Trading Block

Are some of the Lakers youth on the trading block?  In recent weeks, we've seen the the likes of Jordan Clarkson, Julius Randle and Larry Nance in trade discussions with various teams.  It'll be interesting to see, as these players were part of the Jim Buss and Mitch Kupchak regime.  The three have been role players this year in Coach Luke Walton's system, as the emergence of rookie Kyle Kuzma and his Kobe-esque mamba like mentality has been tremendous.  And, with the Lakers shooting for high profile free agent superstars this summer, the Lakers need to do all they can to get dump as much salary possible.  Is LeBron James, Paul George or DeMarcus Cousins in the cards?  We'll find out.

Clarkson and Randle have played well in recent games, helping the Lakers to their 6th win in their last 8 games.  Both scored 27+ points in today's win vs. the New York Knicks.

Crypto Weekend Updates

Cryptocurrency markets have struggled in recent weeks, fueling selloffs driven by Asian markets denouncing support.  It remains to be seen what the future will hold, but there is still heavy support for the methodology behind the virtual currency -- blockchain.  Read more about it and decide for yourself.

Is Luke in the cards for next year?

The Lakers are riding a 4-game winning streak for the first time all season.  However, it hasn't always been rosy this year for Laker coach Luke Walton, who is trying to find his way with this team and to get his players to gel.  If anyone wanted to question if he was on the same page with the Lakers brass, here you go.  In Luke we trust...

Need Momentum?

Suits, the legal drama now in its 7th season, is well known for its witty quotes by Harvey Specter and Mike Ross, both of which are main characters on the series. Following are some of Harvey's sayings that even me and you can utilize when you need to drum up some momentum!

1.  Sometimes good guys gotta do bad things to make the bad guys pay.
2.  It's not bragging if it's true.
3.  What are your choices when someone puts a gun to your head?  You take the gun, or you pull out a bigger one.  Or, you call their bluff.  Or, you do any one of a hundred and forty six other things.
4.  They think you care, they'll walk all over you.
5.  The ends don't justify the means until it's your ass on the line.
6.  Sorry I can't hear you over the sound of how awesome I am.
7.  Ever loved someone so much, you would do anything for them?  Yeah, well make that someone yourself and do whatever the hell you want.
8.  You always have a choice.
9.  Loyalty is a two-way street.  If I'm asking for it from you, then you're getting it from me.
10.  I refuse to answer that on the grounds that I don't want to.
11.  That's the difference between you and me, you wanna lose small, I wanna win big!
12.  Winners don't make excuses when the other side plays the game!
13.  I don't get lucky.  I make my own luck.
14.  Anyone can do my job, but no one can be me.
15.  I don't take meetings, I set them, and my respect isn't demanded, it's earned.

Who Won?

Leading up to this year’s NBA draft, many around the league have been wondering where Paul George (“PG13″), a forward who has spent his entire career with the Indiana Pacers, will end up given his recently stated intentions that he prefers to play for his childhood favorite team, the Los Angeles Lakers.  PG13 becomes a free agent after the 2017-18 season ends.  Having grown up in Palmdale, PG13 is familiar with southern California and would love nothing more than to reunite with his childhood dream team.  Several sources who are close to PG13 have indicated his intentions to come back to Los Angeles next year, regardless of which team he is traded to.  So which team won the 1-year rental fight?  The Oklahoma City Thunder, which shed Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis, were the winners here, as they really didn’t give up too many assets and instead they get PG13, a proven veteran All-Star who averaged 23.7 points and 6.6 rebound during the 2016-17 season.

PG13 was coveted by many teams but the fact that he made his feelings well known that he wants to be a Laker put off many teams, but those who felt they didn't need to give up too much in exchange for 1-year (at a minimum), was enough.  In addition, whichever team traded for him would end up with his bird rights and allow them the opportunity to offer a max deal next year.

So who is the real winner here?  I tend to think the Lakers  were smart not to give up assets to acquire PG13 because they feel they are confident they will get him next year in free agency and they’ll be a far better, deeper team when they do.  The Thunder will likely not make it to the Western Conference finals, even with PG13, making it much more likely he bolts from OKC to Los Angeles.   Only time will tell.

