MY NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION...................

From Kurt's www.culturaloffering.com

How to grow a handlebar mustache.............

The Art of Manliness has given away the secrets of growing a Handlebar Mustache. This is your chance to grow and kick butt mustached, raise some money for men's health (battle against prostate & testicular cancer), and maybe even win a super manly prize.

Click here for the competition rules, complete instructions on how to get started.

Everyone goes home...............

www.everyonegoeshome.com

Girl Scouts learning about money...............

Last year, in the first overhaul of its merit badge system since 1987, the Girl Scouts introduced a new set of badges for financial literacy. Scouts can earn recognition for: •Money management •Budgeting •Financing their future •Good credit •Philanthropy

Click here to read TIME.com about the Girl Scout's five newest merit badges.

The article also included:
"Students receive little financial education at school and have repeatedly failed broad tests measuring their mastery of basic personal finance and economic concepts. Just 14 states require high schools to offer a course in personal finance, according to the Council for Economic Education. Even fewer require students to take such a course in order to graduate.

Click here to read where Ohio stands amongst other states in

offering mandatory Economic and Personal Finance Education.

10 Questions That Create Success.............

Thanks to @presidentgee on Twitter for passing this Inc. article along:

1. Have I made certain that those I love feel loved?
2. Have I done something today that improved the world?
3. Have I conditioned my body to be more strong flexible and resilient?
4. Have I reviewed and honed my plans for the future?
5. Have I acted in private with the same integrity I exhibit in public?
6. Have I avoided unkind words and deeds?
7. Have I accomplished something worthwhile?
8. Have I helped someone less fortunate?
9. Have I collected some wonderful memories?
10. Have I felt grateful for the incredible gift of being alive?

Here's the thing. The questions you ask yourself on a daily basis determine your focus, and your focus determines your results.

Are you emitting sparks...................

“So many men in this world are going nowhere in particular that when one comes along…who is really and passionately going somewhere, what a stir he communicates to a dull world! We catch sparks of electricity from the very friction of his passage.”
- David Grayson
The Friendly Road

Sean Carpenter relays in a recent post that we are responsible for setting a "spark of electricity" with the following three questions:

What are you going to do today to be that person?
How can you create “sparks of electricity” in your business and personal world?
When will others start saying that about you? Or do they already?

Sean also at the end of his post placed a twist to his theme of building relationships, solving problems and having fun to: Build better relationships. Solve tougher problems. Have more fun…on purpose.

The photo above is a photo of Sean and his mother of whom I was very lucky to meet last month at a company party. Mrs. Carpenter said one thing about her son that I will never forget: "Sean started to read well at a very early age and then stopped for the longest time."

Cleaning is...............

Thanks to Tara Murphy for passing this along.

2012 Eliminate debt......................

2012 GET BACK IN THE BLACK!

Just because our governments can not figure a way to get out of the deep hole of debt, it does not mean personally you can not start digging yourself out during 2012. You have to like your money and being debt free more than your toys!

A little advice from Men's Health:

Strategy 1. Slash Your Expenses
Aim to cut 10 to 15 percent from your monthly expenses. Yes, you can eat more at home, buy a cheaper wine, and clip coupons. But you can also start making phone calls. You'll be surprised at how much you can save by simply asking. Cellphone: The average cellphone owner uses about 422 minutes a month, according to J.D. Power. Yet cell providers often tout 600- and even 900-minute plans as their "most popular." Reducing your allowable minutes from 600 to 450 would save you that magic 10 percent. And if you use less than 400 minutes a month, prepaid plans are always a better deal. Cable or satellite TV: Look for a special introductory offer from a competitor and ask your current provider to beat it. Many companies will ante up a "customer loyalty" discount—ranging from 10 to 25 percent—that's typically good for a year. Utility bill: Older water heaters eat up to 25 percent of the energy you use. Put a $10 water-heater blanket around it and you'll reduce your bill by your target 10 percent. Auto insurance: Raising your deductible from $500 to $1,000 will save you up to 40 percent. And be sure to mention that you're shopping around; you may find that you're suddenly "eligible" for a reduced rate.

