In today's turbulent economic times, no career choice should be made lightly. It is important to have an open mind and explore all your options. As my Father-in-law once told me, "Don't take the first opportunity that is given to you". If you have never explored the insurance industry as a career choice then start today. The insurance industry is recession resistant! Your success is not based or subject to the market. Think about it...by law you must have auto insurance if you drive a vehicle and if you have a mortgage you must have homeowners insurance. Read more »

Economic Review: Third Quarter 2009   The market rally that began in mid-March, driving double digit equity returns in the second quarter, continued throughout the third quarter of 2009. Despite some volatility at the close of the three-month period ending September 30, 2009, the S&P 500 Index gained another 15.61%[1]. International returns were just as strong, with currency gains giving U.S. Read more »

Managing The Best People for the Job, But Just Enough of Them One of the great challenges of small to medium sized business is accomplishing all of the functions of the enterprise without an enterprise-sized staff. This is especially timely in today's business climate where every efficiency is paramount. Read more »

A little over ten years ago I worked with a guy who always made me laugh and we soon became friends. We worked together in a marketing department for a technology company in CA and he was a super outgoing individual, but he was often hesitant to be direct with our manager about poor decisions that would negatively impact the company. This is where I stepped in, and was soon nicknamed “Crazy Mary” because I would always wind up addressing the invisible elephant in the room.    < Read more »