Conversations

Recently, I was requested by INSPIRERY to do an interview about my career and my story. It was a fun experience.  Check it out!  Here's a snippet:

"Born in Fresno, California in August of 1977, Bronson Quon was the youngest of two sons belonging to the Quon family.  When he was 7 years of age, the Quon family relocated to Visalia to support the family grocery business.  From an early age, Bronson started taking Shotokan karate lessons along with his brother and earned his black belt when he was 14.  An avid sports fan, Bronson also played track and football in high school.  It was through his experience in sports where he learned teamwork, commitment, and focus.  After graduating from high school, Bronson studied business administration with an emphasis in Accounting at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo.  He was fortunate to have experienced internships at two Fortune 500 companies prior to kickstarting his career in public accounting in southern California.  The exposure to a mix of public and private businesses in various industries, as well as earning his CPA license in the state of California, helped provide a well-rounded background and eventually, Bronson went into the private industry where he has served in various financial management positions in electronic payments, real estate property tax and software-as-a-service (SAAS) in the auto industry.  The collection of industries, employers, and experiences in the business world have helped shape Bronson who he is today.  Along the way, there were both good and bad decisions, successes and failures, mistakes and emotions.  During this time, Bronson married the love of his life and has two beautiful daughters.  If there is anything Bronson has learned, it’s that family is everything.  Happy wife equals happy life, so no matter how difficult or challenging work is, the one constant in one’s life will be family.  If family is disturbed, the entire work/life balance will be disrupted."

Other interviews in the past include:

EPN

IdeaMensch

Voices of Marketing

How Good was KD?

This past Wednesday night, the Golden State Warriors took Game 1 of the Finals by sticking it to the Cleveland Cavaliers.  When King James was asked what stood out about the Warriors in Game 1, his response was "KD".  My gosh, how good was KD in Game 1?  A stat line read 38 points, 8 assists and 8 rebounds when it was all said and done.  Now, there have for sure been better performances in NBA history in the Finals.  But we all know, for those who watched, that KD was on fire.  He relished the moment and made mincemeat of any opposing player.  He drove and dunked.  He fired from 3 point range.  He completed an alley oop.  He took a charge from Lebron.  He ignored Rihanna yelling "brick".  He was everywhere and he helped the Warriors take advantage of home court.  KD has a lot to prove given his offseason transition from OKC.  Whether you agreed with his move or not, winning seems to solve a lot of problems, like shutting the haters up.  The Warriors likely would have been in the same position they're in now without KD, but I have to admit that they're a lot stronger and confident with him in the lineup.  If I was Lebron, I'd be a bit shaken from Game 1, especially with a potential 5th Final's defeat looming.  There's only been 1 game so let's not count out the Cavaliers just yet.  If history is an indicator of future performance, there's a lot of basketball left to play.  And it's going to be fun!

Ownership and Employee Empowerment

I read a recent article about rethinking how you manage that really piqued my interest.  When there are issues to be resolved and decisions to be made in the workplace, it takes a certain level of effort to get the job done.  I’ve been on both sides of the equation here — as an employee who has reported to a superior and as a manager with direct reports.  And because of this, I know that there can be different solutions taken that arrive at the same answer.  However, some solutions may be more or less efficient or effective than others.  Knowing how to effectively communicate, either employee to boss or vice versa, is important here.  The key to resolution is ownership — if one feels they are vested in the project or the issue at hand, they’ll take on responsibility and see the task to completion.  On the flip side, if there are always questions but no proposed solutions, or if one’s solutions are always discounted, there can be no real ownership.   It’s all about the appropriate level of employee empowerment!

How Would You Answer Them?

A recent article about Apple’s interview questions was really interesting which got me thinking — as a manager, I’ve never been asked questions like this before during an interview.  I ask the typical questions about who you are, where you’ve been and what are you up to now.  I’ll usually ask a few questions to make the interviewee think, such as what is your favorite excel formula and why?  Or ask them to describe a situation that had conflict and see how they resolved it.  But it dawned on me that there is a whole other creative way to glean information from a candidate and Apple seems to have it down pat.   There are some pretty challenging questions in this article.  How would you answer them?

