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Table of Content “A Woman’s Life Blog Magazine”

Perseverance Uncle Ted Ask SYD SYD Dance….. Alaina

SKIN Leslie Sagers

10 melissa NEWELL

Dr John Neustadt

Key Boards

Plan A Krystal Buckley

Perseverance

WHAT I THINK I KNOW ABOUT……………….

HOW “PERsEVeRANcE PAYS”

By Parke Edward (“Uncle Ted”) Simmons

I love this word: Perseverance. So much so, that the transom on my last boat, a 34 foot

Chris Craft Cabin Cruiser, proudly bore the name “PERSEVERANCE.” More

accurately, I should say that I love the definition of the word, perseverance. Generally, it

means “to not give up; to continue against adversity, to finish what you start; to never

surrender; to persevere.”

My love of a word may seem a strange way to begin an article but bear with me if you

will and I’ll try to explain. Not long ago, I had been hitting practice balls from the driving

range at the club and, having worked up a thirst in the 100 degree-plus temperature, I

decided that a couple gallons of iced tea sounded like an excellent idea, so I stopped by

the clubhouse lounge.

Being mid-afternoon, the place was nearly deserted except for the three old geezers (even

older than I am), at their usual corner table playing Gin Rummy and, a lone drinker

seated at the bar. I didn’t recognize him at first but, just after my first Iced Tea arrived,

the man walked up to my table and I saw that it was my insurance agent, Ron Sheppard.

It was soon apparent that Ron had already had a couple gallons of something to drink;

and it wasn’t iced tea.

“Hey, Ted, do ya’ mind if I join ya’ for a minute or two? I’ve got somethin’ I’d really

like your opinion on.” Ron was a man several years my junior; a real sharp, hard

working insurance agent with the largest agency in town and had a damn nice golf game

for good measure. He’d handled all my insurance needs for several years and we’d

always been on good terms though I wouldn’t say that we were close friends.

“Sure thing, Ron,” I replied, “Pull up a chair and lay it on me. I’m open to almost any

conversation as long as it doesn’t include you selling me any more insurance.”

He managed a small chuckle at my smaller-yet joke and said, “Don’t worry about that,

Ted. The way I’m feeling today, I couldn’t sell a drowning man a life preserver.” He

signaled Frank, our club bartender, for another round for both of us and then continued.

“Ted, stop me any time you think I’m out of line but I’ve gotta’ talk to somebody about

this or I’m liable to do something rash; like tell Al Jones to ‘shove it’ and leave the

agency.”

That threw me a bit of a curve. I knew that Allen Jones was the founder of the agency

where Ron had been employed for over ten years and, in fact, I had played a few rounds

of golf with Allen when I’d first moved to town and was a new member here at the club.

Frankly, he was a pretty lousy golfer and we just sort of both found other players who

were better suited to our own abilities. It was common knowledge around town that he

had suffered a fairly severe stroke about nine months ago and, although he had returned

to his agency, he was now forced to use a wheel chair to get around. I had a sinking

feeling that Ron was about to drag me into the middle of something distasteful between

Allen and him, but, before I had the opportunity to say anything, Ron got right to his

point.

“Ted, I really do respect you. Your reputation is that you tell it like it is; without the

bullshit that you get from most guys. I know, from handling your insurance portfolio that

you owned a successful business for many years before you sold it and that you’re doing

very well now as a part-time investor in commodities as well as commercial real estate.

In other words, you have more experience in your little finger than I do in my entire

body. And, if you don’t mind, I’d like to seek your council. After you hear me out, you

can either give me some advice or tell me to ‘go piss up a rope.’ No hard feelings either

way, okay?”

I replied,” Alright, Ron; but let me lay some ground rules before you even start. I’ll be

glad to listen to what you have on your mind but only to the point that it appears to me

that I can’t even begin to give you kind of advice you need or you cross the line into any

kind of character assassination on anyone I know. If one or both of those things happen,

I’m just gonna’ get up and walk out on you; understood?” He said he understood

completely.

Rather than repeat the 90 minute conversation to you readers “chapter and verse,” I’ll try

and sum up what he had to say and the advice that came very naturally from me after I

had heard him out.

The crux of Ron’s displeasure was that, during a dinner right here at the club about a year

ago, that included both his wife of nearly 50 years, Francis Jones and Ron’s lovely young

wife, Sarah. Allen had apparently “promised” that he would give Ron, his leading agent,

first right of refusal to purchase the agency from him when he retired in “five years.”

Now, with the stroke, the timetable had been moved up.

After that offer had been made to him, Ron had taken the initiative to talk to the bank that

handled the agency’s account and was also where he and Sarah did their personal

banking. Allen had apparently been more interested in receiving an income stream from

the sale rather than a one-time cash influx because he offered to carry 50% of the

substantial selling price back on a ten year promissory note, if Ron could come up with

the other 50% when the sale was consummated.

It was actually a no brainer for the bank as Ron and his wife then had a large equity in

their home and, with his excellent income and credit scores, pledged to the bank that he

would pay extra principal towards their mortgage balance over the five years until Allen

retired and this would mean that the equity in their home by then would be collateralizing

the bank on well over half of the total deal. Most importantly, the agency was a very well

established business and was, as the bank knew from firsthand knowledge, a real “cash

cow.” The Sheppards would need to manage their business and personal finances

carefully until they could pay off both the Jones Family Trust, (the actual ‘owner’ of the

agency), and the friendly local bank. After that time, as the local saying goes, they would

be in “high clover” financially.

So far; so good, right?

Well, nothing ever seems to go exactly as planned. Allen sure didn’t plan to have a stroke

within a few months of their dinner meeting and certainly not to be forced into retiring

for health reasons years before he’d projected. And he didn’t know that an out of town

buyer would appear shortly after his stroke and offer him well over full asking price;

either in cash or with any amount of down payment and terms to suit The Jones Family

Trust’s desires.

And, therein, lies the dilemma for both the Allen and Ron. Although there had been

nothing put in writing between them, they both still wanted their original deal to be

honored and move forward just as soon as possible. The problem was that, for now, the

bank wouldn’t have enough collateral to meet “their criteria,” since the Sheppards hadn’t

had the five years they’d planned on having to pay the additional principal towards their

mortgage. From the Jones’s point of view, Allen’s serious health problems now made a

quick cash sale much more attractive than it had once been. His prognosis wasn’t good.

Now, I didn’t say this to Ron but my question was this: Why couldn’t the bank, knowing

how well the agency did financially and that Ron was the most logical successor to Allen,

proceed with a smaller collateralization from Ron and Sarah’s home, bump the interest

rate they quoted agency deal by a percentage point (to keep their bean-counters

satisfied), and maybe even stretch the term to 12 years if they were concerned with the

agency’s cash flow being sufficient for Ron to make his payments. After all, the

“Elephant in The Room” was still standing tall; and that elephant was the large profits the

agency generated. To me, this deal was still virtually a no brainer.

