Reading books and sharing those discoveries brings me great pleasure. Recently I finished reading three books that I enjoyed. If the topics are of interest to you, I recommend them.
Tell to Win: Connect, Persuade, and Triumph with the Hidden Power of Story by Peter Guber.
Long time blog readers know what a difference I believe story telling makes in both conversations and presentations.
Peter’s credentials and achievements speak to his success with storytelling. He served as studio chief at Columbia Pictures; co-chairman of Casablanca Records and Filmworks; CEO of Polygram Entertainments, chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures and is a longtime professor at UCLA (graduate classes on storytelling, among others) as well as a contributor to Harvard Business Review. For you movie buffs, think The Color Purple, Batman, Rain Man, Gorillas in the Mist and Midnight Express.
“Today everyone – whether they know it or not – is in the emotional transportation business. More and more, success is won by creating compelling stories that have the power to move partners, shareholders, customers, and employees to action. Simply put, if you can’t tell it, you can’t sell it. And this book tells you how to do both.”
“Historically, stories have always been igniters of action, moving people to do things. But only recently has it become clear that purposeful stories – those created with a specific mission in mind – are absolutely essential in persuading others to support a vision, dream or cause.”
Replete with stories of and by people of diverse backgrounds, two aspects that I particularly appreciated were how to turn passive listeners into active participants and how to craft your story around “what’s in it for them.”
Win: The Key Principles to take your Business from Ordinary to Extraordinary by Frank Luntz
This book weaves storytelling along with “words that work” for effective communication. To make his points, Frank Luntz uses the stories and words of well recognized people. By detailing examples and experiences from the lives of Rupert Murdoch, Steve Wynn, Fred Smith, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Larry Bird, Jimmy Connors, Roger Ailes, Don Imus and dozens more Luntz illustrates what to do or say and why.
Author of numerous books, Frank Luntz is the “go to” person when the media wants to understand what makes American tick. A well respected communications professional, he has conducted almost 2,000 surveys and focus groups, is in demand with Fortune 500 companies, philanthropic clients like the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and advises in twenty-one countries.
What I liked best about the book is the “words that work” segments. In total he gives you seventy words and tells you why each of them is effective. Some of the stories he tells on what a difference a word or two makes are astounding.
Social Boom! How to Master Business Social Media by Jeffrey Gitomer.
The full title of this book says it all. Ready? Here you go:
Social Boom! How to Master Business Social Media to Brand Yourself, Seel Yourself, Sell Your Product, Dominate Your Industry market, Save Your Butt, Rake in the Cash, and Grind Your Competition into the Direct—by the Global Authority on Sales, Attitude, Trust and Loyalty
Jeffrey Gitomer is a New York Times best selling author many times over. More importantly for people who want to be successful online, he has “been there, done that and bought the T-shirt.” Two of his websites receive 100,000 hits per week while his weekly e-zine goes to 500,000/week—we’re talking a serious list here.
Social Boom! guides you through the world of social media from blogs to social platforms. Jeffrey, along with his “guest speakers” tell you how to attract, engage and connect on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube. Sally Hogshead, Mark Schaefer, Julien Smith and the LinkedIn Rockstars, Mike O’Neil and Lori Ruff, are a few of the contributors.
Like Jeffrey’s other books, this one is “short, sweet and all meat.”
What I particularly liked about this book was hearing from the different “voices” on the various topics. Also, I appreciate the Free GitBits. At the end of certain chapters, Jeffrey gives a code word to learn his extra hints about the topic discussed. All you do is go to his website, type in the code word and more info appears. Smart marketing. As a result of going over to look at GitBits, he now has 500.001 subscribers to his ezine.
So that you can have an idea of Jeffrey’s style, here is a less than 3 minute clip of him promoting Social Boom! For those interested in learning how to make effective videos, take a minute or two watch this and note the set up and his presentation.
All three of these books added to my knowledge base and increased my understanding of effective communication in different yet complementary ways.
Please do let me know a book or two that you recommend and why.