Strategy 2. Wipe Out Your Credit Card Balance
Take the money you save from strategy 1 and apply it to your monthly debt payment. Say you owe $5,000 at 21 percent interest. Paying $100 a month, it'll take almost 10 years to satisfy the debt. Pay $110 a month, though, and you'll finish 2 1/2 years earlier.

And make sure to heed his advice as well:
+Don't schedule automatic payments around due dates: Credit-card companies shift those around, hoping to sock you with a late fee and raise your rate. Another reason to be early is a creepy practice called universal default. "Many companies have a system set up so when you're late on one card, other cards raise their rates, too," says Carmen Wong Ulrich, author of Generation Debt.
+Pay off your highest-interest balances first, and consolidate debt as efficiently as possible through balance transfers. (Look for a permanent rate and no annual fees; visit www.creditcardspecialist.com to find the best deals.) "If your interest rate drops from 20 percent to 10 percent, that's an immediate return," says Nicholas Nicolette, a certified financial planner and the president of the Financial Planning Association.
+Hit the ATM. Starting forcing yourself to keep more hard cash on-hand—studies have shown that people spend 30 percent less when paying with paper, not plastic.

Strategy 3. Budget for the Inevitable
It's happened to everyone: You're sticking to a smart budget, and then bam—your tire blows out or your dishwasher breaks. Suddenly, you're in the red. "We need to move past this idea that these are 'unexpected' bills," says Shannon Plate, author of Degunking Your Personal Finances. "Cars break. Houses break. People break. It has to be part of your budget."

Plate suggests socking away $50 a month for car repairs and another $100 a month for house repairs, assuming you own one. Likewise, set a realistic monthly entertainment budget—for everything from beers after work to poker night with buds—and be a slave to it. Then, at the end of the month, sweep what you didn't spend from all of the above into your emergency fund; financial planners recommend having enough liquid assets to survive 3 to 6 months of unemployment.

A great place to park your rainy-day fund is a high-yield money market. (Visit bankrate.com to find the best rates.) CDs aren't a good idea, because emergency funds need to be available quickly. And resist the urge to dump this money into stocks. "You don't want to expose this money to risk," says Nicolette. "The same conditions that can lead to layoffs also drive down the market."

50 Rules to live your life by.....

1. Focus on what really counts 2. You can’t please everyone 3. Choose friends wisely 4. Tell people what you’re really thinking. People are not mind readers. 5. Understand that you can only control yourself 6. Learn a new skill this weekend. Repeat! 7. Identify your preferred form of expression 8. Self-motivation is not optional. Get some! 9. Find great ideas then change the context 10. Wake up claiming the best day ever 11. Ditch the TV for more time 12. Do what’s in front of you 13. Set a limit for having unfinished tasks 14. Speak your truth 15. Spend more time with the right people 16. Set short deadlines for decisions 17. Consider your appearance and proper grooming 18. Reward yourself 19. Take ownership don’t blame others for your situation 20. Let the little things go 21. Learn how to negotiate a better deal on everything 22. Know your top 5 values 23. Simplify by eliminating anything that’s not essential 24. Start meaningful conversations 25. Know what you want 26. Limit what you borrow 27. Get the important work done first 28. Never be dissatisfied with what you have 29. Lay the groundwork for some future fun 30. Honor your commitments 31. Don’t settle for anything less than excellence 32. Create a routine and stick to it 33. Ignore the unimportant 34. Make it manageable 35. Be careful when you make comparisons 36. Character counts! 37. Never say, that’s not my job 38. Get organized 39. Schedule small tasks for a given time of the day 40. Don’t underestimate the power of support 41. Don’t browse online as soon as you get home 42. Get enough sleep 43. Speak less. Listen more. 44. Find gym and start going regularly 45. Pay attention to what you’re putting off for tomorrow 46. Stop caring about mistakes, learn from them 47. Get your financial house in order 48. No Cheating! 49. Do the right thing because it’s the right thing to do 50. Know the difference between affirmation and information and be careful receiving too much of either

Officially stolen from Kurt Harden.

Handle being out of your depth.........

