Adapting your style to the norms of another culture isn't being inauthentic—it's just smart business.

Dear Friends,

Texting is addictive. No doubt about it. It can ruin a relationship if you're not careful. I'm not talking about the message you send. I'm talking about being RUDE.

I'm all for getting customer feedback. There are different ways to go about it. Ask customers on the way out of a store, call them on a phone or send follow-up surveys via email.

If you have been a reader of my blog for a while, you know that I often speak about collaboration and partnering. The tourism industry is unique in that we often partner with competitors to bring business in. There is even a term for it: Co-opetition. But your success is directly related to how many people you know in the industry.

How can your business attract, hire and retain good talent? In today's booming economy, unemployment is low, and hiring is competitive. For a business owner, it can make it harder to hire the right people, especially when you consider that much larger companies are competing for the same talent.