If you think this would be helpful for others, please help me spread the word. “Tweet it” “Like It” “Share It” or “Digg It” or “Stumble” below.
Please do give me your feed back and comments. Let’s exchange ideas below. Leave any thoughts or questions you may have and I will get back with you.
janet@janetcallaway.com
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Hiii
Janet,
I love storytelling book too.
The most amazing storytelling book is to let us can’t not get away from currently chapter that make us even curious about the next one like magic.
Thanks for the sharing and have a fantastic weekend,
Yen
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Yen, aloha. Welcome to my blog. It is always such a pleasure to greet first time visitors. You are so right in what you say about storytelling books. Yen, that is exactly what I want to learn how to do–tell stories that make people want to listen.
Best wishes for a great Sunday. Aloha. Janet
Hiii Janet,
Me too. I am still learning ” HOW”
It’s so chill that greet me yess.
Thank you for your valued comment to me. Encourage me to do some more and keep up my work.
Have fantastic weekdays !
Much love with my lovely heart, (^.^)
Yen
Yen recently posted..Mental Cleanse Day 3
Thx so much, Yen. You have a fantastic week as well. Aloha. Janet
Two books I recommend. First of all, Les Miserables. My favorite. It’s a story of mercy versus justice, and how the two meet in our lives. It’s an incredible book that touches your soul, brings you low, brings you high, and let’s you glimpse a deeper part of the human experience.
Another book, on the business side, is the Four Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive. A great little tale on how to be a better business leader. Enjoy it thoroughly.
I also wouldn’t be the same person without have reading the Book of Mormon and Bible. They bring a lot to my life – and enjoy what they teach. I’ve read them both a few times, and always enjoy what I learn from the parables about life. I’ve yet to read the Quran, but that’s next on my list.
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Christian, aloha. Thx so much for your book recommendations and the reasons. “Les Miserables” is a classic for the vary reasons you mention. The lessons in it are ageless.
The “Four Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive” sounds intriguing because of its great title. When I head on over to Amazon later today I will check it out. Thx so much.
And it goes without saying that the books in your last paragraph add to a person’s life whether or not they are in alignment with your faith. The lessons and values they teach either resonate with us or cause us to stand for our beliefs in a different perspective.
Thx so much for your thoughtful response, Christian. Aloha. Janet
#1 and #3 sound like good reads, but the one that really sparked my interest is Frank Luntz’s book, “Win.”
Although I am a business person, us freelance translators tend to be on the quiet side. What we do is neither conspicuous nor visual, and many of us find it hard to market ourselves.
But, as translation is not the be-all and end-all of my existence, I’m always looking for ways to move forward with my other pursuits. Am definitely going to check out Frank Luntz. Thanks, Janet.
Hej då
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John, aloha. Good choice on the books. Of the three, there is no doubt that for your purposes you will get the most from Frank Luntz. Like you, John, I love words and learning how to use them effectively. Frank wrote another book entitled “Words that Work,” published in 2006, which I have not yet read. Quite honestly, I am not sure if the same 70 words that are explained in “Win” were what he described in that one so will have to read the reviews to determine that.
There are some amazing examples in this book and I have more than one Ah Ha moment.
Happy reading. Best wishes for a terrific Sunday. Aloha. Janet
Oops, forgot my book recommendation.
I love “Made to Stick” by Chip & Dan Heath. It examines how and why stories work, and how the most effective stories (that spread through word of mouth, etc.) all have something in common.
It’s a quick read and a very enlightening one, too.
Bell recently posted..Dont waste another minute! Competition at iwritereadratecom
Thx so much for the recommendation, John. It sounds like my kind of book. It is on my list because I am sure by the time people are finished commenting, I will be able to contribute once again to Amazon’s financial well being.
Thx so much for stopping back and sharing this book. Until next time, aloha. Janet
Hi Janet!
I think the one I am most interested in is Social Boom. I watched the video and in it, he suggests that you only need an hour a day to connect through social media. So I’m thinking that in the book, he’ll tell me how to make the best use of that hour.
And I already know I am not taking full advantage of social media, so I may just buy it to see what he and the others have to say.
Is it on Kindle? I could be reading it by this afternoon…
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Jeanine, aloha. He and the others have some great tips/advice to help you be more effective with social media.
Yes! It is on Kindle so you can start reading it today and implementing suggestions. It is a very fast read. Do let me know how you like it.
Best wishes for a glorious Sunday. Aloha. Janet
Hey Janet thanks for sharing..I really enjoy reading all types of books and have here recently been trying to read more self improvement. I also read a lot on line about SEO and marketing so I will definitely be checking your suggestions out.
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Valerie, aloha. Thx so much for stopping by. “Social Boom” will definitely give you some great suggestions for marketing online. Aloha. Janet
I am always happy to see new booklists come out from people I follow and respect, Janet. Thanks for taking the time to so concisely summarize these new additions.
I had fun seeing that Jeffrey Gitomer was on the list– I remember him presenting to a Chamber group here in Fort Lauderdale many, many years ago.
I hadn’t been following him lately, so it’s a great reminder to do that. I always thought his presentation was brilliant.
Wishing you well-
Nanette
Nanette, aloha. So glad you enjoyed the list. Though I had heard of Gitomer, I had not read anything by him. The book is packed with little nuggets and I quite like his guest contributors. When I looked on his youtube channel for a clip, I was quite amazed at what I saw. He has some great ones there, Nanette, and I can only imagination how terrific it must have been to see him in person. When you what a “Gitomer fix,” head on over to his youtube channel.
Thx so much for stopping by and sharing your experience. Best wishes for a fantastic week. Aloha. Janet
Hi Janet!
Haven’t found the time to pick up new books in quite awhile and I have to admit that sometimes that I’m at a loss what to read. Thanks for sharing your reviews! At least, I have something to start browsing through with.
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Elmar, aloha. Since I love reading, I am always discovering new books. All three of these are recent releases. Each one of them was both a pleasure to read and educational.
Thx so much for stopping by, Elmar. Best wishes for a terrific week. Aloha. Janet
Totally agree with your review on Social Boom! I have learned a lot from his video presentations and has increased by SEO skills tenfold.
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Susan, aloha. Welcome to my blog; it is always a pleasure to greet first time visitors.
Susan, I am agree with you that his video presentations are terrific. What a wealth of information he has on his youtube channel.
Best wishes for a great week. Aloha. Janet
Janet, aloha.
Well you had told me about the first two and Amazon is taking care of that and now I have a third to order!
Thank you.
I agree that Social Media is the way forward and I too would like to know how to be more time effective in this area so really looking forward to Jeffrey Gitomer’s advice.
Not a new book but I have just re-read Eckhart Tolle’s “A New Earth, Create a Better Life” for the third time and I have to say it is in my opinion, an extraordinary read if you are interested in things metaphysical.
Also I can highly recommend another personal development book and that is “The Secret Code of Success, 7 Hidden Steps To More Wealth and Happiness” by Noah St John. Anybody interested in this can download the first few chapters from his website.
Thank you for your recommendations Janet. I know that anything you read will probably be up my street too!
~Marcus
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Marcus, aloha. At the time I told you about the first two books, I had not read the third. Aside from the book itself, I liked “disovering” Gitomer. Though I had heard references to him, I had neither read nor watched anything by him. Now, as I mentioned, I am signed up for his newsletter, have started watching clips on his extensive youtube channel and am exploring his sites. WOW! What a wealth of information. While you wait for your books to arrive, you can start learning from him and connecting with his other sites by going to jeffreygitomer.com
Though I am quite interested in things metaphsycial, for some reason I could not get into Tolle’s books. However, maybe that was where I was at the time so, based on your recommendation, I will give it a go.
Interestingly enough, I have already started a Noah St. John file on my computer because of something someone sent to me. Will follow your recommendation there as well.
Best wishes for a glorious week, Marcus. Aloha. Janet
Hey Janet,
First, I notice your comment section has a lot of space that makes commenting kinda fun, ya know.