Following are some of them:

“A man calls in and has an older computer that is essentially a brick. What do you do?” — Apple Care At-Home Consultant candidate

“Are you smart?” — Build Engineer candidate

“Have you ever disagreed with a manager’s decision, and how did you approach the disagreement? Give a specific example and explain how you rectified this disagreement, what the final outcome was, and how that individual would describe you today.” — Software Engineer candidate

“You put a glass of water on a record turntable and begin slowly increasing the speed. What happens first — does the glass slide off, tip over, or does the water splash out?” — Mechanical Engineer candidate

“Tell me something that you have done in your life which you are particularly proud of.” — Software Engineering Manager candidate

“Are you creative? What’s something creative that you can think of?” — Software Engineer candidate

“Describe a humbling experience.” — Apple Retail Specialist candidate

“What’s more important, fixing the customer’s problem or creating a good customer experience?” — Apple At Home Advisor candidate

“Why did Apple change its name from Apple Computers Incorporated to Apple Inc.?” — Specialist candidate

“You seem pretty positive, what types of things bring you down?” — Family Room Specialist candidate

“Show me (role play) how you would show a customer you’re willing to help them by only using your voice.” — College At-Home Advisor candidate

“What brings you here today?” — Software Engineer candidate

“Given an iTunes type of app that pulls down lots of images that get stale over time, what strategy would you use to flush disused images over time?” — Software Engineer candidate

“If you’re given a jar with a mix of fair and unfair coins, and you pull one out and flip it 3 times, and get the specific sequence heads heads tails, what are the chances that you pulled out a fair or an unfair coin?” — Lead Analyst candidate

“What was your best day in the last 4 years? What was your worst?” — Engineering Project Manager candidate

Bronson Quon – Linkedin

Niners Draft Review!

The San Francisco 49ers have had an interesting yet fantastic offseason.  Just when we thought there was no way the 49ers could have four head coaches over the last four years, they go out and sign offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan from the Atlanta Falcons, shortly after signing on a new GM in former safety John Lynch.  Generally, rookie GM’s find it challenging in all aspects during their first campaign at the helm, but this year’s draft has proved otherwise.  Coming off of their worst season in NFL history where they went 2-14, the 49ers earned the #2 pick in this year’s NFL draft.  Held over the last 3 days, following is the list of final picks:

1 (3). Solomon Thomas, DL, Stanford
1 (31). Reuben Foster, LB, Alabama
3 (2). Ahkello Witherspoon, CB, Colorado
3 (40). C.J. Beathard, QB, Iowa
4 (15). Joe Williams, RB, Utah
5 (2). George Kittle, TE, Iowa
5 (34). Trent Taylor, WR, Louisiana Tech
6 (14). D.J. Jones, DT, Ole Miss
6 (18). Pita Taumoepenu, LB, Utah
7 (11). Adrian Colbert, CB, Miami

What is most interesting is the wheeling and dealing that occurred right out of the gate.  After the Cleveland Browns selected Myles Garrett at #1, the Chicago Bears traded their #3 pick for the Niners’ #2 pick, as well as for pick 67 in Round 3 and pick 111 in Round 4.  On top of that, the Niners received a 2018 third-round pick.  Interestingly, the Browns selected Mitch Trubisky, quarterback from North Carolina, leaving Solomon Thomas, DT from Stanford, as the #3 pick for the Niners!  Solomon Thomas was who they wanted to begin with, so the Niners started off the draft with a bang and a steal!

Shortly thereafter, the Niners traded their 34th pick (Round 2) and their 111th pick that they just acquired, to Seattle, in order to draft arguably the best LB in the draft in Alabama’s Reuben Foster.  When the smoke had cleared, the Niners had just drafted two of the top 3 players on their board.  Remarkable!

Can’t wait for the season to start – go Niners!

Specializing in the Impossible

"Hope Arises" was the name and topic of this past Sunday's sermon at Shepherd Church in Porter Ranch, as we celebrated Easter, the resurrection of Jesus Christ, our Lord and savior, who sacrificed his life so that are sins could be forgiven.

Many things seem impossible in the midst of chaos and in many respects, they really are.  Whether one is dealing with a broken marriage, infidelity, financial or legal troubles, disease or sickness, there is one thing that has withstood the test of time -- and that is hope.  While every man dies because of father time, those who believe that God raised Jesus Christ from the dead will live eternal life.  How do we know this?  Because, the resurrection proves this, and it says so in the bible.

