• 10Aug

  Delivering Effective Presentations: Tricks Professional Speakers Know

  speaking No Comments

  

  Not everyone loves delivering speeches or presentations, so knowing a few tricks make it easier.

  In some instances, using power point or other visual aids is helpful. In other situations, an after dinner speech for example, the speech by itself reigns supreme.

  Look at your audience and the setting to determine the best forum for the delivery of the message. Some people appreciate using power point or some other visual prop to convey their message, while others find power point limiting for certain interactive seminars. If you are preparing for a presentation, this article may help.

  A few benefits of using Power Point:
  Power Point has many benefits, and the most obvious is there is less for the presenter to remember. The slides act as your teleprompter. Once you see the title of the slide, or the first line, it should start you on your story or point.

  If the idea of public speaking makes you want to be doing almost anything else, including swallowing ground glass, the power point slides can be comforting. Power point slides can help anchor you to the speech, give you a place to refer to if you get nervous or forget a point, and be a reference if you get a question that sidetracks you during the talk.

  One of the best aspects of power point is that it forces the presenter to get (and stay) organized. Some people claim they do their best speaking off the cuff, and they like doing a speech spontaneously. Honestly, this is only true for a very small percentage of the population. Most people do best when they think about their message, carefully craft their information, and then take that framework and organize it into a cogent presentation. Most terrific speakers write out their main points, expand their points with secondary points, and reiterate those main points throughout the dialogue with stories, ideas, or other information.

  Actually making the slides:
  Most people will listen to a percentage of what is said, but they will read and see what you have on the slides. Make the slides the points you want your audience to remember.

  The font size for the title of a slide should be no smaller than 36 point, and at least 28 point for major bullets. Presenters can use 24 point for indented bullets, but anything smaller tends to frustrate the audience because they can’t read it. One of the most irritating aspects from an audience perspective is illegible slides, and then they stop listening completely. You will know they have stopped listening if they start drafting their grocery store list.

  The font type should be normal and familiar, and most of all, easy to read for all audiences. Times New Roman, Arial, or Tahoma are all good standards.

  Some speakers use video clips of other speakers or humorous incidents to break up their speech. This makes me nervous for a few reasons. Video takes up computer space, it may not work with the audio visual support in the facility (particularly the sound), and most of all, people generally don’t want to watch a video of someone else if they came to see you.

  A few thoughts on the mechanics of a good power point:

  1. The rule of four. Keep your bullets on a slide to four or less. If there are more, no one will remember them.
  2. Use light on a dark background. Make sure the slides can be easily seen from the back of the room.
  3. Use upper and lower case letters. Thanks to email, ALL CAPITAL LETTERS is seen as shouting. Instead of CAPS, use bold, italics, size, or colors to emphasize points.
  4. Kill the animation! Yes, it is a cool feature. No, don’t use it. Flying in sentences word by word is not creating drama, it is creating annoyance. You cannot stop it once it starts, it takes time, and it is distracting at best. Excess animation can make audiences hostile. Most of us don’t need the help.

  A few speaking Do’s and Don’ts:

  1. Never, ever, read the words on your slide from start to finish. You can emphasize a point, or you can get someone in the audience to fill in a word for you as you point to it on the slide. Most people can read faster than other people read out loud. They will get to the point before you do, and then you missed your opportunity to make a point.
  2. Never talk to the slide with your back to the audience!!!!! If your focus is on the slide, it is not on the audience. This is akin to a teacher who writes on the chalkboard and talks to the chalkboard at the same time. It is not effective.
  3. Open with something about the audience, focus on their problems and provide solutions, and close with something memorable. The opening slide should be interesting to the audience and give them an idea of what they can expect and why they should pay attention to you.
  4. Always know your opening and closing paragraphs verbatim. This is where people listen the most, so make them great. This is also where most presenters stumble. Knowing them word for word alleviates problems.
  5. All talks are about the audience, either providing information or motivating the audience or ideally, both.
  6. Give people a resource or a way to get more information from you. They need your contact information for future communications.

