Here's a screenshot from our Dillanos website promoting our new book The Rolling Desk! The final edits are happening now and the book will be available as a hardcover and Kindle on Amazon and hardcover at Barnes and Noble in June!! It's written by My brother Chris and I and gives a glimpse into our exciting culture at Dillanos Coffee Roasters. It is written in the form of a fable. The Company in the book is called Callahan Coffee Roasters and tells stories based on Dillanos' real experiences and the way we do business. I will be posting an excerpt from the book sometime in April. In the archives of this blog starting on back on 1/28/09 there are 5 posts during my real life mobile desk project.

Starbucks Ice Water

I went to Starbucks yesterday in NYC for some ice water and here is my exchange with the barista.
Me: Hi, may I please have a Venti ice water?
Her: We can't give you an ice water
Me: I'll gladly pay for it
Her: I can't sell it to you
Me: I'll Pay full price for the cheapest Venti drink. Latte, mocha, whatever. and you can just put ice and water in the cup
Her: Sir, I can't sell you an ice water even if you pay for a different drink
Me: Ok, I'll get a Venti Iced Americano without the espresso shots
Her: uuuumm (puzzled look on her face) ok
I got my ice water
Lesson: If you are resourceful and persistent enough, you will ALWAYS succeed. R+P=S

I love GoDaddy.com CEO Bob Parsons 16 rules

Bob Parsons^® 16 Rules for Success in Business and Life in General

1.	Get and stay out of your comfort zone.
	I believe that not much happens of any significance when we're in our comfort zone. I hear people say, "But I'm concerned about security." My response to that is simple: "Security is for cadavers."
2.	Never give up.
	Almost nothing works the first time it's attempted. Just because what you're doing does not seem to be working, doesn't mean it won't work. It just means that it might not work the way you're doing it. If it was easy, everyone would be doing it, and you wouldn't have an opportunity.
3.	When you're ready to quit, you're closer than you think.
	There's an old Chinese saying that I just love, and I believe it is so true. It goes like this: "The temptation to quit will be greatest just before you are about to succeed."
4.	With regard to whatever worries you, not only accept the worst thing that could happen, but make it a point to quantify what the worst thing could be.
	Very seldom will the worst consequence be anywhere near as bad as a cloud of "undefined consequences." My father would tell me early on, when I was struggling and losing my shirt trying to get Parsons Technology going, "Well, Robert, if it doesn't work, they can't eat you."
5.	Focus on what you want to have happen.
	Remember that old saying, "As you think, so shall you be."
6.	Take things a day at a time.
	No matter how difficult your situation is, you can get through it if you don't look too far into the future, and focus on the present moment. You can get through anything one day at a time.
7.	Always be moving forward.
	Never stop investing. Never stop improving. Never stop doing something new. The moment you stop improving your organization, it starts to die. Make it your goal to be better each and every day, in some small way. Remember the Japanese concept of Kaizen. Small daily improvements eventually result in huge advantages.
8.	Be quick to decide.
	Remember what General George S. Patton said: "A good plan violently executed today is far and away better than a perfect plan tomorrow."
9.	Measure everything of significance.
	I swear this is true. Anything that is measured and watched, improves.
10.	Anything that is not managed will deteriorate.
	If you want to uncover problems you don't know about, take a few moments and look closely at the areas you haven't examined for a while. I guarantee you problems will be there.
11.	Pay attention to your competitors, but pay more attention to what you're doing.
	When you look at your competitors, remember that everything looks perfect at a distance. Even the planet Earth, if you get far enough into space, looks like a peaceful place.
12.	Never let anybody push you around.
	In our society, with our laws and even playing field, you have just as much right to what you're doing as anyone else, provided that what you're doing is legal.
13.	Never expect life to be fair.
	Life isn't fair. You make your own breaks. You'll be doing good if the only meaning fair has to you, is something that you pay when you get on a bus (i.e., fare).
14.	Solve your own problems.
	You'll find that by coming up with your own solutions, you'll develop a competitive edge. Masura Ibuka, the co-founder of SONY, said it best: "You never succeed in technology, business, or anything by following the others." There's also an old saying that I remind myself of frequently. It goes like this: "A wise man keeps his own counsel."
15.	Don't take yourself too seriously.
	Lighten up. Often, at least half of what we accomplish is due to luck. None of us are in control as much as we like to think we are.
16.	There's always a reason to smile.
	Find it. After all, you're really lucky just to be alive. Life is short. More and more, I agree with my little brother. He always reminds me: "We're not here for a long time, we're here for a good time!"

