The Christmas Tree Outing

Good morning Sally. We found a Christmas tree last night. Just the right one to make this Christmas special. We went to our usual Christmas Tree Farm at Home Depot and used Chuey - the Anderson's truck to get her home. Lucy wanted the biggest tree on the farm and it made me think of this famous photo from when we lived in Pennsylvania. Women Power Wednesday! Good luck on your Chem final. I know you will do great.

Can you guess where we are?

Sent from my iPhone

Imperfect Peter and The Good News

Keeping with my theme from yesterday, I spent a few minutes this morning reading some scripture and reflecting on Advent. Nothing too elaborate really, just a few minutes to reflect and think. The scripture I read was about Peter denying that he knew Jesus. You will remember that he denied knowing Jesus three times. And you will also remember that Jesus had predicted that he would do so 'before the rooster crows'.

Luke 22: 57 But Peter denied it. “Woman,” he said, “I don’t even know him!"

In Mark Robert's reflection on this scripture, he has this to say:

For me, an even more significant bit of good news comes from the fact that Peter ended up playing such a prominent role in the church. Jesus did not reject Peter although Peter rejected Jesus. Jesus did not “fire” Peter from his role as a leading apostle. Jesus did not expect perfection, or anything close to it. Why is this good news for me? Because it means that I can be useful in Jesus’ mission today in spite of shortcomings and outright failings. It means that I can be forgiven when I fail.

Stay whole,

Dad

Discovering Advent

Sally,

I like to read Mark Robert's daily reflection each morning on The High Calling website. Mark has a new e-book called, Discovering Advent: How to Experience the Power of Waiting on God at Christmastime. I am thinking about getting the book and reading it with mom. 

It is a book about slowing down and remembering the true meaning of Christmas. That gets more and more difficult in our society, where everything is so fast paced and where our expectations are for immediate satisfaction in all things. We do not 'wait' very well for anything. It is ironic that when we 'wait' for something, we actually enjoy it more when we get it.

It was nice to be in church with mom yesterday for the first Sunday of Advent. I am going to try and slow down every morning this month and reflect on the Advent readings from our prayer book.

Make it a great Monday . . . what is left of it!

Dad

Clean lines - no clutter

Sally,

It was wonderful having you home for Thanksgiving and will be great to get you back home in a couple of weeks for Christmas. I know you have a busy stretch, so stay focused and healthy. Mom and I are so proud of how well you balance your college life. We know you have a very bright future.

I could not get back to sleep after I got home from the airport, so I decided to clean my office and get rid of some of the 'clutter'.

What do you think?

I love you,

Dad

The simplicity of a good presentation

Hey Sally,

I have been preparing to 'take the lead' in my meetings this week in Boston. I am traveling with our Senior Marketing Manager for Creative Finishing (Marc Hamaker) and in my previous meetings, I have played more a support role. It is time for me to step up to the plate and take a swing in the lead position. This way Marc can observe how the marketing materials and the presentation works with the prospect, when presented by someone who does not have the deep product knowledge that he possesses.

I put together a short introductory script that I will use to launch each meeting. The meetings are typically small groups (no more than 4 people, including Marc and me) and they take place in small conference rooms or coffee shops. We have an iPad 'Smoke' application, that is a great sales tool that I will show you when you are home. The iPad sits in front of the prospect and is a way to show how the software works.

Notice in the script that I am only focusing on three key points. It has always been my belief that people will not remember more than 2-3 things, so you need to decide what 2-3 things you want your prospect to remember before the meeting starts and practice delivering that message in a compelling manner. In this case, the three points I want to make are: (1) own the creative, (2) finish on time and exceed customer expectations, and (3) the concept of editorial finishing.

Hope you find this interesting . . .

Women power,

Dad

Stay whole!

Lucy and Bailey - Barton Creek Beltway - on a hike

Sent from my iPhone

Sally - Self Portrait Day Two

My what big eyes you have?

Make it a Great Monday

Hey Sally,

We are all excited to have you coming home for Thanksgiving! I am working on my sales presentation today, in preparation for this week's trip to Boston. I leave tomorrow afternoon and return on Friday. Emily is in a golf tournament Friday and Saturday in Waco. She leaves Thursday and comes back Saturday with her team. The football team plays in Houston on Saturday in our second playoff game. We had a big win on Friday night up in Round Rock. Lucy is busy with Nutcracker practices, photo shoots, and dress rehearsals.

Make it a great Monday,

Dad

Sally - self portrait

UGA illustration class. Stay fit and keep expanding your passion! I love it!

Missing my girl

Just thinking about you!

Emily signs on Women Power Wednesday

Hey Sally,

Here are some photos from a special morning here in Texas. It is official, your sister will be joining you in Georgia next year! 

I love you,

Dad

Grandmama and the bassoon

Make it a great Monday evening

A great photo from fun times in Athens!

Video - the universal language

Sally,

This is a great piece that supports yesterday's post and the importance of learning to use video effectively: http://bit.ly/tfAkGJ

Stay fit,

Dad

How to get ahead of the pack

Sally,

This excerpt from a longer blog post is really important. I want you to think about each of these three points. They remind me of my very talented friend Brian Carle, who has been such a key part in helping Salient Systems go from a little regional company, to a larger national player. Brian has mastered all three of these skills, even though he might not think of himself as a salesman. If you ever saw him in a presentation, you would know that he is a world class salesman!

Here is the longer post: http://bit.ly/tXM21n

The Fortune 500 has been responsible for a net loss in jobs over the last twenty years. All the growth (and your best chance to get hired) is from companies you’ve probably never heard of. And when the hirer is also the owner, the rules are very different.

1. Learn to sell. Everyone has sold something, some time, even if it’s just selling your mom on the need for a nap when you were three years old. A lot of people have decided that they don’t want to sell, can’t sell, won’t sell, but those same people need to understand that they’re probably not going to get a job doing anything but selling.

Small businesses always need people who can sell, because selling pays for itself. It’s not an expense, it’s a profit center.

2. Learn to write. Writing is a form of selling, one step removed. There’s more writing in business today than ever before, and if you can become a persuasive copywriter, you’re practically a salesperson, and even better, your work scales.

3. Learn to produce extraordinary video and multimedia. This is just like writing, but for people who don’t like to read. Even better, be sure to mix this skill with significant tech skills. Yes, you can learn to code. The fact that you don't feel like it is one reason it's a scarce skill.

Think about how you can develop skills in each of these three areas: (1) selling, (2) writing, and (3) video and multimedia. You will be extremely marketable if you do this now. I love your idea of starting a blog, as that is a great way to practice all three of these skills.

Love,

Dad 

Women Power Wednesday

Tree hugger! How was the designer event? Did you meet some cool creatives? Mom and Emily are off to Georgia. Goose and I will be holding down fort and pulling Chaps through on Friday vs. Bowie for conference title.

Goose and I will be hanging here

. . . while Emily and Mom head your way. Stay whole my daughter. I love you!