Hey guys. I hope everyone had wonderful weekend! We just wrapped up our income tax filing for this year. Yay! I decided to publish this post on Sunday night because Monday I get to take the day off and go on a college visit with my oldest daughter. We’re checking out Southern Methodist University in Dallas. Yay! The day brings back some great memories for this SMU MBA (class of ’91). Go Mustangs! Here are some of the awesome reads I’ve come across these last few days:

• This was an interesting review of an economist’s book on the impact of slowing tech innovation’s impact on American prosperity: bit.ly/1V6JtZo
• There’s a huge strategic restructuring underway at IKEA. The company is looking to improve market nimbleness. reut.rs/1VuDZIv
• This article shared some excellent lessons on teamwork that you should learn: entm.ag/1p2PQPm
• Taking care of your employees will lead to more success. This article argues that you shouldn’t let clients drive your work to the detriment of your employees: bit.ly/1RV4ofr
• Snapchat might now be the most important social media platform if you want to reach out to those younger people: bit.ly/1Q8mANd
• This article discussed how when it comes to customer loyalty you should be thinking about customer engagement vs. customer transactions: entm.ag/1S8lVgQ
• Some tips for staying inspired as an owner of your small business: for.tn/25VJtPJ
• This article shared some blogs that can teach you more than an MBA: bit.ly/1YqxpQG
• I loved this reminder to be attentive and ask questions to uncover customer needs, improve service: bit.ly/1MqgAEJ
• Virtual reality is already starting to show up in retail to improve the customer experience. This article touched on some of the interesting ways stores are using it: lat.ms/1ViCQD7
• Sometimes restructuring and reorganizing is best done when business is going well. Victoria’s Secret is doing that right now. This article discusses their reorganization plans: bit.ly/1VOinVR
• In another strategy story, Lytro is shifting it’s strategy from consumers to filmmakers and creative professionals: bit.ly/1UW2b66
• I’ve always found it interesting how some business leaders are just great at communicating – and actually getting heard. This article shares how they do it: bit.ly/1UW2D4g
• If you have an early-stage company, establishing and building credit is pretty important. This article shares some really good ideas for how you can go about doing that: entm.ag/1VijxtR
• Too often we focus on growth that has short-term results. This article discusses the importance of focusing your company on long-term growth: bit.ly/1S5nyhL

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This past week I’ve been quite focused on the idea of simplification – how to simplify your business, especially as it relates to working with your customers. I shared a few ideas to think about:

• When looking at how to simplify your interactions with customers, always begin with an underlying sense of respect.
• Find ways to help customers buy from you and initially engage with you clearer and more simple.
• What are the three most common interactions you have with your customers? Look for ways to simplify them ASAP.
• Have someone from outside your company look at your website. What is the single most important message they receive?
• Look at all your marketing communications. Try to boil each one down to only ONE call-to-action. Simplify.

I wrote my latest blog post on that subject as well. I wanted to share some ideas on how you could grow your business by making customer interactions simpler: “Grow Your Business By Simplifying Customer Relationships“.

Also, for my runner friends in the Houston area I’m inviting you to join me at the Down Syndrome Association of Houston‘s BuddyRun coming up on Saturday, April 30th. Please come support individuals w/ Down syndrome in our community. You can sign up and/or sponsor here:  bit.ly/1MqgUU0.

As always – thanks for your wonderful support!