Yeah about books. I love how you review books. Been a book worm myself I absolutely love the idea.
Books have become an integral part of my DMO and I take the time to read them, even if it’s a page everyday.
the books you have reviewed seem very cool and I have added them to my list of to-buy, though I must honestly say that I have a truckloads of books I have on my must-read list and have been scheduled till about August.
The book I am reading at this book is a book called ‘Secrets of the Millionaire Mind’ by Harv Eker. Excellent book!
Talks about the mindset with money and the way he dissects it is so mindblowing. I am sure that after reading this book I would not look at money the same way again.
I highly recommend it, Janet!
Thanks for the review!
~Tosin
Tosin | Home-based Business Coach recently posted..Daily Mode of Operation- What Does a DMO Entail
Tosin, aloha. Good to see your smiling face in my comments section. That reading is a part of your DMO is not a surprise to me.
As it happens, I am quite familiar with ‘Secrets of the Millionaire Mind” by T. Harv and in fact have two copies. One I keep in my library and one I have in my lending library. No doubt about it, Tosin, T. Harv does change how you look at money.
And, of course, Oliver frequently quotes one of Eker’s lines which I truly appreciate: “How you do anything is how you do everything.” WOW! What a powerful statement.
Thx so much for stopping by, Tosin. Best wishes for a terrific week. Aloha. Janet
Hey Janet,
Great reviews! I am particularly interested in the Lutz book that talk about words that work. I am a huge believer that if you can master effective communication skills, success will follow in almost any endeavor. Words are so powerful!
Yet, so many people have not mastered the skill of using the written or spoken word. Think of the last time you heard a great story, told by an effective communicator. I always come away from such an encounter wanting more!
I like everything you wrote in this book review, with the possible exception of the inclusion of Arnold S. What a creep! (sorry, my personal bias coming through
Have a great day, Janet. Aloha!
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Bob, aloha. You will truly appreciate “Win” by Luntz. The stories he used were compelling and I appreciated seeing the diversity of people he used as examples. The Luntz Language Lessons are very powerful.
Like you, Bob, I appreciate effective communication. Guaranteed that when you read some of the words you will have “ah ha” moments. Since I read the book, I have changed some of the phrasing that I use with better results. To tease you a bit. What word do 49% of Americans want in their day-to-day life? Bob, quite honestly, I don’t think I have ever used the word in a conversation/presentation. What’s the word? Stability.
Bob, you will be fascinated, educated and entertained. Best wishes for a terrific week and happy reading. Aloha. Janet
Janet,
Great resource you’re sharing, as always. I like the third one, Social Boom. I’m going to buy that book, very soon.
Thanks for writing this great review post.
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Dev, aloha. No doubt you will find many interesting tidbits in “Social Boom!” to help you be even more effective in the online world.
Have a great week. Aloha. Janet
Hi Janet,
Thank you for these great reviews! I love reading books, I always seem to be in the middle of several at a time! I haven’t read any of these so you’ve added more to my list
Thanks,
Stacy
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You’re most welcome, Stacy. Like you, I read multiple books at a time. From what I know of you, Stacy, you will find value in each one.
Best wishes for a terrific week. Aloha. Janet
I have such a reading list, but I couldn’t resist leaving your page to hurry to Amazon to order Social Boom, Janet. Thank you for the tip and the review. Sounds like an amazing book.
I have to say that all three of your books sounded incredible…but my hungry reading appetite doesn’t match my over-full schedule these days.
Some I’ve recently read: The Me I Want to Be by John Ortberg, The Dip & Re-read Purple Cow by Seth Godin. All of them are excellent!
Looking forward to Social Boom! Thank you for the tip!
Heather
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Heather, aloha. Believe me, I know exactly what you are talking about with a hungry reading appetitie. Mine is voracious! While you are waiting for your new book to arrive, visit his site at gitomer.com and his youtube channel. Heather, you will love what you see.
