Best of 2012

Best Business Deal:  Facebook’s purchase of Instagram on the eve of their IPO for $750MM.  My 10 year-old daughter thinks Facebook is old news.  I take my technology cues from her.

Best Inspirational Movie:  ”The Intouchables” - Great film about human spirit and the value of partnering with those who are different from us.

Best Book:  Gone Girl, by Gillian Flynn, is hard to put down.  

Best Business Book:  Any of the TED books.  

Best Blog:  lifehacker.com

Best App:  uber.com - Order a car service on the spot at anytime.

Best Underdog Story:  Evelyn Stevens - I met this fascinating woman, who left Wall Street to compete in the Olympics.  My favorite strategy that she shared with me is that when she is being chased by a competitor in a race she pictures the spreadsheets she will have to go back to if she doesn’t win.  Don’t we all wish we could chase our Olympic dreams like she did?  See more about Evelyn at this link.

Best Vacation Spot:  The highest spot I could get to - In 2012 it was the summit of Mount Shasta in Northern California.

Best Family Adventure:  Back-to-back home exchanges in Lake Tahoe, Northern Utah, Jackson Hole, and Montana. 

Best New Toy:  Google Nexus 7 mini-tablet - It fits in a coat pocket and does everything the iPad does.  Google has managed to give Apple a run for their money with this one.

Best quote from my daughter’s motivational messages she give me for my endurance races:  

         LAME  |_____________________________________X|  AWESOME! (X = *You*)

Best Energy Pick-Me-Up:  22.5 minutes of meditation every morning.

Best Email Tool:  boomeranggmail.com - Use it to remind you to follow up on unanswered emails.  Not that I would ever leave one of your emails unanswered though.

Best Deal:  idine.com - Set up your credit cards, and when you eat you get 10-20% back.  They send a gift card out once a month, which make great gifts.

Best Moment:  Crossing the finish line of my 100-mile ultra-marathon after 27 hours and more than a few hallucinations.

Best Hire:  Bringing my wife into Signature Group to expand our communications program. (That’s why you received this letter.)