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In previous communications, we’ve discussed the significant changes brought about by the SECURE 2.0 Act. Effective implementation of many provisions within the act relies on guidance from the IRS and DOL. IRS Notice 2024-02 and IRS Notice 2024-55 offered clarification on several crucial aspects of SECURE 2.0. Guidance is helpful as plan sponsors make decisions regarding both required and optional provisions in the act. Here are some key provisions to consider: Automatic Enrollment Requirement SECURE 2.0 mandates automatic enrollment features for 401(k) plans established after December 29, 2022, effective in 2025. The IRS guidance clarifies that a plan is deemed to be established when the employer adopts a 401(k) plan, regardless of the plan’s effective date. The notice also provides further clarity for plan mergers and spin-offs. Mergers: If a plan established after December 29, 2022, merges into a 401(k) plan that was established prior to that date, the ongoing plan will generally be subject to the automatic enrollment mandate unless the merger is: 1) a result of a business acquisition, and 2) the plans are merged by the last day of the plan year following the year of the transaction. Spinoff plans will be treated as a pre-December 29, 2022 plan as long as that portion of the plan had been established before that date. Higher Salary Deferral Catch-up Limits for Ages 60-63 For 2024, the salary deferral contribution limit is $23,000. If a 401(k) plan permits catch- up contributions, those age 50 and older can also make catch-up contributions up to $7,500. Those limits are expected to increase in 2025 based on cost-of-living adjustments to be announced later this year. Beginning in 2025, plans may also take advantage of a provision in SECURE 2.0 that would permit participants age 60-63 to make higher catch-up contributions. For those plan participants, employers may increase the catch-up limit to the greater of: * $10,000 (which will be indexed for cost-of-living adjustments in later years) or * 150% of the regular age 50 catch up deferral limit. De Minimis Financial Incentives Employers can now provide “de minimis” financial incentives to encourage employee retirement plan contributions. These incentives must not exceed $250 and are available only to employees who have not previously elected to defer contributions. The incentive can be provided incrementally over time, contingent on the employee’s continued participation. Employees receiving these incentives are subject to regular tax, withholding, and reporting requirements. Terminal Illness Distributions SECURE 2.0 introduced a new exception to the 10% penalty on early distributions for terminally ill employees. The IRS notice defines a terminally ill individual as someone who has been certified by a physician to have a condition or illness that can be reasonably expected to result in death in the next 84 months. This exception does not create a new type of distribution; rather, employees must still qualify for another permissible distribution from the plan. While this provision will be optional for employers, if a plan opts out, employees may categorize a distribution as a terminal illness distribution on their own tax return. If an employer does elect to recognize terminally ill distributions, the plan must obtain a specific certification from the physician rather than relying on an employee’s self-certification. Hardship Distributions with Self- Certification Most plans that permit hardship withdrawals allow such withdrawals only if the hardship satisfies one of the “safe harbor” reasons. Such reasons include the purchase of a principal residence, amounts needed to prevent eviction or foreclosure on a personal residence, qualifying medical expenses, tuition, funeral and burial expenses, certain expenses to repair the employee’s principal residence, and expenses and losses related to a federally – declared disaster. SECURE 2.0 provides that a plan can adopt employee self-certification rules. That means a plan sponsor may rely on an employee’s written self-certification that the distribution is for one of the plan’s safe harbor hardship reasons and is not more than the amount required to satisfy the financial need and they do not have alternate means that are reasonably available to satisfy the hardship need. The participant is expected to maintain records that support the hardship. Many plan sponsors are adopting self-certification. Emergency Personal Expenses Distributions SECURE 2.0 permits a 401(k) or other defined contribution plan to offer emergency personal expense distributions. If the option is offered, eligible employees can withdraw up to $1,000, or their vested balance (if less) for “unforeseeable” or “immediate” personal emergency expenses once each calendar year. Self-certification is available. The distribution is not subject to the usual 10% tax on early distributions. Also, emergency expense distributions can be repaid to the account within a three-year window. Another emergency expense distribution can’t be made within the three-year window unless the previous distribution is fully repaid or contributions equaling the distributed amount are deposited. Domestic Abuse Victim Distributions SECURE 2.0 permits a plan to offer domestic abuse victim distributions. This type of distribution may be made to a participant within a one-year period beginning on the date when a participant becomes a victim of domestic abuse by a spouse or partner. The maximum distribution is the lesser of $10,000 or 50% of the participant’s vested account. The $10,000 limit is subject to future cost of living adjustments. Self-certification is available. The distribution is not treated as an eligible rollover distribution for tax withholding purposes; however, the participant may repay the distribution any time during the next three-year period. The distribution is taxable, but there is an exception from the 10% early withdrawal penalty. (Note that plans which are subject to the spousal consent requirements for distributions may not be able to adopt this provision.) The IRS has also delayed the deadline for SECURE 2.0, SECURE, and CARES amendments until December 31, 2026. This gives them additional time to issue further clarifying guidance. As always, we are committed to keeping you informed as things develop.
