2020 Vision

I would venture to guess this will be the most used meme for the upcoming year. It does make sense because 2020 is good eyesight, it stands for good vision. 

Alright then was is the vision for 2020 and beyond. Well, at Your Office SOS, we are going to go big game hunting. We are targeting the "high flying" client who needs professional, seasoned,  and outstanding virtual assistant help.

We will go where the go. That includes networking events, social media, and other places our avatar hangs out.

We are going to make someone's "2020", the "Roaring Twenties" and rock the next decade.

God bless us, every one!

I started with the title from the famous line in Dickens' "Christmas Carol," uttered by Tiny Tim. I watch as many versions of the Christmas Carol as I can find, its a tradition. I also must watch "It's a Wonderful Life" and "Miracle On 34th Steet.

What theme they all have in common is that the main point of one's life is to live in the view that being a person who lives for the greater good is better than selfish pursuit. Rember if Macy's didn't have the toy send them to Gimbles. The richest man in town is the one who has friends. Of course, no one wants Marey's chains.

My point is that at this time of year, its always good to reflect on what you give back and not what you receive.

Spoiler alert; Kevin saves the house both times, Cousin Eddy saves Clark, and Ralphie doesn't shoot his eye out.

Launching your business

I once worked at a place where the guy who started the business was a convicted child molester. Of course, none of us knew that at the time. It became apparent something was amiss, and one-by-one, we all jumped ship. But the point I got was he was highly motivated to create a business that would get him out of the country.

I have worked many different jobs where entrepreneurs had great ideas and where highly motivated to start a business, and then ran it into the ground.

I liken the start-up cycle like a rocket ship to outer space. It takes a big thrust to get it free of the earth's gravity pull. But that booster must be jettisoned because it doesn't have the control needed to hit its target. So the founder/creator needs to get out of the way and let the different stages do their job. But too often they can't turn loose of their baby, and it wildly goes out of control until it burns out of fuel. You get where I am going with this analogy.



So hire Your Office SOS and
we'll help at any stage of your business.













#business #virtualadministrator #virtualadmin #entrepreneurs #hireVA

Hanging around God's waiting room

We have been spending quite a few hours with our elderly parents in assisted living. Just being around them and all the other folks living out their last years has caused us to become introspective and contemplate what it means to have a life well spent.

I believe every high school class should visit these facilities before graduation to get a first-hand look at the seriousness of life and ramifications of choices.

Some folks are bitter and lonely. Some are frail buy have friends and family all the time. Who knows what the circumstances were, but one thing is for certain, and that is, we all have limited time on this earth. Chose wisely for the days go by quicker than you might imagine.

That's why we started Your Office SOS. We want to give back and help someone regain their life and time because they can get crushed under the waves of the details of their business. We come to the rescue with one-hundred years of experience.


#lifewelllived #livingpuposefully #purposedrivenlife #virtualadministrationservices

Some recommended reading

I took the time over the last holiday week to catch up on my reading. I read a couple of new books and re-read some older ones.

I liked Scott Adam's book. "Loserthiink." It reminded me a little of the book, "You're Not So Smart" by David McRaney. Loserthink was about how to escape the mental boxes and traps that invade our way of thinking. Scott offers a great deal of sound advice on how to train your brain. He knows a great deal about the subject. If you follow his famous comic strip Dilbert, you already know he's quite funny in getting his story told as well. I disagree with Adams on some of his hypothesizes, but overall, its a must-read for all those not wanting to get caught up in the tacts the media and society use to corrupt your thinking processes.

I re-read "Influence" by Robert B. Cialdini. Adams recommended it as one of his musts reads in his book. I don't need to say much more than if you want to be awsome with your people skills: devour this book.

I didn't re-read it, but another book along the lines of is a book I reviewed in an earlier blog, "the Art of Thinking Clearly" by Rolf Dobelli. I have the app on my phone that helps remind me of clear thinking techniques and strategies for certain situations.

Let me know what you think would be good books to add to the titles, as mentioned earlier.

Some Scott Adams links:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07P8J8YB6/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1

https://www.scottadamssays.com/

What we have here is failure to communicate

A couple of anecdotal incidences happened last week that inspired this week's blog. On separate occasions, I had breakdowns in communication. I believe one was gender-related, "mansplaining," and one was age gap-related, "Ok boomer." 

As we get more diverse and global culture kicks in, we may be at the point of a modern "Tower of Babble." Even that phrase has Judeo/Christian roots that may not reference across some cultures. 

I sold shool books for twenty years and left the business because of the decline in reading whole novels. Not reading complete stories, I believe, not only inhibits the ability to think long term but decreases our vocabulary.  

Now, with social media and texting adding to the mix, we abbreviate and stifle our communication. 

How bad can it get? I suggest a reread of 1984 by George Orwell. Or check out the link here:

https://study.com/academy/lesson/george-orwells-1984-summary-characters-themes-analysis.html

By the way, the title of this blog was from a very popular movie, "Cool Hand Luke." However, that movie was from the '60s and unless you are a classic movie buff it may have little context to you.

What are your thoughts, stories, or opinions on this matter? I would like to know?

As we get more diverse and global culture kicks in, we may be at the point of a modern "Tower of Babble." Even that phrase has Judeo/Christian roots that may not reference across some cultures. 

I sold shool books for twenty years and left the business because of the decline in reading whole novels. Not reading complete stories, I believe, not only inhibits the ability to think long term but decreases our vocabulary.  