"Copyright © 2004 Bob Parsons - http://www.bobparsons.me. All rights reserved. Reproduced with permission."

4 Great Books to Read

I posted a required reading list for entrepreneurs a while back. I included a lot of great classics. I've been traveling a lot and I'm actually relaxing on the Big Island in Hawaii as I write this. I have been reading books like crazy lately so I wanted to post a little about them.

1) Abundance by Peter Diamandis- This book is about future of our planet earth and beyond. It tells of an abundant future. It goes into how we can solve some of the world's issues like poverty, clean drinking water, etc. Peter is the founder and Chairman of the X-prize. This is the organization that offered $10 million dollars the first person (non-goverment) to launch a manned flight into space twice within two weeks. Most recently he's been in the news for co-founding Planetary Resources The asteroid mining company with several high profile investors like the founders of Google and James Cameron. I've known about this project for a while now because Peter's Co-Founder/Co-Chairman Eric Anderson is a friend of mine and my forum mate in the Young Presidents Organization. Overall it's a book that gives you great hope for the next 10 to 20 years and for our future generations.

2) Entreleadership  by Dave Ramsey- If you are a small/medium sized business owner then this is a must read. It's one of those books that is a mix of reassurance that you are doing things right and new ideas that get you pumped up to implement into your business. It is filled with so many gems of wisdom. The book pulls from the knowledge Dave has gained in the business trenches. No theories here. All real meat! Because of this fantastic book I started listening to the Entreleadership Podcast
hosted by Chris LoCurto This podcast is every bit as good as the book. As a matter of fact, the final 2 books I'm going to cover are as a result of the interviews on the podcast. By the way Chris' blog is awesome too, especially this post about someone you might know of .

3)  Great by Choice by Jim Collins- Jim is most famous for his ground breaking best seller Good to Great. A common fixture on the bookshelves of entrepreneurs and business leaders everywhere. In this latest book he uses real life examples of how companies thrive over the long term. It tells you how you can choose to succeed regardless of the economy or any other outside forces. Listening to the 2 part interview on the Entreleadership podcast was actually just as good as the book itself. All of Jim's books are tremendously insightful, well researched, and highly recommended.

4)  The Advantage by Patrick Lencioni- This book was great timing for our company. We had all of the leadership team read it and have acted on some of it's principles. Most of Patrick's books in the past have been in story form. This book however, is in the standard business book style. The focus is on your company's organizational health. He gives great examples illustrating the importance of getting to know your team, having meetings that are both often and effective. He also has an interesting take on being a vulnerable leader and how that vulnerability with your team can make your company more healthy. I am going to read some of his fable style books such as Death by Meeting and The Five Dysfunctions of a Team in the future.

A Story of a Bedbug

So my pregnant wife wakes up at 2 in the morning and wipes a bug off her face. She finds the bug, kills it and is convinced, after 3 hours of internet research, that it's a bedbug that we brought back in our luggage from New York 2 weeks ago. She wakes me up to figure this little bugger out. It didn't help that after I posted a picture of it on Facebook to see if anyone knew what it was, my Director of coffee Phil texted me and said "that looks like a bedbug" Thanks Phil. A twitter post yielded little results. Mostly jokes like "it's an alien" and "I don't know but it's bugging me" and "not sure but if it was at my house it would be a dead bug". All cute but I needed an answer. My wife being pregnant AND exhausted, was a little anxious to say the least. After a lot of talk of burning mattresses and even selling our house (remember hormones and exhaustion) I knew I had to do something to diffuse the situation. At work I am constantly hammering my employees about resourcefulness (we even have an annual award for it) so I decided I better be resourceful. Since it was 7 in the morning our time I couldn't drive to a local exterminator and show them the bug to find out what it was. So instead I Googled for a bedbug focused exterminator in New York. (NYC people know their bedbugs AND it was 10 o'clock their time so I knew someone would be open) I got a hold of Green Eco environmental pest control and asked the extremely helpful gentleman if I could email a pic from my iPhone of the creature to identify if it was, in fact, a bedbug. I did, and his response? NO BEDBUG!! No mattress bonfires, no armies of men invading our house in white haz-mat suits. Just a happy wife , and back to sleep. Well, her at least.