outsourced CMO services. In short, we become your company’s chief marketing officer and do so virtually and efficiently — saving you time and money. Since 1999, we’ve enjoyed building and boosting brands for a core set of industries. Our thoughtful process, experienced team, and vested interest in our client’s success have positioned us as one of the Mid-Atlantic’s most sought-after marketing partners for those looking to grow their brand awareness and bottom line. Stop paying for digital and traditional services you may not need. Our retainer, no markup model means our recommendations don’t come with any catch or commission. Our advice aligns with what you need and what fits within your budget. For more information, contact us at 410-366-9479 or info@incitecmo.com.
“Opinions are like boats on the sea of knowledge; while they can guide us, it is important to navigate with caution and consider multiple perspectives.” Are you in the process of evaluating or updating your current website? If so, you’ll soon be drowning in stakeholder feedback. When conducting a site evaluation and content review, it’s best to gather stakeholder feedback early in the process and build your solution around an informed, agreed-upon strategy. However, gathering those perspectives can be overwhelming and an administrative nightmare. Fear not. In this article, we will help you navigate the turbulent waters of conducting a What Are the Benefits of Conducting a Website Audit? First, let’s start with a quick overview of why you should conduct a website audit before putting pen to paper or mouse to monitor: 1. Identify and fix technical issues: A website audit helps uncover any technical issues affecting your site’s performance, such as broken links, slow loading times, or mobile responsiveness problems. Addressing these issues can improve the user experience and ensure your site functions at its best. 2. Enhance SEO performance: An evaluation also allows you to identify areas where your site can be optimized for better visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs), such as improving keyword targeting, optimizing meta tags, or enhancing site structure. By optimizing your site for SEO, you can attract more organic traffic and improve your search rankings. 3. Analyze content effectiveness: A website audit helps you evaluate the quality and effectiveness of your website content. You can assess whether your content aligns with your target audience’s needs and preferences, identify gaps or areas for improvement, and ensure consistency across your site. This analysis can help you create a content strategy that resonates with your audience and drives engagement. 4. Assess user experience: In an audit, you can evaluate the site’s navigation, layout, and overall usability to identify any pain points or barriers hindering visitors from engaging with your site. Improving the UX can enhance user satisfaction, increase conversions, and encourage repeat visits. 5. Benchmark against competitors: Another great benefit of a website audit is that it enables you to compare your site’s performance and features against your competitors. You can identify areas where you may be falling behind or where you excel. This benchmarking analysis can help you uncover opportunities for differentiation and improvement to stay ahead in the competitive landscape. By conducting a website audit, you can gain valuable insights into your site’s strengths and weaknesses and take actionable steps to improve its overall performance and user experience. How to Capture and Organize Stakeholder Feedback During a Website Audit? All captains need a logbook. When gathering, managing, and implementing stakeholder feedback, you can use several tools and methods to streamline the process and make your life much easier. Here are a few of our favorites: 1. Hotjar: Google Sheet can be an effective way to organize stakeholder feedback. You can create a column for all the URLs of the website pages being audited. Then, you can add columns for the feedback links with descriptions, the point person responsible for making the change, and due dates. You can also include a column with a drop-down multiple-choice for the status, such as “Active,” “Pending Approval,” or “Live.” This will help you track the progress of each feedback item. 3. Project or Content Management Tools: Various project management tools can help you capture and organize stakeholder feedback. Tools like Wrike, Asana, Google Docs or Microsoft Teams can also capture and organize stakeholder feedback. You can create a shared document or folder where stakeholders can directly provide feedback. This allows real-time collaboration and easy access to all feedback in one centralized location. Your choice of tools and methods will depend on how your team communicates best, your budget, and your current tech stack. Test out a few options first to ensure they will help versus hinder the process. Captaining a website audit has its challenges. But with the right process, people, and tools in place, you’ll be in ship-shape. If you need assistance conducting a website audit or developing your digital marketing strategy, please contact us at outsourced CMO services. In short, we become your company’s chief marketing officer and do so virtually and efficiently — saving you time and money. Since 1999, we’ve enjoyed building and boosting brands for a core set of industries. Our thoughtful process, experienced team, and vested interest in our client’s success have positioned us as one of the Mid-Atlantic’s most sought-after marketing partners for those looking to grow their brand awareness and bottom line. Stop paying for digital and traditional services you may not need. Our retainer, no markup model means our recommendations don’t come with any catch or commission. Our advice aligns with what you need and what fits within your budget. For more information, contact us at 410-366-9479 or info@incitecmo.com.