This tells us that with God, "all things are possible".  Pastor Dudley tells us that God specializes in the impossible.  All he asks us is to Confess and Repent, Believe in Him and through baptism, we may live a new life.   Our past will be forgiven and our future will be secured.  Isn't that something -- that is hope and salvation in its purest form.

Happy Easter to all...

See Bronson Quon and more!

SF Giants Set to Start the 2017 Season!

With the 2017 MLB season about to kickstart on April 2, there is a lot of excitement about the San Francisco Giants this year.  The Giants, who one three World Series titles in the last 6 years (2010, 2012 and 2014), are striving to overcome the even year and win an odd year for the first time in San Francisco history.  The Giants lost to the eventual World Series champs, the Chicago Cubs, in last year's playoffs.

Following is the projected lineup this year:

Denart Span (OF)

Brandon Belt (1B)

Buster Posey (C)

Hunter Pence (OF)

Brandon Crawford (SS)

Eduardo Nunez (3B)

Joe Panik (2B)

Jarrett Parker (OF)

PROJECTED ROTATION:

Madison Bumgarner

Johnny Cueto

Jeff Samardzija

Matt Moore

Matt Cain

Go Giants!!!  The Giants should be better than last year as they signed a formidable closer (Mark Melancon), which was the biggest weakness on the Giants.  Too many games did they lose in the final few innings and now that they've fortified the pen, they should be in good shape.  The only glaring weakness on the Giants is their outfield.  If they can avoid injuries to key starters, they'll be average at best.  But never count out any team that has manager Bruce Bochy at the helm.

Good Luck, Fortune and Prosperity

On my first day of work at a recent job, my Wife had an indoor money tree delivered to my office.  To me, it was a symbol of a new beginning -- a new chapter in life.  The tree itself is a Malabar chestnut (Pachira acquatica), and many people believe that it will bring good luck, fortune and prosperity.  Typically, the tree has five trunks that are braided together, and the size of the tree will generally depend on its age and the size of its pot.  If taken care of properly, the tree will often sprout new stems of leaves that unfold into five leave stems.

Below is my tree -- received in 2012 (on left) and now 2017 (on right), you can see how much it has grown.

This tree is important to me and He is very temperamental.  I once put Him outside in the sun for an hour, thinking He would enjoy some sunlight.  When I revisited the tree, I realized each of His leaves that were directly exposed to the sun were burnt to the crisp.  He didn't like the sun.  I felt so guilty - I know exactly how He felt -- the same way I feel after laying out for an hour without sunblock.  It took a week for all of His leaves to fall off, only to sprout new ones over the next month.

We fumigated our house for termites one weekend and left all of our indoor plants with a neighbor.  When we picked Him up a week later, he had clearly been over-watered and was unhappy, by the look of His droopy leaves.

We've grown older together.  I now know He only likes indirect light and prefers to drink once a week.  Other than that, we pretty much leave Him alone.  I don't bother Him and He doesn't bother me.  But I am thankful for His presence.

Wrong or Right Side?

Have you ever been on the wrong side of an argument?  Well if you're like most people, the answer is yes.  Don't get upset or emotional as it will only make matters worse. Identify the weakness or gap in your argument and figure out how to make it better so you'll end up on the right side next time!  Losing is tough and is never fun, but when you do lose, try to spin a positive out of it.  If you do that, then you haven't really lost because you've just learned from your mistake.

"Don't raise your voice.  Improve your argument."

-Harvey Specter, Suits

SF 49ers are in for a busy 2017!

The San Francisco 49ers have had a busy offseason.  After finishing 2-14 (with their only 2 wins coming against the LA Rams), the 49ers fired head coach Chip Kelly after only one season.  They also fired General Manager Trent Baalke.  A tumultuous season indeed, especially after watching then-backup QB Colin Kaepernick sit during the national anthem, motivated by alleged oppression against black people and other non-white races.  Because of their terrible record, the 49ers secured themselves the #2 pick in the draft.  It remains to be seen if they will select a QB or not (i.e. Mitch Trubisky*, QB, North Carolina; or Deshaun Watson*, QB, Clemson).  The 49ers also poached the offensive coordinator, Kyle Shanahan, from the Atlanta Falcons and made him the 4th new head coach for the Niners in the last 4 years!  At the same time, they also hired new General Manager, John Lynch.  

