know" me"Don't you want to get married?" Leila"(now I really don't know what to say...hmm...I don't know, maybe someday I will" me"It's lonely if you don't have someone to sleep with at night
and you don't have someone to talk to. Look at my Mommy and my Daddy, they're married and they're not lonely. And they have anak, that's me. If you don't get married, how can you have 'anak'?" Leila
Surely I changed the subject...hehehhe.
# posted by Unknown : 9:17 午前
Thanks for visiting!