Explosion of Light
Independence Day 4th of July, 2010 Location: +40° 42′ 30.41″, -74° 22′ 1.11″ Focal Length: 30 mm Exposure: 2.0 sec at f/8.0
Communication 24-7
Houston; 6:47 a.m.: In a suburban home, a boy runs into the kitchen. His mother is preparing breakfast while shouting towards the staircase to her daughter, who is talking on her cell, telling her that she is going to be late. Her husband sits at the kitchen...
The Little Fight for Pleasure
上海 China is a fascinating country. The contrast between ancient tradition and ultra-modernity is omnipotent. But there are moments, when you inject yourself into the everyday life on the street, that you come across a situation which make you stop, wonder and at times...
Pax vobiscum
“The century is advanced, but every individual begins afresh” Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Sense and Sensibility
“Man soll alle Tage wenigstens ein kleines Lied hören, ein gutes Gedicht lesen, ein treffliches Gemälde sehen und, wenn es möglich zu machen wäre, einige vernünftige Worte sprechen.” Johann Wolfgang von...
Akemashite omedeto gozaimasu
HAPPY NEW YEAR あけましておめでとうございます Akemashite omedeto gozaimasu The year 2010 will be remembered as a transition year as we dismissed the notion of permanent economic distress. After the trauma of 2008 and 2009, we began to rebuild our economy. Let’s recap: On...
Leadership and the Principle of “I”
I believe a leader has to be the lighthouse of the organization. During the past two years when the nation discussed the cause and implication of a severe disruption of our economic structure, we had to face a fundamental issue: As we discovered a...
Half a World Away
I lived for many years in Japan before I moved back to the United States. In the beginning, there appeared to be more differences between our cultures than similarities. Everything seemed foreign, most made little sense. We were frustrated with our Japanese...
Past. Present. Future.
During many trips to Washington DC I took time to walk the grounds of Arlington National Cemetery. Every visit was special. Moving. Thoughtful. It is an exceptional place. Walking along the never ending rows of tombstones, you feel the tremendous loss and the...
SIUE Power Breakfast
On October 7, 2010, I visited Southern Illinois University Edwardsville on Thursday to speak as part of the Sixth Annual Power Breakfast series, sponsored by the SIUE School of Business The goal of the Power Breakfast series is to re-connect prominent SIUE alumni...
Reflections
As we see it Reality. Our most objective reality is a subjective reflection of our experience. What we saw in the past. How we felt about it. The perception of reality is filtered through our emotions. That is what we see. That is our reality. Shouldn’t that...
TimeZone Interview: Montblanc Watchmaking
A TimeZone Interview with Jan-Patrick Schmitz, President of Montblanc North America by Michael Sander Interview conducted September 2010 MS: Michael Sandler – TimeZone.comJPS: Jan-Patrick Schmitz – Montblanc MS: Thank you for taking the time to...
Walls
We think walls are blocking our way. What we often don’t realize is that they can give a new direction to our journey. Jan-Patrick Schmitz
Tomorrow
We are now faced with the fact, my friends, that tomorrow is today. We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now. In this unfolding conundrum of life and history, there is such a thing as being too late. Martin Luther King
2010 CMO Spotlight Forum: Brand Management
2010 CMO Spotlight Forum: Retail and Consumer Goods & Services April 29, 2010 Jan-Patrick Schmitz President & CEO Montblanc North America Interviewed by: Jennifer Rooney Editor of CMO Strategy and Talentworks Advertising Age [Jennifer Rooney]:...
Bloomberg Businessweek: Luxury Leaders
On August 7, 2008, I sat down with Charles Dubow of Businessweek to discuss as part of the Luxury Leaders series, the challenges and rewards of turning the Montblanc, the famous penmaker into a luxury company.