Random Thoughts on a Very Gray Day

Do you spell grey with an “a” or an “e”?

Marissa Mayer, the latest Yahoo CEO (no, the actual CEO of Yahoo) has required that Yahoo employees who work remotely relocate to company facilities.  As someone who has worked at home for a long time, I have a mixed response to this.  If I were running a company as dysfunctional as Yahoo appears to be, I would want all the inmates under one roof, too, at least for a time.  Especially in positions of leadership, it is important to have face to face contact.  But personally, I could never work in an office again after having the freedom to work autonomously.  She is in a tough spot.

CrumbsThank you to Crumbs Bakery NYC for resolving a poor customer service situation in a very satisfying way. I was trying to buy a gift card online and had a problem with the transaction.  After days of getting no response from customer service, I sent a note to the CEO, Julian Geiger, alerting him to the reputational issue at hand. Crumbs offered me a free gift card, and as the occasion had come and gone, I asked them to please donate it to a worthy non-profit.  They responded that they had made a donation to the Jeanne Geiger Crisis Center, named for the late wife of the CEO.  Formerly the Women’s Crisis Center of Newburyport, the organization was renamed after Mrs. Geiger’s death in Plum Island in 2005.  Not only is the center close by, but it also is affiliated with Girls Inc., a favorite local charity. Nicely done, Crumbs.

How much do you love Andrew Mason, CEO at Groupon (or former CEO)? The letter that he sent to the Groupon team is inspiring in its awesome truthfulness.  “After four and a half intense and wonderful years as CEO of Groupon, I’ve decided that I’d like to spend more time with my family. Just kidding – I was fired today. If you’re wondering why… you haven’t been paying attention.”  Incredible.

And tied with Andrew Mason for first place in the breath of fresh air awards is Jennifer Lawrence. If her post-Oscar press conference was not enough, Lawrence followed that up with this:   Jennifer Lawrence DiorWhen asked about her Dior campaign ads, she answered, “Of course it’s Photoshop, people don’t look like that. I love Photoshop more than anything in the world.”  And I love you, Jennifer Lawrence.

 

 

 

 

 

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