Making Headlines – This week I appeared on Long Island News Radio (103.9 FM) with my good friend Jay Oliver where we discussed several news items in the headlines. I have included the full interview below for your listening pleasure. Highlights include:
- Food & Fun – Jay and I recapping the incredibly fun dinner we had at Trattoria Romana in Boca Raton last week. Joined by his lovely wife, we ate, drank, and were merry for many hours.
- Abortion – we discussed the recent moves by Alabama and other states to try and force the Supreme Court’s hand to overturn Roe v. Wade. My prediction is that the Court will not overturn the decision, but may permit states to impose a restriction on performing an abortion when a fetal heartbeat can be detected.
- Privacy – we discussed the move by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors to ban law enforcement from using facial recognition technology in public places against private citizens. Currently, the technology is used in airports and stadiums. Jay and I discussed the pros and cons of such technology, and I emphasized my feeling that rights of privacy, association, and speech are critical to a healthy democracy.
- Tariffs and Trade Wars – we discussed the chess game currently being played between the United States and China, and what it means overall for the economy. I recapped my understanding of the importance of the GDP to both the growth of the stock market and to keep inflation and interest rates in check, and how trade deficits lower the nation’s GDP.
- Bethpage and Tiger – Jay and I both picked Tiger Woods to be the winner at the PGA Championship this weekend at Bethpage Black, and based on the performance of Brooks Koepka, it looks like we may be wrong. We also debated whether it was appropriate for Tiger Woods to have received the Presidential Medal of Freedom (I believe it was not appropriate).
Check out the full show here . I’d love to hear your thoughts.
WINE OF THE WEEK
2013 Valle Las Acequias Malbec ($13.99) – Not that familiar with Malbec, I was excited to try this and it certainly did not disappoint. The color is a brilliant ruby red, with fruit and chocolate on the nose. The finish is crisp, making it incredibly drinkable. We enjoyed this wine overlooking the water and eating molten lava cake with good friends Bob Pospischil and Amanda Sexton. Warning: one bottle is definitely not enough.
If You Build It, They Will Come – Just off the LIE where Nassau and Suffolk meet sits the Composite Prototyping Center (CPC), a state-of-the-art, innovative entryway into Long Island’s future. The Plainview facility uses cutting-edge composite technology to enable businesses to design and build virtually anything they can dream up (and work on critical projects such as converting UPS trucks to electric power). Last week I joined HIA-LI President Terri Alessi-Miceli and board member Dr. Ann-Marie Scheidt for a tour of this impressive facility. HIA-LI is collaborating with the CPC’s leaders, including my friend Ray Farrell of Carter, DeLuca & Farrell LLP, to build relationships between the CPC and HIA-LI’s members, particularly in the manufacturing industry. Stay tuned!
So Aluring – On Tuesday I stopped by the beautiful Alure Home Improvements showroom in East Meadow to catch up with my friend Sal Ferro, Alure’s President and CEO. I loved Sal’s answer to how Alure has achieved more than seven successful decades in business: “We believe in a raving fan approach to customer service.” Keep an eye out for our upcoming spotlight feature on this innovative Long Island business where company culture, customer service, and giving back are the name of the game.
Mini-Pat – Last night I attended a dinner hosted by the Suffolk County Bar Association to honor and thank my partner Pat McCormick for his service as Dean of the Academy of Law. I was asked to roast Pat, a task I readily accepted. I chose to roast Pat through his mini-me, CMM associate Rich “the hired gun” DeMaio (who is now seriously regretting opening this door by dressing up as Pat last Halloween). Rich, in full Pat costume, played the role of Angry Pat, who answered my questions in ways that we all know Pat would like to respond but is simply too polite to do so. We had a lot of laughs. Congrats to Pat for being such a terrific sport and for his service to the Bar Association!
Grow Local, Go Global – Does your business have an overseas presence? Are you considering expanding abroad? Do you work with clients and vendors around the world? Please join us for “Grow Local, Go Global: Your Roadmap for Doing Business Internationally” in our CMM Academy Training Center on June 13. Over hot breakfast you’ll hear from an international panel of experts who have helped countless American companies successfully do business abroad. I’m excited to moderate this panel, jointly presented with Protegrity Advisors. Get all the details and register here.
Send in the Marines – I’m very excited to present “Leading Your Business the Marine Corps Way” in our CMM Academy Training Center after getting great feedback from presentations in Hauppauge and Southampton. In this June 19 breakfast session I’ll share how the leadership culture of the Marine Corps has influenced my professional life, and how you can use these strategies to empower yourself and your team to perform at the highest possible level. Thank you to Sasserath & Zoraian, LLP and Marc Silverstein of MAS Group for sponsoring. Info and registration here.
Here’s hoping the rain and cold are finally behind us. I’m looking forward to welcoming our talented summer associates and interns next week. Summer is coming!