Following are some of the key pickups so far this free agent offseason:

Veteran additions
–QB Brian Hoyer (UFA, Chicago) 2 years/$12M, $4M signing bonus. 2017 cap: $5.5M
–QB Matt Barkley (UFA, Chicago) 2 years, $4M, $500,000 signing bonus. 2017 cap: $1.95M
–FB Kyle Juszczyk (UFA, Baltimore) 4 years, $21M, $5M signing bonus. 2017 cap: $3.4M
–WR Pierre Garçon (UFA, Washington) 5 years/$47.5M, $12M signing bonus. 2017 cap: $6.425M
–WR Marquise Goodwin (UFA, Buffalo) 2 years/$6M, $2.5M signing bonus. 2017 cap: $3.25M
–WR Aldrick Robinson (UFA, Atlanta) 2 years/$4M, $300,000 signing bonus. 2017 cap: $1.7M
–TE Logan Paulsen (UFA, Chicago) 1 year, $1M, $125,000 signing bonus: 2017 cap: $1M
–K Robbie Gould (UFA, N.Y. Giants) 2 years/$4M, $500,000 signing bonus. 2017 cap: $1.75M
–LB Malcolm Smith (UFA, Oakland) 5 years/$26.5M, $11.5M fully guaranteed. 2017 cap: $3.684M
–LB Brock Coyle (non-tendered RFA, Seattle) 2 years
–DB Don Jones (UFA, Houston) 2 years
–DT Earl Mitchell (UFA, cut by Miami): 4 years/$16 million, $5.5 million in first year. 2017 cap: $2.9M
–CB K’Waun Williams (UFA, cut by Cleveland): 1 year/$690,000, $75,000 signing bonus. 2017 cap: $690,000

Hope and New Beginnings

This weekend was the grand opening of Shepherd’s new sanctuary in Porter Ranch and I have to admit that the facility is awesome! Only He could have provided this and it is through Him and his presence that the House of the Lord shines.  Truly we are blessed for his sacrifice and his provision, as well as for the wonderful and beautiful building that He has built.  Today we “lift up Jesus” and pray for not only our friends and family, but for those less fortunate throughout the world.  May those that are sad and depressed, unhappy and lonely, hungry or sad share a feeling of hope today and in 2017 and onward, and that they may have an opportunity to meet and know You.  Only through You can our sins be forgiven and that we may live an eternal life.  Seek and attain the peace you’ve always dreamed of because it is real, and it will never be real unless you give up control.

2016 - A Year We Will Not Forget Anytime Soon

As calendar year 2016 comes to an end, I’d like to look back at what happened during the year.  In the following points, I’ll select one important event from each month of the year.  So many things happened, but I’ll only choose one from each month.  What event(s) was the most interesting or significant of the year?

January 28 – The World Health Organization announces an outbreak of the Zika virus.

February 7 – North Korea launches a long-range rocket into space, violating multiple UN treaties and prompting condemnation from around the world.

March 22 – Three coordinated bombings in Brussels, Belgium kill at least 32 and injure at least 250. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant claims responsibility for the attacks.

April 2 – Clashes between Armenian and Azerbaijani military in Nagorno-Karabakh kill at least 193 people, which becomes the heaviest breach of the 1994 ceasefire.

May 19 – EgyptAir Flight 804 crashes with 66 people on board over the Mediterranean en route from Paris to Cairo.

June 23 – The United Kingdom votes in a referendum to leave the European Union.

July 4 – NASA‘s Juno spacecraft enters orbit around Jupiter and begins a 20-month survey of the planet.

August 5–21 – The 2016 Summer Olympics are held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

September 28 – International investigators conclude that Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was shot down by a Buk missile that came from an area controlled by pro-Russian rebels.

October 13 – The Maldives announces its decision to withdraw from the Commonwealth of Nations.

November 9 – Donald Trump Is Elected President in Stunning Repudiation of the Establishment

December 19 – Andrei Karlov, the Russian ambassador to Turkey, is assassinated in Ankara.

Well, the choice was easy for me.  What is your choice?

Are the Lakers a Playoff Team?

