Mary Matalin and James Carville, the business of love, hate, marriage and politics By Randall Kenneth Jones Originally published in the Naples Daily News I recently took a vacation from my normal editorial crusade for real human contact and posted a question on Facebook—one I frequently ask in person, too. Yes, Facebook: the technological tool that

We live in a pretty fast-paced world. These days, if we’re lucky enough to grab 10 minutes with a friend, we need to make them count. In the case of former Good Morning America President Phil Beuth, 10 minutes is never going to cut it. As a man whose life has focused on recounting some of the most

When you ask some people to give you 10 minutes of their time, it can feel like you’ve just suggested they donate a vital body part. Let’s face it, we are all protective of our schedules. Plus, many of us question the value of a conversation that lasts a mere one-sixth of an hour. What

Peggy Post has done her fair share of “opening” and “closing” lately. True, the concept of “closure” has received a lot of attention over the years. Just as a period or an exclamation point ends a sentence, closure marks the literal or emotional conclusion to a series of events. Closure has also highlighted the last

Mitchell Gold's ongoing fight to end discomfort By Randall Kenneth Jones Originally published in the Naples Daily News Mitchell Gold, co-founder and “chair-man” of home furnishings company Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams (MG + BW), wants to make people comfortable—in every sense of the word. comfortable [kuhm-fer-tuh-buhl]  adjective Providing physical comfort: a comfortable chair. Free from stress or anxiety: comfortable

Business Class: Understand those around you By Randall Kenneth Jones Originally published in the Naples Daily News Friday, October 25, 2013 Merriam-Webster’s dictionary defines empathy as “the feeling that you understand and share another person's experiences and emotions: the ability to share someone else's feelings.” Take empathy into the business world and it becomes a

Business Class: Neal Conan -- Being good is not good enough By Randall Kenneth Jones Originally published in the Naples Daily News Monday, May 5, 2014 Though Neal Conan, the former host of NPR’s “Talk of the Nation,” was never a member of the Boy Scouts, he learned—the hard way—the importance of their legendary motto:

Willard Scott, the Class Clown with class By Randall Kenneth Jones Originally published in the Naples Daily News Willard Scott is the ideal restaurant companion. If he gets the chance to insert a one-liner into a conversation, he does it. If he feels an amusing anecdote (Soupy Sales’ shenanigans, meeting the Pope, Mayberry’s Aunt Bee

Business Class: American Idol's Lazaro Arbos has found his voice By Randall Kenneth Jones Originally published in the Naples Daily News Friday, November 22, 2013 It’s a rite of passage—the annual transition of our nation’s youth from the comfort of childhood to the reality of the adult world. However, Neapolitan Lazaro Arbos came face to

Business Class: Dr. David Perlmutter of "Grain Brain" -- "Trust your gut" By Randall Kenneth Jones Originally published in the Naples Daily News Monday, May 19, 2014 The "gut" has gotten a lot of attention over the years. For example, we know it's possible to "spill our guts" and "bust a gut." We have also