Fortunes have been, and continue to be, made studying and teaching the art of human motivation in the workplace. Businesses want more from their employees, and turnover is so very costly. We can’t seem to get enough of this stuff we call motivation. Well, we are Americans. We want more, of everything; and we want it better, faster, cheaper. The reasons people work are as unique as individuals themselves. But…
To boost its economy 30 years ago, the city of Hidalgo began passing out shopping flyers to drivers and pedestrians crossing the Hidalgo-McAllen International Bridge. Tourism spurs economic development and creates jobs, a fact that city leaders decided could transform their pass-through community into a destination with a vibrant reputation. The surge in tourists and the growth of city businesses did not happen overnight. But today Hidalgo hosts the Festival…
“It’s like a license to go have fun,” said Alan Stewart, of the “six-pack” course taught at Stewart Training Center. Stewart knows because he did it himself:. He passed the 56-hour course for the U.S. Coast Guard Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessel or six-pack boat captain’s license, and began working as a fishing guide in the Laguna Madre. The license is required of captains who take aboard up to six…
For many of us, the holidays revolve around food, old favorites and new. The Valley now boasts a growing number of artisan food businesses: small establishments that turn out a limited amount of their savory treats. These very small (for now) businesses bring a professional consistency to fresh, flavorful foods that you love to eat, week after week. The food produced by these passionate connoisseurs can be found both at…
The ‘Going out of business’ signs hanging outside Tierra Dulce can make you feel sad about a business taking the agonizing step of closing down. Or not. “Don’t feel sorry for me,” said owner Jesse DeLeon. “You adapt to survive.” Once DeLeon assessed his company, which specializes in making rustic Mexican furniture and décor along with importing Mexican folk art, he realized that changes had to take place. His 10-year-old…
No, I’m not talking about COBRA, the law that allows employees to extend their insurance coverage after separation. I’m actually talking about the snake, the cobra. “The Cobra Effect” is a nickname for any worst-case-scenario involving the “Law of Unintended Consequences.” During India’s colonial days, the British decided to exterminate the venomous cobra by offering a bounty. “Bring us dead cobras and we will give you cash.” Problem solved. But…
The Bay King anchored just past the jetties, bathed in moonlight, gently rocked in tidal swells in time to “… rock me mama like a wagon wheel …” coming from the boat’s muted radio. Skipjack flickered on the surface of the Gulf’s waters. “Fish on!” was shouted time and again, bringing the captain and first mate to assist anglers hauling in whiting, sand trout and feisty gafftopsail catfish. Tex-Mex Tours,…
The work of skilled crafters blurs the line between art and craft. That pleasing merger of art and craft depends on the skills of the crafter/artist, the medium and the eye of the beholder. Local experts in mediums as varied as stone and silver, fiber and wood, antler and beads, are creating one-of-a-kind pieces. Across the Valley, you will find craft studios and boutiques specializing in handmade items ranging from…
Why do the thousands of Eagle Ford wells on the map all end at the Rio Grande? Oil reservoirs know no river nor international boundary. Last November Morales Gil, then-president of PEMEX E&P, announced at Platt’s Mexican Energy Conference in Mexico City that Mexico may soon be producing five million bbls (barrels)/day. His ultra-deep water exploration activities offshore Matamoros/Brownsville were doing very well, and he hoped to send more ultra-deep…
“It is easy to overlook Mercedes,” Hernan Gonzalez told the board of the Mercedes Development Corp. Gonzalez admitted he himself knew little about the Queen City until he became executive director of the Development Corp. a year ago. Since then he has used the mantra, “Get noticed. Get considered. Get commitments” to move Mercedes up the ranks of Valley cities. “No one is going to go invest in Mercedes if…