Now, with social media and texting adding to the mix, we abbreviate and stifle our communication. 

How bad can it get? I suggest a reread of 1984 by George Orwell. Or check out the link here:

https://study.com/academy/lesson/george-orwells-1984-summary-characters-themes-analysis.html

By the way, the title of this blog was from a very popular movie, "Cool Hand Luke." However, that movie was from the '60s and unless you are a classic movie buff it may have little context to you.

What are your thoughts, stories, or opinions on this matter? I would like to know? anecdotal incidences happened last week that inspired this week's blog. On separate occasions, I had breakdowns in communication. I believe one was gender-related, "mansplaining," and one was age gap-related, "Ok boomer." 

As we get more diverse and global culture kicks in, we may be at the point of a modern "Tower of Babble." Even that phrase has Judeo/Christian roots that may not reference across some cultures. 

I sold shool books for twenty years and left the business because of the decline in reading whole novels. Not reading complete stories, I believe, not only inhibits the ability to think long term but decreases our vocabulary.  

Now, with social media and texting adding to the mix, we abbreviate and stifle our communication. 

How bad can it get? I suggest a reread of 1984 by George Orwell. Or check out the link here:

By the way, the title of this blog was from a very popular movie, "Cool Hand Luke." However, that movie was from the '60s and unless you are a classic movie buff it may have little context to you.

What are your thoughts, stories, or opinions on this matter? I would like to know?

Fun week of learning, growing and networking

We are attending Global Entrepreneurship Week in Kansas City.  We are absorbing, learning, and taking advantage of the wisdom of hundreds of classes and seminars. The networking opportunities are fantastic, as well — the energy and excitement of people wanting to create business and better our society is invigorating.  I am pumped and optimistic about our future.

https://www.kcsourcelink.com

Seeing clearly

I had some laser surgery to clean up some cloudiness that resulted from some old cataract surgery. I remember at the time I had the surgery. I could see clearly for the first time in years. I had gotten used to seeing through a yellow haze. I didn't know how bad my eyes had become.

Life is like that sometimes, as well. We get used to seeing a certain way and don't recognize the need for clarity. 

Some examples are confirmation bias, cognitive dissonance, and outcome bias. There are two books that I recommend to help:

The Art of Thinking Clearly by Rolf Dobelli

https://www.amazon.com/Art-Thinking-Clearly-Better-Decisions-ebook/dp/B00AJP267G

You Are Not So Smart: by David McRaney

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=you+are+not+so+smart&i=digital-text&crid=JE383A44HPOF&sprefix=You+are+not+so+%2Cdigital-text%2C184&ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_15

How to maximize networking meetings

I have been attending networking meetings for 12 years or so. I was first introduced to this concept after I lost my first business and had to start looking for a job. The career workshops I attended couldn't emphasize the value of networking in one's career search. 

Now I am starting my own business, and I am using networking as my primary prospecting tool. Just as jobs are found mostly through networking, so are clients. p

I have been networking for two years now, and I would like to share some dos and don'ts. 

• Dress for success. You are your brand, and you should dress like it.
• Show up early and stay late. You meet more people that way. 
• Do follow-ups and one-on-ones. 
• Don't just exchange business cards. Email them soon afterward. 
• It's not all about you. To be interesting: be interested in the other person.
• Stay focused on business. Don't stray into other subjects until you have built a relationship with that person.
• Repeat names, memorize names and use their names. Names are very important. Names show caring and respect more than anything else. 
• I know you are meeting lots of new people, but you can memorize all their names with practice. 
• Never try to sell the person you are meeting. You are networking, not pitching your product.
• Be respectful of referrals. Ask for referrals. 
• Ask for help.
• Volunteer to be a speaker.
• Volunteer to help with the meetings.

These are some things I learned I would love to have your contributions. 

#networking  #advice  #self-improvement  

Clutter and chaos

Whenever your space is unorganized and cluttered, it can result in emotional and mental problems. The misconception of the mad scientist or nutty professor with =poiles of clutter around them only really exist in fiction. To be sure, there are those types, but for most of us, this is not a healthy situation.

An organized workspace makes it easier to work –and makes work more enjoyable. ... Keeping things organized can give you more time each day –since you won't have to waste minutes looking for things. Another report shows that seventy-seven percent of Americans say that clutter damages their productivity.

Most of us function best in an organized and clean environment.

• It saves time
• It eliminates distractions
• Helps you stay focused/Increases productivity

You may also enjoy these links:

https://lifehacker.com/top-10-office-decluttering-tricks-5641578

https://www.yourorganizedlife.org/decluttering-is-important/

Whiner to winner in 21 days

Make a choice to take control of your emotions!

Once upon a time, there was a little boy who decided that every break and everyone was against him. So much bullying, neglect, criticism, and rejection came his way he decided to hide in a world of make-believe in his head. He always daydreamed about being brave, powerful, and admired. This escape could get him through the day, but in the end, all he could do was to whine about the real world and how unfair it was to him. 

The man this boy became was not much different. Until one day, he heard a group of men telling their story about how they had been incarcerated for many years each for crimes that they didn't commit.

They were exonerated by DNA testing. They weren't whining about their fate. They related that whining in prison is only exacerbating the situation. They had to take positive winning attitudes to overcome their adversity.

The man then and there at that moment said I have a different perspective now, Life is sometimes grossly unfair. He knew that it takes 21 days to establish a habit. For the next 21 days, he would not let a whining thought enter into his mind. 

The man is much more at ease with himself and the world. 