If I were a betting man, I’d say that the new buyer had “very deep pockets” and may have

promised the local bank additional business revenues from other sources. Of course, I’m

not a real objective observer when it comes to the inner-workings of banks for one fairly

simple reason: I hate dealing with the bastards! If you have money, they can’t wait to

give you any amount you want. If you’re trying to start a business, and don’t have

money, you may eventually get it but only after much groveling and kissing of behinds.

But, I digress; that’s a story left for later telling.

The bottom line was that, after several meetings over the past few weeks, Ron was at the

end of his rope. Allen was very willing to go with their initial verbal agreement, even

though he would be “leaving some substantial money on the table” by passing on the

other buyer’s higher offer. But Ron couldn’t make that work without the bank’s

cooperation. And the bank was not willing to cooperate.

Ron had been offered a position with a smaller agency but knew his heart really wouldn’t

be in it. He had been proud to work for the “number one” agency in the area and had his

heart set on owning “number one.” But he also knew that, after he and Sarah had spent

countless sleepless nights planning on how he would and could improve Allen’s agency’s

already strong market share and it’s reputation for customer service, he could never

remain as an agent for a new owner; the owner that should have been Ron Sheppard.

It had taken Ron 45 minutes and two more drinks to bring me up to speed on his

problems. Before he got too drunk to understand what I now sincerely wanted to share

with him, I said, “I can understand why you are upset, Ron. And, if you can go by my

rules for the next few minutes, I do have some thoughts for you to consider. And my

rules are as follows: First of all, you switch from those double Scotch on the rocks to hot,

black coffee, at least until you’ve heard all you want to hear from me. Secondly, I’m not

here to argue with you so I don’t want to be interrupted. After I’m finished, you can say

whatever suits you or you can pour your coffee over my head but, in the meantime, just

keep your mouth shut and listen; understood?” He understood.

Once again, for the sake of brevity, I won’t bore you with a verbatim repetition of all I

said to Ron. Instead, I’ll just give you an abbreviated version of the story I told him: A

story about….perseverance.

There is a man I’ve known for what seems like a lifetime. We started grade school

together, played together after school and over the summer months; we even attended the

same junior high school and high school. There were times after high school that I’d lose

touch with him for awhile. But we always seemed to get back together eventually.

When he was a young man, he grew up in a dysfunctional home; his father was a drunken

house painter and his mother was a truck stop waitress who basically supported their

family as his dad’s earnings went mainly to support his close relationship with the booze.

The boy came late into his parents’ lives; obviously un-planned and just as obviously un-

wanted…at least by his dad. He watched his dad physically abuse his mom more times

than he could remember but, at 16, he’d walked in on a beating in progress after school

and had knocked his old man on his ass. To his knowledge, his dad never again

physically abused his mom but the verbal abuse didn’t go away. Even before that day, his

dad chose to abuse his only son emotionally, giving him loving messages like, “You’ll

never amount to a damn thing,” and “All you are is a damn mistake; a late night at the

VFW club.” That emotional abuse was far more harmful than any kind of beatings the kid

might’ve received. The emotional scars never healed; never went away.

Somehow, this kid still managed to earn good grades and won letters in football,

basketball and baseball during all three of his high school years. And he did all that

while working at odd jobs to help his mom with much-needed money and to keep himself

in decent clothes. He somehow even managed to buy a very used car his sophomore year

and then proceeded to slowly fix it up until, by high school graduation, it was one of the

coolest rods in our small hometown.

This guy had no plans to attend college as the student loans that were to become available

later, weren’t around then; and his mom sure couldn’t afford any college tuition.

Although he was a good high school level athlete, he wasn’t quite good enough to be

offered any kind of athletic scholarship. So he had planned to join the Navy and “see the

world” as soon as he graduated. He’s even given some thought to making a career in the

military. The fact was that he enjoyed the discipline that came with the military; he hoped

he could cut it as a Marine.

He was a pretty good lookin’ guy and had his fun with the ladies. But he had a little too

much fun with one in particular and was soon informed that he was going to be a father;

the baby was due one month before his 18th

birthday and two months before high school

graduation. Another unexpected detour on the map he’d laid out for his future.

In those days, a young man “did the right thing” and married the girl. That is, if she

wanted to marry him. Otherwise, she’d often go away “to visit an out of state aunt,” have

the baby and immediately give it up for adoption. Abortions happened but not often.

Funny thing though; he found that he really loved this girl and she felt the same so they

were married before the baby was born.

The only higher education opportunity available to him was at a local teachers college.

He had no desire to ever be a teacher but he didn’t want to pump gas for a living either so

he and his bride, with a little financial help from her parents, moved into married student

on-campus housing, consisting of converted Army barracks with walls so thin you could

hear the toilet flush three units away. While attending college, he began to think that

coaching might be a career he would enjoy because of his love of sports. But teachers

made very little money and he discovered that there was much more to be made in

becoming a salesman. He found this out first hand while working one of his many part-

time jobs. He and his wife soon had another baby on the way and, after two years at the

college, he dropped out and went to work selling insurance full time. Although the

money was okay, he soon realized he hated the job and the hours.

So he then found himself with a young wife, two young boys and a job he hated. He also

knew that he envied his old high school buddies who would come home from places like

the University of Miami, Arizona State and The University of Colorado; all with tales of

orgies with wild college chicks. Again, he had taken a wrong turn at a crossroads in his

life and was basically lost.

To complicate matters, he found that, even though he kept selling insurance, he spent

more time drinking with other agents at a local bowling alley where, during “Happy

Hour,” hard liquor drinks were 25 cents from 4:00 to 6:00. With cigarettes at 30 cents a

pack (another habit he’d recently acquired), you could get shit-faced drunk and smoke up

a storm and still go home with change from a five dollar bill.

To further complicate things, he found that, even though he never hid the fact that he was

“happily married,” it was almost too easy to find a good lookin’ piece of tail by the time

“Happy Hour” was coming to an end. The problem was that he loved his wife even more

than he had when they decided to marry and thus suffered from tremendous feelings of

guilt about his behavior.

It finally hit him that he wasn’t much better than his drunken old man; maybe not even as

good since he didn’t know of his dad screwing around with other women; just drinking

himself to death.

He was as low as he could go.

But he talked things over with his wife; even the ugly parts and, together, they decided

that they needed to go somewhere new for “a fresh start in life.” If they kept on with the

way they were living their lives, it was certain that they wouldn’t be together much

longer and neither of them wanted that.

They packed all their worldly possessions, rented the smallest U-Haul trailer available,

and drove west towards Oregon. As road trips go, it wasn’t a pleasant one; not with one

bored four year old and one apparently very unhappy toddler who seemed to cry at least

80% of the time. Having the car break down in Iowa and again in Wyoming didn’t help

matters; nor did her having to call her dad to send money for the necessary repairs via

Western Union. More than once they talked of aborting the trip and heading back to their

hometown. But they ultimately knew what that would ultimately mean to their little

family and, instead, continued on their journey.