  Better Speaking Tricks:

  1. Get rid of “and”, “uh”, “but”, “so”, “then”, and “hums.”
  2. Keep your hands out of your pockets.
  3. Make an effort to deliberately look at individuals in the audience. Make eye contact.
  4. Practice! Out loud! More than once! The whole presentation! Every joke and every gesture needs to be practiced.
  5. Spontaneity is great on vacation, not in a business presentation. Practice some more!
  6. Practice being loud enough to be heard.
  7. Use voice inflection to keep the presentation interesting.
  8. Know your material and be prepared to answer questions.
  9. When you pause for dramatic effect, freeze your body.
  10. Have fun! When you love your audience, it makes the presentation easy and enjoyable!
• 13Jul

  The How of a LinkedIn Profile: How to Build a Great Profile

  Social Media for Business, marketing No Comments

  

  The Steps:

  Step 1: Go to
  www.LinkedIn.com and start filling in the blanks for a new profile.
  Use your common email address as a secondary and use your business email for your primary (you don’t want business contacts to find you at your college email address at ILOVESPRINGBREAK89 @ hotmail.com), but you need to have an email on file that you will always be able to access.

  Step 2: Upload your picture. Many people will not accept connection invitations if they do not see a picture. They may not recognize the name among the hundreds they met at a recent convention without a picture. The picture should be appropriate for business. LinkedIn pictures don’t have to be overly formal, but they do need to be something better than your best at-the-gym picture.

  Step 3: Add a tag, or a description to your name if you have a very common name. I have a very common name, so I add “Leadership Expert” after my name. It sounds a bit pretentious (I was uncomfortable doing that until a friend of mine told me that there were thousands of Mary Kellys out there (thanks Mom and Dad) and he couldn’t find me), so I added the tag to my last name and voila! My connections increased because my friends and contacts found me.

  Step 4: Use your resume and background to build great content. Fill in the blanks of your education and work experience. Be interesting. Bullets for your summary are a great way to provide concise, eye-catching information.

  Side note: I don’t recommend starting a profile (or a website) with a video. Two reasons: 1) it takes time to load, and most people won’t wait; 2) unless you are very interesting (like Henry Kissinger) or very funny (like The O’Shea Report ), no one wants to spend that time watching you introduce yourself.

  Step 5: Get some high-quality recommendations. Go to the recommendations tab at the top and ask some of your trusted colleagues for recommendations specific to you as a professional. For example, comments such as “Mary is great!” or “Mary was wonderful!” sound nice, but they do not describe what I do, or the value I provide to a business client.

  “Mary provided timely economic expertise and leadership advice that allowed us to increase productivity immediately. Mary’s advice saved us $567,000 for the year” is a much stronger recommendation.

  Ask your recommenders to focus on the results you provide.

  If you are a roofer, ask customers to describe your GREAT service as a roofer. “Ken’s prompt response and accurate estimate was indicative of the fast, quality work that his company provided. He and his team were on time, polite, and trustworthy. They got the job done on time and under budget.”

  If you are a lawyer, request that your clients describe the characteristics that make you a GREAT lawyer. “Cris is smart, responsive, personable, and knows she the law. She drafted a will and trust package that covered all of our family’s many issues, AND she was affordable! She earned our trust and confidence.” (www.criscarterlaw.com)

  Step 6: Join groups of your peers. In the upper right corner is a search box. To the left of that are options with an arrow. Click on the groups and then search for your business interests, your alumni organizations, and your business peers. Join groups to allow you to connect with the other members of those groups. Increase your interaction in LinkedIn groups and get to know what others are doing in your field.

  Step 7: Join the groups that your clients join. This allows you to understand the concerns of your customer base, and then you can provide solutions in the group discussion areas, which increases both your presence and your credibility.

  Step 8: Use the applications. My favorites are the book list and the slideshare functions. The book list lets you type in the name of a book, select the book’s cover, and make comments about the book. I also like this function to feature some of my favorite authors and friends. The slideshare function is an easy upload for large presentation. This lets people share presentations and notes that otherwise might be too large to email. There is also a travel application that lets your network know where you are going, leading to simple coordination and more opportunities for meetings.

  Step 9: Be the expert. Use the answers function in the upper right box. Click on answers, and type in your topic of expertise. When the questions appear, provide an answer and include your website. You become a known subject matter expert and others get the benefit of your wisdom.

  Step 10: Enjoy your online connections! Thanks to social media, we can connect with people all over the world. LinkedIn is a terrific way to find lost friends and to stay in touch with new ones. (Next month: How to increase connections) I hope you have fun with social media!