“Hell is a state of mind - ye never said a truer word. And every state of mind, left to itself, every shutting up of the creature within the dungeon of its own mind - is, in the end, Hell. But Heaven is not a state of mind. Heaven is reality itself. All that is fully real is Heavenly. For all that can be shaken will be shaken and only the unshakeable remains.”

― C.S. Lewis, The Great Divorce 

Say what you mean and mean what you say

I have had issues with being direct with people my whole life. I am trying to correct those issues late in my life. I am not talking about obfuscating the truth like a used car dealer. That is an issue in its own right. I am talking about not being direct with a person to avoid any confrontation, hurt feelings, or misunderstanding.

Let me give you an example. Last week I was at a networking event in which I didn't fit with the group. When the moderator asked if I was coming back, I said probably not because I couldn't provide the quid pro quo leads that group required. That was direct. Then he said come again anyway, and I deferred to my habit of not being straightforward, and I said I might. I had no intention of coming back.

I have found this evasive maneuver on both sides of sales situations. Both when I am the seller and when I am the buyer. I don't want to uncover objections because I am afraid of rejection.  When I am buying, I don't want to state the real reason so the seller can't reach into his or her repertoire of objection handling closes. I feel I am not ready to make a decision, and I know I can be talking into making a hasty one if I continue the dialog.

So, give me some feedback as to what to say when my wife asks, "do these jeans make my butt look big?".

Prayer guaranteed to get you day off to a good start

I have had this prayer in front of my Day Runner planner since May of 2006. I thought I would share it.

Lord, I thank you for your love for me. I want to serve you on earth to my utmost, without waiting for until heaven before I get started.

I believe that this strong desire to make my days on earth count for more comes from you.

Help me to set and reach high goals, measurable goals that will bless others, as well as me and my family. 

I affirm, under you, my right and permission as your child to pursue
to success the godly goals you plant in me, that I might use the fruits of success to bless other people.

Amen
(author unknown)

If you haven't got the time to do it right; don't do it at all.

I have had a couple of contractors over to my house to evaluate some siding issues. They looked at it last week. None of the three has even bothered to return my calls or text me an answer one way or the other.
I'm sure they are busy. But being overly busy and not returning calls is precisely why businesses need a virtual administration service such as Your Office SOS. We handle the duties that you should be tied up doing.

As a business owner, you need to take care of the cire aspects or essence of your business. Not in the administrative and business development aspects. You can't focus on what you do when you're buried in paperwork and every day getting further behind. You need to dance with the one who brought you to the dance. We let you do what you do best; we take care of the rest.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ynY4EMm3m4#action=share

Snowflake Generation.

Just heard from a friend that TCU not only has a traffic light at the crosswalk but they have a crossing guard as well. Let that sink in for a moment. We boomers had no crossing guards after 5th grade. In 6th grade, we became the crossing guards. Now I know the easily triggered and offended little snowflakes may be on their phones as they cross the street, but nature has a way of culling the herd. Seriously,  are we preparing these minnows for adulthood or are we creating a Peter Pan-like extend childhood? Perpetual adolescence.  I weep for the future.

New Tricks

I love the British crime show, " New Tricks."

The premise is that the London police opened a new squad to go after old unsolved crimes still on the books. The team was made of retired police officers who were looking to get back to work. They were needed because they had a vast amount of experience and wisdom.

Well, that is our story here at Your Office SOS. We bring around 100 years of experience to the table. In today's world, you can obtain all the information and facts you will ever need using the internet. You can ask Google or Alexa to get you facts. But what they can't do even with AI is put wisdom, knowledge, and experience together to correlate and make wise use of those details. We have made a ton of mistakes, learned painful lessons in the school of Hard Knocks.  We made them, and if you partner with us, you may make some mistakes, but you will make many fewer mistakes because we have learned from them.

So, whether your solving crimes on a fictional TV show or in the real world solving real business mysteries; get in touch with Your Office SOS.

Relocation

We recently relocated from the heart of the DFW Metroplex to a suburb of Kansas City. The place where we moved is rural, and a small town but it's still close enough to all the city amenities,  We are enjoying the small-town atmosphere.  People seem so much friendlier. It's certainly not as fast-paced.

We are still suffering from the effects of relocating after 40 years in Texas and 20 years at our old house. We have been unpacking for a month and yet have that senses of being unsettled,

Looking forward to the fall. I missed that the most when I lived in Texas.  The fall was very brief there. I may have regrets as the winter drags on, but since Your Office SOS is virtual, we can hunker down the office and give our clients that cozy feel we are feeling in our lovely new office.

Update

I skipped a couple of weeks posting my blog. We went to my 50^th high school reunion in Altoona, PA. It would have been hectic under normal circumstances but we just moved into our new house in the Kansas City suburbs the previous Saturday and left for PA on Wednesday. We are still not unboxed and settled in. But the timing was still good.

We moved up to KCMO from DFW after having spent 40 years in Texas. We moved from a 3,000 sq ft house to one just under 1,800 sq ft. We had a garage sale and a giveaway and still moved too much stuff. Between buying and selling a house and packing and unpacking we needed the time to relax and see old classmates and family.

I really miss those rolling hills in PA. The journey was like John Boy going back to Walton’s Mountain.

On Tuesday we will go full out setting up our office in our new home. Then we will be ramping up Your Office SOS.

Book Recommendation

Shape Our Decisions by Dan Ariely. I am getting this one on audio so that I can listen to it at the gym. It analyzes why and how we make decisions. I am not going to do a book review (you can find them online by better reviewers than myself) but I will say this is a must-read.

We make decisions irrationally, no matter how much we think we are logical and intuitive. We are manipulated by other factors and forces that prevail against logic.

With the rapid increase in the pace that we have to make decisions and adjustments daily we must get a handle on this area,

The Apollo astronauts had to make split-second life or death decisions based on experience. That is what we offer at Your Office SOS virtual administration  services,

Virtual Office Assistance

If you are a small or independent business owner or a self-employed entrepreneur, we need to have a conversation. You are probably spending way too much time on specific details of your business, and that is holding you back. 

Ask your self these questions. 

Are you booking your travel? Are you handling your schedule and doing all your paperwork as well as responding to and sending out emails? Are you maintaining and updating your social media platform? How's your work-life to personal and family life going?  Is that area balanced? Do you ever get any time to "sharpen the saw"? Do you wish you could spend more time on the core of your business, your passion, the thing that you love, the reason you're doing what you do?

If you need help in finding the answers to these questions, call us at Your Office SOS. We have solutions that will free the things you can't ever replace; your life and your time. 

Just think how much happier and more productive you would be with a team of professionals to help free you up and assist you in meeting your goals and keeping you on track. 

Don't delay, call us today for a professional consultation.  Call now before your drift further down the path to a nervous breakdown or divorce. 

Call and schedule your one-on-one 214-564-9537 

Asking too many questions or too few

The way I was brought up was not to ask a lot of questions. Now I am a boomer and was raised and taught by WWII area veterans. Maybe they were instructed not to question much because, in war, a soldier doesn't question orders. That's one reason; perhaps it was a more straightforward area when things were simpler, and one was expected to "figure it out." A good example is found in the essay "Message to Garcia''' see it here: A Message To Garcia

I also was raised in an area without the internet, and access to the answers usually meant a long drawn out trip to the library.  Either that or ask someone and one couldn't be sure the info the imparted wad correct.

Maybe it's my gender. My wife, who was raised in the same era asks lots of questions. Sometimes I feel too many. But in her occupation as an administrative assistant, she had to ask lots of questions to make sure she was on the same page as the person to whom she was reporting. I was on my own most of my life, and in charge, so I was giving the directives. That may explain some as well.

Another factor was I was in transactional sales. We didn't need to take the consultive approach and ask questions.  We didn't have time to handle the objections that would bring up. We just pitched the product. Show up a throw-up approach,

Some whether it was nature or nurture, I need to learn to ask more questions. You know what assume stands for.

Golf and lessons in character

I have a sign on my golf bag the reads, "Golf doesn't build character; it reveals it." It does. Golf is a gentleman's game and should be played as such.  The rules are the rules. Sometimes you even call a penalty on yourself when no one is looking. It also exposes our temper and frustration to all who play with us. They say they call it "golf"  because all the other four letter cuss words were taken.

My point is this many other endeavors in life reveal character. Business dealings and family come to mind. Where emotion is high and investment (just not monetarily but also emotionally) are high.

Character is forged before the revealing of it. Forged in the small details and the most insignificant moments when only you and God are looking. It is formed in the recesses of your thoughts and will work its way out into your actions. Character is like a muscle it requires constant exercise and must be maintained daily.

You are the author of your life story and can write the script you choose.  Choose wisely. Your character is at stake.

Great scene about character from the movie, " Scent of a Woman."

My thoughts on networking groups

I have been actively networking for about a year and a half. I have attended on average 4-5 groups a week This first year as a sales rep for managed IT services — the last six months for Your Office SOS. I have had moderate success. Oh don't get me wrong I have made plenty of contacts, But the two businesses I mention require much time to find the right connections.



One great thing is the I went to a convention of small business owners in Dallas and had met about 10% of the attendees in my networking before the event,  There were thousands of folks there, so I knew I am planting good seed,



I have had numerous one-on-ones and helped many people along the way, so that is rewarding. I plan to blog further about my experience, and especially some do's and don't of effective networking.



Stay tuned!

Blogging our next moves

I've been trying to faithfully blog every Monday. I have been fairly consistent even though we have been traveling back and forth to Kansas City. taking care of business. Hey, we are virtual and have been able to accomplish a lot of things on our road trips. Just getting my head clear to blog was the hardest part. I have been preoccupied because we have bought a house and prepared ours to sell.
So many decisions made it distracting to my effort to maintain a blog. Its all been a great learning experience.

Our main focus when we bought our new house was space for our offices. We found the perfect house for that, We should be in great shape once we get settled in around August 1, Lord willing.

The reason why we are virtual

We are physically moving from Arlington,Texas to the KCMO suburbs. We anticipated that we wanted the flexibility to move around. What's great about KCMO is that is almost dead center in America and  the fastest internet speeds in the country.

Our Your Office SOS is going to have a great new workspace to provide the best VA services around.

Say what you mean

This annoying little pet peeve of mine raised its ugly head a few times this week. That peeve is when people want to qualify or introduce what they are about to say with phrases like; " I know this is going to sound....." or " I hate to say....". Then usually they proceed right away and do the very thing they said in the preceding statement.

Another twist is, "I don't mean to..." and you know darn good and well that is what they meant to say.

I don't mean to sound peeved, Yes I do. Stop it before I get infected.

Arbitrary time limits

Just today I felt rushed all day. Then I stepped back and realized there was nothing to be in a panic about. I was hurried and worried and for absolutely no good reason. I put arbitrary pressure on myself and press to get the most things accomplished. When in fact most things are not that urgent. Sure we can't plan for computer glitches, traffic jams, missing or late appointments, but we think we're in control.