When a periodic Structured Risk Remediation: With our guidance, clients have successfully identified and prioritized vulnerabilities, moving from reactive stances to proactive strategies that mitigate potential threats and losses. Ensuring Compliance: Our experience has shown that businesses that adhere to comprehensive assessments not only align with industry regulations but also cultivate enhanced trust amongst their stakeholders, customers, and partners. Cost Optimization: We’ve assisted several enterprises in eliminating system redundancies and streamlining their budget allocation, directly leading to significant cost savings. Focused Automation: Leveraging automation insights from our roadmap, our clients have boosted productivity and ensured consistent, high-quality outputs across their operations. Growth Scalability: Through our roadmap, businesses have been able to preemptively address the technological needs of future growth, ensuring seamless scaling and adaptive infrastructures. Technology Modernization: We’ve witnessed clients transforming their operations to stay competitive, integrating modern systems effortlessly with other platforms, yielding a competitive edge in their respective markets. Informed Decision-making: By providing a clear and data-driven roadmap, we’ve empowered clients to make evidence-based decisions, fostering alignment amongst stakeholders. Future-Proofing the Business: Our roadmap has enabled businesses to stay ahead, anticipating emerging technological trends and ensuring their strategies remain relevant amidst rapid changes. In essence, a remediation and investment roadmap crafted from a periodic technology due diligence assessment offers businesses a clear, actionable, and strategic path forward. With our expertise and hands-on involvement, we’ve ensured that organizations are optimally positioned for success in both the immediate and distant future. Those organizations that committed to our technology assessment recommendations have not only become more appealing to investors but have also significantly improved their customer experiences, leading to higher retention rates.
Annapolis, MD – Craig Decker, Managing Director, of Alex.Brown/Decker Global Wealth Group located at 2077 Somerville Road, Suite 320 Annapolis Maryland 21401, was among the Raymond James-affiliated advisors named to the Forbes list of Best-In-State Wealth Advisors. The list, which recognizes advisors from national, regional and independent firms, was released online April 4, 2023. Click below to read full press release:
If your business performance is lackluster, take a closer look at how it’s operating. And if you’re a business owner already running your company on EOS® – the Entrepreneurial Operating System — congratulations! You’ve already taken an essential first step toward gaining clarity around your goals and organizing the milestones for how you and your team will achieve them. But where and when does marketing fit into the equation? EOS® plugs marketing strategy into a two-day Vision Building™ Agenda and seven other important topics. That’s a great start, but it only scratches the surface. A comprehensive EOS Model® provides a visual illustration of a six-piece pie chart comprised of the components it deems essential to any business, including: Vision People Data Issues Process Traction Vision Powered by Marketing Strategy & Planning Arguably the foundation for success, and the focus of this article, a company’s vision typically encompasses its core values, purpose, passion, niche, and unique value. It is designed to inspire and motivate employees to work toward a common goal. So…what happens when there’s no clarity around the vision? No focused goal and zero hopes of achieving it. EOS® corrects this by getting everyone in the organization crystal clear about where they’re going and how they’ll get there. But here’s the thing — if you only consider yourselves in this vision, you’re leaving out an essential piece of the picture — your customers. Marketing plays a crucial role in clarifying a company’s vision. Effective marketing is about understanding your target audience and communicating your company’s purpose and values to them in a way that resonates. In other words, your vision needs to align with the needs and desires of your customers. By conducting Positioning Workshop, SWOT analysis, and competitive and industry research, you will unearth existing brand perceptions, gain vital insight to determine if those perceptions will help or hinder your value proposition, and allow you to adjust your vision accordingly. What if, for example, Patagonia’s vision to “Build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis” lacked a sizeable enough target market that cared enough about Mother Earth to pay $299 for a jacket? It would be a company without any customers and any profit. Luckily for Patagonia, the company’s vision seems to resonate with the strategic marketing plan to your operating system, and you’ll get the insight you need to realize your vision. And stay tuned for our upcoming contact Incite Creative. We have over 23 years of marketing expertise and have worked with businesses running on EOS® and welcome the opportunity to partner with EOS Implementers®. outsourced CMO services. In short, we become your company’s chief marketing officer and do so virtually and efficiently — saving you time and money. Since 1999 we’ve had the pleasure of building and boosting brands for a core set of industries. Our thoughtful process, experienced team, and vested interest in our client’s success have positioned us as one of the Mid-Atlantic’s most sought-after marketing partners for those looking to grow their brand awareness and bottom line. Stop paying for digital and traditional services you may not need. Our retainer, no markup model means our recommendations don’t come with any catch or commission. Our advice aligns with what you need and what fits within your budget. For more information, contact us at 410-366-9479 or info@incitecmo.com.