Eight days later, they made their destination of Salem, Oregon, where his sister and

brother in law had invited them to stay until a decent job was located and they were able

to find a place of their own. After almost three months, he started as a sales trainee for a

dental equipment and supply company and they re-located 60 miles south on I-5 to

Eugene, Oregon where his new employer was located. Everything went great for several

months. He hardly drank except for an occasional beer; making sure to steer clear of

hard liquor which he knew was his weakness.

On one of his trips to cover his accounts on the coast, he happened to end up staying in

Newport on night and it happened that the motel he’d randomly chosen had a cocktail

lounge. And it just happened that, after a couple beers, he struck up a conversation with a

nice looking woman a couple stools down from where he was seated. He found that he

was soon drinking Scotch on the rocks, which also happened to be the woman’s drink of

choice. Finally, it happened that they were both looking for more than bar room chit-chat

and ended up going back to his room, along with a newly acquired bottle of Scotch,

where….it happened. It was only a one night stand for both of them but the

subsequences of their dalliance had a much heavier impact on him than it had on her.

That one-nighter opened up the flood-gates for all the things that he had suppressed

during the last several months and he was soon drinking every night and, when he was

out of town, often ended with him having more sexual encounters.

He was what then was termed “a highly functioning alcoholic” in that he never missed

work and, in fact, his territory sales increased almost every quarter to the point that he

was soon the company’s leading producer. Even he didn’t know how he managed to pull

off this “double-life” but supposed that it was just due to his unusually “strong physical

constitution.” It wasn’t that he didn’t feel “like death warmed-over” most morning-

afters; it had more to do with his talents as a decent actor that was, apparently, at least

good enough to fool his Sales Manager, co-workers and clients.

Nonetheless, the end of their marriage loomed large as, (surprise; surprise), his wife

didn’t base the condition of their marriage on his being able to fool others about his

drinking problems and infidelities or on his growing sales numbers. They had a

confrontation on the “state of their union” one night after the boys had been put to bed.

It was fairly simple really; his problems hadn’t magically disappeared when the moved

2,000 mile west. They could have moved 4,000 miles to Australia, and his dual

addictions would’ve welcomed the change of scenery right along with the rest of their

family. His pride, along with the Scotch he’d consumed, got in the way of any rational

discussion that night and he ended up packing his bag and moving to a local Holiday Inn.

He lasted less than a full week and then begged her to let him back if he quit drinking.

Without hesitating, she accepted his pledge and for several weeks, things went well.

Then he slowly but surely started back on the drinking again and, without confronting

him this time, she had contacted a divorce attorney.

So it was that, at one of the lowest points in their lives together, he was offered a

promotion to become the Sales Manager for the company’s much larger Salt Lake City,

Utah branch. Ironically, he would be replacing a guy who was taking early retirement

due to health problems. In confidence, he was told that this “health problem” was, in

fact, a long-standing drinking problem that had finally gotten out of control.

When he excitedly told his wife about the offer that night, he was the one who brought up

how he would now have to live without any drinking because, to do otherwise would be

sure suicide for his future. And besides, being a “Mormon State,” there was a lot less

drinking and less peer pressure to drink just to fit in. The company wanted him and his

wife to fly over to Salt Lake City to check out the area before they made a definitive

decision. They did that immediately and loved what they saw. He felt good about his

new Branch Manager there and all the staff and the few salesmen he met all seemed ultra

friendly; as did everyone they came in contact with during that trip.

Within three weeks, the family flew to Salt Lake City and checked into the Hotel Utah

until they could find a home to rent. No more driving across the country pulling a U-

Haul trailer. Now the company was paying a moving company to handle all that as well

as taking care of all their living expenses while they found a suitable home.

He was there for seven years and it was to be one of the best periods of their life together

to date. His drinking was limited to the very weak beer (3.2% alcohol) that was allowed

to be sold by the state and, since he really didn’t care for the watery brew, his heavy

drinking days seemed to be a thing of the past. They soon bought their very first home

together and their boys flourished in the new environment except for the occasional

pushiness they all four experienced when it came to their Mormon neighbors

“suggesting” that they consider joining “The Church.” After several approaches, the

word must have gotten out that they weren’t good prospects for recruitment and the issue

of religion wasn’t a big issue.

This wonderful period in their lives might have gone on indefinitely except for his being

so successful in his work and the impact that had on his ambition and on his ego. He

approached his wife about opening up their own company in the dental industry. She was

very much against the idea at first, which he had anticipated. But he slowly wore down

her resistance with assurances that “the real money” was in owning and growing your

own company and later selling to a larger competitor. This was, in fact, happening all

around the country in the late 70s and had made several guys he had gotten to know at

various dental conventions into “instant millionaires.” The trend in the industry was for

less and less privately owned small companies and more and more larger regional

companies and, of course, the best and fastest way for this to happen was for them to buy

the smaller companies, including existing sales and support staff and the all important

market share they already controlled.

Finally, he convinced his wife that this was the thing to do. One down-side was that they

would have to move away from Utah, where they’d been extremely happy, and re-locate

to Denver, a much larger market that he knew from his market research provided a better

opportunity for a new company to do well.

His new company did do extremely well; so well that, over the next three years, they

opened up new branches in Phoenix and Las Vegas. This expansion was done with

money borrowed from banks that were more than happy to lend him money based on the

new company’s strong sales and profits. They asked him and his wife to put up the equity

in their home but that wasn’t a problem to either of them as the future was looking ultra

bright. Everything he had projected was coming true and the future never looked brighter.

On a personal level, he had become a “workaholic” instead of an alcoholic. Although he

didn’t know it at the time, trading one addiction for another was a natural transition

because he had what would later be called an “obsessive-compulsive behavior” problem.

However, working obsessively to grow a new company undoubtedly served him well and

he’d already received a couple of “feelers” from much larger dental companies. For now,

he wasn’t interested in selling as his “seven year plan” was to eventually have 12 to 15

branches throughout the west and then to sell……with a much larger ultimate “pay-day.”

And he was well on his way; even a little ahead of schedule based on his original

projections.

Then a funny thing happened in the early 1980s. With rampant inflation happening

throughout the country, the prime rate eventually reached 21%; a dramatic and crippling

increase from four years earlier when he had chosen to go for a “prime plus 2%” loan

instead of paying the god-awful 10% all banks were asking for fixed-rate business loans

at the time of his expansions to Phoenix and Las Vegas.

And that wasn’t the entire ugly scene that was on the horizon. Besides trying to service

his debt of nearly $350,000.00 at 23%, with his monthly payments to the bank nearly

three times higher than they had been, the inflationary interest rates made it very

unattractive for his company’s dental clients to purchase the higher ticket equipment

items; items that created a good portion of his profits. Hell, they sure didn’t want to pay

23% or even more; and who could blame them?