Relax and realize we do sometimes feel the pressure of time, it is the one thing that is not renewable. But measured patience, proper planning,  and common sense will carry you a long way.

I found prayer to be the most efficient and effective way to start the day. Things will flow the way that they are. But God is in control and I am not. 

One more thought about Toastmasters

Our club in central Arlington is very diverse. This is great because when you have people from different cultures you learn how to speak and communicate cross-culturally, Our club is for English speakers, but you soon learn certain phrases and analogies don't translate well and sometimes carry a whole different meaning to someone who is not from your background and frame of reference.

Thoughts about worry

Worry is interest paid on trouble that hasn't been delivered yet. Worry is a form of lack of faith. If you can trust God on the big sthings don't sweat the small stuff.

Join a Toastmasters club near you

Toastmasters is a global organization. No matter where you are in the world there is a club near you. The benefits are well worth the small investment in time and money.

Toastmasters

I can not overstate the value I think Toastmasters brings for almost every person. One of the most important skills in life is communication. Toastmasters hones those skills and give you the tools you need to effectively communicate. 

Good role models

We watched "To Kill a Mockingbird" last night. I have seen it and read the book lots of times. But from the perspective of being the consummate gentleman, Atticus Finch is a great role model. I don't like the way he lets his children call him by his first name. Atticus thought it was a sign of equality. But he didn't understand the biblical model of authority, The world doesn't get it either. That is another topic.  Just to listen to the dialog and communication he had with the children is a great study in and of itself.

As far as empathy and understanding go I highly recommend "Zen the Art of Motorcycle Maintainance". This book is fantastic on so many levels. Hint: it is not about Zen Buddhism or a handbook on motorcyclemaintanince.

A great lesson in leadership is Joshua Chamberlain in the movie, "Gettysburg". Jeff Daniels does a great job in the role. Matine Sheen plays Robert E. Lee and does a fine job in portraying how Lee who had temper issues controls himself. 

As far as sales and persuasion go two movies are a must watch.  "Door to Door" with William H. Macy is a must. He plays a true life story about Bill Porter who despite having cerebral palsy is successful in the door- to - door selling.

In the category of persistence, I  recommend  "The Pursuit of Happiness" another true-life story in which Will Smith portrays Chris Gardner who went from poverty to riches on guts and determination.

The last recommendation is "The  Legend of Bagger Vance," just a great movie on coaching.

The high cost of doing nothing

Most people are stuck with way too many choices today. So many in fact that they are overwhelmed and paralyzed. A great book on the subject is, "The Paradox of Choice", by Barry Schwartz. He subtitled the book, "why more is less'. The premise is that the more choices we have the less we are inclined to make decisions We are overwhelmed and eventually take no action at all or if forced to make a choice just. "roll the dice".

Today we are so bombarded with choices we fell like we are drowning in a sea of options. Even when we make a choice there are extra's, add-on's, options, and upgrades. The explosion of the internet since 2000 hasn't helped. In fact, it has exacerbated the problem. Choices are multiplying exponentially,

What to do? My advice is to simplify your life, Spend more time on your core values. Think about your priorities and write them down. Clarify and define your needs, wants, and desires. Know the difference.

May the choice be with you!!

Eats, Shoots and Leaves

My ideal book is both fun and educational.  This classic does both well. This fantastic little book has helped me immensely; especially in the days before Grammarly!  Those rules of grammar were overwhelming to me. Truss makes learning those rules fun and entertaining. So if you don't own one already get one now: its a must for your library.


FROM AMAZON:

Punctuation play at its finest!

Illuminating the comical confusion the lowly comma can cause, this new edition of Eats, Shoots & Leaves uses lively, subversive illustrations to show how misplacing or leaving out a comma can change the meaning of a sentence completely.

https://www.amazon.com/Eats-Shoots-Leaves-Commas-Difference/dp/0399244913

Integrity wins every time

I had an issue with my tire guys this week let me tell you about it.

I  was heading out to a networking meeting Tuesday morning when I backed over my fence that had fallen. As soon as I felt it, I knew that I had backed over the nails side up.  Sure enough, the low-pressure indicator came on less than a block away.  Fortunately, the tire store is less than a mile away from my home. I went right there, and they confirmed my tire had been punctured. My tires carry a warranty, and it was covered.  While they were replacing it, the service person came to me and said the lugs nuts were defective and needed replacing.  He showed me a website that said Ford's lug nuts had issues. He told me to take the old ones to Ford, and they would give me a refund.  He says it happens all the time.  Well after the tire replacement I went to my Ford dealer, and they said they never heard of such a thing. I went home to print out the article they guy showed me, but when I Google searched it I found that was a year old and in the meantime, the class action suit against Ford's lug nuts had been thrown of court a few months ago.

I returned to the tire store and confronted the service guy.  He said well he was only saying that they were hard to work with and there were issues and folks had gotten credit at dealerships.  Very vague and anecdotal.   He offered me a 50% refund. No way. Well, I confronted him in front of many customers there, and his manager came over and settled the dispute by giving me the full refund on the lug nuts. He did tell me that there was a chance these lugs nuts expanded and became hard to work on.  I told him that if that had been explained to me, I wouldn't have any issues or complaints.

The bottom line is if the guy said they might cause issues when I am out on the road trying to change them myself I would have gladly paid the $40 for the new lug nuts. But his deception hurt the reputation fo his company and made him a liar and a thief.  Was it worth it?

Tom and Tiger

I am not a fan of the New England Patriots and always preferred Phil over Tiger. But here we are in 2019 and they both captured the big prize. Brady at 41 years of age and Tiger at 43. The stories of both men's excellence in their fields is something to be admired even if you're not a fan.

Excellence and the drive to win cannot be taught. It may be caught. Chuck Noll's Steelers, Casey Stengle's Yankees, and John Wooden's UCLA Bruins come to mind as well

The pursuit of excellence is rare these days. Mediocrity and socialism are the diseases of our time.

A brain trapped

We have been living and caring for my mother-in-law who is 92 and has severe dementia. She does the crossword puzzle every day and the word search but she resets her brain every 5 minutes and asked where she's going to eat what she's gonna do and where she's at.It's been quite a 4 week study of the brain how it reacts to short term memory and long term memory.

After experiencing this and observingit, I'm going continue to doing a lot of brain games on my apps to keep my own brain healthy and take some vitamins.

Both my wife and I said we don't want to live in that state, but we don't know of any other ethical alternative.

Her husband comes home tomorrow from rehab. We can leave them in assisted living and return home.

We may be moving here to be closer to them in the final years.

Life in the slow lane

The last blog I wrote was on Monday, May 11th. I was sitting down finishing my blog when we got a call that my 93 father-in-law had a stroke. They live in Kansas City so my wife and I had to hurry and pack everything and drive up that night from DFW.  He has a 92 year old wife with dementia. We had someone stay with her until we could get there. We packed as much as we could for an indeterminate amount of time and knowing that it's a 9 hour drive we couldn't just rush back for anything we need to pick up.
We have all the provisions that we need we've done well.

While he recovered from his stroke we moved the in-laws from the independent living part of the building to an assisted living part. We accomplished this while he was in rehab and in the hospital.  We also got to celebrate their 70th wedding anniversary in rehab.

I don't anticipate too many folks will have 70th wedding anniversaries in the future considering the millennial generations attitude regarding commitment.

So we are staying and their apartment in the assisted living building we have some air mattresses and they have a second bedroom and a second bathroom so that made it tolerable.

In the last month living with all the elderly and infirmed people  in a place where time seems to have come to a halt, it makes you ponder values of your life and re-evaluate your life.

We have been so jerked out of our routines at home we felt that we were in some sort of freefall.  I keep singing in my head the song, " Time Keeps on Slippin Slippin into the Future".

But since we are a virtual company we had to learn to deal with things on the fly and it's a good lesson for us.

Occam's razor and the Dollar Shave Club

Occam’s razor can be summarized as such:

Among competing hypotheses, the one with the fewest assumptions should be selected.

In simpler language, Occam’s razor states that the simplest solution is correct. Another good explanation of Occam’s razor comes from the paranormal writer, William J. Hall: ‘Occam’s razor is summarized for our purposes in this way: Extraordinary claims demand extraordinary proof.’



Well, let's look at the Dollar Shave Club concept. First of all, it was a concept to promote less expensive razors. Well, the "Dollar" word was the first sign that one should apply Occam's razor, (pun very much intended). Did it cost only a dollar? Can you get more dollars worth of shaves from a cheaper blade? The answer is irrelevant. The company sold for a billion dollars.

Dollar Shave Club Sells to Unilever for $1 Billion

Why because we think logically and buy emotionally. The commercials were great:

So, in an age where facts don't matter from Donald Trump to Alexandra Ocasio Cortez, it's not what you claim; its how you pitch it that counts. That is of course until logic and Occam are allowed in.

Holidays or Hollow Days you choose

When you work independently you need to have self-discipline. I mean you must be your own tough boss. One must possess the self-awareness that it takes to stay on task and get things accomplished, whatever goals and tasks are on your daily activities calendar. Especially when you work from home. You must treat it as an office environment. Personally, I have to shave, shower, and dress as if I were going to an off-site office. 

One of the ways to stay on task is to reward yourself for good behavior. I personally don't like to use food as a reward because it can trigger bad eating habits and associated negative patterns. I like to reward by having a holiday or partial holiday if I complete tasks ahead of schedule. I'll take some time and have some fun. But one must be careful not to take days off because you get distracted and end up wasting the whole day and getting nothing of substance accomplished. I call these "hollow days". Too many hollow days and you can waste life's most precious commodity; time!

I recommend an accountability partner and a daily planner. Go over your tasks and goals daily, weekly, monthly and yearly.  Don't squander your most precious resource; time. 

Management 101

I had to learn to be a manager. I had no role models or mentors. In fact, there wasn't even any self-help books, videos, cassette tapes, CD's or anything of the sort when I first became a manager at the ripe old age of 19 in the early '70's. The role models we had were our dads, coaches, and teachers. They were of the WW II generation, and all they knew, for the most part, was military command and control. Strict order given and orders followed, no questions asked.

When I was promoted to management, I was just assigned to the task because no one else wanted to work on salary. That was retail's modus operandi, give someone who was a good worker a title, some authority, which one wanted, but in turn, work them long hours and cover for every subordinate's missed work. Retail had little to offer one. There were long hours, nights, weekends, holidays, and low wages. There were some perks like free health insurance (gotta love the good old days). There were additionally store discounts (if you could afford much extra on the wages they paid).