Every business needs a strong Marketing Strategy & Planning Creative Direction Reporting & Analysis 2. Flexibility & Scalability, only an Outsourced CMO can Provide A fractional CMO is highly valuable because it offers flexibility and scalability that a full-time employee arrangement doesn’t provide. With an outsourced option, you can quickly scale up or down as needed depending on your current business circumstances. If you’re facing a hiring or skillset gap, a particularly busy season, or need additional assistance with a new product or service launch, an external CMO can quickly be brought in at short notice — without any long-term commitment from either side. Plus, an external expert won’t get bogged down by day-to-day tasks or administrative issues. Instead, a fractional CMO can address your specific objectives and focus on delivering results. What are typical outsourced CMOs’ hours? An outsourced Chief Marketing Officer will provide an hourly consultative rate or a retainer based on a predetermined number of hours per month that they will dedicate to your business. This number and rate will depend on your objectives, the timeframe to complete them, and the CMO’s level of expertise. That said, while an FTE’s salary is based on a 40-hour work week, outsourced CMOs only charge for the time they are actively engaged in your project. Therefore, a standard monthly contract may be based on 30, 40, or 50 hours per month or more. 3. Fractional CMO Services Provide a High ROI Hiring an outsourced Chief Marketing Officer to lead your business also has several added financial benefits compared to hiring a full-time CMO. Outsourcing eliminates costly recruitment fees, employment taxes, and benefits packages. Plus, since most outsourced professionals charge a monthly retainer that aligns with a pre-set scope of work, you’ll know exactly what you’re getting for your money without worrying about hidden costs or change order fees that weren’t accounted for initially. Chief Marketing Officer salary (50th percentile) in the United States ($342,859 as of February 27, 2023). This adds up to considerable savings — typically 33-50% or more — that could make all the difference between expanding your business operations and struggling to break even. Where can I find a fractional CMO company? Fractional C-Suite executives have become more mainstream over recent years, with outsourced COOs, CFOs, and CTOs leading the way. While some outsourced marketing professionals are a little newer to the scene, Schedule your free 30-minute consultation today. Incite Creative is a marketing advisory firm that provides outsourced CMO services. In short, we become your company’s chief marketing officer and do so virtually and efficiently — saving you time and money. Since 1999 we’ve had the pleasure of building and boosting brands for a core set of industries. Our thoughtful process, experienced team, and vested interest in our client’s success have positioned us as one of the Mid-Atlantic’s most sought-after marketing partners for those looking to grow their brand awareness and bottom line. Stop paying for digital and traditional services you may not need. Our retainer, no markup model means our recommendations don’t come with any catch or commission. The advice we provide aligns with what you need and what fits within your budget. For more information, contact us at 410-366-9479 or info@incitecmo.com.