• 08Jun

  Negotiation at home and at work

  negotiation No Comments

  To celebrate that June is a popular month for weddings, in this newsletter we are celebrating the relationships that make our home and business lives possible.

  In business, as in any long term relationship, keeping the end in mind is crucial to a lasting and fulfilling connection. More and more businesses are realizing that to maintain a healthy and prosperous business, they need to maintain healthy and mutually beneficial relationships with their customers and clients.

  Most business people I know spent a great deal of time trying to find the right people to do business with; either finding customers or finding suppliers. In economics, this is called the Search Activity. (In dating this might also be called the Search Activity.) I have also heard many business people complain about suppliers or buyers because they believed someone didn’t fulfill their part of the bargain. As a result, hurt feelings ensue, and sometimes someone will declare, “ I’m never doing business with them again.” These declarations sound like one of my friends whose recent date did not end well, and announced, “I’m never going out with him again!”

  Sometimes what we need is just some negotiation tactics to resolve the difficulties. So, in the spirit of June weddings, we have compiled five secrets to successful negotiation, a.k.a. getting what you want while giving the other person what they want too.

  1. Think success.
  My dating friend who decided their dating relationship was over clearly just gave up on the success of their relationship. Especially during the economic difficulties of the past two years, some people in business have changed their practices, and in some instances, that has been detrimental. In order to be successful in both marriage and in management, both parties have to want to work together for ultimate success.

  2. Take a walk in their shoes.
  Sometimes we’re not willing to try to see things from the other person’s perspective. Sometimes we are so sure that our perspective is correct that we fail to consider the possibility that we are wrong. It helps to take a step back and try to see the situation from the other person’s viewpoint. If you have ever watched a couple argue,(and we’ve all seen people argue) it is usually because of a small misunderstanding that got blown out of proportion. One good tactic is to stop and actually say the words,” I’d like to see this from your perspective. Can you please tell me what happened so that I can better understand?” If they tell you what happened from their experience, then you can see the parts that are missing, and help clarify the situation. Frequently, in both management and marriage, this diffuses problems before they escalate.

  3. Just take a walk.
  Misunderstandings can get emotional both at work and at home. Successful negotiation rarely happens when both parties are angry. If you are truly trying to resolve a situation, don’t have the discussion when you are emotional. Ideally, neither of you should be emotional at the time of the discussion. We used to have a rule in my house: Only one of us can be crazy at one time. That meant that if one person was clearly upset the other one had to back off. As a result what could have been arguments were kept to rational discussions. Sometimes this means deferring conversations until later. Sometimes this means taking a walk, either by yourself or together, to calm down, and give yourself another activity to do while you process through the issues at hand.

  4. Do some research and have the facts.
  If you’re trying to persuade another person to believe in your product, perspective, or purpose make sure that you back up your viewpoint with facts. Sometimes on a personal level, the facts become very vague and blurry. “You never do the vacuuming!” is probably not true. If one party throws out statements that are simply wrong, or so absolute that they cannot be taken seriously, the other party discounts their argument. This is true in the business world as well. Having accurate and current information at hand is more persuasive than emotional diatribes. Have the facts before you engage in the discussion.

  5. Realize that life (and happiness) is all about compromise.
  Very few people get everything they want all the time. The rest of us get what we want some of the time. If the issue is important, (and I mean really important), stick to your guns and do your very best to negotiate for what you want. However, negotiating also means that you look for the ways that the other person wins too. Very few people want to go into a situation where all they do is lose. A good negotiator makes sure that the final outcome is not just acceptable, but is beneficial to both parties. Successful negotiators, both at home and at work, watch out for the other person as well.

  Ideally in business, as in a marriage, you want to help each other grow, become better, and be successful. Good negotiation makes that possible.

• 31May

  Want to thank a veteran? Hire them!

  Uncategorized No Comments

  Memorial Day, 2010

  Want to thank a veteran? Hire them and strengthen your work force in the process

  Some of my business friends were lamenting the lack of commitment and dedication of their workforce. One gentleman claimed he could not get people to follow directions.

  “How many former military people do you have?” I asked.

  The answers were blank stares.

  The military corporate culture produces many of the characteristics that many work places lack. Military people are trained to show up — on time or early. They are computer savvy. They work until the job is completed. They understand how to take and give directions. They appreciate honest and helpful feedback. They are motivated to do a good job. They are serious about working, and serious about fulfilling your mission. Most veterans have the can-do attitude that employers want.