Of course, retail in the '70s was either an entry-level or dead-end job. So you were working with unskilled and or unmotivated folks. There were the deadbeats who couldn't find a better means of employment, usually due to a lack of education or skill sets that were worth more in the free market. I had neither, so when in hindsight I thought I was climbing the ladder I was going down the sliding board.

All this to set the stage of how I learned to manage. I had to be creative to find and hire the right talent. Usually, that meant some diamonds in the rough that were drifting without any idea what they wanted to be when they grew up. I would manage them by helping them improve themselves and develop skill sets that would benefit them when they did find a decent career path. I told them you are working for You, Inc. Everything you can learn adds to your value. Everyday skills learned by dealing with customers (and NO they are not always right) and showing up on time. We treated what was usually a dull thankless job into career-building practice. When I say "We", I meant it. There is no "I "in TEAM. There is no"WE" in it either, by the way: that WE part is demonstrated by the leader or manager.

Caring, learning, teaching, nurturing and servant leadership is the education I received in my retail years. I earned my degree in management from the U.of H.K. University of Hard Knocks.

Foundations

The Bible tells us in Matthew 7:24, "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock."  In Isaiah 28:16,  "Therefore thus says the Lord God, 'Behold,  I am laying in Zion a stone, a tested stone, a costly cornerstone for the foundation, firmly placed. He who believes in it will not be disturbed' ". This concept is repeated in the New Testament in 1 Peter 2:6. In both places the references are of course are to the Lord Jesus Christ.  We at Your Office S.O.S. will endeavor to build our business on the high standards that one is called to as a disciple and follower of the Lord Jesus Christ. We say this not in a commercial way to merely attach some altruism to our mission. We do not say this as merely a slogan or lip service; we live it out.

Wikipedias definition is:
The cornerstone (or foundation stone or setting stone) is the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation, important since all other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure.

So we base our business and its principles on the Bible and will do our best before God to honor him.

Rules of networking

I have been actively networking for over a year now. There are many excellent books on how to network effectively. I will not try to revisit the basics here on this post, but I will share my observations on what I have learned.

There are givers and takers.  Just as in life but only more pronounced in networking groups. Avoid the takers, the people who only want what's in for them. Avoid transactional sales types. I mean the people who are immediately trying to sell you a product.  If they have a product to market that's fine but if their main focus is on sales and not a win-win exchange of leads or referrals avoid them like the plague.

Use your intuition. If your gut reaction is telling you something is just not right with that person, or you feel a sense of unease, be polite but distance yourself from them. "Birds of a feather flock together," you can't afford to damage your reputation by hanging in a tribe with unsavory characters. Better to err on the side of caution than to risk being identified with them.

Keep it professional.  Networking is for business advancement. If you have other intentions go to the appropriate venues for such activities.

Get to know the person one-on-one.  When you ask for a meeting give them possible dates locations, and times. Don't just say, " We need to get together sometime. Always send a reminder of your meeting times and location, people forget. Never try to get anything out of first individual meeting than establishing report. If you get to know trust and like that person continue to move it forward.

Try different events and see which ones are a good fit. They all have unique benefits they offer.

Lastly, keep up with contacts. Follow up immediately with emails or texts. Like them on their social media and connect with them on linked in. Keep a CRM or an Excel spreadsheet of your contacts. When you get a business card right on it where and when you met them. I use a Fisher Space Pen it writes on Glossy cards on if that doesn't work, try little blank labels to write on. I'll write about business cards in a following blog.

So those are some thoughts and tips on networking. 

The sweet spot

 When I say at Your Office S.O.S. brings almost a century of experience to the rescue I am not exaggerating.  I started in the business world at 17, and my wife started in her career at 18. I am now 67, and my wife is 69 years old. I only mention our age because to some it may be a negative it is in our case a positive. We are in that sweet spot where we bring a lifetime of acquired skill sets and just as important a lifetime of accumulated wisdom. As the Farmers commercial says, "We know a thing or two 'cause we've seen a thing or two."

We just recently retired from very intense and complex full-time jobs that required the utmost in the latest technology and business acumen to get the job done. We are now in that sweet spot were experience and expertise are peaking. I believe we bring the most exceptional combination of assets that anyone could ever find.

Great book I am now re-reading, Blah Blah Blah What To Say When Words Don't Work, by Dan Roan.

A little praise for Dan Roam's book. Needed now more than ever.

 

I had read this book back a few years ago. I really enjoyed it. I dusted it off and brought it out again when I was working on my elevator speech for my company, Your Office S.O.S. I gave two speeches on this last week one at my Toastmasters Club and another at my Thursday networking group Team Up.

The premise of the book is that there is too much meaningless chatter going on. Too many words being thrown around and we end up with too much information or not enough information. Raom addresses the hummingbird part of your brain and the fox part. Some might say the hunter and the gatherer. He walks you through the land of blah blah blah the world we now live in and helps us escape to the F.O.R.E.S.T. where you learn VIVID thinking, and you can go back to the land of noise with a clear and concise message and communication skills that effectively get the ideas and thoughts communicated.

In the social media day in which we live with all the chatter going on; we need to read this book.

Blogging: Getting your story out.

I am blogging about my company Your Office SOS. We started this effort last year and its now taking fruition. We are gathering steam and have several proposals. We have an original focus, but we are leaving room to pivot.

My expertise comes for nearly 50 years in the business world. I have a broad range of hands-on experience in developing retail, wholesale and service businesses.   Business development can be a vague and far-reaching term, but it takes into account many years experience I bring to the table in selling, branding, marketing and prospecting for business.