Our new Core Values

We just recently revamped our core values. After 20 years in the coffee industry we thought we would upgrade and adjust our values to properly reflect how we do business today. One of our newest accounts (Prince Street Coffee in Lancaster, PA) wanted a copy so I thought I would post them for all to see. I am writing a new book to replace "Brewing a Creative Culture" (still available at Amazon.com) with each core value representing a chapter. This book will be kind of a "how we do business at Dillanos Coffee Roasters" kind of book. It will feature lessons, stories and principle's that will help any company, not just those in the coffee business. If you would like a full size copy emailed to you just contact my assistant Melissa at Melissah@dillanos.com

Book summary of Superself. A really old business book

I read this book many years ago and loved it. My Executive VP read it recently and wrote down some nuggets of wisdon

• Learn from the experiences of others, rather than your own. If you live your life as most people do, you will forced to settle for what most people settle for.
• To design and control your future effectively, you must first let go of your past. Dwelling in the past limits and controls your future.
• To get to where you wan to go, first firmly plant your feet on the ground where you are. Complaining about your circumstance will only distract your focus.
• Use the losses and failures of the past as a reason for action, not inaction.
• To win in other peoples ballparks, play by their rules. Whether your way is right or better is irrelevant. Your objective is to win.
• Accept the rules or change ballparks.
• Use near misses as a sign that you’re off course, not a sign that you have failed.
• Use negative feedback to make positive course corrections.
• Develop your blueprint or life plan
o Dreams list – Create them as if there were no limits to your life.
o Goals list - Specific and measurable with expectations. Keep a copy of your top 10 goals where you will see them every day.
o Values list – Determine your top 10 values, align your goals with your values.
o Action plan –Break each goal down into a manageable objectives
o Daily activity list – Transform efficiency into effectiveness with a prioritized activities list.
• Overcome doubt with positive, present tense affirmations.
• Apply the 80/20 rule – 20 percent of the activities you choose to spend time on will produce 80 percent of the results you are after. It’s a waste of time, talent and energy to spend time on anything not in the top 20 percent of your activities.
• Build your effectiveness my learning to maintain focus.
• Earn confidence and trust in others by keeping your agreements.
• Promise only what you can deliver, and deliver what you promise.
• Take control of your time – prioritize, plan in advance, be on time, eliminate interruptions, maintain a positive attitude.
• Leave your car keys in the same place every time you arrive home.
• Change all door locks so that one key fits all.
• Ignore the phone and doorbell when getting ready.
• Fill your gas tank on your time, not on a stress time.
• Add a ten minute window of time for appointments
• Schedule personal time and activities as if they were appointments
• Don’t allow job related problems to interrupt personal time.
• Eliminate mundane maintenance activities – remove all of the activities that do not contribute directly to your dreams and goals.
• If the cost is less than your per-hour value, hire someone else to do the job.
• When in doubt, let someone else do it.
• Screen incoming calls and check your messages no more than twice a day.
• Don’t give your business number to personal acquaintances.
• Determine your peak performance time (hours when your brain is functioning at its maximum and your energy level is high).
• Write all letters and memos in your peak performance period.
• Hire the best people
• Set limits on time spent with a talker.
• Listen carefully so you only have to listen once.
• Use commuting time to increase your knowledge
• Always keep a recorder in your car for capturing ideas and dictating actions.
• Exercise at least once every other day.
• Cut down on the quantity of food, fats and alcohol.
• Drink plenty of water
• Breathe deeply and sit up straight.
• Use short naps to overcome fatigue.
• Eliminate worry by refocusing on the future.
• Constantly confront things you fear. Act even in the face of fear.
• Visualize a positive outcome for every fear-triggering situation you face.
• Eliminate negativity from your life.
• Don’t make value judgments about people or events.
• To reduce stress state preferences instead of expectations or demands.

