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So…what is the Monday Poll?

Well, it isn’t exactly a poll. It’s more of a constantly evolving (devolving?), somewhat random list of questions I’ve been putting out to readers every Monday morning for the past 10 (!) years. (It’s like a kickstart for your brain.) I’ve always enjoyed reading your answers in the comments, and I hope you enjoy reading mine. ?

1. Glitter or gloss?

Gloss

2. Classic or modern?

Classic

3. Apples or oranges?

Apples

4. Stay in or go out?

Go out

5. Cats or dogs?

Cats

6. Highlight or contour?

Highlight! (But you knew that already.)

7. Email or snail mail?

Snail mail

8. Cream or powder blush

Cream

9. Pizza or tacos?

PIZZA!!!

10. High heels or cowboy boots?

Um…cowboy boots?

11. Backpack or purse?

Purse

12. Face mask or hair mask?

Face mask

13. Bra or no bra?

Gimme that over-the-shoulder boulder holder

14. Neutrals or brights?

Neutrals

15. Calm or chaos?

Calm

16. Sunrise or sunset?

Sunrise

17. Sharp or smudgy?

Smudgy

Sometimes it’s hard to be excited about Mondays, ya know? It’s easier to get excited about coffee or chocolate or kittens or French fries. Sometimes Mondays, though? Not so much.

But today I feel really good. I feel like I just left the nail salon, and my toes are freshly done (although they aren’t). I don’t know why. I feel like I can handle anything today. I can take on the world!

How are you, my friend? I hope you feel good, and if you don’t right now, I hope you feel better soon. Sending you good thoughts and positive vibes. 🙂

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My dearest family, frenemies and fellow felines,

As you know, I’ve managed the day-to-day operations at MBB and Tabs the Cat Industries LLC for nearly a decade, and in that time I’ve discovered many effective ways to motivate and manage my employees, all of which I’ll be sharing with the world in my upcoming book, 7 Habits of Highly Effective Feline Managers.

Here’s an excerpt from the book, which will be published by Random House in May 2017. As my most beloved fans, I wanted you to get the first glimpse of the greatness.

1. Inspire by example

I firmly believe in leading by example. If you want your employees to be fabulous, you must be fabulous yourself. Don’t come to work looking sloppy and unkempt, like some ragamuffin kitty who just walked in from a street brawl, and expect your employees to take you seriously. Get your fur done. Visit the claw salon on a weekly basis. If your business has a formal dress code, wear a tie.

2. Track productivity

Not to say that you need to track every move your employees make, but I do find it valuable to hold my staff accountable for every minute of every day, just so that I know they’re keeping up with their assigned duties. Some cats install camera systems, which are effective, but I’m old school. I prefer to follow my employees from room to room, thereby sending the message that the boss is always watching.

3. Set expectations

It’s important to establish boundaries in the workplace and clearly define what is and isn’t acceptable behavior. For example, I had an employee — let’s call her “Sharon” — refuse to give me a full-body massage once because she was allegedly “too busy,” so I immediately swatted her with my paw, climbed up on her chest and demanded a deep-tissue massage right then and there. Sharon hasn’t refused a rub-down request since.

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I wouldn’t call it special, but there are a number of unofficial nail-painting places in my abode.

This is going to sound weird (so what’s new, right?), but one is at my keyboard, so I can paint while I type and multitask at the same time.

But if I’m not doing it there, I’m painting them on the floor in the living room, usually while catching up on Being Mary Jane, The Walking Dead or This Is Us. I lay down a beach towel in case there’s spillage, and I put my painting stuff on top of a magazine.

How about you? Where do you usually paint your paws?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen