#valueadded

Value added….

I hear this countless times….I've even said it more times than I'd like to admit.  What is value added?

Once I agree on a price… Is the value that I give you a discount. Nope I don't believe it is.

The value added is the trust instilled to do business with that person.

I recently had to take care of something that required legal matter ( Don't worry, It's nothing that would be criminal.)  I had to deal with my first lawyer….

When I usually think of lawyers, I think of highly intellectual sleazy salesmen that are placed higher in status.

This lawyer was different.  As he charged me about $1,900 dollars ( Higher than the others) The value-added was I trusted him to the point that money didn't matter.  So far he has done a great job and I am optimistic he will continue to.

Unnecessary discounts cheapen the value,  The true value is trust.

#Manonthemoon

I take the train every day to go to work and I follow a routine.

My days almost seem pragmatic with how structured everything is in my life.

Structure is good and spontaneity makes for an exciting combination!  My inspirations have always been creators that had one foot in the box and one foot out.

As a salesmen, I was given a sales pitch to memorize.  Once I memorized it, I ended up ditching it.

I hate consistent routine.  It's one of the reasons I probably would never be a good accountant and also one of the reasons I excel at creative thinking.

Dare to be different is my mantra.  I want to be that man on the moon.

Monday listening- Man on the Moon by Kid Cudi

I'm a differenter!

-Gabe

Art by- Terry Cervantes - https://www.etsy.com/shop/tjCervantesArt

Automated jargon #RIPJargon

It sounds like it could be a song...It is... It's the song on the radio that plays so much you are in tune to anticipate what is next.

It's no longer fresh anymore, its dated.... Same can go for the canned responses we all use.

"Best regard"
"We regret to inform you"
" Although...."

I understand it may take time to write up a sincere message, but that part should NEVER be automated.  I refuse to send the same email to every single prospect or person I talk to.

What happen to the passion of showing yourself as well as the product or idea?  The spontaneity in conversations is disappearing as we all look for the short cuts to connect.

There has not been a short cut to connecting with people.  Connection is the very reason people look at their relationships as pieces on a chess board.  It's the reason certain people you know rarely let you in their network.  A lot of hard work went into building those relationships and one wrong word can end it.

Fell free to chime in.

Music Wednesday #humpdmusic

So I came to realization that I talk to many different people on a daily basis that range from young to older….

This wednesday I wanted to present 3 Wednesday tracks everyone will enjoy.

For a Wednesday, why not have a song with a Hump in it 

Track 2- Blink 182 - All the small things  ( Trust me, I'm working on not sweating the small things)

Track 3-  John Frusciante- Wednesday's song

Gabe

A Change is gonna come. #Changeunknown

This month of April has been tough for me to deal with lately.


Over the past two weeks, I have lost four co-workers who are no longer employed at my company.  I have also lost my manager to an amazing opportunity he took in entrepreneurship.  Everything is an unknown and it makes me uncomfortable. There are politics at my job like I'm sure there are at your job.  I have learned the importance of seeing the bigger picture, even if I'm not there.( I want to be there)




I feel exactly like the kids that will be graduating High School to start college this fall.  They have all these mixed emotions of the unknown and are trying to see where they fit in.  Sometimes one school is not the best fit for a student just like one company may be a bad fit for an employee.   That freedom to choose can be nerve wrecking.

Now Listening:  Sam Cooke "A change is gonna come."

GOOD Friday #fridaygood

It's GOOD friday.... NOT just because it's religious...
It's the day we feel all that hard work we put into justifies a drink at the bar...
You deserve that extra scoop of ice cream.


It's friday and no I refuse to post that Rebecca Black song. Everybody's working for the weekend 

I'm in meetings most of the day #pointlessmeetings

" I'm on my way to a meeting"
" I'm in meetings all day"
" I have a meeting"

We all have said this at several times in a week.  Sure, we all do actually have meetings, but are most of them productive?

My meetings normally consist of one meaningful productive one followed by several "meetings" to talk about future meetings.  The future meetings then discuss future meetings that talk about a problem we know about yet decide to make another meeting instead of solving that meeting. ( Sorry for the run-on sentences to all grammar police.)



We also tell people we are in meetings as a crutch to avoid saying, "Not interested, don't bother me."

Meeting has become like filler words( Ummm..like..ehhh...well)

22 things I neglected to mention about myself- The good, the bad, the brow raiser!

I am  upfront and transparent.  This blog is not just a sneaky way for me to vent, but a way  for you to get to know who I am and what I believe in.  Here's my list..



 1.  I have a phobia for learning how to swim. - I want to learn, but I am truly scared to drown.



2. I had a Jack Russell terrier when I was 15 for 2 months. - I gave him back to the original owner after realizing they are really hyper.

3. My great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great Grandfather was a slave owner and white. - I'm black.



4.  I am one of the most impatient people you will meet. - I once got so impatient walking to a store that I began sprinting to the store.


5. I play 5 instruments total- I play one real well and that's guitar.
6. I am 6'6- Average basketball player



7. I love Seinfeld and have a t shirt..Don't believe me? LOOK AT IT!



8.  My guilty pleasure is musicals- Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Singing in the rain are my favorites all time.


9. I used to have a serious potty mouth- Sailors would have been uncomfortable. I have since calmed down.



10. Despite being from Chicago, I'm a Boston Celtics fan- They now are bad, but I support them.
11. I have a 15 year old half brother- I love him dearly.


12. I met Randy jackson from American idol- He let me and my friends join his entourage to get in a club.  He then proceeded to go with that entourage to the other end of the club away from us. THANKS RANDY

13. I don't drink coffee.



14. I'm a brooder- I get mad, it stays with me until I snap out of it.
15. I don't trust salesmen- Ironic since I am a salesmen.

16. I would say I am an acquired taste- A strong personality that either makes you love me or simply wish I were not in the vicinity of you.
17. I was an A student when I cared.
18. I once put on a blue shirt with Khakis to hang out at a Walmart like I was an employee.-Interesting experiment, try it!
19. I am a dreamer.- Constantly in the clouds imagining success I can one day achieve.
20. I have a love hate relationship with voice mails.- I love to hear them but hate to leave them.
21. I am a southpaw- Lefty.
22. I love to travel- My future kids will be speaking 5 languages after all the travelling we do. They will have no concept of time zones.

This is me in a nut shell.

Friday Song of the week

I have been lagging on the songs.  The plan is to present 3 songs a week on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

Friday song of the week is the The Muppets 

As a kid, I loved this song and with friday going by so slow, this song definitely fills the idle void.

Financial Aid and Stress

So I can't speak on the stress financial aid departments experience....

I have a good friend who works in financial aid that complains of constantly being stretched thin.  As a financial aid officer, he has quite a few hats he needs to wear.  They are without their Assistant Director so now he is doing some of her duties while still maintaining his.   Calling him at work, you will get a completely different tone and inflection when saying, "Hi Patrick."

Inceptia had done research on what stress triggers financial aid offices.  A lot of this information helps me understand the many facets financial aid handles.   Sometimes it seems like it's a thankless job.

Inceptia Article