Mini-Review for Tim Sanders new book Today We Are Rich

I have been reading Success/Motivational/Self Help books for the last 25 years. As the CEO of a coffee roasting company in Seattle I like to keep my mind fresh with ideas both old and new. While reading Tim's book, Today We Are Rich, I couldn't help but think of all the classics. This book offers straightforward advice through interesting personal stories. Tim comes across as a such a genuine giver. His writing makes you feel like he truly cares about your success and fulfillment. The Chapter on "Promises Made, Promises Kept" alone was worth the price of the book for me. I am looking forward to reading all of the other books from this modern day Dale Carnegie/Norman Vincent Peale. Thanks for a great read Mr. Sanders!! BTW, This is not an affiliate link for $$ I just loved the book get it here: http://is.gd/rWr4Fq

Coffeemaverick's 22 books for entrepreneurs (Plus 1 Bonus Audio)

 1) Holy Bible- God and various Authors
 2) How To Win Friends And Influence People-Dale Carnegie
 3) The Power of Positive Thinking-Norman Vincent Peale
 4) Think and Grow Rich- Napoleon Hill
 5) How I Raised Myself From Failure to Success In Selling- Frank Bettger
 6) Awaken the Giant Within - Anthony Robbins
 7) The One Minute Manager- Ken Blanchard
 8) The Richest Man in Babylon-George Clason
 9) Entreleadership-Dave Ramsey
10) Rework- Jason Fried
11) Superself- Charles J. Givens
12) The Greatest Salesman in the World- Og Mandino
13) How to Be A Rainmaker--Jeffrey J. Fox
14) The Sales Bible- Jeffrey Gitomer
15) The Success Principles- Jack Canfield
16) As a Man Thinketh- James Allen
17) Habits of Wealth- Bill Byrne
18) Self Reliance- Ralph Waldo Emerson
19) Eat to Live- Loel Fuhrman
20) Lives Greatest Lessons- Hal Urban
21) Platform-Michael Hyatt
22) Swim with the Sharks without being Eaten Alive- Harvey Mackay
 
       Bonus Audio) The Strangest Secret- Earl Nightingale

Dillanos Named 2011 Roast Magazine Macro Roaster of the Year

2011 Roast Magazine Macro Roaster of the Year

The FIT 22 PROGRAM

I use this Fit 22 program to get healthy so I decided I would post it for everyone's benefit

1) Daily/ Read the Bible- I use a program from youversion.com, it's for a computer, iPhone and iPad

2) Daily/ Relax and be joyful in all things- I tend to be high stressed. It's time to not get blown by every wind and take things as they come

3) Daily/ Pray and have at least 15 minutes of quiet time- I tend to do this in my car

4) Daily/ Give others money, time or sincere compliments- It doesn't take a lot for you to be a "giver" make it your mission to do it daily

5) Daily/ Use organic shampoo, deodorant, toothpaste, soap, and laundry detergent- The toughest one on the list is the deodorant, but some brands actually work. This helps keep your home a healthy environment

6) Daily/ Set myself up for a good, healthy and rejuvenating sleep each night- For me this means relaxing and turning the TV off. It also helps to go to bed at about the same time and have a cool, dark room

7) Daily/ Drink half my body weight in ounces of water every day- Read the research, proper hydration is linked to a healthy weight, improved moods and even a longer life. I use an app on my iPhone called "Water Your Body"

8) Daily/ Drink a fresh extracted glass of diluted carrot juice daily- There is a huge rush of sugar in fresh carrot juice, so by diluting it you reduce the sugar but still benefit from the living enzymes in fresh vegetable juice
9) Daily/ Make a habit of lifetime learning- A lot of people make the mistake of thinking that their education ends at high school or college. Make it a point to devour personal development books and audio programs, take night classes, and learn, learn, learn


10) Daily/ Take a vitamin regimen of a whole food multi-vitamin, Fish oil, and CoQ10- with Supplements, a lot of times, you get what you pay for so buy quality products. Your health is worth it

11) Daily/ Do not eat white flour, white rice or refined sugar-stick with whole (preferably sprouted) grains, brown rice and use agave nectar as a sweetener.

