Why I Teach the Way I Teach

I do not require exams because I am interested in what people know, not what they can remember for a few hours after cramming. The students are tested every week through their required participation in class, where each must ask three questions related to selected stories in the news. Many students make it through four years of college without ever raising their hand to ask a question. Not in my class. Every student learns to look me in the eye, speak clearly, and ask intelligent questions about the news of the day.

Read more...

Categories: Creativity | Education

2 comments - Posted by Paul Orfalea at 10:05 PM

Customer Service Hero: Trader Joe's

When was the last time an anonymous customer wrote a song and produced a music video praising your company? This YouTube video, called "If I Made a Commercial for Trader Joe's," has been viewed over half a million times.

Read more...

Categories: Corporate Culture | Creativity | Customer Service | Leadership | Competitive Advantage

4 comments - Posted by Paul Orfalea at 6:17 PM

Customer Service Heroes: The Sprinting Waiter

In Good to Great (Harper Business, 2001), Jim Collins writes that "good is the enemy of great." That is certainly the case with customer service, as customers notice when someone has done something extra special just for them. We may not be able to surprise and delight every customer, but we should build a company culture of people who will jump at the chance to do so. 

Read more...

Categories: Corporate Culture | Creativity | Customer Service | Competitive Advantage

2 comments - Posted by Paul Orfalea at 4:20 PM

When Opportunity Beeps

It takes time and practice to see things that can hide in plain sight, like addiction and opportunity.

Read more...

Categories: Creativity | Entrepreneurialism

18 comments - Posted by Paul Orfalea at 3:32 PM

Develop An Eye for Opportunity

Because I couldn't read well as a youngster, I learned from direct experience. Experience is a harsh teacher, since the test comes first and the lesson follows. Still, I embraced every chance to participate in life. I started businesses, like my vegetable stand. I skipped school to watch my father's stockbroker at work. One thing I saw for myself was that to succeed in school, you had to be good at everything, but to succeed as an adult, you only had to be good at one or two things.

Read more...

Categories: Creativity | Education | Disabilities | Entrepreneurialism

6 comments - Posted by Paul Orfalea at 3:37 PM

GM's Big Dreams

The standout exhibit at the 1939 World's Fair belonged to none other than General Motors. Called Futurama, the display took visitors on a tour through an incredibly detailed - and mostly accurate - model of the continental United States as it would appear in the far-off future of 1960. Considering that the World's Fair took place after ten years of Depression and while Europe was descending into the madness of war, General Motors' imaginative optimism seems all the more impressive.

General Motors recognized the harsh facts in front of them, but nevertheless dreamed big dreams and worked to make them come true - they helped to create America's future. So what happened?

Read more...

Categories: Marketing | Creativity | Customer Service | Leadership | Competitive Advantage | Optimism

0 comments - Posted by Paul Orfalea at 5:35 PM

Preparing for College

Congratulations to this year's high school graduates. Those of you preparing to enter college in the fall will be investing more money than ever before for your education, so here are some thoughts on getting your dollar's worth.

1. Small talk is a big deal. College is a great place to acquire friends and ideas, and small talk starts the process. You're about to be thrust into a new environment, and your willingness to chat shows that you are interested in life and people. Project a demeanor of openness and positivity; use your idle time in the dorms or hallways to start conversations and form friendships. Of all the skills you learn or refine in college, the art of conversation may be the most valuable throughout your life.

Read more...

Categories: Creativity | Education | Leadership | Optimism

1 comments - Posted by Paul Orfalea at 9:28 AM