Author: louis

Our grand business is not to see what lies dimly in the distance, but to do what lies clearly at hand. – Thomas Carlyle

True Prosperity is the result of well placed confidence in ourselves and our fellow man. – Benjamin Burt

Depend not on fortune, but on conduct. – Publilius Syrus

Behave toward everyone as if receiving a great guest. – Confucius

A man that studieth revenge keeps his own wounds green. – Francis Bacon

 The key is to be like a duck, smooth and unruffled on the surface but paddling furiously underneath. – unknown

Have a great Friday—-Louis

We will be meeting again today to make final preparations for tomorrow’s manager meeting.  I hope that we are not only able to bring new ideas to the table but also are able to re-energize your drive to succeed in areas that are covered at every meeting.  Although I have only been with the Company for a year now (wow time has flown!), I always look forward to any Company functions that involve a group of us getting together.  Not only do I always take away something new and receive a re-charge to my motivation but I also love getting to see everyone and catch up on what has happened since I last saw you.  I guess you could say it’s like a family reunion without the drama and crazy relatives!

My part of the meeting will involve presenting the updated policy and procedure manuals.  I hope that these manuals will be a useful tool as we move towards a standardization of our procedures.  I want to say a special thank you to those who helped me make the final edits to the manuals – Bellena, Shauna, Kim, Michelle and Michele.  You ladies are awesome!!  Bellena, Michelle and Michele took a lot of time going though the manuals and making final corrections.   I would have never gotten everything done without their help.

Have a great day!

Rachel

A couple of weeks ago, I noticed that Amanda in Fulton had written a quote on her dry erase board in their office that said…”Don’t bunt….Aim out of the ballpark.”  Having been a die-hard St. Louis Cardinals fan all of my life, I particularly loved that the quote related to baseball.  I can think of several instances in a tight game in which one of our best players was coming up to bat and a decision had to be made by both teams.  Should our manager let the player go for the big hit or should he play it safe and have the player bunt in order to advance the runners?  Should the opposing team intentionally walk the batter, change pitchers or just hope for the pitcher to deliver his best pitches?  In life as in baseball, we don’t always know the right choice to make in these situations.  However, with customer service and in our daily work, I believe it is always the best choice to aim out of the ballpark.  The ladies at the Fulton office have done just that over the past few months.  I have seen Amanda and Alise go out of their way to help customers on many occasions.  I have also seen firsthand how committed both of them are to doing the best job possible on a daily basis.  I also look forward to working with Nicole and seeing how far all of them can aim out of the ballpark!

Rachel

Below are a few quotes on change.  I believe one of the characteristics that sets successful people and organizations apart is the ability to accept and adapt to change.  I recently started a new book entitled Switch– How to Change Things When Change Is Hard.  I look forward to sharing some of the highlights of this book over my next couple of blog post.

Have a great day–Louis

Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself   -Leo Tolstoy

The snake which cannot cast its skin has to die. As well the minds which are prevented from changing their opinions; they cease to be mind. –  Friedrich Nietzsche

The world as we have created it is a process of our thinking. It cannot be changed without changing our thinking. – Albert Einstein

The Times They Are a-Changin – Bob Dylan

This past week I spent a day with Susan and Angela in Baldwyn.  It happened to be one of those really slow days as far as business goes….one of those days that an average employee could have just taken it easy.  Not Susan and Angela.  They had taken it up on themselves to go through every folder for each of their active customers in order to determine what documents needed to be updated.  They had made lists and as a customer came in they were politely asking them to bring in a certain document the next time they were in the store.  As a business, we exist because of our customers so maintaining accurate customer information is a cornerstone to maintaining a close and profitable relationship with them.  Not only were Susan and Angela going the extra mile by updating customer information but there were also no mistakes found in their audit.  As I have said in previous blogs…..Coincidence?  I think not.  Janna has also mentioned the fact that Susan helps out at the business we own next door when needed which further demonstrates her commitment.  I truly enjoyed my day with these two special ladies and I hope they know how much of an asset they are to our company.

Rachel

I’m spending the morning preparing for our quarterly strategic planning meeting which will take place next Monday.  In this meeting our management team identifies problems, sets goals, and develops a timeline to accomplish these goals for the upcoming quarter.  We review our goals and the timeline at our biweekly staff meetings.  We have found having these goals in writing and knowing they will be reviewed at the staff meetings helps everyone stay on task to accomplish their goals.  I encourage you to take up this practice in your office.  Start small- pick one or two goals you would like to accomplish this quarter.  Map out a timeline with the dates by which you will accomplish your goals. Lastly, share these goals with your coworkers so they can help hold you accountable.  I think you will find this practice will aid you in accomplishing your goals.

Have a great Tuesday…Louis

All wise men share one trait in common: the ability to listen. -Frank Tyger

Luke and I had a productive meeting with Josh Mabus of Mabus Agency in Tupelo last Friday.  Josh and his staff have played a significant role in many of the branding and marketing strategies we have implemented over the last year.  Our meeting Friday focused on a couple of projects we have been working on for several months.  We hope to have an announcement of one of these projects at our next managers meeting in May.  Much of the work we do with Mabus Agency is centered around investing in our company to position us for long term growth.  I look forward to seeing results of these projects in the near future!

Have a great week….Louis

“An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.” – Benjamin Franklin

“People are like dirt. They can either nourish you and help you grow as a person or they can stunt your growth and make you wilt and die.” -Plato

Going the extra mile, having a can do attitude, and being professional at all times are all desired characteristics that have been mentioned on this blog from time to time.  I would like to thank Melissa Whitehead from Simple Pawn & Jewelry for exhibiting all of these characteristics.  Melissa has stepped up during some difficult times and displayed commitment and leadership.  Thank you for the great job and we appreciate everything you do!

I do not love a man who is zealous for nothing

Oliver Goldsmith

-Louis

April Fools’ Day is celebrated in many countries on April 1 every year. Sometimes referred to as All Fools’ Day, April 1 is widely recognized as a day when people play practical jokes on each other.  In honor of April Fool’s Day, I thought some “fool”ish quotes would be in order:

April 1.  This is the day upon which we are reminded of what we are on the other three hundred and sixty-four.  ~Mark Twain

He who is born a fool is never cured.  ~Proverb

Let us be thankful for the fools.  But for them the rest of us could not succeed.  ~Mark Twain

You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.  ~Abraham Lincoln

The trouble with practical jokes is that very often they get elected.  ~Will Rogers

A common mistake that people make when trying to design something completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools.  ~Douglas Adams

Isn’t it appropriate that the month of the tax begins with April Fool’s Day and ends with cries of “May Day!

Rachel

The way to be nothing is to do nothing.

-Hugo Grotius

To read without reflecting is like  eating without digesting.

-Edmund Burke

Not failure, but low aim is crime.

-James Russell Lowell

Beaten paths are for beaten men.

Eric A. Johnston

Have a great day–Louis