Within five months, he was forced into business and personal bankruptcy. Without the

success of the business to obsess about, and now suffering from a deep depression, he

found it very easy to slip back into the wonderful world of the now not-so-highly-

functioning alcoholic. Without a doubt, he was truly as close to suicide than he ever

thought anyone could be; without actually doing the deed! He had a “key-man” life

insurance policy still in force, only because the company had elected to pay it annually

back in better days, with a face value of one million dollars. Now he obsessed on how he

could get away with making it look like an accidental death so that his wife and sons

would collect the double-indemnity amount of two million dollars. He realized and fully

accepted that it was no longer a matter of if he was going to take his own life, it was only

a question of how and when. No question that his family would be far better off with that

kind of money than life with a drunken business failure for a husband and father.

It was on the first Saturday of January 1990 that he received a phone call from the owner

of a small dental company in Boise, Idaho. He had met this guy at a dental meeting in

Boise several years ago and they had become good friends, often having lunch at this

meeting or that. At first, it was the usual “sorry to hear about your company” kind of

calls; he’d received plenty of those during the last few months and, while he appreciated

the sentiment, he didn’t really like to be reminded over and over again about his failure.

But this call wasn’t all that simple. By the time they hung up 45 minutes later, his friend

had informed him that he was going to be opening up a branch of his company in Salt

Lake City and wanted to know if he’d be interested in managing the new location. This

was no time to play hard-to-get so he had said he would welcome the opportunity. They

had ended their call by setting up a dinner meeting at the Hotel Utah the following

Thursday to discuss the details.

After telling his wife all about the call, they were both excited almost beyond words.

Without it even being mentioned, they both understood that he would have to clean up his

act in a hurry if this was going to work out. This man was a Mormon but one of what he

and his wife called the “good Mormons:” Those with a sense of humor who didn’t take

themselves or their ultra-conservative religion too seriously. But he sure wouldn’t want to

hire a depressed, suicidal alcoholic either so there was no choice but to immediately quit

the drinking “cold turkey.”

It was an ugly weekend with him going through a very tough withdrawal from all the

hard and nearly continuous drinking he’d been doing, almost non-stop, for many weeks

in a row. But he “kept his eye on the prize,” as his old football coach used to say, and, by

Tuesday afternoon, he was able to have a bowl of tomato soup and keep it down. By

Thursday, he had pulled himself together to the point where he at leased appeared to be

confident in himself and his ability to handle the big challenge of starting a new branch

for the company.

In fact, the meeting went well and they had reached a decision to move forward together

by the time dessert was finished. His long-term relationship with this company went

even better. Before too long, the owner offered him a chance to buy-in as a partner, with

some “sweat equity” being credited to him for soon making the Salt Lake City branch

very profitable. It was a natural because he knew most of the local dentists and, just as

importantly, had good relationships with the top sales and service personnel in the area.

With the economy much improved, they then moved forward with new branches in Las

Vegas, Phoenix, Seattle, Denver and Portland; all up and running profitably by the end of

1999.

I t was a unbelievably hectic few years and he routinely put in 18 hour days and traveled

far more than he ever had. Even so, the relationship with his wife was better than it had

been for years. You see, he had finally stayed with his promise to her that he would stop

drinking. Both their boys had graduated from the University of Utah and were happily

married, planning on having children soon and were envolved in their new careers. Life

had never seemed more full of promise and he’d never felt better about himself and his

accomplishments.

But just as he thought things couldn’t get any better, he and his senior partner were

presented with an offer from the largest dental distributor in the world; one they just

could not refuse, even though they were both very happy with the status quo. Both

partners were contractually obligated to stay with the larger company for two years as

part of the Buy-Sell Agreement. They had been paid for their company with stock and

weren’t legally allowed to sell it for two years anyway so they agreed with the terms;

even though, in truth, they were skeptical about how they would be able to adapt from

making all the key decisions themselves to becoming just two more of the 12,000

employees the company employed around the world.

As it turned out, they had no reason for concern. The new company was excellent to

work with and the partners were given positions as Regional Managers so their duties and

responsibilities weren’t all that much different than what they’d been before the sale.

Sure, they had to report to people “up the corporate ladder,” but most of the time, they

continued their own proven management styles. The net result was that they both stayed

well past the required two years.

And they were certainly glad that they had. They were also very pleased that they hadn’t

sold their company stock after the two years had passed. The parent company just kept

becoming more and more profitable through both increased market share in existing

locations along with many more acquisitions world-wide. The result was that the $8.00

per share value of the parent company’s stock in 1996 grew to $80.00 by 2007 and then

split two-for-one. It rode out the recession that began in 2008 and had gone up to over

$70.00 a share by early in 2012.

Both partners had retired years before then but still kept track of the parent company for

many reasons. One reason was that both had become “paper millionaires” when they

sold their company in 1996, even though they couldn’t sell the stock for two years. And

that proviso turned out to be a very good thing. While neither partner kept 100% of their

original stock from the sale, they still had enough to make it interesting to watch the

stock’s steady rise. By the way, had they kept all of their original stock, by 2012, both

partners would have had over $26 million in the parent company’s stock. Even as it was,

they were both far wealthier than they’d ever dared dreamed possible and had lived a

very nice life-style for many years.

And that, my friends and readers, is a summary of the much more detailed story I told

Ron Sheppard late that afternoon at the club.

Now I needed to find out if any of what I was attempting to impart to him had gotten

through is now coffee-soaked brain.

Ron had kept his word and hadn’t once interrupted the story. He seemed to have been

completely caught up by this tale of my friend’s life. I finally said, “Okay, Ron, I want to

ask you a very direct question. After all the ups and downs my friend went through; with

all the strikes he had against him from the day he was born; with all the personal

problems he carried on his back most of his life; with his obsessive-compulsive

personality and the resulting addictions to alcohol and extras-marital sex; with the other

obstacles he had to overcome; circumstances over which he had no control; with all he

had to battle and defeat, how do you think he was able to eventually become the

relatively successful person he is today?”

Ron sat there for some time, staring down at his empty coffee cup, while he contemplated

what I’d just asked him. Finally, I saw the beginnings of a smile at the corner of his

mouth and, when he raised his head, I saw that he had gotten the message. He did smile

then and said simply, “By refusing to give up, right?”

I smiled back at him and said, “You’re damn right; it was something I identify as

perseverance that eventually got him where he wanted to be. He could have quit many

times and most people wouldn’t have blamed him one bit. But he didn’t: He persevered

until he reached his goal of being a successful and well off businessman. He used his

perseverance to put two sons through college; to provide almost everything that his wife

ever wished for; not just material things but the contentment and peace of mind she

deserved for sticking by him through the bad times as well as the good.”

“He wouldn’t want it this generally known, but my friend was fortunate enough to have

eventually been in a position to make several large, anonymous donations to various

charities and institutions. In other words, he achieved more than anybody who knew his

background and personal problems would ever have expected. And he was able to do

these things, to a very large degree, because he had perseverance.”

Ron replied, “After hearing about your friend, I’m thinking that my situation maybe isn’t

the end of the world after all. But I don’t know how to actually change the situation I’m

in; no matter how much “perseverance” I have. The damn bank still holds all the cards. If

I can’t convince the bank to come around, I’m still royally screwed.”

