A Dash of Curry Blog

Philosopher Eric Hoffer once said, “In times of great change, learners inherit the earth, while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped for a world that no longer exists.” When I was growing up in the late 70’s and early 80’s, everyone always told me to go to school, get good grades, go to college, get a job and contribute to their 401K to save a little nest egg for retirement and life would be good. Well, I did not take that path, and I’m really happy I didn’t… The world has changed dramatically since the 80’s and there is now more opportunity to become an entrepreneur than ever before. With the internet boom, we have seen more and more people creating from home, becoming app developers, internet marketers, social media gurus, SEO and website experts. Businesses are able to start with very low start up capital. According to the ... read more

It dawned on me recently while listening to an interview with Judd Apatow that we business leaders could all learn something from the guys and gals who make us laugh. Judd is a crazy, successful comedy writer, producer, and director who is best known for The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up, and This is 40 among a long list of other projects. I wondered, “So, what makes him so successful?” I mean, there are millions of comics out there, pounding the pavement, doing stand-up, posting YouTube videos. Why did this guy make it while others crash and burn? I got my answers in the interview he did with Fresh Air on NPR. It become obvious that this guy was obsessed with comedy, to the point where there wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do for comedy. From having the nerve to book famous comedians for his high school radio show (that he admits probably didn’t reach beyond the parking lot at his school), to repeatedly delivering a terrible stand-up routine that got its biggest laugh when he clo ... read more

I recently visited a Cosi café to pick up a juice and a snack. While I was waiting I noticed a manager training a new employee. Amanda was showing the new girl around telling her this and that and then something really caught my attention. Amanda showed the new girl how to count the apples on the front counter….She explained to her new employee that at certain points in the day they needed to count the apples and fill out an “Impulse Item Production Sheet”. I just had to ask Amanda about this policy and procedure. She explained to me that they displayed certain fruits and snacks on the counter near the register to spur impulse sales (o.k., no brainer). But she went on to explain how they MEASURED it! Several times a day they would fill out an Impulse Item Production Sheet, replenish the apples and such that were sold and COMPARE their sales against their goals and make adjustments to their displays based on what sold.WOW! They actually had a plan, a way to measure it and make sure ... read more

Everyone has experienced some type of sleep deprivation. It’s normal when you have a big project coming up at work or school or an exciting life event is about to happen. Whenever we were about to open a new store at Curry’s Auto Service or I had something big going on, I would only sleep several hours a night for several weeks in a row. I would wake up at two or three in the morning, not be able to get back to sleep, so I’d just head into to work and start to take on the day. People, like myself with attention deficit disorder (ADD) have a love/hate relationship with routines. Being easily distracted, having trouble staying on task and difficulty with prioritizing are all symptoms of ADD in adults. Some might say that routines and ADD would be like oil and water, but, in fact, these are the reasons why creating a routine is critical for success. It is important to create a routine as an adult (eve ... read more

I believe in the “say yes” philosophy so much that I made it a major part of my presentation to Sir Richard Branson and the other entrepreneurs assembled at Necker Island when I was there in 2014. At the conclusion of my talk, Branson was quick to point out that he had instilled the same mindset throughout the Virgin Group, where their internal marketing slogan was “The answer’s yes – what’s the question?” As Branson and I both know from experience, customer focus is not just some New Age touchy-feely Kumbaya concept. It’s the key to generating profit. So make it your business to find a way to say ‘yes’, because you never know where it will lead. For example, I’m not a techie, not by a long shot. But if I hadn’t taken a leap of faith and said ‘yes’ to hybrid battery conditioning technology, I would never have been able to launch my newest venture, The Hybrid Shop. Back in 2012, I met one of the world’s leading technologists in all things hybrid, Dr. Mark Q ... read more

I’m neither a Republican nor a Democrat. I’m a Realist and a Capitalist. Capitalism built America, and I believe it will save America and help the world – which is a core belief of Richard Branson and The Branson School of Entrepreneurship as well. I believe that capitalism and entrepreneurism can save you and your family, too… but only if you can get past the idea stage and on to the execution stage. Millions of people have great business ideas, but until those ideas are executed, they aren’t worth the cocktail napkin they’re scribbled on. This is one thing I know for sure about business:execution is what separates the entrepreneurs from the wanna-preneurs. So, once you’ve identified your passion and have racked up some real-world experience in your chosen industry, the next step is to develop your unique vision and a game plan for executing your business idea. You have to know where you’re headed (your vision) and how you’re going to get there (your game ... read more

My name is Matt, but some people have called me HazMat, which is short for “hazardous material.” My wife, Judy, says she’s the Tasmanian Devil Whisperer. That’s because I have a condition called Attention Deficit Disorder, commonly known as A.D.D. or A.D.H.D. My A.D.D. makes it really hard (OK, impossible) for me to sit still and focus on anything for more than a few minutes. I’m like a pinball, bouncing off the walls, switching gears on a dime. My mind and body go full tilt from the moment I wake up in the morning until I finally fall asleep at night. Life is kind of crazy for me sometimes. I was diagnosed with A.D.D. back in the 1970s, when I was eleven years old. I always got along great with the other kids in school, but as I grew older, my non-stop energy became harder for me and my teachers to manage. Consequently my grades weren’t very good. I was getting low B’s and C’s even though everybody told me I was smart enough to earn A’s. Unless I was doing something I enjoyed ... read more

Listen, nobody’s perfect. We all have weaknesses. We all have flaws. I believe that for most of us, these defects or weaknesses – when channeled properly and perhaps even celebrated – can become our greatest strengths. Yes, your flaw may actually be your superpower. That’s been my experience. A.D.D. is my superpower, no doubt about it. It gives me an incredible amount of energy, which allows me to multi-task and get a lot of stuff done. My A.D.D. also makes me intense, impulsive, fidgety, anxious, and impatient sometimes. It makes me controlling, scattered, and extremely blunt. But it also helps me get people pumped up and headed in the direction I want them to go. It makes me unafraid of chaos and assertive in the face of conflict. I’m decisive, I take action, I execute. My A.D.D. allows me to be creative at a million miles an hour. Going off on tangents is fun; I love it. Do people think I’m freaking crazy sometimes? Yeah, absolutely. They think I’m a total whack job. But ... read more

It doesn’t matter what business you’re in – whether it’s business to consumer orbusiness to business. I think what customers want is for you to make their lives better. That’s what people are looking for. They have a problem that they need fixed and it’s our job to make their lives better, easier, and more efficient. So to make your customers’ lives better, you need to solve their particular problems. That’s the way we need to go into any sale or any business consultation. We need to figure out what a person’s hot buttons are and what’s driving them to come in to see you. We have to display our confidence, our knowledge, and that we are the right people to do the job, and that we stand behind our work. So that’s kind of the angle we want to take – what can we do as a business leader, as a store manager, sales person, to make our customers’ lives better, easier, and more efficient. If we put ourselves in our customers shoes, we can go a long way and help make ou ... read more

Number one you have to have a great attitude. A great salesperson will be fun to talk to, they leave all their problems or worries at home, and really become an actor on stage while selling. People like these types of individuals naturally. The second thing a great salesperson needs is confidence. A great person has to be confident in what they’re selling and believe in it. you get confidence by having product knowledge. You need to be a guru in the field of the product you’re selling whether it be an auto service, stereo equipment, cars, or anything else. You need to know your product inside and out. People want to buy from someone who knows what they’re talking about and can show them the value of what they’re buying. So how do you get confidence? In racing we call it seat time. The more you drive, the more confidence you will have racing your car, and it’s the same with sales. So with product knowledge comes confidence, you need a great attitude, and lastly ... read more