Somthin' to talk about

Do what you do so well that they will
want to see it again and bring their friends.
WALT DISNEY

Have I ever told you I live in a small town? Well, it is small by my standards: The Man Beast and I are California born and bred and while we both have lived on the east coaster longer than the west, Southern Cali is in our blood. However, reverting back to what we've all learned in elementary social studies, by definition, we live in a city.  But we function as a small town.

What do I mean?

• In a small town, everybody knows your name (and subsequently, your business)
• In a small town, people will talk about you (even if it's "good" - but more so if it's bad)
• In a small town, your word is law and if you break the law, you're a dead man

If you go back on your word in a small town, no one will trust you, and if you are a small business owner, your business will die. In the six short years I have been in this town city, I have seen multiple businesses close. It is usually in the same areas and I do not believe it is because of big, bad Wal-Mart. No, these businesses have closed because they couldn't cut it. For numerous reasons (some bad business and some criminal), they have shut down.

This is why having a business with "sticking power" is so important to my community. My town city is rich in history; very rich. Many of the old establishments and businesses have been phased out or completely demolished, however, there are a few who have stuck it out.

What is the difference between the businesses who stay open for a short time (months, in some cases) and the businesses that stay open for years (multiple generations, even)?

Customer service.

When businesses in this town city provide quality and consistent customer service, they thrive. Such is the case for Woodard's Automotive. Mr. Woodard provides quality customer service, time and time again. Not only does he provide quality pre-owned cars at fair prices, but he also has an on-site mechanic who personally inspects each and every car.

But hey, sometimes stuff happens. Cars break. Mr. Woodard stands by his cars and makes every last effort to make sure his customers walk away happy.

“A happy customer tells one friend, and unhappy customer tells everybody.”

And walk away happy, they do. And their happiness is what keeps Mr. Woodard in business after all these years. While people in my town city tell everyone who will listen when they are unhappy and dissatisfied with a service, luckily, they will bestow the same courtesy toward the business that treats them right. 

I did.

Be sure to visit Woodard's Automotive to see their selection of cars, trucks, and vans currently on sale. You can also visit them on Facebook!

I'm on Facebook!

Okay, so I've had a personal Facebook page for a couple of years. I keep that private and guarded (not because I have anything to hide - well, I guess I do...personal information. But in light of Facebook's most recent announcement, even that's not sacred. But be that as it may, I have created a fan page for this blog.
Pretty neat? Time will tell.

Until next time...

 

Resolutions are great, but...

Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase.
Martin Luther King, Jr.

Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day, everybody! For many of us, we're probably home, enjoying the long holiday weekend.

Here it is the third week of January; how are you doing with your resolutions? Are you eating healthy? Exercising everyday? How's your household budget looking?

While I plan on shooting some free resources your way to help you with your health - both in diet and exercise - I want to focus on your financial health first. (Quick note: When I say "diet", I don't mean starve-yourself-so-the-scale-reads-the-numbers-you-want-to-see. I mean Healthy Lifestyle Change. But we will get back to that.)

I am most focused on financial health because this is where my family is at present. I'm not going to pretend that on a scale of 1 to 10, I'm a 10; not even close. However, I really like how David and his wife, Andrea over at The Coupon Wizards approach helping people get out of debt. Instead of trying to push product (either theirs or an affiliates), they present their readers with a use-what-you-have strategy. In other words, the help they provide both at the Coupon Wizards website and their sister website, Learning 2 Coupon - a financial blog for couples, for free.

And they are inspiring others to provide freebies to help people get out of debt.

I am one of those people. But really, I'm just sharing some linky love.

And passing on freebies.

The Budget of Your Life: Breaking the Chains of Debt by Kenneth B. Soward is offered as a free Kindle download. As a reminder to those who do not know, you can download the free Kindle app to your phone, PC or Tablet. Simply do a Amazon search for "Kindle App for _____" (whichever device you want to place the app).

I just downloaded it myself. I will be reading the book this week and will post a review. However, I wasn't sure how long this ebook would be available for free. The hardbound book is available for $9.99 - but going back to the original idea of this post - getting out of debt without spending money - I figure buying the book is kind of defeating the purpose. Especially when I can take the electronic version with me where ever I go.