The Lakers hit some roadblocks during the last week or so as they have stumbled against the league's elite -- the San Antonio Spurs and the Golden State Warriors.  After playing the Spurs in a tight game (the Lakers were within 4 points during the 4th quarter), the veteran Spurs were just too good and too solid for the young Lakers.  The Lakers rebounded by beating Russell Westbrook and the OKC Thunder at home, with Nick Young hitting a game winning 3 pointer with seconds left to thwart a rather gallant comeback by the Thunder.  But then injuries hit, with D'Angelo Russell tweaking his left knee, Julius Randle with a hip pointer, and Nick Young with a bruised, nearly broken toe.  Ultimately, 2 more losses back to back against the Warriors in Oakland and then back at home at the Staples.  Angelenos are pretty sure this is just a temporary slide due to injuries so we won't get too concerned.  It will give other a shot to step up from the "bench" and succeed, such as Jordan Clarkson and Brandon Ingram.  Clarkson has already proven himself but Ingram really has a chance to gain some solid experience.  He hasn't shot particularly well, but has defended really well and made very good passes.  I don't think anyone is really noticing his point production too much because he has looked very much like he belong on the court.  I'm looking forward to him continuing to succeed because this Lakers team is fun to watch! Going into tonight's game against the Atlanta Hawks, they are 8-9 and out of the top 8 in the West by a hair.  Once their guys get healthy, anything is possible. Go Lakers!

Excitement in Laker Town

Despite tonight's loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Los Angeles Lakers have given Angelenos a taste of the future in their young core of players.  Their new free agent additions of Timofey Mozgof and Luol Deng, combined with the young nucleus of Julius Randle (former no. 7 pick), D'Angelo Russell (former no. 2 pick) and Brandon Ingram (recent no. 2 pick), and the Lakers are rolling.  Their bench is one of the best in the game today, with Lou Williams (former 6th man of the year) and Jordan Clarkson leading the 2nd team.  Ingram is coming off the bench and learning from Deng, who was brought to the Lakers to help manage the locker room and to provide a steady, consistent voice and reassurance to these young Lakers.  A nice surprise has been Nick Young, whom many thought would have been shipped off to another team during the offseason given his "issues" with Russell.  Young has been terrific, providing an accurate 3-point shooter to the team's first unit and...surprise surprise....lock down defense?  Credit that to new Lakers head coach, Luke Walton, who has been fantastic in his first 11 games, going 6-5 to start the season.  These Lakers are not an easy W for any team and I look forward, along with all other Laker fans, for a great season to come!  Playoffs?

Wrong

Apparently, I was wrong.  I've been wrong before -- sure.  But this time, I had the backing and justification to support my mind-set.  The SF Giants in 2016 were the best and worst team in the major leagues.  How many teams can you say that about?  But they had a core of players who were part of 3 World Series wins in the previous 5 seasons (2010, 2012 and 2014). Not only was 2016 an even year, they had a legendary coach in Bruce Bochy who is generally regarded as one of the best at managing a bullpen.  In today's baseball, it's tough to win a World Series, let alone 3 in the last 5 years.  Consistency, experience and grit are some of the key things needed to win. But on top of that, a little bit of luck doesn't hurt.  

The Giants were down 1-2 to the Chicago Cubs in the NLDS after defeating the NY Mets in the wildcard.  With a lead of 5-2 going into the top of the 9th inning, Bruce Bochy decided to pull Giants left-handed starter Matt Moore, who pitched superbly in the game, and opted for his bullpen to give his starter a much deserved rest.  Given Bochy's pedigree and experience, few doubted this move.  At least initially.  The Giants were at home, had the momentum on their side, and were already packed and ready to go to Chicago for the game 5 in this best of 5 series.  3 more outs and this one was on to Wrigley.  Unfortunately, the baseball gods were not on the Giants, as 5 relievers combined to give up 4 runs and ultimately, the game.  This time, the Cubs moved on and the Giants unpacked their bags.

I should have known that their league worst bullpen would fail them yet again.  It was as if the writing wasn't on the wall during the 2nd half of the season.  Torture they are.  But they will be back in 2017 with an overhaul of their bullpen and eager to convince the rest of the league that they still have unfinished business.  Once a fan....always a fan!