LORI'S NIGHTSTAND

In addition to the Kleenex and the Remote Control, some very interesting reading can be found on Lori's nightstand.

Mind Your X’s and Y’s
Satisfying the 10 Cravings of a New Generation of Consumers
By Lisa Johnson

Surprise, Intrigue and Personalization. To woo today’s 18 to 24 year olds, smart marketing contains these elements and must fly under the radar screen of mainstream consumers. Big, loud and often does not work with today’s media savvy customers. The customer is in control – and they are not stupid. Lisa Johnson, (who also authored “Don’t Think Pink” another of my favorites) offers insightful strategies for winning Generation X and Y consumer loyalty. My copy is dog eared and completely marked up – my formula for rating it tops for useable content. I don’t lend this book out. I am afraid I won’t get it back. Buy it. You won’t be disappointed.

The Extreme Future
The Top Trends That Will Reshape the World
for the Next 5, 10, and 20 Years
By James, Canton, Ph.D

An eye opening prediction – there may be fourteen million more jobs than workers to fill them by 2015. That’s eight years from now. These shortages will be highest among managers and skilled employees in tech, science, and other innovation and service jobs. Whoa. Read on. Could it be imperative to focus on training and retaining the personnel we hire today? James Canton offers a myriad of such predictions as he takes the reader on a ride into the future. Some of the predictions are way out there, and some hit very close to home. This “what if” book, will, if nothing else, get you thinking about future possibilities and the role your business might play in each scenario. Very interesting.