On my way to recovery

I wanted to thank you for your support, prayers and let you know I have made it out of my Gastric Bypass Surgery. In the long run this is what is needed to help with my diabetic situation however my diabetes is sure putting up a strong fight to stick around and cause complications with recovery. Day by Day things will get better and I wanted to reach out and express my gratitude for all of your prayers, support and friendship. It has meant the world to me during this very challenging time. Sarah has been an amazing gift from the heavens to pull me through this and keep my spirits high. Send her your love and support to stay encouraged and know what an amazing angel god blessed us with when then sent her to this world.

Thank you all!

Wow I am amazed at the overwhelming amount of support from everyone. Many of you have asked now that I am no longer with PDC where am I headed? Well Randy & I have started a company called VIP Business List.com and we are going to provide the new business license list to companies nationwide.  We are very excited and ready to get engaged in a new project. Check it out at www.vipbusinesslist.com . Thank you all for your comments, encouragements and understanding for the need for us to follow this dream. 

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Prayer Request - Madison In Neuro Science ICU Trauma 1 Unit

Please send Love, Light and Prayers to Madison our daughter. She is hospitalized in the Neuro Science ICU Trauma 1 Unit. Her seizures have intensified to being uncontrollable, consentient, and medically unexplainable. The last few days have been very challenging because she is bored to death and hates all the wires hooked up to her head. She is a little trooper and a fighter however this ordeal is really taking the toll on her. So send your love and prayers. If you would like to see her call Sarah or Myself because she is unregistered at Primary Children’s Hospital due to creating a safe environment for her.  Sarah and I are here 24 hours a day with her so we will be unavailable until a surgical plan is worked out and we get released from the hospital. 

Here are some cute pictures of her hospital experience. 

Madison Playing Memory for the 200th time :)

Not the fun part - Pray for no power surge :)

Over 100 wires however Madison Thinks they are bows and a pony tail :)

Daddy has a head bandaid too and madison is kicking his tail at mario kart. 

Daddy & Maddie Craft Time: Daddy does not paint very well :(

The Trauma Unit Dog - Madisons New Best Friend

My Creed!

To laugh often & much; to win the respect of intelligent people & the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of the honest critics & endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you lived. 

This is to have succeeded!

Why advertise now? What Kind of fisherman are you?

I have been asked by many business owners, “Why advertise during a recession?” and “Why shouldn’t I reduce my advertising/marketing budget?” These executives perceive they will save money and ride out the storm. If we view these questions through the eyes of a business owner, we find that almost every company strives to win and retain their share of the market through creative and/or directional advertising methods. Let’s look at this as an analogy and think of market share as a lake full of fish. With all your competitors fishing from the same lake, you have “X” chance to catch your portion of fish. If you have 100 fishermen around the lake, your chances of catching fish are only increased by your skills as a fisherman, your tackle, location and luck. During a recession here is my perception of what may happen:

You have several types of fisherman who are seeking the fish:

Extravagant Anglers – These companies will fail during these economic challenges:

These companies have purchased the best equipment, advertising, locations, office equipment and have very little operating capital for their business. They love the idea of owning a business and calling themselves CEO’s, President, Chairman and Business Owners.

• These companies have little to no planning, budgets, benchmarks or accountability for their companies.

These companies will fail during a recession and will leave more fish for the rest.

Entrepreneurial Anglers – These companies have a high probability of going out of business.

These fishermen have the passion for fishing however often lack the planning, capital or knowledge to successfully build or retain their businesses in these challenging economic times. Often these company owners will have the work ethic to operate through their shortfalls. These companies also have little to no planning, budgets, benchmarks or accountability for their companies.

These companies can operate during a recession however the majority will go out of business.

Beginning Anglers – Depending on the skill set, work ethic and planning results will vary.

• These fishermen are the majority of the group. The results are significantly different depending on the company.
• There are three types of companies that fall into this category:
  

1. Company A: These companies have established a solid business plan, raised operating capital and have developed a solid marketing plan for their company.


2. Company B: These companies have a good idea, however little to no budget to build their business. They keep their overhead low and stay afloat.


