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Deal or No Deal?

I have enjoyed following Norm Brodsky's decision-making process these past months as he contemplated selling his companies. I was hooked by his January column, and when I saw a smiling Norm on the cover of the March issue, I realized how much I cared about the outcome ["It's All About Trust," March].

As I read the installments, I wondered if they were truly being printed in real time. It was interesting to read what Chris Debbas, who put together the deal and read the same articles we did, thought about the process being chronicled. Norm was a tough negotiator, but in the March article, he was more positive about selling his business. I wonder if this gave Chris a bit of buyer's remorse. I guess that we will just have to wait and see if the deal will actually be finalized.

Brian Kressin
Washington, D.C.

After he sells CitiStorage, Norm Brodsky should take a nice long vacation and get to work on starting his next business. It's in his blood, and I think he needs the mental challenge. It's apparent that he craves contact with customers, vendors, and employees. I believe he will be happiest if he cashes in and then gets right back to work on his next great idea.

Woody Nash
Managing director
Exodus Capital Advisors
Mendham, New Jersey

Norm Brodsky speaks disdainfully of retired folks and of those who have moved into consulting roles, but what better way to give back to a new generation of entrepreneurs and help create functional cultures in other organizations? His identity as a successful entrepreneur won't go away simply because he made millions on the sale of his three businesses. Norm is in the generative phase of his life. This is the time to start looking at new ways to grow and to help others realize the kind of success he has experienced.

Mika Nash
Dean, School of Hospitality and Restaurant Management
New England Culinary Institute
Essex, Vermont

Once Norm Brodsky is outside his business, he will be able to truly reflect on who he is and what else he wants to do. It is kind of like raising children. They take up so much of your time and energy, you forget who you are. Then when they are grown and gone, you get to start acting like a kid again--selfishness and all. I hope Norm uses the extra money to fund some truly exciting ventures or, my personal favorite, his own island.

Mitch Allen
Vice president
Inteliband
Vacaville, California

Professional Help

David H. Freedman's column about being your own CIO was interesting to me as a business owner who helps organizations, many of them emerging companies, with their technology strategies ["Do It Yourself," March]. Software as a service does provide many businesses the option of having little or no IT staff.

However, while basic technology needs may indeed be do-it-yourself, using technology to create a competitive advantage rarely is. Freedman talks about Southwestern Services, which brings in MyIT.com to fix problems that it can't. That sort of arrangement is more likely to be necessary than he acknowledges.

Steve Hultquist
Principal
Infinite Summit
Boulder, Colorado

Service With a Smiley

Leigh Buchanan made some great points about the smiley faces that have been popping up in business correspondence ["I Am Not :)" March]. I've also found that abbreviations such as "LOL" have crept into the so-called professional world. I do still, however, condone use of the Homer Simpson: (_8(|)

Dovber Baram
Lauderhill, Florida

Choosing Our Words

I had to laugh at Leigh Buchanan's disclaimer that a word in the title of Robert Sutton's book was too objectionable for the editors ["The Bully Rulebook," February]. One of the words she opted to use instead was no less offensive. The thesaurus does include schmuck as a synonym for jerk, but that word is Yiddish for a male body part. In my upbringing, using that word was cause for a soap-filled mouth.

Emily Huling
President
Selling Strategies
Terrell, North Carolina

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