Almost all of you will get in a car, hop on a plane, or ride a train somewhere fun this holiday weekend. I've pulled together two quick and fascinating podcasts for you to cover during your commute, and a pair of interesting reads to work through as you sit by a pool or beach. 

First things first, here's a link to my blogging efforts from this week:

• Having a "Preemie" Reminded Me of 3 Important Business Lessons - This post went up 24 hours ago and is already my most trafficked and "shared" blog to date. I was once again reminded that my readers appreciate the human side of my material every bit as much as the technical business-specific stuff. Give this one a read if you're interested in learning more about the fundamental life and business lessons I took away from the experience of my first son being born.

• Duct Tape Marketing: Why Your Must Increase Your Negative Reviews (podcast) - This 24-minute piece features an interview with Jay Baer, author of Hug Your Haters. Jay opened my eyes to the importance of finding balance between your investment of time and money in both marketing and customer service. According to Jay, 80% of businesses say they're "superior" at customer service, while just 8% of their customers agree. That's a problem. 

• TED Talks Business - Why The Best Hire May Not Have the Perfect Resume (podcast) - Regina Hartley is a HR Director with a particularly fascinating take on hiring what she calls "scrappers."  When faced with the decision of hiring a state school graduate with a resume featuring job-hopping, and an Ivy Leaguer with less volatility in their professional past, she's going to select the former almost every time. Listen why in this 10-minute TED Talk.

• Here's What I Learned When I Quite My Own Business - I initially expected this article to be about the fascinating crash and burn of a start-up, but instead the author told a very rational story about stepping away gracefully. He then hit me with 5 awesome lessons learned, each more important than the last. This was a great read. 

• Morning Routines of These Ten Founders of Million-Dollar Companies - I worked my way through this slideshow interested in seeing how many routines I had in common with these successful business men and women. It turns out I practice 8 of the 10 habits, and will soon be taking a stab at a 9th by mixing in some meditation using the HeadSpace app. Give this list a look and see how your morning routine stacks up in relation to some of these top performers.