I would say I focus on prospecting and hunting for clients. I also have tremendous skills in nurturing and maintaining clients. I have a proven track record in both those areas.
My wife who is also my business partner brings a nearly 50 years works history a very successful executive assistant.  She has worked for C-level executives most of her career.
This is my 30 second,  "Elevator Pitch."

Hi, my name is Dave Rockey. My company is Your Office S.O.S. S.O.S. stands for supported outsourced services. services. We are your virtual

We offer a variety of remote solutions like virtual assistance and business development. If you are drowning in details, call out for help. We bring nearly a century's worth of experience to the rescue.

A good lead for me is someone you know who needs to recover their life and time.

Before you go under in a sea of stress,    “Call Your Office S.O.S.”

Elevator speech

The elevator speech may have originated with Ross Perot. It is said he got on an elevator with an employee. As the doors closed and they were going up 3 floors, he asked the employee what their job was and what the did at the company. It took 30 seconds to go three floors. The employee was still speaking as they got off the elevator after the 3 floors and 30-second ride. Perot turned to the employee and said, "You're fired"! His reasoning was if you are not clear on your what your role and functions are and you can't explain it in 30 seconds you are not clear in your thinking.

Now we can debate the merits of that line of reasoning or not, but the point is you have to give your 30-second speech when that is all the time you have. It must be condensed vivid and to the point.

Here is what I have been working on:

Hi, my name is Dave Rockey. My company is Your Office S.O.S. SOS stands for supported office services. We offer a variety of remote services like virtual admin and business development. If you are drowning in a sea of details call for help! We bring a hundred years of experience to the rescue.
A good lead for me is anyone you know that needs to recover their life and time. Before you drown in a sea of stress: "Call Your Office S.O.S."

The quintessential, "Jack of all trades and Swiss Army Knife" package.

As a detailed in a previous blog, I started my career in retail. I worked for a shoe company and back in those days, the shoe business was leased out in most department stores.  I worked as a manager and supervisor. One had to learn all aspects of business. I did the window and in-store displays, stocking and inventory management, hiring and training, doing payroll and HR functions, writing ad copy and marketing functions as well as first and foremost on the floor selling shoes.

After I left retail I landed a job as the manager of a wholesale book distributor. In this job, I once again was called upon to wear many hats. I did all the functions necessary because  I only had one other employee at the beginning a person to answer the phone, bookkeeping, and taking orders. I did the inventory management orders and stocking, packing shipping and receiving of books. I designed the product catalog and all the marketing materials, I was the sales department going to conventions, prospecting by telephone and school visits.

I also was in charge of the IT functions. In 1986 this entailed everything related to computers. It was a great time to start because it was at the beginning of the computer age.  I had to set everything up. We had a book company on the internet even before Amazon. I designed the website and monitored the back end. I also managed the security and back up of physical computer systems,
I was afforded the luxury of taking computer classes.

The school book business was changing and we weren't able to adapt because of poor ownership.  I decided to buy a leadership and management training franchise. I wanted to improve companies because of my previous experience in retail and the wholesale business with poorly run companies. Well, the timing was very bad because I started in 2006 and the recession was hitting and the first things cut was training.

After a few years of "bridge jobs", I landed at a tent and event rental company as business development manager. I once again started to take on many other roles due to the size of the company and its expanding needs. I once again took on IT duties and ran the social media. I implemented a CRM and email campaign. I was called on to manage projects in the field when we got too busy for the GM to handle. I also took on the tasks of writing bids and proposals. I then was called upon to get permits for our tents, This became a real challenge, I  had to learn CAD and deal with architectural drawings.  I increased my sales and prosecuting duties to help launch our expansion into three other markets.

Now you see why I call myself the Swiss Army Knife of skill sets because Jack of all trades is still not valued in some circles. By the way, the original expression is; Jack of all trades master of but not one.

Toastmasters: the underrated resource.

I had been a member of Toastmasters in the late '80s and early '90s. I recently rejoined and renewed my zeal for the great value it has in all aspects of life. I had initially thought I was doing this renewed effort to benefit my wife who really needing the experience Toastmasters brings. She was terrified to speak in front of people. She was apprehensive at first and soon found the nurturing atmosphere of the group comforting. She came a long way and is growing in her confidence and general demeanor before people.

I found that the new Pathways ( the curriculum)  that Toastmasters began using at the time I returned from my 27-year hiatus was very instructional and tailored to fit ones particular area of interest. I gave you a choice of what social and communication skills you wanted to focus on.

I highly recommend Toastmasters to anyone wanting to improve their interpersonal communication skills.  From the minimal cost of time and money, it is the best-underrated resource out there.

We put virtual to the test.

We have been dealing with moving elderly parents into an independent living center. They live in Kansas City so we had spent a month up there finding a place, preparing the move, cleaning out the house, holding an estate sale and moving them in. We had to arrange all the paperwork and details, make sure the mail was forwarded and arrange to pay all their bills. We came back for Thanksgiving spent a few weeks at home and returned to Kansas City to spend Christmas with them and get the massive amount of paperwork prepared for getting V.A. benefits. We packed our laptop and printer.
Using my cell phone as a hotspot we were able to download and print over 50 pages of paperwork. We also had to compose letters and emails to the doctor, financial planner, lawyer, and the V.A. We had to get many documents notarized and the stress of getting elderly people with disabilities to accomplish this was stressful. Especially the financial decisions and explaining it all to them. This was a baptism of fire for us and helped us learn to be Your Office SOS.