Great advice from the Art of Manliness:

How to Handle Being Out of Your Depth: 6 Tips from a Con Man

1. Relax and Project Confidence
The feeling of being out of place consumes your thoughts. As you look around the room, it feels like your inner dialogue is being broadcasted from your forehead, and that everyone else is focusing in on you.
2. Look the Part
While not every job and situation calls for an actual uniform, every event does have a standard of dress, and by adhering to it, you’ll automatically seem more like a guy who knows what’s he’s doing.
3. Play Catch-Up Like a Mad Man
If you’ve been thrown into a situation where you don’t have the skills or knowledge to perform up to par, then you’re going to need to play catch-up every spare second you get.
4. Take Notes
No matter how much direct or indirect research you do, don’t rely on your memory alone to store all that information. Instead, jot down notes that might prove useful down the line.
5. Turn on the Charm
If you’re an irritating boor who’s messing up all the time, you’re going to get the boot. But if you’re polite and good-humored, people will give you the benefit of the doubt and lots of second-chances.
6. Close Your Yap and Observe
The best thing you can do when you’re in a situation where you’re out of your depth is to be extremely conservative with both your actions and your words. Say little and listen a lot.

Click here to read the complete blog post, I needed this and within five minutes of reading, I learned a lot.

Make cents to me..................

"Wealth, like a tree, grows from a tiny seed. The first copper you save is the seed from which your tree of wealth shall grow. The sooner you plant that seed the sooner shall the tree grow. And the more faithfully you nourish and water that tree with consistent savings, the sooner may you bask in contentment beneath its shade."-George S. Clason, The Richest Man in Babylon

Stolen from Steve Layman, click here to check out Steve's blog.

Derek Holland "I wanted to show them I belong here"

"I wanted to show that I belong here," he said.

"This was a dream. I wanted to pitch in the World Series and get a win."

Click here to read a great article on last night's game.

LETTER WRITING

THE DAYS ARE GETTING SHORTER

From long time friend Sean Carpenter:

"I still find each day too short for all the thoughts I want to think,

all the walks I want to take, all the books I want to read,

and all the friends I want to see."

-John Burrough

Check out Sean's complete post: The Days are Getting Shorter

HOW TO HAVE FUN IN A HELMET....

From 2011 Esquire Car Awards :

Before we could name the Car of the Year, we had to drive the seven finalists as fast as we could. So late this summer, early one morning, we caravaned to the Monticello Motor Club in Monticello, New York, a private racetrack 90 miles outside Manhattan. We took turns driving each of the cars around a section of the 4.1-mile track, nailing the straightaways, weaving through cones, and squealing around turns, and hoping the guys who loaned us the cars wouldn't notice what we were doing to the tires and brakes — all while our instructor alternately yelled, "Throttle! Throttle! Throttle!" or "Brake! Brake! Brake!" The MMC boasts members like Jeff Gordon and Jerry Seinfeld. You can be a member, too, as long as you have $30,000 to $125,000 for the initiation fee and another few thousand in annual dues. Or get a one-day trial pass for $2,500. Racing season runs mid-April through mid-November, which means you still have a couple of months left to get out there. Maybe they'll give you a discount. —Peter Martin

Check out 2011 Esquire Car of the Year-2012 Audi A-7

Good Habits Come from Bad Times

Take today's rough seas as the best lesson you could possibly have in sailing through to prosperous times. On days when it seems that nothing works and times are lean, remember that today's adversity is teaching you what a boom market can never teach. Invest in yourself and form good habits now.

Read the complete article by clicking here. Thank you Scott Levitt once again for your Tuesday Tactics.

BUILD RELATIONSHIPS, SOLVE PROBLEMS & HAVE FUN

During the past two months I was able to do as Sean Carpenter wants me to do: build a relationship, solved a problem and have fun.

Above you will find a photo of the powerful Ben Harden, no ordinary 15 year old.

I built a relationship: Due to a problem of tennis elbow from last March I had a problem. My yard needed to be straightened out big time. Besides my personal residence, Andrew Guanciale and I own a home that was in middle of a major rehab need.

