You have to wonder when a trade group’s jargon becomes part of the daily lexicon for the general public.

Black Friday is now a national phenomenon much like Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade, halftime show at the Super Bowl and grilling dogs Labor Day weekend.

Retailers have instilled both the "God of fear" and getting out of bed before the sun rises into consumers to buy TV’s and toys at ridiculous prices. Millions around the USA did just that Friday AM and for all that, sales for the weekend were even with last year.

In case you forgot, last year was a bust. So what does the rest of the holiday season have in store and since this season is much shorter, what will it take for consumers to buy more while paying more?

But let’s get back to Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Do you know where the term Black Friday came from? It came back in the day before the Internet that traditional retailers actually moved from the red (losing money) to the black (making money). Retailers made all their money from Thanksgiving to Christmas. It’s like when do American’s make money after paying all their taxes (I think it’s the middle of May)?

These days, Walmart, Target and Costco are making money well before Thanksgiving. But because it’s become such a phenomenon, they will continue to keep pushing this trend.

Cyber Monday was invented because online companies were jealous of retailers and they needed their own term. Cyber Monday refers to the day that consumers shop the most online after exhausting themselves over the weekend and then come to work and use company computers and Internet to make more purchases.

So let me ask, were you one of the ones standing in line at 3AM at Best Buy to buy a 42" TV for $397 and/or are you buying online today because it’s Cyber Monday?

I have a better idea regardless. Let’s contract with ESPN and make shopping a sport. That way we can get all the stats, favorite shoppers and perhaps Best Buy and Walmart can even sell tickets for the grand stands.

Happy Cyber Monday!

Whew, this has been a busy few days. It’s amazing that when times are tough, the amount of work that has to be done increases as you keep reinventing yourself to be relevant. And 2010, relevant will be a key word.

Tomorrow is my favorite day of the year so it’s important to take a few moments to recognize Thanksgiving.

On the pure pleasure side, the day starts off with the Turkey Trot, a fun 10K in the predicted rain and 40 degree gloomy morning. Then breakfast, watch the Lions lose yet another game and then my favorite meal of all.

Here’s what I love: Drumstick, candied sweet potatoes, broccoli casserole, a little white meat and gravy, surely a little stuffing and pumpkin pie. No matter how slow I tell myself to eat and no matter how many times I tell myself one plate only, I have yet to be successful.

First plate lasts 6 minutes, second plate in 4. In 10 minutes, days of preparation and cooking is over with. I think that’s one of the things that makes it so much fun. Oh, let’s not forget the leftovers.

One of my favorites in this category is mish-mosh. This is not from any of Emeril’s cookbooks. To make, you cut up white and dark meat into chunks, add sweet and mashed potatoes, a little gravy and any leftover veggie. Combine in 9 x 13 dish. Heat for 30 minutes until steaming. Serve with side salad and cranberry dressing. Yum!

On the tradition side, it’s a great day of the year to be thankful. I just finished reading Mitch Albom’s latest book, Have A Little Faith, and it’s the perfect story for this time of the year. With 5 billion people living in poverty worldwide and millions in the USA miserable, in hospitals, nursing homes or hospice, you have to be thankful for what you have. Albom’s books have always preached on this subject.

So Happy Thanksgiving to all. Eat plenty, drink plenty and be sure to work out the following day. And thanks to all for making this day the best one of the year.

Happy Week!

I love the sun.

It’s warm. It’s relaxing. It’s calming. It feels good. It puts an extra smile on my face.

I love the sun even more on the beach. Dozing and reading is the best therapy of all. Watching the sun rise and the sunset can’t be beat (especially in Key West).

For years, scientists have studied the effects of the sun and light and have tried to figure out how to deliver all the benefits without any of the harms.

After years of research, light therapy is now available to both consumers and professionals. The benefits are tremendous.

The most powerful consumer and pro unit comes from Quasar, the leader in light therapy. Their signature item, Baby Q, is designed with four wavelengths of natural light. The Baby Q gives the user an intense red and infrared light therapy which stimulates cellular metabolism, blood flow and circulation to aid in collagen reproduction. Bottom line: an amazing anti-aging device.

The Baby Blue model specifically targets acne. I won’t get into all the fine details how this works, but again, the light therapy science behind this is amazing.

So excited by this new technology, we are now offering the consumer device at The Industry Source. The pro model will launch early 2010 at a price point of $2600, however, the consumer model which can be used in salons/spas has a special price of $399. Please visit for more information.

Items like this are exactly what this industry needs. We will continue to search out the latest in technology and innovation. In the meantime, please pass the sunscreen.

Happy Thursday!

It seems once I’m on the subject of innovation, my mind can’t stop. Tomorrow I’m going to blog about light therapy and the awesome benefits of it.

Today my focus is on hands. Hands if you think about them are the one set of body parts that you see virtually all day long. Whether you are driving, typing, texting, sitting, standing or eating, your hands are always visible. They have yet to come up with stockings for hands and until that day comes. . .

Pinnacle Peel-Off Hand Mask is a true solution to skin cell renewal, lightening, sun and age spots and discoloration. Women for centuries have had facials but no one has given much thought to hands.

This algae-based mask contains collagen, elastin and alpha-hydroxy acids and addresses the signs of aging and sun damage. For the price of a bottle of nail polish, you and your clients can achieve results beyond expectation.

This product is strictly professional and gives salons/spas yet another reason for consumers to visit. Try this product once and find out for yourself.

Happy Wednesday!