“You’re right to a point, Ron. But you have options my friend. And you haven’t even

explored all of them, have you?”

That threw him a curve, as I knew it would, so I continued. “Have you given any thought

to taking on a partner to make the deal work?”

“Actually, I have. There’s another agent there named Tim Grey who would make a good

partner. He’s a real go-getter and a hell of a nice guy. We go to dinner together with our

wives a couple times a month. Sarah’s a pretty good judge of character and she thinks

highly of Tim. We’ve talked about a partnership of some kind but the problem is that he

doesn’t have the money to invest. To own even a 20% position in the agency, he’d need

about $50,000.00 up-front to the bank, and be able to assign collateral worth another

$150,000.00. And all he has is about $25,000.00 equity in his home.”

Without hesitating, I said, “What if I was to co-sign for him at the bank? The three of us

would need to be a side agreement covering any defaults by either of you on your

obligation to the bank. If you ultimately didn’t make a go of the agency, I would have the

right to either take a complete ownership position or could exercise the right to find

another buyer to take me out of the deal; with or without your approval.”

Ron’s expression brightened considerably and he said, “If you’re serious about being

willing to co-sign at the bank, I would love to have you as a partner in the agency.”

Before he could continue, I interrupted, saying, “No you wouldn’t, Ron. At this point in

my life, I wouldn’t buy a business unless I held a 51% interest and was involved in the

hands-on day-to-day operations. And besides, I know nothing about the insurance except

that I consider it a necessary evil-type thing. What you need is someone like this Tim

fella who you like and who works in and apparently enjoys the insurance almost as much

as you do and who apparently is willing to take a non-controlling 20% interest. Besides

being repaid, my only financial gain on this agreement would be that I would receive a

“consulting fee” amounting to 10% of the agency’s annual net profit only until the agency

pays off my obligation to the bank in full.”

I then continued, “What I’d like to suggest before we even think about this approach, is

that the three of us have a private meeting to make sure everyone is agreeable to the

terms. If you can arrange it with Tim, we can meet at my home as early as tomorrow

night and see if we’re all on the same page together.”

As I drove home that evening, I thought of all the times in my own life I could’ve used a

helping hand to help with decision-making. With what I’d outlined to Ron, my risk was

minimal and the reward was helping a couple of young, ambitious young men become

successful in a business they loved. I thought about the unexpected phone call my old

friend had received that virtually turned his life around in so many ways. Mostly though,

I hoped that sharing my friend’s story with Ron, had opened his mind to the many

possibilities and options that are usually out there waiting to be found if one doesn’t

merely just give up when the going gets rough. Most importantly, I hoped I had given

Ron an idea of the importance of perseverance in all aspects of one’s life.

For the record, our meeting went very well. I was nearly impressed with Tim as I was

with Ron and was further convinced that the two of them having a partner, with whom

they could discuss all aspects of the business, would be a great contribution towards

success. The only proviso I’d added was that they were to tell no one that I was a

financial backer of the agency. I was to remain as a true “silent partner.”

I’m happy to report that the agency is, as I’d thought, doing very well and I expect that

my bank obligation will soon be paid in full. Even though I’ll miss those nice annual

checks I’ve received over the past few years, I’m still more than okay with that.

Perhaps sometime in the not too distant future, Ron will remember the story of my friend

and will pass it on, in one form or another, to someone who will benefit from it. I believe

that he will. After all, it is yet just one of a million examples out there that prove how

“perseverance pays.”

Sometimes, usually when I’m having trouble falling asleep, I wonder if Ron ever figured

out just who “my friend” really was. I believe he did and that makes me sleep like a

baby.

ASK SYD

SYD,

My name is Taylor. I have been wondering how to live the life I want to live while living

in the world with all these different things pulling and pushing at me. I really want my

parents to be happy with my choices, and I want to make sure that I am happy with my

choices as well. I look around and see so many of my friends that aren’t going anywhere,

and really question if they will ever become what they say they want to be. I am scared,

because what if I end up in that same boat, NEVER BECOMING WHAT I WANT TO

BE???

Taylor, thank you for asking this question. You aren’t alone; that is for sure.

Life can be a tricky thing to live through. It can push your buttons and can make good

decision-making one of the most difficult skills to master. I’m a firm believer in living

life based on how you are feeling. Your heart and soul seldom make mistakes when it

comes to decision-making; now isn’t that a strange thing to hear? If you will notice when

you begin to think of something, you are either inspired or excited by the thought, or you

are stressed and on-edge about the idea of pushing forward. Learning to go with

inspiration will lift a person’s life, their ability to achieve, the way they view themselves,

their ideas and ultimately, it creates more successes than failures. Success can only be

created through positive beliefs, ideas, habits, action-taking, and activities. Failure comes

when you fail to find the gift each experience offers, and when you fail to move when

inspired.

As an adult, you may be finding it a challenge to make decisions and choices in your life

based upon what you think your parents want, or maybe simply based upon WHAT you

know they want. As a young adult, part of the growing process is to not only spread your

wings, but it is your time to FLY. Learning to fly may cause some injury here and there,

but once it is mastered, the view is amazing! As you are learning to FLY, your parents

are learning along with you. They are learning to allow you to fly. If you can find it in

your heart to understand that they mean well, and only want the best for you, it can be a

bit easier handling their pressure. Many times, simply thanking your parents for their

love, concern, and years of care-taking can ease the next step. The next step can be a

challenge, but well worth it. Asking them for space to allow you the amazing opportunity

to make your mistakes is a brilliant gift only they can give you. Giving you the

opportunity to learn to stand up when you fall down, brush off and push on, is truly one

of the most beautiful gifts they can offer you. It is also one of the most valuable life gifts

you will ever receive …..

SYD

DANCE and my Life

Alaina E. I started a dance journey very early in my life; I was 3 when I took my first dance class. Dance quickly became the center of my world and the love of my life growing up as a child & teenager, but this is not the story that I am going to tell. The story I am going to share with you readers is one that changed my life forever! I am a person that, when I decide to do something, I do it, no questions asked, as long as my heart is in it. Somewhere along my journey, I allowed myself to lose sight of where I wanted to be with my life. I let people redirect me, allowed them to judge my ideas, and fell into a downward spiral of always trying to please everyone else. I stopped dancing. I had so many excuses: no money or time, bad knee, I was a mommy now so how could I dance....the list went on and on. Eventually, my world of so-called "happiness" came crashing down. I was broken, and I had no direction in life. After some time, I was slowly putting myself back together again. I thought I was doing a pretty good job, that is until a friend recommended that I come to a dance class with her. This is when I met Syd; she could not wait to get her hands on me to shake me out of this crazy funk I was allowing myself to live in. I introduced myself. I shared with her that I have a son and that I'm a hairstylist. This is all she knew about me. Within the first hour of meeting me and watching me dance, possibly sooner, she knew everything about me. She didn’t hold anything back. She laid everything out on the table—sure she didn't know exact details of my past, but she read me better than anyone I have ever met or known. My jaw dropped to the floor. I don't cry in front of people, but she almost had me in tears. I then realized that I had a long road ahead of me and a lot of hard work, if I ever wanted to move forward and let my past just be the past. I didn't need to take my past with me on my journey. It could stay where it was, dropped off but not forgotten. It was no longer going to define me. You cannot move forward if you keep re-reading the last chapter. So here I was, so inspired for all this newness that was going to take over my world. It was a good thing I was so inspired, or I may not have continued this journey. I found dance again, I found inspiration....now what? I had to learn how to use them. I was amazed at how even my dancing was closed off due to all the walls and barriers I had built up to protect myself. I wasn't going to let anybody in, but for some reason, I felt good about Syd. I followed my heart for the first time in years! It took her a couple months to break through, but when she did, magic happened. My soul was changed forever. I still can't quite put it into words, but it was peaceful. She used dance as a stepping stone for me to find myself again. I used dance as a stepping stone to find happiness again, the real kind of happy. The “happy” that only you can know, because it warms your heart. You know that if you can make yourself laugh out loud when you are