Ben solved my problem: He came on June 1 and worked, I found him totalling amazing. He cut down shrubs almost twice as tall as he and then pounded out the root balls with a maddock, cleaned gutters, set up the patio furniture, waxed a car and too many other other things to remember. After the first three weeks, 1027 W. Church Street became Ben's new office. His initiative to do things before being asked is a large asset to have in an employee. As an example, he painted the rear deck railing one day, the next day I stopped by and he was painting the front porch railing that I had never thought about. When he saw me walking up the sidewalk, all he said was "this needed paint also". We were on a tight deadline to have the home completed for a new tenant and there was many things to do. A job I thought we should do together was to install a new window in the garage, it had been sitting at the home for two weeks. Thursday, I stopped by and once again he looked at me and said "I installed the garage window". With Ben knowing our deadline, he hired a friend to help clean, Savannah Hottinger. For the one day, Savannah came to the plate and did a terrific job. At 2:00pm, Ben had this home looking the best it had looked since it was a brand new home, 65 years ago or so. He solved a problem that Andrew and I could not have done to meet the deadline.

I had fun: Watching Ben work will go down as one of the best summers I have ever had. Brought back many memories of when I was the same age working a construction job and especially watching his father Kurt Harden nearly at the same age doing odd jobs for me.

My award: we had a great lunch at White Castle one Saturday after a Lowe's run, just the two of us. Making sure he did not consider me as an old guy my plan was to keep up with the number of burgers eaten, he only beat me by one slider. I was worried, but knew he would carry me to car if I had made myself too full or a fool.

10 CUSTOMER SERVICE TIPS

"Think you can get by paying the lowest wage, giving the fewest of benefits, doing the least training for your employees? It will show.Companies don't help customers... people do." Liz Tahir

1. Remember there is no way that the quality of customer service can exceed the quality of the people who provide it.

2. Realize that your people will treat your customer the way they are treated.

3. Do you know who your customers are?

4. Do your customers know who you are?

5. For good customer service, go the extra mile.

6. Are your customers greeted when they walk in the door?

7. Give customers the benefit of the doubt.

8. If a customer makes a request for something special, do everything you can to say yes.

9. Are your customer service associates properly trained in how to handle a customer complaint or an irate person?

10. Want to know what your customers think of your company? Ask them!

"Remember that the big money isn’t as much in winning customers as in keeping customers. Each individual customer’s perception of your company will determine how well you do this and that perception will depend on the level of customer service you provide." Liz Tahir

Read Liz Tahir's explanation for each of the above steps by clicking here or click here to learn more about Liz Tahir.

Nicholas Bate: Year Of Transformation

YearOfTransformation: 4 of 100

Hang Out With The Best.

Who you spend your time with, what you listen to, what you read...all influence your thinking and your beliefs which in turn drive your behaviours. Spend time with the best; start by setting up a learning team: three people as dedicated to you in creating the Life they desire who commit to meeting for 1h every month. And at that meeting each brings about 10 minutes of ideas which become about 10 minutes of further discussion. In return for that they get two fresh perspectives on two other topics from the other team members. Use that leaning team to be the basis of real network, not just a list of names whose faces cannot be remembered.

Click here to find #1 -#3, follow Nicholas Bate everyday to make 2011 a better year.

A Vroom of His Own

It is all about goals: "but it was classic automobiles that Ralph Lauren pined for

when he was growing up, and it’s classic automobiles

that he now collects and stores at D.A.D."

With its stainless-steel counters, halogen lights, and museum-style installations, D.A.D. Garage looks nothing like an everyday, oil-stained garage. Of course not—it belongs to Ralph Lauren, who owns 60 or so of the rarest, most valuable cars in the world, including a 1938 Bugatti coupe, a 1938 Alfa Romeo Mille Miglia roadster, and the world’s only 1930 Mercedes-Benz SSK “Count Trossi” roadster, all in ideal condition and all driven by the designer himself. The author plugs into the lifelong fantasy behind Lauren’s collection.

Click here to view 19 photos of the D.A.D. Garage's contents.

Click here to read Vanity Fair's complete article and find out what D.A.D. stands for.