Don’t ask why but OPI Holiday is the hottest salon gift item of the season. We sold out open stock and collections twice and were lucky enough to get yet another shipment for next week. We will have both 12-pc collections in limited numbers (120 each) so with the biggest month of the year fast approaching, call today to reserve.

But OPI isn’t letting the rush of Christmas spoil its debut of 2010. Of all their "off season" collections that they have introduced, perhaps the most exciting is their much anticipated Alice in Wonderland collection coming in January.

The collection is only four shades, but what fun four shades they are:

I have no idea how OPI connected with Disney or how they are going to spend more than $1 Million promoting this but I do have an idea that this collection will be ultra hot. We doubled our allocation and we’re not even sure that’s enough.

We are going to open pre-sell to Nailco Gold customers in December (visit our website for more info then). With everyone Mad as a Hatter this collection brings much needed fun and frivolity.

Thanks So Muchness OPI.

Happy Tuesday!

Question: With Michigan’s population below 10 million and with over 100,000 residents leaving the state each year, how many more residents would leave if they could sell their home?

Question: How many years will it take Michigan to recover 1 million lost jobs over the past decade?

Question: How bad will commercial real estate be in 2010?

Question: With Cox’s handling of the "what party?" incident, what chances does he have for governor?

Question: If you shop at Walmart for everything, how much will the average family save in one year?

Question: How many people in the world live in poverty (earn less than $2 a day)?

OK, I’m going out on a limb and get Lou Dobbs on the phone to answer the last question.

"Lou, what happened yesterday? After 30 years with CNN, why such an abrupt resignation?" Lou: "I’m ready to pursue new opportunities."

OK, Lou didn’t have the answer. The answer is 5 billion. The world population is about 7 billion. About three-quarters of the world lives in poverty.

As both the News and Freep pointed out today, we have serious issues. At least Michigan’s population isn’t living on $2/day but if it did, I’m sure Walmart would be saving us money.

Point is, we have to do something about this. And we have to do it now. And what we can do?

Things that don’t cost a dime. Smile. Say thanks. Say hello. Smile. Laugh. Volunteer. Smile. Engage yourself in whatever you do. Be part of a team. Smile.

It’s not easy and it’s not going to get easier. But it’s time the News and the Freep tell us something good; we already know the bad.

Happy Thursday!

When it comes to drugstores, both CVS and Walgreens control the market. As both chains escaped the crutches of strip centers years ago, both are continuing to build mini drug emporiums offering 24/7 hours, clinics, beauty consultants and virtually every convenience item you can think of.

And as competition has it, both are typically located right next to each other.

Today’s blog is about which drugstore you shop at and why. You can also comment that you don’t shop at either of them and why you shop elsewhere. You can also comment that you buy your drugs via mail and have no need for drugstores.

And here’s one more question for you: Would you prefer to read this at this blog site or on the TNG Facebook wall?

Happy Wednesday!

When a product performs, watch out. Such is the case with Enormous Lash, a miracle product that grows eyelashes.

Like many products, it wasn’t first to market. Instead, it developed a technology that still remains the best in class and even with the introduction of a competitive prescription formula at a higher price point, Enormous Lash continues upward momentum.

At $95 it’s not inexpensive. But it’s one of those products that delivers results that women are looking for. Even in challenging times like these, the value outweighs the cost.

Later this month the company will unveil three new products, one being Brow Doctor. Now if I was a woman, I would be all over this product. I barely have any brows and you have no idea how important brows are until you notice that you don’t have them. This product is destined to be a hit.

What’s so cool about Enormous Lash is that regardless of the economic climate, if you deliver a product that people want, they will buy it. What a novel idea.

Happy Tuesday!

Doing business on the web used to be so easy. Slap up a home page, add a shopping cart, feature a few products and the orders would come in. Major retailers were way behind and virtually anyone working out of their home or garage could be in business.

For the most part, those days are gone. Major retailers are dominating cyberspace and quickly changing the landscape. Consumers are used to world-class sites such as amazon.com, expedia.com and priceline.com and expect other sites to be at least as good.

That’s why it’s so exciting to see the relaunch of bebeautiful.com. Not only can you view the current catalog but you can quick order if you know the item numbers you want.

New features include updated graphics, easy navigation tools, indexing, tabs to switch between new products, best sellers and what’s hot, and categorization that is user friendly.

It was a long time in coming and special thanks to Mark L. and his crew for making it happen. Site traffic has already increased but more importantly, the customer experience will be ten fold better which was the ultimate goal for the relaunch.

The team is working on other site enhancing features that will be launched in 2010 but for now, holiday shopping will fun and simple. Take a look at the new site, it’s where the action is for beauty.

Happy Monday!

In today’s business environment, it’s not about "if" but "when." It’s not about "growth" but "profitability."

With the national unemployment rate hitting 10.2% today, it’s about connecting to customers as never before. For The Industry Source (TIS), the "when" is now.

We did a soft launch on both Facebook and Twitter over the past few weeks. Already there are over 1500 fans on Facebook waiting to see what’s new at TIS.

One thing for sure is that we are going to post fantastic deals on both sites. The sites will also feature our newest products the moment they hit the warehouse shelves so those in the know can be first to market.

I posted one such deal on Facebook today and already we are getting responses. And since both are social networking sites, this gives our customers a chance to ask for anything they want from us. It’s kind of funny because in one respect, customers can always email us. But many like to post or text instead of email. Now you can call, email, post, mail, or visit us virtually 24/7.

Next up will be the TIS patch. That’s right. When you wear our patch, you will be connected 24/7 with everything you need to know about TIS and get preferred pricing too.

So give us a tweet or a message. Let’s have some fun.

Happy  Friday!