Just because you killed Jesse James…
“Just because you killed Jesse James, don’t make you Jesse James.”
– Mike Ehrmantraut to Walter White, Episode 3, Season 5 of Breaking Bad.
Just because you’ve shot down my idea doesn’t mean yours is better. Defending the status quo can be necessary, but mostly it’s an excuse to stay trapped in our fear.
Just because you sit in judgment of all the “idiot” drivers and “slothful” welfare recipients and “feckless” politicians, doesn’t actually do anything. Though your fragile ego may get a hit for a few seconds, putting others down isn’t a solution. And it certainly adds nothing to the level of discourse.
Tearing down something else isn’t the same as your building something worthy or interesting. So instead of complaining, let’s see your plan.
Being the critic is mostly a place to hide from the hard work of leading us to something new and meaningful. So instead of judging, let’s hear your ideas.
Eliminating the competition may make life easier for a bit, but eventually our art, our projects, our passions have to stand on their own merits.
The universe is listening. And waiting.
My 2024 Retail Predictions: A Reckoning
For the last several years, I've made a list of annual predictions for the retail industry, which I share here, on Forbes, and on my podcast. And then, in what can sometimes amount to an act of self-flagellation, I take account of how I did. So without further ado,...
Shift Happens
I grew up in the outlying suburbs of New York City in the 1960s and ’70s. Like other middle-class kids from the area, I spent many a weekend being dragged around by my mother to go shopping at stores like Abraham & Strauss, Caldor, and Bamberger’s. On family road...
Luxury Hits the Wall. What’s Going On and What’s Next?
Recent earnings reports from the world’s top luxury players have largely brought bad news. Moreover, a fair amount of uncertainty and chaos has been in the air all year as money-losing online-only players like Farfetch and YNAP have run into the arms of new corporate...
"The Store Operations Council enjoyed every minute of Steve Dennis's presentation on retail's future. He always keeps it real and speaks the language of retail experts."
Cathy Hotka
Principal
Cathy Hotka & Associates
"The Store Operations Council enjoyed every minute of Steve Dennis's presentation on retail's future. He always keeps it real and speaks the language of retail experts."
Cathy Hotka
Principal
Cathy Hotka & Associates