3. Company C: These companies are still gaining experience and have been operating for a short time. They are cautious with decision making and adding additional financial strains on their business.

• Many of these companies will ride through the recession and prevail on the other side. Some of these clients will close their doors because they are not big enough to sustain the decrease in revenue and a few will close their doors because it is just too hard to stay open.

Novice Anglers – Knowledgeable and experienced in fish gathering methods.

These fishermen understand the need for information during these economic times. They are gathering more facts and data to make informed decisions. They calculate their return on investment from each advertising source and base their budget on the results. These companies understand the need to continue their advertising presence so their customers are aware they are still in business.

These companies understand the need for effective budgeting. They have calculated what they need to do and have made corresponding decisions to effectively steer through the recession.

Experienced Anglers – Grab The Net!

These fishermen throw away the fishing pole and grab the net! These companies know that many of their competitors are closing their doors. They have a successful operating plan and sufficient knowledge to jump on opportunities that arise. They have tracking systems in place to monitor effective advertising solutions and have now increased their marketing presence in both Creative & Directional advertising arenas to capture the fish their competitors are losing as their boats sink.

• These companies are the industry leaders and will dominate through a recession. They believe the recession is a blessing and will emerge even more success than they were when the recession started.

Now is the time to throw away your fishing pole and Grab Your NET! The market share your competitors are leaving behind is yours for the taking as long as you effectively utilize your marketing strategies and budgets. I believe we all concur that during this recession many companies will close their doors and a large number of companies will choose to wait to begin new projects. This is already evident with the significant decrease in new business license requests which is occurring nationwide. Take time to educate yourself and capitalize on the advertising media that is providing the maximum return on your investment. You may also wish to meet with an advertising consultant who can help you create an effective plan for netting the big haul!

Good Luck and Happy Fishing!

~Author J.J. Ulrich~

Executive Business Consultant

www.linkedin.com/in/jjulrich

Vision Board Success - The FREE Cruise - Day 1

As many of you know I keep a vision board. For those of you who don't know what a vision board is let me explain. My vision board is a place where I put pictures of the things I want to manifest or dream about in my life. It is believed by many that when you get clear on what you want to manifest the universe has a way of making it show up. It always amazes me how things show up because you would never anticipate or expect how things manifest in your life.

In January when I was reworking my personal vision board for 2009 I wanted to create a free cruise this year. I wanted it to be on the best ship and include all expenses including airfare, taxes, fees, excursions, tips, food well to say the least everything. I had no idea how it would show up and wrote down no expectations for the universe to manifest this for me. In mid January 2009 my best friend called me and said he and his wife got offered a cruise and wanted to see if I was interested in going with them. Well I started laughing because I would have never expected this. After getting the details I would still have to pay for the airfare and the taxes, port fees and all of the other fees. So I declined the invitation knowing it was the universe teasing me and seeing if I was committed.

On Wednesday February 4, 2009 I received a call from an associate who just had two cabins open up on his company cruise. Airfare, Fees, Tips, Hotel Accommodations, Excursions, every expense I had listed was covered. The ship was the Liberty Of The Seas which is Royal Caribbean’s Flagship. There was only one problem. Sarah and I had to be in Miami Florida in 48 hours lol. Well I called my mom and she could watch my daughter, Sarah called her brother who could watch our animals, and I asked my boss and he said go have fun. Everything worked out and on Friday Morning we were sitting on an airplane heading to Florida.

Now when I look back at how everything came together I just have to laugh. Because the universe has a funny personality and will always test to make sure you really want something.

So here is our cruse:

Day 1: The Everglade Tour

Before we boarded the ship the group we were with went on an Air Boat tour of the Everglades. This was a lot of fun. Even though I offered a good sum of money they would not let me drive one of those great Air Boats. One day that is going on my vision board LOL. We had the opportunity to hold an alligator and eat some alligator bits. (No not the same one) This was a great time while we waited to board the ship.

Day 1: Boarding The Ship

This ship is HUGE. It holds over 4500 people and is truly a modern marvel. It has everything from rock climbing walls, tennis courts, swimming pools, ice skating rinks, the flowrider, golf course, well if you can think of it in a small city it is probably on this boat.

Sunset from the bow of the ship: