After boarding an American Airlines flight early Monday morning at LaGuardia Airport, I found myself doing what thousands of other people sitting on the runway were doing: listening to their pilots announce that the flight was being delayed.

Apparently, the budget cuts from Washington went into effect right on time – and it included air traffic controller layoffs – resulting in the “sequestration delay” of flights at airports across the country.

This was not good news. I had an important business meeting in Toronto that day. My staff back at the office were trying to get in touch with me about upcoming projects. And there were almost 25 planes ahead of mine waiting to be cleared for takeoff.

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Here at Ptex Group, we’ve been blessed to grow by leaps and bounds over the past 10+ years. So much so, that we are practically bursting out of our current office space.

Which means that it’s time for us to move to a bigger location.

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This week, I came across an astonishing article that made me jump out of my chair – literally.

According to a study published in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition & Physical Activity, sitting down at work for long periods of time can actually increase a person’s risk of getting cancer.

Researchers at Kansas State University surveyed 63,048 males for the study. All participants provided detailed information about their daily office sitting time. “We saw a steady increase in risk of chronic diseases the more participants sat,” said researcher Richard Rosenkranz. “The group sitting for more than eight hours each day clearly had the highest risk.” Read more

The entire Brooklyn community was plunged into mourning this week. A young couple, Nathan and Raizy Glauber (née Silberstein), were tragically killed in a grisly hit-and-run crash early Sunday morning as they were bring driven to the hospital to prepare for the delivery of their new baby.

The expectant parents were pronounced dead immediately by medical personnel. But their baby boy survived, delivered prematurely in what friends and family hailed as a precious, miraculous gift. Sadly, this premature baby died the very next day and was buried next to the freshly dug graves of his parents, in what can only be described as a heartwrenching ending to this most awful story. Read more

A few days ago, I received an interesting letter in the mail. It came in a crisp, watermarked envelope. There was a bold seal embossed on the front. And the letter inside was signed by President Barack Obama.

Why would the President of the United Stated of America send me a personal letter? Simple – I asked him to.

A few weeks ago, in the midst of what proved to be a very heated presidential election campaign, I wrote letters to both Barack Obama and Mitt Romney, asking them what they planned on doing to help small business owners in the coming four years. This week, I received a detailed response from President Obama. It arrived in the form of a lengthy three page letter, directly addressing my concerns and clearly detailing what his plans are to help America’s small businesses grow bigger. Read more

In life, there are always lessons to be learned. And that remains especially true in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. Stories abound about how people came together in this time of crisis, where humanity overshadowed hostility and perseverance vanquished politics.

But there are a few folks who rightfully deserve a special moment in the spotlight- the brave first responders who put their own safety and comfort on the line to rescue those in need, both during and after the hurricane.

You know who I’m referring to. Read more