The expression “we all have 2020 hindsight” is a favorite since childhood. Now it’s great to say “we all have 2020 in hindsight.”
To paraphrase our friend Paul Haut, at W. Haut Specialty Co., between the virus pandemic, the election, the fires out west, the droughts and flooding elsewhere, the racial turmoil and civil unrest, the economy… It is, indeed, good to have 2020 inhindsight.
This is a time for reflections on the year passing, and good wishes and goal-setting for the New Year approaching.
Thankfully, technology kept many of us in contact even when human contact wasn’t possible. Many businesses pivoted, in some cases leaping forward a decade or two in a single year. Looking further for silver linings, we got to hear and see a bit of life without so much traffic and general busyness.
Personally, I was gratified by the conduct of my family during times of crisis and strain. Professionally, it was gratifying to be able to help so many via internet technology that helps us maintain contact when human contact was constrained.
Now’s a great time to reassess what is important to us. We tend to take things for granted when we’re all healthy in the status quo. When the norms shift seismically, as they did in 2020, it’s a good time to take stock and to plan the lives we want.
Reading has always been one of my mainstays, personally and professionally. My personal annual goal of reading/listening to 50 books a year was easily attained in 2020. I read for knowledge and understanding. I believe we could all use more knowledge, and more understanding. I’ve found myself stocking up on books to last a lifetime in the last couple of months – thousands of them. Now I hope to write more of what I learn to share knowledge and understanding I’ve gained with others.
Goals are great when they’re common goals. I will do my best to establish goals with the people I work with and the people we serve, as well as with friends and family – all of whom we hope to see much more often, in person and virtually, in 2021.
We thank everyone who made 2020 bearable, even enjoyable. We extend our best wishes for a Happy New Year, too.
Tomorrow is the first page of a blank 365-page book. Write a good one! Happy New Year 2021!
We welcome your comments, questions and suggestions. Please feel free to contact us anytime.
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Thanks for our friend and vendor Keith Klein of OnYourMark, LLC for sharing this post with us, so we could share it with you.
It’s December, and the end of the year cannot come soon enough. 2020 definitely has been a year that we won’t forget. The pandemic, the election, the stock market, social unrest, all in one year. Masks… I am tired of wearing a mask. My blood pressure is getting higher just by talking about it. Yet it’s Christmas, a season of celebration, time to think about the birth of our Savior and King. Our world may seem to be falling apart, but be assured that because of the love of our God, and the birth of His Son Jesus, through faith, things will be alright. Psalm 46: says to “Be still and know that I am God.” In other words, Relax, God is in control. One way or another He has promised to take care of us.
Our Christmas wishes we send to you. To our friends we thank you for your friendship; to our customers, we thank you for your business; and to our vendors we thank you for your support and knowledge. We value our relationships with all, and pray for peace, prosperity, and harmony in the upcoming year.
Merry Christmas 2020 from all of us at OnYourMark, LLC
We thought we’d share some good reading with you. Here are a few articles from The Atlantic Monthly – in my opinion, the most well-written magazine I’ve known for over forty years:
To quote the tales of Lake Wobegon (pronounced Woe Be Gone) ‘signature’, “Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.” And Merry Christmas to you and yours.
We welcome your comments, questions and suggestions. Please feel free to contact us anytime.
If you like, you will find us on these social media, among others: Facebook LinkedIn Twitter
Happy Thanksgiving 2020…tough times to gather and go about the holidays as usual. Yet we shouldn’t let tough times stop us from expressing our gratitude and prayers for the blessings we have – our gratitude and prayers for this Happy Thanksgiving 2020, a difficult year to say the least.
We’re thankful for this “interwebs” thing, and for smartphones and other technology that helps us keep in touch. We’re thankful for much, including those in our household and workplace who we still get to see. Even if only remotely.
Whether you’re a country music fan or not, here’s a great expression of gratitude from an an all-time favorite performer, a country – and gospel – music legend: Mr. Johnny Cash.
Johnny Cash “Thanksgiving Prayer”
117,343 views • Nov 23, 2016
Johnny Cash performed “Thanksgiving Prayer” on the CBS TV show Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman starring Jane Seymour. The episode aired on November 19, 1994. Thanksgiving Prayer” was written by the show’s producer, Josef Anderson.