So, I'm passing on the freebie.

Until next time...

 

This post may contain affiliate links.

Okay, real quick...

I know I said awhile back TMB was going to redo my blog. Well, life kind of got in the way. He got my button (over to the right) and my banner (it won't fit on this template) finished, but then he kind of went kaput.

Well, life has a funny way of working out. Out of the ashes of life comes something new and exciting. Just call my blog (and my life) a phoenix!

The phoenix grows old, disappears in a ball of fire, and out of the ashes, is born again.

Anyway, TMB bribed me to complete my homework early this week. He said if I did, he would help me get my blog up and running completely a la me, as opposed to borrowing wonderful templates on the web.

So...stay tuned!

Until next time...

All of life's lessons can be explained (and solved) with Yoda

For an early Christmas present, the Man Beast received Star Wars: The Complete Saga box set. It is his favorite epic movie of all time and he's having a good time showing the Kiddos a timeless classic. It has taken us awhile to get through it, but tonight, we watched Return of the Jedi. While I was watching it, particularly the scene when Luke Skywalker meets Yoda for the first time, it dawned on me that much of life can be explained with Yoda:

 “Do or do not... there is no try.”

If you're going to do something, do it. If you approach something saying you'll try, it means that you will accept failure. Whatever we do in life, we should not accept failure. Instead, we should persevere.

“Size matters not. Look at me. Judge me by my size, do you? Hmm? Hmm. And well you should not. For my ally is the Force, and a powerful ally it is. Life creates it, makes it grow. Its energy surrounds us and binds us. Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter. You must feel the Force around you; here, between you, me, the tree, the rock, everywhere, yes. Even between the land and the ship.”

Regardless of your size (your age, your education, or how much money you make), you can accomplish great things.

“[Luke:] I can’t believe it. [Yoda:] That is why you fail.”

Success begins in the mind.

“Named must your fear be before banish it you can.”

Ultimately, we fear the unknown. Once it is known, we can begin to deal with it.

“The dark side clouds everything. Impossible to see the future is.”

While the dark side is primarily anger and fear in the movies, the dark side in our lives can be anything negative that clouds our judgement.

“Happens to every guy sometimes this does”

Stuff happens. To everyone. You are not alone. But it's also not the end of the world.

Until next time...

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Wordless Wednesday

Everyday People

This past Saturday, I made a one-hour trek out of town in order to take one (of many!) teacher examinations. For those not familiar, thanks to No Child Left Behind (and good, ol' common sense), teachers actually have to prove they can teach your children. (I will let you know in a month if I qualify.)


When you're driving by yourself, attempting to keep yourself awake after waking up and getting out of the door before the sun even rises (and most people are enjoying their Saturday sleep-ins), you tend to find things to do to keep yourself entertained. Considering my Droid Incredible 2 was busy making sure I didn't get lost (Google maps. Greatest. Invention. Ever.) and texting and driving is a tad on the illegal (not to mention, stupid) side, I listened to music.

Traveling through towns, radio stations are a tad sketchy. If I find one I like, chances are, in a couple of minutes it's going to be nothing but static. And static is stressful! As luck would have it, I had cleaned out my car a couple of days prior, so I found a CD I complete forgot I had!

It was Reba's Duets album. It's a great album. It really is. But I had forgotten how great until I heard "Everyday People". The song outlines the lives of three groups of everyday people. College seniors build Habitat for Humanity houses during their Spring Break. A young mother  is diagnosed with cancer and her friends and community pitch in to ensure her bills get paid. Another family moves into the Habitat house. (I'm getting chills just thinking about it.) The essence of the song is everyday people performing huge miracles by doing nothing more than just being there. Showing up. Doing the small odds-and-ends to help someone else in need.

In these past few weeks, I've encountered everyday people in my own life - family, friends, co-workers, and even complete strangers. I am in absolute awe (and gratitude) of people who reach out a hand to you during your time of need. The cynic in me thinks that reality TV shows like Extreme Makeover: Home Edition is complete produced and artificial. But the woman who has been completely slapped up on the head by the beauty of humanity knows that while much of TV is produced, humanity is not. People are real. And I thank God they're there.

Until next time...


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