  “I don’t know where to find military people,” one business owner replied.

  “Couldn’t be easier or cheaper!” came the answer.

  Do a google or bing search for “hire military veteran” and all kinds of groups with databases pop up. You can post your job requirements at most of these sites for free. Good for your business, and good for the veterans.

  You can also join LinkedIn groups that focus on hiring veterans.

  I adore my civilian workers or friends, but on this Memorial Day, if you are thinking about increasing your workforce, please consider hiring a veteran.

  If you need help finding veterans to hire, please reply to this blog or email privately, and I will help.

  Thanks! Happy Memorial Day!
  

• 24May

  Put me in, Coach

  Uncategorized No Comments

  An 8 year old gave me a great quote last night. We were talking about baseball, and I asked him what position he liked best. Eyes shining, wide grin, he beamed, “First base or pitcher. Hmmm, I like pitcher best. When you are the pitcher, you always get the ball.”

  What a great reminder that it can certainly feel easier standing in the outfield, and occasionally worrying what happens if the ball comes your way, but If you are pitching, you know the ball is coming to you. You don’t have the uncertainty of the pop fly to right center. You know that the game cannot go forward without you. More pressure on the pitcher, maybe. But it is more consistent pressure. You are the center of the field, the center to the action. You always get the ball.

  In business, sometimes we hold back from being on the pitcher’s mound. We don’t want to stand out, because if we become the focal point, we can expect pressure and criticism. Being at the center means people are counting on you and you have to perform more often and more consistently, in front of more people. But you also get the opportunity to shine. It pushes you to work harder and work (and play) at the top of your game.

  So if you feel like you are hiding in the outfield, maybe give pitching a try.

  Put me in coach. I’m ready to play.
  

• 11May

  How to attract and keep great people

  leadership No Comments

  I recently surveyed over 200 managers, and asked what their biggest management challenges are in the current business environment. Not surprisingly, all of their responses dealt with personnel. Many leaders broached the difficulties involved with attracting and keeping great employees.

  How do we make working with us more appealing to an employee than working for someone else? Surprisingly, wages, salaries and other compensation are not the primary factors that kept employees happy.

  What keeps employees happy? What makes people want to come to work and do a good job? What motivates our workers?

  First, employees want to be valued both for their contributions to the organization, and appreciated as individuals who are important within their span of influence. Managers have to ensure that employees understand how valuable each role is to the success of the mission.

  Second, managers need to know their employees as individuals. I interviewed one employee who loved the work he was doing, but said that three weeks into his new job, his supervisor had still not even spoken to him. This created a sense that he was not a valued member of the team, and that he was of little or no value to the manager and the organization. I spoke with the manager, who told me that the new employee was doing a fabulous job, and they could not be happier. I asked the manager why he had not told the employee that, or even had a conversation with the new hire. The manager said that he didn’t realize that the new employee wanted to talk (yes, I’m serious). Clearly the onus of making sure that a new employee feels valued is on the supervisor in the organization.

  Third, employees want their managers to understand what makes them more effective in the workplace. Employees want to do a good job. Here are four secrets that employees want their managers to know.

  • It’s not about the money. Leaders and managers in companies need to understand that compensation will get quality people to apply for the job, but it is how they are treated after they are hired that determines whether or not they will stay. I’m not talking limousines and red carpet treatment. This is about making sure that the basic necessities of getting a job done are provided. Employees need to have the corporate knowledge and the resources required to do a great job. Giving an employee a job to do without providing the resources, or explaining company procedures sets them up for failure.
  • Feeling frustrated. Employees will not consider a long-term relationship with an organization that constantly frustrates them. How do organizations frustrate their employees? They ignore them. They don’t take their ideas seriously. They subject them to meaningless training and mindless readings. Regardless of the compensation, employees who are frustrated will find other places to work.
  • Not everyone gets the trophy. Some organizations go too far trying to recognize every little tiny accomplishment that happens within an organization. As a result, the constant award ceremonies, acknowledgments, and accolades dilute the importance of those people who are making a real difference. The consequence is that instead of creating an atmosphere of true gratitude, it fosters one of cynicism and distrust.
  • Talk to me. The most common complaint among employees is that they don’t feel that they know what’s going on. Managers and leaders need to understand that their employees are part of the decision-making process, whether or not the employee’s input is solicited. In some cases not everyone’s input warrants consideration, however for events that might affect that employee’s job, department, or branch, the employees should be aware of the discussion. This creates a sense of teamwork, keeps the employees informed, and dispels the idea that managers are making decisions in secret. This improves trust, confidence, respect and teamwork.