Employee Appreciation Day or, if you’re short on turnaround time, announce it on the 3rd for a “coming soon” delivery or future event they can look forward to. Just make sure you hold up your end of the promise.Below are 11 ideas to help inspire you to thank the employees you love ❤️.For SWAG, there are online options, but personalized service is usually the better route when it comes to quality and meeting expectations. Turnaround time for March 3 may be tight, but you could try these folks to see what’s doable in terms of inventory: href=” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”> Recognition Signage/Banner/Display to have on-site that day and year ’round. There are several providers for this, but don’t get burned by online lowest-price options. Depending on the turnaround, complexity, and level of quality you’re looking for will determine the best provider. www.baltimoreseventsolutions.com to be overlooked is a handwritten, personalized 1:1 thank you card that doesn’t feel canned or the same for each person goes a long way.If you have or if we’ve already created a similar entities; add your logo, and when they arrive, write a noteOr get techy by combining an AI handwritten note with a gift card: href=” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>Amazon Gift Cards great option for remote employees is a Video Thank YouGood ole Zoom or Teams recording will work on quick turnaround, but don’t cop out and do a simple 1:many thank you for small teams. Take a little extra time and show your TLC by doing 1:1 video thank yous that are personalized. Bonus tip: The nice thing about this idea is you can test the waters with your employees, but it makes a great sales prospecting tool as well. a more customized or on-site video, their employee benefits is another idea, especially if it’s voluntary and at no additional cost to you. Talk to your current insurance provider or
Yea, a headache that’s a good example. A headache is a symptom, but the problem could be from lack of sleep or food or a myriad of other things. So what do most people do? Grab a couple of Motrin to try to help alleviate the symptom instead of using their brain and asking, “When was the last time I ate. Oh, it was eight hours ago. I betcha, that’s why I have a headache. Maybe I should eat something.” So is ChatGPT a good thing or a bad thing? As you can see, we had some fun writing this article. As for ChatGPT, we think it’s a good thing, but the jury is still out on how much it will help or hinder certain human behaviors, how much reliance people put into it using it as a crutch instead of tapping into their own creativity, how it will be regulated for authenticity, and if it will just push us all further into our devices instead of bringing us closer together. If, however, it’s used to help us be more creative and more productive together without losing everything that makes us human (sense of humor, diverse perspectives, truly, etc.), and our brands stand for something truly unique, I’m all for it. So go. Explore
BLUE RIDGE ESOP ASSOCIATES ACQUIRES CROWE LLP ESOP BUSINESS Crowe Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) and certain tax-related 401(k) Plan services will transition to Blue Ridge CHICAGO (August 11, 2022) – Blue Ridge ESOP Associates, the nation’s largest independent ESOP administration and recordkeeping firm, announced today that it has acquired the ESOP services and certain tax-related 401(k) services of Crowe LLP, a leading public accounting, consulting and technology firm. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Following the transaction, significantly all assets and Crowe professionals associated with the Benefit Plan Services (BPS) business will transition to Blue Ridge. “We’re excited to integrate Crowe’s ESOP business and people with Blue Ridge,” said Bill Yoerger, Chief Executive Officer of Blue Ridge. “It’s a great fit for our organization, as the BPS team’s technical expertise and personalized client-centric culture mirrors ours.” “The Crowe ESOP and 401(k) plan administration practice offers true expertise in ESOP and retirement plan services.” said Tom Roback, President of Blue Ridge. “Together we form a powerful combination of thought leadership, high quality, technological innovation and customer service.” Pete Shuler, VP–Senior Consultant at Blue Ridge and a former Crowe partner who transitioned as part of the transaction, added, “We look forward to transitioning the BPS clients to Blue Ridge, where they can expect to receive the same exceptional service to which they’ve become accustomed. Given the nature of our complementary businesses, clients will benefit from the expertise provided by both Blue Ridge and BPS. This is a win for our clients, a win for our people, and a win for both organizations.” About Blue Ridge ESOP Associates Founded in 1988, Blue Ridge ESOP Associates is the largest independent ESOP and 401(k) Third Party Administration and Recordkeeping firm. Blue Ridge provides high quality, technically proficient independent plan administration and repurchase obligation forecasting. Blue Ridge administers over 1,400 ESOP company clients servicing over 500,000 participants along with thousands of 401(k) plans. The Blue Ridge family of companies employs over 165 talented professionals and is headquartered in Charlottesville, Virginia. Crowe LLP is a leading public accounting, consulting and technology firm with offices around the world. Crowe uses its deep industry expertise to provide audit services to public and private entities. The firm and its subsidiaries also help clients make smart decisions that lead to lasting value with its tax, advisory and consulting services. Crowe is recognized by many organizations as one of the best places to work in the U.S. As an independent member of Crowe Global, one of the largest global accounting networks in the world, Crowe serves clients worldwide. The network consists of more than 200 independent accounting and advisory services firms in more than 130 countries around the world. # # # Contact: Bill Yoerger, Blue Ridge, +1 434 443 2137, byoerger@BlueRidgeESOP.com Tom Roback, Blue Ridge, +1 434 220 7947, troback@BlueRidgeESOP.com Mark Semer / Sara Widman, Gasthalter & CO, +1 212 257 4170, llcp@gasthalter.com