completely alone, then you have to be in a pretty good place. I was able to change my perspective on life and people. I became a more balanced person. It is an amazing thing to look back on; my dancing improved, and my “EVERYTHING” improved! The small baby steps I took years ago were just setting me in motion to become the strong person I am today. I feel so lucky that I was able to turn things around for myself and my family. I will constantly continue to work on growing as a person to improve my life. There will always be something that I can improve upon, and for that, I am so very grateful. I will forever be grateful for Syd and dance. It is an amazing thing when you let go and just believe that life will sort itself out if you allow it. This personal journey has helped me in ways that you can only imagine. Following your heart is a beautiful thing; allow yourself to do it. Believe in yourself and your ideas; you will become something more than you could have ever imagined.

SKIN

To all of you sun-worshipers out there—How well are you taking care of your skin???? I can tell you from experience, I was one of those fair-skinned teenagers who planned the day to sunbathe out in my backyard. I visited the local tanning salons, trying to get as dark as I could, just to fit in. It was back in the days of using baby oil or coconut oil with a SPF of 4, thinking it would help produce a lovely bronze color. All of the vacations where I didn't think I would burn, but I did. Did I ever get that dark? No, I did not. Did I know what I was doing to my skin? What I was doing is burning my skin, causing more freckles, and damaging my skin’s cells—even possibly leading to skin cancer. As we get older, what do we do with the damage we already have caused? We start buying expensive creams, which we hope will be that "miracle cream" to help with all of the beautiful wrinkles and dark spots we have inherited. We realize the "miracle cream" isn't working; we look to find another "miracle cream" and so on and so on. Next thing you know, we have drawers full of creams that didn't work and a lot of money out of our pockets. Feeling frustrated and looking for perfection, we start looking for more drastic measures. We start searching for the right esthetician, dermatologist or maybe a plastic surgeon to help with those wrinkles and to lighten skin with peels or lasers. It’s a never-ending battle; one we could have started simply, from the very beginning, by protecting our skin with the right sun protection.

Let's talk about SPF, which stands for Sun Protection Factor. What is the difference between SPF 15 and SPF 100? The idea is the level of SPF is the time and amount of light that is allowed to penetrate the skin. The higher SPF, the longer you can spend in the sun without getting burned. Here is a paragraph which goes into a little more detail on how it works from http://dermatology.about.com/cs/skincareproducts/a/spf.htm, "A sunscreen with an SPF of 15 filters 92% of the UVB. Put another way, a sunscreen with an SPF of 15 will delay the onset of a sunburn in a person who would otherwise burn in 10 minutes to burn in 150 minutes. The SPF 15 sunscreen allows a person to stay out in the sun 15 times longer."

Do you need to reapply your sunscreen if it has a higher SPF? YES! You should reapply as often as you can, especially if you are swimming or sweating in the sun.

Do you have to wear sunscreen when you work inside all day? YES! The ugly florescent lights people have to deal with everyday do nothing for your skin. It's best to wear a SPF 15 or higher daily. One easy way to remember is to find a moisturizer or makeup that includes sun protection.

Do you have to wear sunscreen if you have a darker complexion because of your heritage? Absolutely! Just because you have a darker skin color does not mean you will not burn. You definitely need your sunscreen.

A fun item I came across recently was a sun protection kit from Sephora.com. It was $30.00 and came with various samples of lotions and potions for your face and body with different levels of SPF. A few of the items were even self-tanning lotions. This was a fun way to try out different products without spending a fortune. If you do come across samples, use them. It’s a great way to find out what works best for your skin type. For those of you that just HAVE to be tan, there are many products and ways to accomplish your beautiful bronze look without the harmful effects of the sun. Self-tanners you apply at home are a great way to get your tan on. I find brands that have a gradual self-tanning process work best for me. This way I am not really dark right out of the gate. I can apply every day or every couple days to produce the color I prefer. The tricky part is finding the right one that works best with your skin tone and doesn't make you look orange. There are many tanning salons that offer the spray-on tan. This is done by going into a booth where the tanning solution is applied to your body as if you are in a shower. Although effective, I don't recommend the smell or the fact you can't breathe for a few minutes, because of the fumes. Another option is to have a tanning expert come to your home and use a spray tanning machine. A little more expensive but the great thing is they can customize the color, and you are in the privacy of your home. The key here: Remember your sunscreen everyday! Start now; it will help you save a lot more money in the long run. Article by: Leslie P. Sagers Master Esthetician lesliesmh@gmail.com

The 10 Commandments Of Health in the

Twentieth Century

In this day and age, it has become increasingly more difficult to maintain a

healthy lifestyle. With our work schedules and family lives spinning out of control, we

seem to grab-and-go most meals without a moment’s thought of how healthy or

unhealthy they might be. I think we can better our health and prolong our lives by just

following these 10 simple guidelines; be a better you.

Stop Smoking It is no secret that smoking can cause a long list of health problems from

premature aging to cancer. There are many cessation programs available to help you

overcome this seemingly unbreakable habit.

Move More If it’s just taking the stairs, parking further away, or joining an exercise

group, you need to move for at least 30 minutes per day. You can even break it up into

two-15 minute sessions if those two windows of time work better for you. The intensity

doesn’t have to be a major sweat session, just get moving more.

Stop Multitasking in the Car Put the phone down while driving! Talking on the phone

while driving can increase your chances of a crash 20 times, wow! Also, make sure you

always wear your seatbelt and protective gear while participating in sports and hobbies

i.e. a helmet.

Eat Better We all know to eat fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meats and fish, whole-

grains and no refined sugars. The easiest ways to follow this rule is to grocery shop with

a clear head and only shop the outer aisles. Stay clear of prepackaged and premade meals.

These meal can contain extremely high doses of sodium and other preservatives that are

better NOT in your diet. Remember to eat things that are from the earth and as clean as

possible. (Clean: no added preservatives or ingredients that are not natural, eat as fresh as

possible)

Lose Weight With two-thirds the population considered overweight, we need to be more

aware of our portions and food choices. The best way to keep this in check is to keep you

BMI in the normal range (18-24). Obesity is the leading cause of many diseases: cancer,

type-2 diabetes, heart disease, hypertension and strokes.