  Managing people is managing relationships. As a friend of mine told me, working together involves mutual trust, mutual respect, mutual interests, and the means to conduct the relationship.

• 24Apr

  Buying a Fire Truck One Cookie at a Time

  community, favorite recipes No Comments

  I recently joined an organization which provides philanthropic support to my local community. They hold two fundraisers per year to support very worthy community projects such as the Girl Scouts, the Little League, the Food Pantry, and the Fire Department.

  One of the fundraisers involves a community sale with furniture, household items, plants, and an old-fashioned bake sale. The day before the sale is filled with preparations: volunteer teenagers setting up tables, vendors hauling in booths, and a group of ladies (who are renowned for their cooking and baking abilities) who make and sell homemade soup and baked goods.

  Being new to this organization, I wanted to do a really good job. I must admit that in the tradition of my grandmother, great-grandmother, and my numerous aunts, I relish the thought of spending a full day in the kitchen, focusing on nothing but baking. Faced with mountains of butter, cream, sugar, flour and all forms of dark chocolate (everything that Dr. Oz says we should stay away from) I am transformed into my own version of Julia Childs. Baking is cathartic. Baking when conducted by several hundred local (mostly) women is a force to be reckoned with.

  When I dropped off my contributions this morning (again this is my first foray with this group), I was overwhelmed by the beauty and the magnitude of their generous cooking skills. Items were intricately prepared, beautifully decorated, packaged with bows and ribbons, and everything looked delicious. Clearly, I was in the company of professionals.

  The bakers are the supply side of this fundraising equation, but equally important are the members of the local community who come forward to purchase these luscious treats. Without the buyers, the efforts of the people who do the set up, provide the saleable items, advertise, market the event, and cleanup is meaningless.

  So my business lesson from the bake sale today was:

  1) remember who the buyers are,

  2) make the product attractive to the buyers,

  3) keep the goal in sight.

  Three rum cakes and a few batches of double chocolate cookies doesn’t sound like much when considering the cost of a fire truck, but when combined with the efforts of a few hundred other determined and dedicated workers, the fire house gets a new addition.

  Mary’s Seriously Rich Double Dark Chocolate Cookies

  • 4 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 12 ounce semi sweet chocolate, melted, cooled
  • 1/4 cup butter, melted, cooled
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla
  • 1 tablespoon strong espresso
  • 1 1/2 cups cake flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 12 ounces semi sweet chocolate chips
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts

  Beat eggs and flour together for six minutes. Add melted chocolate, butter, vanilla, and espresso. Sift together cake flour and baking powder. Gradually add flour mixture. Beat on lowest setting. Stir in chocolate chips and walnuts. The mixture is very sticky. Chill dough for three hours. Drop dough by rounded teaspoons onto parchment paper on cookie sheets. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes until the tops look shiny and cracked. Cookies are very soft. Cool on cookie racks. Makes four dozen.

• 13Apr

  The Importance of the Follow-Up

  marketing 1 Comment

  

  This month the topic is on developing a plan for following up with our business contacts.

  Many people attend networking functions to meet people who can help them grow their business. They make a business connection, yet they don’t actually get business from those business leads simply because they don’t follow up.

  How many times have you heard this conversation?

  “That sounds really interesting. I’d like to learn more about that.”

  “That would be great. Maybe we could meet for coffee?”

  “Yes! I’d really like that. Let’s definitely get together.”

  “Maybe next week?”

  “Sure! I’ll check my schedule.”

  “Let’s talk soon!”

  Then nothing happens.

  This can be due to networking “drive-bys” as my friend, Sarah Michel (www.perfectingconnecting.com) dubs them, where people feel as though they are in a race to collect business cards as though it was the adult version of an Easter egg hunt.

  Why don’t we follow up? A quick poll yielded these excuses.