12) Daily/ Eat organic and local when possible- This applies to fruits, vegetables and especially meats. Use meats that have not been pumped full of antibiotics and hormones

13) Daily/ Drink red wine in moderation- The heart healthy benefits are huge but turn harmful when drinking too much. 2 glasses max for most people

14) Daily/ Drink organic coffee and tea - Instead of drinking 5 cups of commercial grade coffees and teas just drink one or two cups of organic, high quality, specialty grade beverages. Once you taste the difference you'll never go back. Have fun experimenting with all the different blends and varieties of both coffee and tea
15) Daily/ Maintain Healthy Vitamin D Levels- We need the suns rays to create proper vitamin D in our bodies. If we don't get enough from the sun we should consider additional supplementation. Most people in the U.S. are vitamin D deficient. This can cause a whole range of health problems. Get tested by your Doctor and discuss options for raising and maintaining healthy levels of this much overlooked and very important vitamin

16) Daily/ Eat Super green food- There is a lot of green powders available at the health food store. There are tons of carotenoids, chlorophyll, phytonutrients, vitamins and minerals packed into these green powders. I like Dr. Ben Kim's Organic Greens. I mix it with coconut water. The coconut water's slight sweetness makes the greens a lot more drinkable plus CW has a huge boost of potassium

17) Daily/ Jump on a mini Trampoline- do this 5 to 10 minutes a day. This has been proven to stimulate your lymph system

18) Bi-Weekly/ Use weights for strength training- strength training provides improvements in overall health including increased bone strength and muscle mass, and can even increase your good cholesterol

19) 4 days per week/ Get Cardio Exercise - Just 30 minutes of light to medium intensity cardiovascular exercise with do wonders for you health. This could be the treadmill, stationary bike, elliptical trainer, or my favorite the Rowing machine. I have recently discovered this and it just feels great!

20) Monthly/ Go to the Chiropractor- It's so important to make sure the structure of your body is working properly. I am not a person who claims Chiropractic is the "cure all" for everything. However it does have its place among a regimen of healthy habits. Making sure your spine is aligned properly will contribute massively to how you feel on a daily basis as well as your long term well being

21) Monthly/ Get a Message- Get a monthly massage from a qualified practitioner at least once a month. Get more if you can afford it. Use it as a time to "check out" and go into a total relaxed state. It's not only relaxing, but it stimulates your body’s release of toxins so drink plenty of water. Also don't put up with a crappy massage. There are all different styles and skill levels out there. Find yourself a good therapist and stick with them.

22) Weekly/ Take a Day Off- Even God took a day off after 6 days. With all of these Fit 22 principles moderation is the key. Take one day a week loosen up. Eat what you want, lay around a little, and give your self a break.

“So many people spend their health gaining wealth, and then have to spend their wealth to regain their health.” A. J. Reb Materi

Check Out The Dilly Awards coming April 23, 2010

Coffeemaverick’s Twitter Tips for Retailers

This is an excerpt from an article I wrote coming up in Fresh Cup Magazine, It's a story about social networking for coffee retailers. The article to be published talks about the future of social networking, success stories and ends with 11 tips. Here are the first 5. Basic stuff but often overlooked by retailers, coffee or otherwise


Twitter and other social networking is not the place to blatantly promote your products. It is the place to blatantly connect with people.


1. Always be three things:
Be interesting, funny and a little bit vulnerable. It’s important to come across as real. This is not a place to always be selling. You build your brand on Twitter, one tweet at a time by adding value, humor and a sense of real life to your followers.