Glad that you reminded me about “The Me I Want to Be” because I quite liked what you said in your thorough book review of it. Both The Dip and The Purple Cow are part of my Seth library; I am a huge fan of his. He has such a rare ability to use so few words to deliver such a powerful message. Heather, I think that gets back to the other post of keeping it simple. Seth definitely has mastered that art.
Best wishes for a terrific day. Aloha. Janet
Hi Janet,
I’m sure in agreement about the importance of storytelling. To me, it’s great to be able to have the time and vehicle to be able to tell stories.
Other than the greatest story ever told… which is not a story at all…the story of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, I think a simple tale of love between two people of faith is the greatest to tell and hear.
Have a great day, Janet.
Lou
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With you being the storyteller you are, Lou, I appreciate your comments.
You too enjoy a great day. Aloha. Janet
Okay, I’m about to make Amazon richer.
Your review helped me to see the areas I need to work on.
I have noticed that great speakers and writers are good at story telling. It just draws people in and keeps them interested in what you have to say.. This is a skill I would love to learn and implement in my blog writing.
Tisha
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Tisha, aloha. Oftentimes I wish that I had bought stock in Amazon years ago as I am such a regular contributor to them. What a tremendous company they are providing an invaluable service–knowledge delivered to your doorstop! All you have to do is open the box, read the books and apply the information.
Tisha, from reading the books I know that even the best storytellers are constantly honing their skills. That means that we “newbies” need to put even more effort into ours.
Thx for stopping by and sharing your thoughts. Happy reading. Aloha. Janet
Hi Janet,
I haven’t heard of any of these but I am sure that they will enrich my library (and my mind, of course). So thanks for sharing them. You really have the natural ability to create curiosity.
Take care
Oliver
Oliver Tausend recently posted..How To Tell Winners From Losers In MLM
Thx so much, Oliver. Guaranteed they will enrich your mind as well as your library. You will especially appreciate the information that Frank Luntz gives you on “words that work.”
Best wishes for a great day. Aloha. Janet
Hi Janet,
I’m currently reading the book “Win” by Luntz. I’m loving it! I got to see him twice now at a business conference. He is a character full of knowledge.
Have a great day…
Josh
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Josh, aloha. WOW! Lucky you; I am so jealous. What I like best about him, Josh, is not only is he “a character full of knowledge,” he shares that knowledge so effectively. No doubt about it, he is a communications professional.
Maybe, Josh, when we “grow up” we can learn to communicate and to be as aware as he is. That being said, I also appreciated the stories he shares about when he was “not so aware” of what he was saying. What powerful lessons.
Josh, thx so much for stopping by and for letting me know your thoughts on the book as well as your personal experiences with Frank.
Best wishes for a terrific week. Aloha. Janet
Wow! I really don’t think enough about strategic story telling, Janet! I feel like I’m building my story telling abilities through my blog posts as they’re often story-like in nature, but I haven’t really developed how I can effectively use story telling for my business! =) I’m especially attracted to Lutz’s concept of “words that work” — mind sharing one?
And Gitomer’s idea to link his book to his website is ingenious! =) I’ll have to keep that in my repository of ideas for whenever I get a chance to build my business! =) Do you have a book published, Janet, or are you amidst writing one?
Unfortunately, I still don’t have access to those types of books here, but I’ve definitely added these three to my book list for December! =) Thanks so much for the recommendations! =)
Samantha Bangayan recently posted..Want to Know Your Future
Sam, aloha. You will absolutely love this book. Most all of us need to learn to talk in a more storytelling method. Not only is it powerful, it makes it much easier for the other person/people to remember. People remember vivid long after they forget facts.
Gitomer’s idea is excellent and he does quite a bit of cross-promotion in the book. At this time, a book is not on my “to do” list as I am working on my other blog project. Do keep that idea for your book.
Did you know, Sam, that you can download for FREE, Kindle for a PC or Mac? Download it and then you can get any of these books on your Kindle and start reading.
Okay, here is a brief example of “words that work” for the topic of passion. This is strictly a teaser as the chapters are much for in depth.