Video marketing may be the best way to convey member benefits and engage prospective and new members. Running an association or other membership-based organization right now certainly has its challenges. In-person events have taken a significant hit and members are distracted by labor and supply chain shortages, lingering impacts from Covid, inflation, and more. Breaking through long enough to get their attention and convey member benefits and the corresponding value of membership fees can be a tough nut to crack. But the following video marketing tips can help you increase engagement with prospective, new and existing members. Why is video marketing one of the best marketing channels to engage members? In a world with lots of distractions, videos have become a sure-fire way to engage, educate and communicate with members at various stages of their association journey. And as video content creation has become more accessible and cost-effective, video consumption has grown exponentially — 215% since the pandemic. That translates to approximately 19 hours per week that the average consumer watches videos online. Michele Morgan, Executive Director, Vidyard Let’s take dues for example. That’s where prospective members tend to focus when it comes to deciding whether or not to join. If your pricing structure is complicated, an explainer video done by your membership committee will help address any frequently asked questions or hesitations. The same holds true for any significant perks or “best-kept secrets” your organization can better convey in a video. Sharing stories about ways other members have used benefits to their advantage and gotten the most out of their affiliation with your organization will make it easier for members to renew. When they get more value, they have less hesitation in paying that renewal fee. User-Generated Content Videos Create Trust It’s one thing for the leaders of an organization to sing their praises. It’s another when members or fellow peers without direct ties to the organization tout member benefits. Using case studies or member testimonial videos to showcase how other members have leveraged the benefits to their advantage will be reassuring and more believable. Source: Vidyard Warm Welcome Testimonial.to Use Your Videos Everywhere! Once you have a nice repository of videos, or even if you’re creating them one at a time, you’ll enjoy the fact that your efforts are magnified because you can use your videos just about everywhere! Once created, be sure to post them to a dedicated YouTube channel and optimize them. Then you can generate an embed code or a link and share that across your social media platforms, email newsletters, and one-off emails. These Video Marketing Statistics Will Motivate You to Take Action Now If you’re looking for more proof that video marketing is the boost your association needs to increase member engagement, look at the following article from HubSpot entitled, Incite Creative is a marketing advisory firm that works in an outsourced capacity. In short, we become your company’s chief marketing officer (CMO) and do so virtually and efficiently — saving you time and money. Since 1999 we’ve had the pleasure of building and boosting brands for a core set of industries. Our thoughtful process, experienced team, and vested interest in our client’s success have positioned us as one of the Mid-Atlantic’s most sought-after marketing partners for those looking to grow their brand awareness and bottom line. Stop paying for digital and traditional services you may not need. Our retainer, no mark-up model means our recommendations don’t come with any catch or commission. The advice we provide aligns with what you need and what fits within your budget. For more information, contact us at 410-366-9479 or info@incitecmo.com.
A traveler came upon an old woman selling vegetables by the roadside. “Grandmother, what sort of people live in the next town?” asked the stranger. The old woman looked at the traveler. “What were the people like in the town you just came from?” she asked him. “Oh, They were a bad lot. Troublemakers, and lazy too. The most selfish people in the world, not to be trusted. I was happy to have left.” “Well, I’m afraid that you’ll find the same sort in the next town,” said the old woman. Disappointed, the traveler continued on. Sometime later another traveler came from the same direction and stopped to talk to the old woman selling vegetables by the side of the road. “Grandmother, what sort of people live in the next town?” asked the stranger. “What were the people like in the town you just came from?” she asked. “Oh! They were the most wonderful people. Hardworking, honest, and friendly. I’m sorry to have left that town.” “Fear not,” said the wise old woman. “You’ll find the same sort in the next town.” — Dan Kaplan helps leaders overcome communications challenges Subscribe to the Daily 2 Minute Communication Tip: Join our weekly Leadership Communications Program:
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