Over the last few years, I have been able to successfully shed weight that dogged me for years. I am down 60 pounds from the day I got married. I joke with my wife (who does not read this blog) that she has 25% less husband. Believe me, she does not mind. After the bulk of the weight came off, I found that nearly all my clothing did not fit. Interestingly and unexpectedly, my wedding band started falling off my ring finger with regularity. So I put the band on my middle finger and there it stayed. I have found recently that the band was now loose on my middle finger. I have kept the weight off for nearly 2 years, so I figured that this is the new me and I need to get the band fixed.

I checked with a local jeweler. My ring size was now an 8.5. My band was a 10.5. So 25% less husband means dropping 2 ring sizes. Good to know. I have been a fan and customer of Blue Nile since buying my wife’s engagement ring from them. That ring is perfect for her and the price was so good that I did not mind paying WA state sales tax. Naturally after that experience, we bought our bands from Blue Nile.

Now I had a band that did not fit. I got in touch with Blue Nile and explained that situation. Regardless that these bands were purchased many years ago, they found my account and were very quick to respond that they could in fact re-size the band — without charge. The band looks brand new. The only cost to me was the $10 to send it back to them. Other jewelers were quotes in the 7-10x of that $10. Blue Nile customer service was great throughout. At every step, their email responses were through and fast. They delivered notices on expected ship dates and tracking. There was not any point when I was “band-less” that I did not know where it was — a huge relief.

Blue Nile has always provided great shopping experiences for me, but now I have no reason to look for jewelery anywhere else. Many thanks Blue Nile!

I have had a lot of conversations with very talented people that seem lost in this new economic reality. Understandably many are upset about their respective employment situations; however, as a whole they seem to be forgetting what has made them great. Here are some recommended reads for some positive “mojo”:

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
I first borrowed a copy of the Alchemist in 1996 while backpacking in Australia and devoured it in a single day. I hated to return it. Since then I have recommended the book countless times and given away many copies as gifts. It is work checking out Coelho’s blog where he posts daily and even links to pirated copies of his work.

The Radical Leap: A Personal Lesson in Extreme Leadership by Steve Farber
This is a great short read about leadership. First read in 2004, I have taken the time to re-read it about once per year and see how I measure up.

The Magic Lamp: Goal Setting for People Who Hate Setting Goals by Keith Ellis
I recently came across this book. Would recommend. It is authentic and can help you get you from A to B.

Hang in there and read on.

Three recent business books that I have read, enjoyed and recommend.

The Big Switch: Rewiring the World, from Edison to Google by Nicholas Carr
Summary: Carr argues that computing, no longer personal, is going the way of a power utility.

Why I liked it: The historical perspective matches the current cloud computing trend. Nice parallels, but later chapters are lacking in determine what is next.

Orbiting the Giant Hairball: A Corporate Fool’s Guide to Surviving with Grace by Gordon MacKenzie
Summary: Useful anecdotes about creativity and the creative process in a corporate setting.

Why I liked it: Great stories and vignettes. Enjoyed the pyramids and plum tree organizational structure idea.

Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap… and Others Don’t by Jim Collins
Summary: Offers a well-reasoned road map to excellence through examples of 11 companies that made the transition.

Why I liked it: Preaches simplicity and discipline for a corporate vision (or hedgehog concept).

Read on.