  Fear: The reluctance to follow-up can stem from uncertainty as to whether that other person’s intent to meet was genuine.
  Some people fear rejection. What if they don’t like me? What if they don’t value my product or my company? What if they were just being nice?

  Not enough time: People get absorbed with the day-to-day activities and they just don’t make following up a priority.
  If you make a promise, keep it. Make the time.

  Good intentions: You know what they say about good intentions? They don’t generate much business. Actions generate business.

  Creating a monthly FOLLOW-UP ACTION plan.

  1. Make a phone call a day: Pull out that stack of business cards and promise yourself that you are going to make a phone every day to someone you have been meaning to call, and then DO IT!
  2. Send an email note: “Hi, I met you at ___ and I wanted to follow-up on our discussion. Can I send you information on___? Do one every Friday.
  3. Scrub your social media contacts: Take 10 minutes and browse your social media contacts. Find five people to follow up with this month.
  4. Drink some coffee: Or tea. Make 2 coffee dates this month. Keep those dates!
  5. Ask for 15 minutes: Make a point of maximizing your times by meeting people before or after that association monthly meeting, group lunch, or Rotary Club event. You are already there, so you might as well use that time to schedule a quick, productive meeting.
  6. Spend the 44 cents: Actually write a note. Send the note through the mail. People like receiving personal notes. Writing notes is becoming a lost art, and is therefore more appreciated. No, your messy handwriting should not stop you. Pledge to write 4 notes this month. It can be a great 44-cent investment.

  The bottom line: If you say you will follow-up, do it. Call, email, or write a note. If you say you are going to do something, get it done.

  Tags: follow up, marketing, networking

• 03Apr

  Happy Easter!!

  Uncategorized No Comments

  Happy Easter!

  Easter is a time of rebirth and new life.  In addition to the religious aspects of Easter, most people like the idea of celebrating spring as a time of growth, fresh opportunity, and an end of winter.  (Chocolate bunnies and those malted-speckled eggs are great too.)

  It is easy to fall into the routines of our daily lives.  We are comfortable with our routines.  There is a regular rhythm in our habits.   But when does a routine turn into a rut?

  As we look forward to the progress of the new season, it might be fun to try new things as a way of growing in this season.  Try to do something new, if not every day, maybe make a point to try something new once a week.  New experiences help us breakout of our groove (Yes, I used the word groove) and are just plain fun.

  Some ideas:

  1)  Try completely different food – a Moroccan restaurant, Thai Panang, or Korean BBQ

  2)  Take a class that interests you

  3)  Walk someone else’s dog

  4)  Participate in different exercise class, such as a Nia or Zumba class

  5)  Sign up to support a new fundraiser

  6)  Watch an episode of the History channel on a completely foreign topic

  7)  Plant some herbs

  8)  Help your cells regenerate – for a whole day, eat just fruits and vegetables

  9)  Further help your cellular development by getting a great night’s sleep

  10)  Clean out a closet and donate what you don’t use

  11)  Wash the car!  Or surprise someone else by cleaning their car

  12)  Try a local brewery’s beer

  13)  Try a different wine

  14)  Drive a new road

  15)  Put a different assortment of toppings on your next pizza

  16)  Babysit someone else’s kids

  17)  Open a cookbook at random and try whatever page you see

  18)  Listen to your kids’ music

  What are your ideas for new experiences this spring?  Let us know by leaving a comment!

• 26Mar

  Snow and Mess

  Uncategorized 1 Comment

  It is snowing, and my dogs are having a marvelous, snowy time.  They love the snow.  They love standing in the snow, crunching the partially frozen top layer of previous snowfalls, and they love chasing each other in the snow.  This is “dog tag” and while I don’t quite understand the rules, it involves lots of running, chasing, dashing in circles, and barking.  It looks like loads of fun.

  Then the wet dogs come inside.  They drags in chunks of ice, snowballs that cling to furry legs, and whatever foliage they can manage.  It can be messy.

  I think many times, having fun involves a messy process.  I like the idea that we embrace the messy aspects of our life, including our fun.   While I love a clutter-free, clean house, (my office doesn’t count) I also love the chaos and mess that comes with house-guests, especially those with children.  I enjoy the remnants that remain after a good party, or what the kitchen looks like after a really great meal.  Messy and wonderful.

  The mess is sometimes evidence of a terrific memory and a fun time.  So let’s go make a mess!

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