By Scott Westerman “Unhappy customers can be the key to your success, if you’re listening.” The Essence: Avoiding embarrassing customer situations can be a simple process. Listen, respond, apologize, follow through… and learn. This past week, we had some interaction with one of the major airlines’ social media teams. It…

By Scott Westerman “whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” Galatians 6:7 The Essence: Whenever or wherever you open your mouth, someone you care about may be listening. So watch your language. We all yearn to communicate, to have people listen to what we say, and to be…

By Scott Westerman “We have many acquaintances but very few friends” “When I find myself fading, I close my eyes and realize my friends are my energy.” THE ESSENCE: To build a happy life, we need to cultivate authentic relationships with those rare few who genuinely resonate with us. Put…

By Scott Westerman ““We are not human beings on a spiritual journey. We are spiritual beings on a human journey.”” – Stephen R. Covey THE ESSENCE: Spirit is at the center of faith, that iron constitution that keeps us going even in the most unpleasant circumstances. Spiritual people tend to…

By Scott Westerman “Exercise is medicine.” – Dr. Gary Ferenchick, Chief, Division of General Internal Medicine, Michigan State University THE ESSENCE: Include fitness goals in your 2011 plan. Taking care of our bodies can improve our energy, our overall health and our clarity of mind. When our son, Brandon was…

As Christmas approaches, here’s a chapter from my Spartan Life book about Robin and Betsy Miner-Swartz. I first wrote about them in 2010. They will continue this compassionate tradition again this year.  Enjoy! Betsy and Robin are refugees from old media, escaping from the ever compressing newspaper industry and totally…

By Scott Westerman “Health is a state of complete harmony of the body, mind and spirit.” – B.K.S. Iyengar THE ESSENCE: We become what we think about. Our very existence is predicated on balance. Each of us require just the right mixture of oxygen, fuel, mental stimulation and spiritual energy…

My friend Gary Berkowitz is what radio guys call “a legend”. His clients have included most popular radio stations in the land, including Detroit radio powerhouses like WJR and WNIC. Gary is the guy who conceives and builds a station’s sound. From the type of music played to the formatic elements…

By Scott Westerman “The capacity for hope is the most significant fact of life. It provides human beings with a sense of destination and the energy to get started.” – Norman Cousins The holiday parties I’m attending this year seem to have a common theme. Fear, uncertainty and doubt pervade.…

George Blaha Meets Led Zepplin courtesy of the audio artistry of Bob Berry.