Get Annual Screenings We need to stay on top of all annual screenings and checkup:

mammograms, colonoscopies, yearly exams and any other screenings that are appropriate

for your personal health.

Get your Rest The need to power down every night is so extremely important. Turn off

all electronic devices at least an hour before you plan on hitting the rack. It takes our

brains that down time to relax enough to get that restful sleep we all deserve. The amount

of sleep is up to you; some of us require 8 hours, but others can remain healthy on 6-7

hours.

Use Drugs Wisely Dangerous mixes of prescription drugs is the leading cause of death,

above car crashes. Unintentional overdose is a serious problem, and we need to be aware

of what we take and when. Your doctor also needs to be informed of what you are taking

so precautions can be taken.

Watch Your Joints and Back Losing weight and getting regular exercise can help

alleviate pressure on your back and joints. Learning to lift properly, with your knees bent,

can also be key in keeping your joints stay healthy.

Watch Your Mental Health Exercise can be a mood booster but don’t ignore the signs

that you need someone to talk to. Most insurance companies now cover mental health, so

don’t hesitate…act now!

So, in the long run, just follow these simple rules, and you can cut your medical costs in

half as well as helping you feel younger and healthier. Life should be enjoyed!

Recipe of the month: Asian Turkey Cabbage Cups 1 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger 1 ¼ pounds ground turkey ½ cup thinly sliced green onions 1 tablespoon brown sugar 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro 2 tablespoon chopped fresh mint 2 tablespoon fresh lime juice 1 ½ tablespoons fish sauce 2 teaspoons olive oil 1 teaspoon dark sesame oil 1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped 12 large Napa cabbage leaves ¼ cup chopped unsalted, dry-roasted peanuts

1. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add ginger and turkey to pan; cook 7 minutes or until turkey is done, stirring frequently. Drain turkey mixture; place in a large bowl. Add green onions and next 8 ingredients (through jalapeno); toss well. Spoon 1/3 cup mixture into each cabbage leaf. Top with peanuts. Makes: 4 servings (serving size: 3 filled cabbage leafs)

CALORIES 267, FAT 13.6g. FIBER 1.4g. By Melissa Newell

Fracture-Proof Your Bones

The most important nutrient isn't calcium

More than 10 million Americans have the bone-weakening disease osteoporosis -- approximately 15% of

women and 4% of men over the age of 50. Another 34 million or so have osteopenia -- bone density that is

below normal and may lead to osteoporosis. And every year, two million people with osteoporosis have a

so-called "osteoporotic fracture," usually of the hip, spine or wrist.

New finding: Experts know that an osteoporotic hip fracture is disastrous -- 12% to 40% of victims die within

six months (partly because they tend to become depressed and more sedentary). But when Australian

researchers studied more than 4,000 people age 60 and older for 18 years, they found that almost any kind

of osteoporotic fracture increased the risk for death. Focusing on people over age 75, they found that

breaking a wrist increased mortality risk by 40% in women and 80% in men... a spinal fracture doubled

mortality risk in both sexes... and a hip fracture more than doubled mortality risk in women and tripled it in

men.

Another recent finding: Bone mineral density (BMD) does not accurately reflect fracture risk. A dual

energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) test measures the BMD in your hip, spine and wrist. A score of –1 to –

2.5 indicates osteopenia... a score under –2.5 signals osteoporosis. But in one study, 82% of women who

reported fractures of the wrist, forearm, hip, rib or spine in the year after a BMD test did not have scores

indicating osteoporosis (scores of –2.5 or lower).

Overall, BMD predicts only 44% of fractures in elderly women and 21% of fractures in elderly men.

New thinking: The BMD test indicates the hardness of bone, imparted by the minerals calcium and

magnesium. But flexibility is what helps bones resist fracture -- the bone’s ability to bend a bit and not break.

Flexibility is created by the bone’s collagen, the protein-rich infrastructure. To build bone collagen, you need

vitamin K.

THE SECRET BONE-SAVER

Vitamin K (phylloquinone) is a fat-soluble nutrient (like vitamins A and D) found abundantly in leafy green

vegetables. Vitamin K helps the liver manufacture proteins that control blood clotting. Vitamin K-2

(menaquinone) is formed in the body from vitamin K. Vitamin K-2 has many functions, including building

collagen in bone -- and preventing fractures.

New finding: Scientists at Harvard Medical School analyzed 10 years of health data on vitamin K intake and

bone health in more than 70,000 women in the Nurses’ Health Study. Those with the highest intake of

vitamin K had a 30% lower risk for hip fracture, compared with women who had the lowest intake. They also

found that women who ate the most lettuce -- the biggest source of vitamin K in most diets -- had a 45%

lower risk for hip fracture than those who ate the least.

What to do: The government’s recommendation for daily vitamin K intake is 90 micrograms (mcg) to 120

mcg. How do you maximize your intake? Eat your vegetables!

Top vegetables include kale (1,062 mcg per cup), spinach (889 mcg), turnip greens (851 mcg), collard

greens (836 mcg), Swiss chard (299 mcg), broccoli (220 mcg), brussels sprouts (219 mcg), butterhead

lettuce (167 mcg), cabbage (163 mcg) and asparagus (144 mcg). Among vegetable oils, soybean oil (3.4

mcg per tablespoon) and olive oil (8.1 mcg) score highest.

Don’t worry about cooking -- it doesn’t destroy the vitamin.

If you want the greatest peace of mind about getting sufficient vitamin K to prevent bone fractures, you may

want to take a daily supplement of the nutrient.

THE POWER OF MK4

Doctors from England analyzed the data from 13 studies on osteoporosis and a form of vitamin K called

MK4. They found vitamin MK4 decreased hip fractures by 73%, spinal fractures by 60% and nonspinal

fractures by 81%. Compare those results to the average 19% decrease in fracture risk from taking

supplements of calcium and vitamin D (which aids in the absorption of calcium).

To help my patients, I developed a supplement that contains the same amount and type of the nutrient (45

mg of MK4) used in the clinical trials. The supplement, called Osteo-K, also contains calcium, vitamin D,

magnesium and boron (available atwww.nbihealth.com. Osteo-K is available to Bottom

Line/Personal readers at a special discount. Use promotional code BLP.)

If you’re taking corticosteroids: Medications called corticosteroids (cortisone,prednisone, hydrocortisone)

are powerful anti-inflammatory agents. They are synthetic versions of cortisol, an adrenal hormone. They

often are prescribed to help control the symptoms of chronic diseases with an inflammatory component,

such as rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, lupus and severe asthma. Taken regularly for six

months or more, corticosteroids can cause osteoporosis. Additionally, taking these medicines for more than

six months increases the risk for vertebral fracture by up to 200%. Clinical trials have shown that taking 45

mg daily of MK4 decreases bone loss and fractures caused by corticosteroids.