2. Customize your background
Twitter has a several stock backgrounds available, but resist this easy way out. Use a photograph or logo of your business as your background. (For effective real life examples, go to this website: http://tinyurl.com/y8kwcqz

3. Complete the bio section
There is a bio section on your Twitter page that allows 140 characters to tell your followers or prospective followers who you are and what you do. Make it count! Also include your website or Facebook fan page address in the space provided.

4. Use the right name in the rights spots
There are two spots to enter your name: one is your Twitter user name. The second is your real name, located above the bio. For example your Twitter user name would be @joecoffeeshack, but your real name would be Joe Johnson, or whoever is doing the tweets. This gives a sense of reality to your page. It tells the customer that there
is a real person behind your tweets and not a robotic computer.

5. Have a great profile picture
This is the picture that everyone sees next to your tweets, even when they’re not on your page. It can be a logo or a real photo of you. Don’t use a generic drink photos or clip art. They have no personality.

Seattle Magazine Dillanos Feature

February 2010
Branding a local coffee experience.
By Tim Newcomb

Creating a local coffee brand with high-quality roasts is crucial for independent coffee retailers, says David Morris, CEO of Sumner's Dillanos Coffee Roasters.

Morris decided to enter the world of roasting after quickly moving beyond the Buckley espresso cart he opened in 1992. Now, he creates branded "coffee experiences," which include roasts ranked in the top three nationally by Roast Magazine in the last four years. He says that melding traditional Italian roasting techniques with current technology "coaxes the finest flavors out of each bean."

Along with top-notch taste, Morris gives independents the support he never received. Dillanos offers brand coaching to all its clients (75 percent of its roasts are sold under the retailer's brand), which helps them create a local experience. "It is about the branding," he says. "How it looks, everything the customer touches, feels or sees. It's an overall experience, of which coffee is a part."

Dillanos has cashed in on being from Washington. Its clients are located in all 50 states, range from small stands to 160-store chains and include, locally, Pacific-based Big Foot Java, with more than 20 locations. Dillanos pulls in $20 million in annual revenues. Across the country, building an intensely local brand is the strategy to beating out the big boys.

But Morris isn't against Starbucks. He likes the stores and credits the company with opening the door for independents. "We are all riding the coattails of Starbucks," he says. However, his focus now is beating them, with branding and the "third wave" in coffee: high quality. "People are growing to love true specialty coffee," Morris explains. "Starbucks' quality has declined and allowed locals to compete."

Morris defines "quality" as a complex cup of coffee that gives customers "pause in their day." There is room for more independents that stress the local and quality coffee, he says. Those two things create success.

"I'm watching you Dad" www.floodgateproductions.com

21 keys in my business value statement

I for the life of me can't remember where I got this. I found it in an Evernote file . But I thought it was really cool and valuable. It says to "rob and copy it" so I did.I think I am going to change a few things and make it 22 keys (my favorite number) but in the meantime I wanted to post it. Also,if anyone know where its from let me know

Here’s the 21 keys in my business values statement:

1. I am a wealth creator, and attract money every day.

2. I am a thought leader.

3. I create a winning team. I’m careful about who rides on my business bus.

4. I love people and use money, and never get those two reversed.

5. Regarding my business associates, my job is to keep them in their greatness.

6. I speak positively of others, and defend those that are absent.

7. I am never cocky, needy, or greedy.

8. I work harder on myself than I do on my business.

9. I refuse to participate in financial downturns. I create my own economy.

10. My work environment is a “no drama” zone. No gossip, no whining.

11. I don’t “spend” time. I focus on the 20% that earns 80%

12. I am a master delegator and don’t waste time on triviality.

13. In tough times, I am the first to arrive and the last to leave.

14. I respect money and use it wisely. My business is fed, not bled.

15. I do not separate my business and religion. I live my religion through my business and am a shining light and good example to others.

16. I leverage my time and resources through effective use of technology.

17. I spend a lot of time with those that share my values, and little time with those that don’t.

18. I am strictly honest, and don’t steal in any way, including music, movies, and software. I am 100% trustworthy.

19. I add more to the marketplace than I take.

20. I am an example of charitable giving in both time and money.

21. I leave my work at work. At home I am 100% husband and dad.

I keep these above my desk on a huge sticky note, and review them every morning. As you can see, it’s personal to me, but I hope you get some good ideas from this for your own statement. Feel free to “Rob and Duplicate” all you want!

Costa Rica 2010

Pay it forward

So I just got pulled over by a Washington State trooper. I was slightly speeding as I passed the cop. However I didn't notice that I was passing him cause I was tweeting on my iPhone. As we made eye contact I noticed I didn't have my seatbelt on so I put it on while driving as he looked on in amazement. Needless to say he pulled me over immediately. As he walked up to my passenger side window I rolled it down with Success Magazine's latest motivational CD blaring out of my stereo. I didn't even notice because I was a little flustered about most likely getting the book thrown at me. He motioned for me to turn it down and with a huge smile on his face said " I don't even know where to start" he graciously went on to explain to me that texting while driving make you 24 times more likely to get into an accident. Compare that with drunk driving making you 6 times more likely.
He then said that he wasn't going to write me a ticket, but it would have been several hundred dollars. He asked me to pay it forward by doing something nice for someone during this holiday season and to also tell people about these shocking texting statistics. Then he said Merry Christmas and sent me on my way. Wow! So starting this day forward I'm done screwing around on my phone while driving. We're talking some seriously dangerous stuff. It's not worth the risk. Hopefully this statistic will help other people to quit texting and driving. After this experience and the heroism of the fallen officers from last weeks coffee shop shooting I am very "Pro-Cop" right now. So thanks goes out to our men and women in blue for putting their lives on the line for our safety everyday.

Great video about Social Networking

45 Rules for Creating a Great Logo Design

1.Do not use more than three colors.
2.Get rid of everything that is not absolutely necessary.
3.Type must be easy enough for your grandma to read.
4.The logo must be recognizable.
5.Create a unique shape or layout for the logo.
6.Completely ignore what your parents and/or spouse think about the design.
7.Confirm that the logo looks appealing to more than just three (3)
individuals.
8.Do not combine elements from popular logos and claim it as original work.
9.Do not use clip-art under any circumstances.
10.The logo should look good in black and white.
11.Make sure that the logo is recognizable when inverted.
12.Make sure that the logo is recognizable when resized.
13.If the logo contains an icon or symbol, as well as text, place each so
that they complement one another.
14.Avoid recent logo design trends. Instead, make the logo look timeless.
15.Do not use special effects (including, but not limited to: gradients,
drop shadows, reflections, and light bursts).
16.Fit the logo into a square layout if possible, avoid obscure layouts.
17.Avoid intricate details.
18.Consider the different places and ways that the logo will be presented.
19.Invoke feelings of being bold and confident, never dull and weak.
20.Realize that you will not create a perfect logo.
21.Use sharp lines for sharp businesses, smooth lines for smooth businesses.
22.The logo must have some connection to what it is representing.
23.A photo does not make a logo.
24.You must surprise customers with presentation.
25.Do not use more than two fonts.
26.Each element of the logo needs to be aligned. Left, center, right, top,
or bottom.
27.The logo should look solid, with no trailing elements.
28.Know who is going to be looking at the logo before you think of ideas for
it.
29.Always choose function over innovation.
30.If the brand name is memorable, the brand name should be the logo.
31.The logo should be recognizable when mirrored.
32.Even large companies need small logos.
33.Everyone should like the logo design, not just the business that will use
it.
34.Create variations. The more variations, the more likely you are to get it
right.
35.The logo must look consistent across multiple platforms.
36.The logo must be easy to describe.
37.Do not use tag lines in the logo.
38.Sketch out ideas using paper and pencil before working on a computer.
39.Keep the design simple.
40.Do not use any "swoosh" or "globe"symbols.
41.The logo should not be distracting.
42.It should be honest in its representation.
43.The logo should be balanced visually.
44.Avoid bright, neon colors and dark, dull colors.
45.The logo must not break any of the above rules.

My source for this list can be found here http://is.gd/57WMB