Our Blog

I'll not forget the spring of 2002, which is when the effects of 9/11 finally hit my painting firm, T. L. Hart, Inc.  Like most other companies the world had been a good place to do business in; Michigan had been booming during the 90's along with the rest of the country.

Listening to Robert L. Trezise, Jr., President and CEO of LEAP (Lansing Economic Area Partnership) two times in one month makes me think that former Mayor David Hollister’s vision of Lansing as a world class city is coming to pass.  Consider the facts:

Lansing area ranked best in the nation for job growth in three major sectors
Lansing region’s GDP is 2nd best in the State of Michigan
Area population is growing
Greater Lansing named one of three in Michigan with growing housing market
Lansing is home to a number of major insurance companies and three state-of-the-art GM plants

I could go on (read all the good news at www.

One person you will seldom read about in history books is Booker T. Washington.

Unlike many contemporary black leaders, Booker T. taught a lesson that many would do well to heed today, that regardless of skin color or social environment, it is man’s relationship to God that determines the outcome of his life.

Sometimes you have to be careful about what you ask for.

It was a cold November morning in 1977, and I was working for the City of Lansing on their street patch crew.  Our job that day was burning high spots off the asphalt pavement. To do this, we used a hand-held burner attached to a kerosene tank, which was strapped to the rear-end of a dump truck.

I was a bum in the late 60's.  I barely made it out of high school, and I flunked out of college at least three times before I finally buckled down and got an Associate's degree.  Though I hated to paint and was anti-business at the time, I ended up taking  painting job in 1974 with a view to making more money.

Unlike some taking to the streets lately, I like banks.  I like the idea of depositing my paycheck and having the assurance that the money is there when I need it.  I like using my debit card, even if there are sometimes fees attached.

But some things banks do make no sense.

          I've done a considerable amount of writing in the past, and one thing I learned early on was the practice of submitting my article to others for critique. Humbling at times and often uncomfortable, my writing skills became  better over time as a result.

It wasn't long ago that my son, John - who happens to be in corporate finance - challenged my business model.  At the time, I wasn't so sure that I knew what a business model was, let alone what ours was.  Over a period of years, however, I have learned that whatever your business model is, it must of necessity fit the market you are in.

     Ancient text informs us that "without vision the people perish;" it is during challenging times like these that vision is tested and often lost.  

     My mentor for twenty years and author of "Awakening the Giant," the late Jim Russell, used to say that vision is the definition of a long-term goal.

     Common parlance says one thing that characterizes a good CEO is that he or she always has the right answer. Yet research indicates this is not always so. "Leading from good to great," author Jim Collins says, "means having the humility to grasp the fact that you do not yet understand enough to have the answers.