THE LEXICON OF PASSION
1. Imagine
2. Let me fight for you
3. Believe in better
4. Celebrate
5. Freedom
6. Life is an adventure. . . . Will you join me? 7
t. Nothing is more important than ___
WORDS THAT WORK This is my favorite lexicon list because the words are so aspirational and inspirational. These words truly define the difference between ordinary and extraordinary.
“Imagine” allows the listener to consider life after the paradigm shift in their own terms, and allows the speaker to paint in vivid pictures how life will be different. When you ask someone to imagine something, you’re halfway to getting them not only to want it, but also to embrace it.
“Let me fight for you” demonstrates that not only are you an advocate, but also an active participant in making something happen. It is the manifestation of an extraordinary personal commitment that creates an immediate and often unbreakable human bond. This phrase would have been too strong and, frankly, not credible just a few years ago. Today, however, we welcome those in business who are willing to put it all on the line for us.
“Believe in better” was a phrase created by James Murdoch, Chairman and CEO, Europe and Asia, News Corp., to describe the products and services provided by Sky, the world’s most innovative satellite television provider. It is an overt rejection of the status quo in favor of guaranteed improvement—and it is one of the most powerful corporate slogans I have ever encountered.
“Celebrate” is a relatively new way to convey appreciation. It communicates a visual as well as verbal message of approval and gratitude. It is also a more innovative way to say that something is great. For example, “We celebrate inclusion” not only means we believe in it, but that we champion it.
“Freedom” is not just for politics anymore. Appealing to people’s desire for more freedom, particularly as so many people now believe that their freedoms are being curtailed, is a powerful way to bring people to their feet and get them to demand something better. Freedom is more than just a core American value. It is part of who we are as individuals, and anything that promotes freedom—either in politics, business, or day-to-day life—will generate an impassioned response.
“Life is an adventure. . . . Will you join me?” is a good example of a specific call to action, an approach that nearly all winners employ. While some people prefer the word discovery, adventure generates a more favorable response because it conveys excitement as well as wonder. But it’s the personal invitation to experience something new that makes this phrase so powerful in generating passion.
“Nothing is more important than ___” This is not a phrase that can be used capriciously or too often. But in the right context, it conveys the intensity of your passion for a subject.
Luntz, Frank I. (2011). Win: The Key Principles to Take Your Business from Ordinary to Extraordinary (p. 200). Hyperion. Kindle Edition.
Are you intrigued, Sam? Aloha. Janet
I am thoroughly intrigued, Janet! Thank you so much for sharing such a thorough sneak peak into Lutz’s book and for letting me know about Kindle for Mac! I had recently heard about it through another friend, but hadn’t taken action — needed your push in the right direction. =)
Those “words that work” are *truly* powerful! I tend to use “imagine” a lot, but “celebrate” and “freedom” are really good ones in line with my thoughts that I had overlooked! Thank you so much for taking the time to type those out, Janet!!
Samantha Bangayan recently posted..Want to Know Your Future
Sam, aloha. You are most welcome. Those “words that work” are only one section as they relate to Passion. He takes other topics and gives you “words that work” for each of them.
With where you are, you will appreciate being able to have instant access to books. While I still prefer holding a book, turning the pages, marking, etc (even though you can highlight with Kindle) there definitely are benefits to a Kindle books. Because I read that book on my Kindle on my PC on a recent trip to the mainland, I had it on my office computer as well (you can have the same book on multiple computers of yours own). Therefore, when I wanted to send you a sneak peak, I did a cut and paste.
Happy reading, Sam. Aloha. Janet
Ahoy Janet,
Story telling? Wow, I never thought of this idea. I usually read biographical books. These books are very inspiring. We can learn from someone’s success story and also mistakes.
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Well said, Andrew. You are exactly right. When you think about it, biographical books are stories books and, in most instances, there will be numerous mistakes mentioned from which we can learn.
Good seeing you again here in the comments section, Andrew. Until next time, aloha. Janet