(Written by guest writer, my wife, Cantor Laurel Barr) I’m never in a very good mood when the clocks change to accommodate Daylight Savings Time. Darkness descends so early, and especially now during December, winter skies and freezing temperatures only exasperate the gloomy feeling for me. Chanukah, the 8-day holiday of miracles which included the military victory of the tiny Jewish Maccabee army that overcame the aggression of the overwhelming Greek and Syrian armies in the 2nd century BCE, always...

Just six weeks ago we dropped off our dog, Juno, at the breeder’s home to adjust to her new surroundings with them a couple of days prior to delivering her puppies. It wasn’t without trepidation that we entered into this agreement 18 months ago with Deer Pines Labradoodles, for Juno to become one of their dams and eventually give birth to a litter of pups. Even with the best preparation, we couldn’t have known the excitement and wonder that would...

I was and still am a student of the late Steve Jobs. One of the things I admired the most is his use of powerful words and adjectives to describe the products and services of Apple. I believe that when we use such powerful words in our content and marketing efforts, it adds color and spark while help our expressions pop and stimulate and inspire our audience. These words help paint a powerful picture and even move them to take...

This is the season when retail businesses are ramping up their creativity to lure customers to their websites or brick-and-mortar buildings. While it’s unnecessary to reinvent the wheel, it is necessary to continue to improve and elevate your writing, your social media and blog posts to attract clients and keep them coming back again and again. What qualities turn good writing into great writing and make you stand out in the crowd? Here are some of those traits: StorytellingThey bring...

Gratitudenoun    the state of being grateful: THANKFULNESS This is the definition of gratitude according to Merriam-Webster. Simple, straightforward and easy to comprehend. THANKFULNESS It seems like an easy concept to grasp and yet so often, when challenges arise, anger momentarily blinds us and thwarts our capacity to appreciate the beauty and the gifts around us. This past week especially, leading up to Thanksgiving, there have been an array of memes and sayings having to do with gratitude floating around on...

Yesterday, Laurel officiated the funeral for a well-known and beloved Cleveland Federal Court Magistrate. Judge Perelman had come up through the ranks as a law clerk and became recognized for his fairness and objectivity when writing opinions. Judge Perelman was a fair, compassionate and impartial judge on the bench, and an open minded, caring, non-judgmental human being outside of the courtroom. As they prepared for the funeral on Monday, the stories of this man’s life began to flow like a...

Whether you deliver your speech, being interviewed, or create your videos or podcasts content here are my favorite 10 opening statements and several examples: “Imagine” – present a scenario that puts your listener’s mind into exploring various possibilities.Example: “Imagine your web site generating passive income 24×7 and constantly expanding.”   Your clients’ questions and concerns – Reflect on recent conversations you’ve had with your clients and identify some of the key questions and concerns discussed.Example: “One of the key concerns...

I know I’m a bit obsessed with my dog, Juno, and for that, I apologize, but it’s been a tough, few, days as we all anxiously awaited the arrival of her puppies. I have learned a lot more about female dog fertility than I ever wanted to know, but it was truly a fascinating journey. Today, dog breeding has become a precise science and gestation is 63 days, so we knew that the puppies had to be born on or...

About 10 years ago, Laurel and I had the opportunity to travel to Barcelona, Spain as a brief, 5-day stopover on our way home from Israel. We explored many of the famous sites and creations by the famous Catalan architect, Antoni Gaudi, including the breathtaking La Sagrada Familia church. Another highlight was a trip to the Pablo Picasso Museum where we stood in awe at the works of art displayed throughout. It was remarkable to see the different phases of...

Congratulations to us! We’re going to be grandparents again! Ok, our dog, Juno, is expecting 8 plus puppies next week and we are getting very excited and very nervous. Juno is a petite thing and a poor eater which is causing us a lot of anxiety since she needs to increase her daily calorie intake fourfold. Many of you who know me, know that food isn’t an issue in our house. We are not used to a picky eater, especially...