Caution: If you are taking the anticoagulant warfarin (Coumadin), talk to your doctor before taking any type

of supplemental vitamin K, which can block the action of the drug.

DO DRUGS WORK?

You might think that a vitamin K supplement would be a lightweight compared to the widely prescribed

bisphosphonate drugs, such as alendronate (Fosamax), risedronate(Actonel) and zoledronic acid (Zometa).

But drugs are less effective at decreasing fracture risk than vitamin K. Example:Fosamax decreases

vertebral fracture risk by 47%, compared with a reduction of up to 60% for vitamin K.

And the latest research shows that these bone-building drugs can hurt your health...

Esophageal cancer. In December 2008, the FDA said Fosamax and other bisphosphonates might

increase the risk for esophageal cancer -- and that no one with Barrett’s esophagus (an esophageal problem

common among people with heartburn) should take these drugs.

Heart problems. People taking bisphosphonates are twice as likely to experience life-threatening heart

irregularities called arrhythmias.

Increased fracture risk. New evidence shows that people who take bisphosphonates for several years

may have an increased risk for sudden fractures during normal activity, such as standing or walking.

Bisphosphonates improve bone quantity, not bone quality -- and may affect bone growth in such a way as to

eventually create weaker bones.

Osteonecrosis of the jaw. In this disease -- also called "dead jaw" -- sections of the tissue of the jawbone

die after a major dental procedure, such as a tooth implant or extraction. People taking a bisphosphonate

have a 4% risk for this side effect after a dental procedure -- and top dental experts are warning that anyone

about to have such a procedure should stop taking the drug at least one month before the procedure.

Bottom line: Talk to your doctor about whether a bisphosphonate is right for you. You could take another

type of bone-building medication, such as parathyroid hormone, which decreases fracture risk by 65%. Or

you could add vitamin K to your regimen.

Bottom Line/Personal interviewed John Neustadt, ND, medical director of Montana Integrative Medicine

and the co-founder, with Steve Pieczenik, MD, PhD, of Nutritional Biochemistry, Incorporated (NBI) and NBI

Testing and Consulting Corp (NBITC). The doctors created Osteo-K, a calcium supplement formulated by

physicians from Harvard, Cornell, MIT and Bastyr that contains nutrients shown to decrease osteoporotic

fractures by more than 80 percent. For more information on osteoporosis supplements, bone health and

decreasing your risk for osteoporosis and fractures, visitwww.bonehealthproduct.com.

Dr. John Neustadt

Fingers and

Hello my fellow SYDgiRl readers. First I would like to thank you, the people who took the time to read my article and leave comments. I really do appreciate it. For this article, I figured I should tell you a little about myself. That way, you can have a better understanding of who I am. So the music depth that I find myself in would be the art form of being a professional D.J./Turntablist. The difference you may ask? Well yes there is; a person who simply plays music in a regular normal fashion is a DJ. However a Turntablist does the same, but with more creativity and amazement involved. It's like a regular DJ being in the minor leagues and the Turntablist being a professional in the major leagues. I chose this art form, because ever since I was young, I always craved music and dj’n and later found out that I was really good at it. It was something that came natural to me, and something that I can understand. Similar to the way a Dr. understands the human body. The feelings I get once I'm behind those Turntables, are feelings that give me a sense of full control of a dance floor. I love it when I play a song and see people rush to the dance floor, or see the reaction on someone's face once they hear a song they like. It has changed my life for the better. It kept me off the streets, gave me a better understanding of who I am, and I have a tendency to think more on the positive note. Believe it or not, I also learn of any new sounds or modern techniques that are currently being used in recording music. I've also had the pleasure of making some great friends along my journey. I would like to hear about what it is that you feel you are good at? Are you in that field today? Do you wish you were in that field now? Well let's get up and do something about it. It's never too late to accomplish something you feel belongs to you. I sure would hate to give up on something and then 10-15 maybe even 20 years later be saying to myself..."damn, what if I didn't give up?" In closing, I would like to leave you with another quote..."The day that you give up on your goals and dreams is the day that you will never realize how close you were to them". Thank you for reading. Till fingers and keyboard meet again. Musically Yours “DJ.G1”

Plan A KrystalBuckley

“Blessed” is the word that automatically comes to mind when I think

of my life. I have lived a life so many dream of, and in my twenty-

two years of living, I can safely say that from my experiences in life,

I have learned it’s not the destination, but rather the journey.

I have lived in Africa, Australia, Europe, and America. I have met so

many people and seen so many things; I can safely say the real

blessings in my life are my parents. My parents have instilled me with

the perfect support system that any young girl trying to crack into

the entertainment industry really needs. They have never once let me

doubt my dream or myself. It is because of them that I will never

stop having faith that one day my time will come!

It is my parents amazing positivity that never ceases to amaze me.

No matter what has happened, they somehow find a way to turn a

negative into a positive. They are a huge blessing to me; they have

taught me to take everything that comes my way, good and bad, and

use it as motivation to reach my goals. Every day they remind me

that I must never give up and that anything is possible.

My Dad always tells me to, “Reach for the moon because even if you

miss it you’ll land among the stars.” It is the stars that have brought

me this far, and I believe it is the stars that will take me where I

need to go in life. I believe in never giving up, having a strong

support system, and making sure that this is really my undying

passion. I can’t imagine doing anything else. I always think to myself,

if there is no plan B then you don’t have any choice but to make plan

A a reality.

Singing is a huge part of me. I breathe music; I’m singing aloud, or

I’m humming a tune in my head. I seek therapy in song writing,

escape and release with music. It is my confidant. I’m a firm

believer; if you want something… you go out and get it. I still have a

ways to go and have had my fair share of knock backs, not just the

industry, but also in life.

At the end of the day, all that has come my way, good and bad, has

undoubtedly made me who I am today. Everything that has

happened has helped me become a stronger person, and therefore

making me a better artist. Sometimes you need things to hurt, to

make you cry, to make you question, because it is from those things

that you learn the best lessons.

Where I am now, I am so grateful for, because all the knock backs

I’ve had, and the times I’ve never let go of the dream, and still kept

going, have not just proven how bad I want this to others, but also

to myself. I believe in myself more than ever, now, because of the

faith I have in my determination to get where I would like to be.

I guess what I love the most is that I’m learning that it’s the

journey that is just as important as the destination. All the hardships

make me appreciate the successes so much more.

I’ve also learned that sometimes you need to find different routes to

get to where you want to go. If everyone is taking the same road,

you’re soon going to have a traffic jam, accidents, and sometimes

find yourself lost. If you take side streets it, might take a little longer,

but you still get to the same destination.

“A Woman’s Life Blog Magazine”

www.sydgirl.com

“A Woman’s Life Blog Magazine”

www.sydgirl.com

“A Woman’s Life Blog Magazine”

www.sydgirl.com

“A Woman’s Life Blog Magazine”

www.sydgirl.com

“A Woman’s Life Blog Magazine”

www.sydgirl.com