April 2024 Newsletter

Lessons Learned at the Ball Park

by Tim Fulton

This is an article I first wrote 27 years ago about customer service, my son, and the national pastime. It is the best example of “Unreasonable Hospitality” I have ever experienced. As baseball season is now upon us, I am pleased to republish the article once again this month.

I often receive my best training in customer service in the most unlikely situations. My six-year-old son, Taylor, had been pressuring me for weeks to take him to a baseball game. I was still on strike as a major league baseball fan. Hence, I decided to take him to see the local team play in the College Baseball Regional Championships.

The game was terrific. It had all the elements that have made baseball our national pastime: great hitting, exciting fielding, and a late-inning comeback by the home team.

The home team won the game.

Taylor thoroughly enjoyed the game, except for one aspect. He had brought his glove to the game just in case a foul ball drifted in our direction. With each pitch, he leaned forward, anticipating snagging a souvenir ball.



Unfortunately, not a single ball was hit our way.

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Tim Fulton

President, Small Business Matters

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Mastermind group member Mary Ritz shares her experience...

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BOOK REVIEW

Over the past 20 years, I have conducted over 5,000 1-2-1 client meetings. Some went better than others. While my experience facilitating meetings is extensive, I still have much to learn.

Based on research collected over 20 years from managers, team members, and top leaders from highly respected companies, Dr. Steven Rogelberg wrote what might be the best book available on conducting 1-2-1 meetings, I'm Glad We Met. A professor at UNC-Charlotte, Rogelberg also wrote The Surprising Science of Meetings, recognized by the Washington Post as one of the 10 best books on leadership. 

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• Why 1-2-1 meetings are important
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• How to personalize your approach to 1-2-1 meetings
• How to design the 1-2-1 meeting with the right agenda

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DID YOU KNOW?

A Little Baseball Trivia…

“Take Me Out to the Ball Game” is one of the most popular songs associated with baseball and serves as the sport’s anthem. It was written by Jack Norworth and Albert Von Tilzer, who had both never actually been to a baseball game before writing the song. It continues to be one of the most popular songs in the United States, on par with “Happy Birthday” and our country’s national anthem.



In Major League Baseball, a special mud is used to rub baseballs before each game to reduce their luster and make them easier to grip. This mud comes from a secret location in Jersey.

MLB umpires are required to wear black underwear in case the unlikely scenario occurs where they split their pants.

“I like Fenway Park and office pools.

I like Opening Day, Bat Night, guest anthem singers, and ‘Take Me Out to the Ball Game…’

I like Babe Ruth’s bat, Ty Cobb’s spikes, Stan the Man, Leo the Lip, the Big Train, and ol Diz, Willie, Mickey and the Duke, Joe D. and the Iron Horse.

I like baseball. I’ve never been unhappy in a baseball park in my life.

Too slow? For whom? I never went to a ballpark in a hurry in my life. I don’t plan to start anytime in the future.

As the song says, I don’t care if I never get back.”

-From the autobiography of Pulitzer Prize winner, Jim Murray

“Baseball is like church. Many attend… few understand.” - Leo Durocher

“Baseball players are smarter than football players. How often do you see a baseball team penalized for too many men on the field?” - Jim Bouton

“I don’t want to play golf. When I hit a ball, I want somebody else to go chase it.” - Rogers Hornsby

“Little league baseball is a very good thing because it keeps the parents off the streets.” - Yogi Berra