Check out the comments at this YouTube post and you’ll see a refreshing set of simple thanks and blessings counted. Nice to see comments like this on social media.
p.s. We like to observe the holidays and share good thoughts with viewers. We encourage clients to do the same. To that end, we’re sharing this post with clients who’ve elected to observe the holidays with us. We hope everyone has a safe and very enjoyable Thanksgiving holiday. Thank you for visiting.
Some vets bristle a bit when people thank them for their service on
Memorial Day, because that’s not what the day is for.
However, that’s exactly what Veterans Day is for.
From the US Department of Defense:
“Veterans Day is NOT the Same as Memorial Day.
A lot of Americans get this confused, and we’ll be honest — it can be a little annoying to all of the living veterans out there. Memorial Day is a time to remember those who gave their lives for our country, particularly in battle or from wounds they suffered in battle. Veterans Day honors all of those who have served the country in war or peace — dead or alive — although it’s largely intended to thank living veterans for their sacrifices.”
So when you see a vet, be sure to say thank you, or welcome home.
We’re looking for a mix of old school business people and new entrepreneurs at Wisconsin Business Owners and at our Wisconsin Business Owners Meetups. It’s a bit perplexing to me that we don’t have standing room only crowds, given the quality of our programs.
Despite excellent quality and value, so many meetups are now focused on “drive-by” presentations of as little as ten minutes. For some reason, people find that attractive. It may be attractive online – just “like” and “follow” and you think you’ve done the work – but real success requires more. Success is that place in life where preparation and opportunity meet. [my emphasis] We’ve long prided ourselves on professional, productive meetings in a very relaxed, personable atmosphere. So, why the limited numbers for Meetup attendance?
The video that follows may explain a bit of our dilemma in driving up numbers of attendees. I did a YouTube search for “old school corporate business” and “Why I do business old school” came up number one.
The points Andrew Henderson, the video presenter, makes are worthwhile for those who are “wannapreneurs”:
Rule #1 – Sales Matter
It takes more than a minute, or ten minutes, to master sales. Both of our Meetups this Friday address aspects of sales and follow-up in-depth. Our February 28, 2020 Lunch & Learn presenter, an engineer who sells, discusses “How to Advance Stalled Sales” Seats still available.
Rule #2 – Your Word Matters
Our February 28, 2020 Special Morning Session master sales/presenter does an hour and fifteen minutes in the morning on why your business apology matters.
Rule #3 – Contracts Matter
Rule #4 – Protect What is Yours
Rule #5 – A Job is A Job
Many thanks to Mr. Henderson of https://www.nomadcapitalist.com for explaining his thoughts. His thoughts helped me explain my own.
My next YouTube search was for “old school corporate business vs. millennial mindset” and this excellent animated video came up first:
I’m not blaming lower than expected attendance on millennials. Rather, on the digital equivalent of “drive-by” networking, a “swipe-right” involvement level. I encourage everyone to “do the work.” Ninety percent of success is showing up. Come join us!
BTW, #2 in my YouTube search for “old school corporate business vs. millennial mindset” was this TEDx Talk – lest I be called on to apologize to millennials, this is a great rejoinder to the video post above. My wife and I have four millennial adult children, and I believe all of them have life – work and play – figured out better than I did at their ages.
Get the Volume 3 eBook at Amazon for only 99 cents today, release day only. That’s an 87.5 % discount! Regular eBook pricing after release day is $7.95.
Many of your Wisconsin Business Owners Organizers and fellow Members are Authors of Volumes 1, 2, and 3! Many of the Authors have been outstanding Presenters at our Lunch & Learns and Special Morning Workshops.
If you want a Brilliant 2020 Business Year – get your copy today to improve your business’s success rate with these practical strategies and techniques on Profitability, People, Productivity, and Peace.
Appreciatively, Author Team of “Brilliant Breakthroughs for the Small Business Owner: Fresh Perspectives on Profitability, People, Productivity, and Finding Peace in Your Business”
Please look for #BrilliantBizBook on social media and spread the word!
This is a time for reflections on the year passing, and good wishes and goal-setting for the New Year approaching.
Our Christmas wishes we send to you. To our friends we thank you for your friendship; to our customers, we thank you for your business; and to our vendors we thank you for your support and knowledge. We value our relationships with all, and pray for peace, prosperity, and harmony in the upcoming year.
Happy Thanksgiving 2020 to you and yours.
