Recent Articles from David Sneed
Follow first — then lead
If you want to lead, you must first learn to follow. Ben Franklin said that. And if you want to be a corporal in the Marines, you have to be a private first. How about a famous chef? You’ll peel potatoes long before you’re the next Wolfgang Puck. And you’ll learn to wash dishes and […]
Sinking to expectations: The power of the positive
A tragedy was unfolding at the booth behind me: Waitress: And what can I get for him, Chicken Tenders? Mom: No, he doesn’t like those. Waitress: Hamburger? Mom: Uh, no; he’s a picky eater. Do you have a kid’s quesadilla? Waitress: How about a grilled cheese? It comes with carrots or fries. Mom: No, he […]
Love letter to the Stock Show
I went to the Stock Show with my daughter – a tradition for us since ‘98. I like the show, I really do. But for the last few years we’ve been too old for the kid stuff and too city for the cowboy stuff, so we walk around making jokes instead. Natalie: Dad, Why don’t […]
Confessions of a micromanager
And now a tale of micromanagement: In the interests of domestic harmony, I washed the dishes and asked Natalie, my 14-year-old, to vacuum the living room. It was comforting to hear the roar and clump as she dragged Ms. Hoover across the sky blue shag. “I’m done, Dad!” she beamed from her toes, arms behind […]
U.S. Tax Code: The zenith of zany
The American tax code is unjust. Why? Because the prince outpays the pauper. I believe that. And any law with a million pages must be the zenith of zany. Here’s the solution to both in less than a paragraph: Every person pays at a 90 percent rate for all types of income. There are six […]
Time for a brand new brand
Our meanderingly named governor has convened a panel to rebrand Colorado. We should do the same for Denver since the current: Denver, Would you like to rent a bike? isn’t cutting it. At least it beats last year’s Denver: It’s better than Cleveland! As a good American (the kind that answers a quest...
Bizspeak: To say what you mean…
Whenever I hear someone say “We need to raise the bar,” my first thought is: “Won’t that make it easier?” I guess not everyone is a limbo dancer. Another expression that gives me pause is: “Thinking outside the box.” Last week a surly, neon tressed barista clubbed me with this one when I asked her […]
Vinegar to wine: Today’s customer service
Remember that time you went to Stag’s Leap and loved it so much you took a bottle home? Maybe you were visiting with your sister, Helen, who you hadn’t seen in a while, and you sat together looking over the trim vineyard in the tawny glow of the setting California sun. The warm breeze brushed your...
Leveling the playing field
Those who start a race should finish according to their ability and ambition—not end up tied just because “that would be fair.” America is all about letting the motivated succeed. But what if the starting line isn’t the same for everyone; if someone has a head start? How do we, as Americans, feel...
Saving what’s left
Climate change is a business. Green energy companies, politicians, scientists: They all profit from the evolving environment. As with any industry, we should understand a little something about the real why’s of the thing. So here’s the history: People like you and me have been stumbling across ou...
Lessons from Liverpool
You’ll Never Walk Alone. That’s the motto which means everything to players and fans of Liverpool Football Club. FoxSoccer aired a show this summer called Being: Liverpool - a documentary about the eponymous English soccer team and the start of their 2012 campaign. It’s a show about sports, yes,...
Like it or not, we’re all Socialists
There is a third side to the income tax debate, and you’ve probably never heard of it. That’s logical, because no one’s actually talked about it for 200 years. And to understand this alternate view of our system, you’ll want to remember why we have money in the first place. Imagine a time before c...