watershaping Archives - Page 5 of 5

Crossroads of Culture

I spent ten days this last December traveling in Turkey - my second visit to the country in the past several years and a trip that reinforced vivid memories of just how mind-expanding a place it is. The Greek, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman empires all held sway over this patch of land at times during the past 2,500 years, and throughout that long history, these and other great civilizations of both East and West have made their marks on the place. Situated at the crossroads of land- and sea-trade routes between Europe and Asia, Turkey has vast, rich reserves to drawn upon when it comes to

Value by Design

Consider this scenario: You call up an interior designer. In the course of the conversation, you ask him or her to come to your home, walk around, take measurements and listen to your ideas about a new look for your home. That done, you want this design professional to go back to the office, draw up a plan, select materials and price the job. Would you be expected to pay for this service? If you know anything about interior designers, you know the answer is a loud (and not inexpensive) "Yes!" It's a trade where nobody works for free: Whether you buy 100 yards of carpet, a gallon of paint or nothing at all, you have to

A Call for Ambassadors

"To succeed in business or in life, I don't think you need fancy schooling or highly technical experience. What I think you need is common sense, a commitment to hard work and the courage to go your own way." -- Robert Mondavi That statement in Robert Mondavi's autobiography truly inspires me. As I've prepared myself to write this column, I've been even more conscious of how