Thursday, December 27, 2007

Ken Dabrowski & Some Christmas Cheer

As a future millionaire and your devoted author of this sight I would be remiss if I didn’t mention probably one of the most important discussions that I have had in 2007. It took place with a one, Mr. Ken Dabrowski. Yes sir, he has his own page. He happens to be on the board of my daytime job as well as three other companies. The sad part is I almost went the entire night without even talking to him.

I view the company Christmas party as a test to see if you can work the room. Working the room takes a lot of self confidence wit and energy. I pretended that it was one of my companies and these were my employees. I attempted to go from table to table and give warm greetings and crack a few jokes, with the hopes of leaving each table slightly more entertained then before I visited. You want people’s dates or spouses to ask, “Who is that guy”, “What does he do”. This involves looking smooth, and being as smooth as you look. How did I do? Let’s say I was better then last year, but I still need some work. Surprisingly I enjoyed it and it felt quite natural.

(I won’t give any personal details regarding my opinion of the party and the speeches given and activities, for fear of losing my job). After we ate and engaged in some auction for Charity activities, I was talking to a friend and I was telling him that we should be over there talking to Ken. His response was, “What are we waiting for?” Hell, he was right, and the time was now.

Once I head over and started to talk to Ken, of course all of the company’s haters soon follow. My boss, and other colleagues want to get in on the act. The best part is that Ken noticed. He’s been around the block a few times and he knows company dynamics and politics and I’m sure he noticed the leaders and the followers. Now there is a crowd around the man; and I’m bucking for attention. This is exactly how the first round of the Apprentice tryouts were. 8 type "A" level personalities trying to get noticed. After jockeying for position; I really began to engage Ken in some serious dialogue. I asked him to walk me through his career. I was interested in knowing how someone goes from being an Engineer at Ford to Chairman of the board for four companies. He’s and old School Ford guy, starting there as a Co-op. He started on the drafting boards and was a director by age 43. I asked him if he always knew he was going to do something bigger, his response was a little shocking. “No”., he said. He said that he never knew his next move, he was just concentrating on the here and now.

Am I too worried about the next steps and not focusing on the now? It definitely is giving me something to think about.

One of my other colleagues asked him to define what it takes to be a success. He didn’t say anything earth shattering. He just said that you had to be reliable and dependable. I wanted to get more personal but it wasn’t the time or place. That answer was like telling you if you want to lose weight eat less calories then you burn; however it was the right answer for that setting. I would expect nothing less from a man of his caliber. He told me that he just flew in from Naples. It was Friday evening and he was in our conference room on Thursday. So he flew to Florida Thursday evening and then flew back Friday for the Christmas party. WOW. That’s how I’m trying to live.

All of the reading; business etiquette, handshakes, Wall Street Journals, come into to play. Ken mentioned that he studied program management techniques from all of the big companies; GE, Xerox, GM, Home Depot, all of which I was at least familiar with. I liken this meeting to that of Nicholas Cage to the Wall Street dude in "The Family Man" (1 of my top 10 movies) when he was trying to sell him tires.

I told him that I am the Program Manager for our New Chrysler business. He was impressed and proceeded to tell me that the weight of the company is on my back. He expected to hear positive things this time next year and he wished me success. What he didn’t know is that success means that I won’t be there next year.

-MJL

Monday, December 17, 2007

A Holiday Scam!

So this weekend was my company "Wash & Rolls" Christmas party and me being the money hungry guy that I am, I still had the guys go out and work a half day. Well, I had a bad feeling something was going to happen and it did.



I got a call from the crew and they said that the truck went down in the middle of the street. It's the middle of the Christmas shopping Season and they are broken down in a huge white truck, directly in front of the entrance to Target.



Needless to say, it's only a matter of time before the police will be there; and we are riding dirty. We have an extra person riding in the cab and the truck doesn't have any of the state required reflectors. I tell the crew that I will be right there.

I jump in the Grand Prix like a chocolate Michael Knight and I'm out to save the day. While I'm in route I get a call from my Ops Manager and he tells me that someone is going to tow them to our lot for $20 bucks! "OK", I say in disbelief, and I head straight for the lot. When I get there, I see the guys breaking the equipment down (to protect it from the cold weather. Detaching hoses, and running antifreeze). I tell the crew to relax, and that it will be no time at all and I will have us back on the road.

Then Big Ross points to a rather short impish looking dude standing behind me, and told me he was the guy who towed the truck. I turn around and thank the guy. He proceeds to tell me how he towed the truck and then put his truck in reverse and backed our truck into the parking spot. Upon doing so, his transmission's reverse fails. He then proceeds to ask me, "What am I going to do about his trans?"

I look at him and say, "Yo man, I don't know what I'm going to do for MY damn transmission let alone yours". Dude steps closer to me and says, "Well your insurance should pay for my truck". What?

What kind of insurance does this dude think I have? He then says, "Someone is going to do something?" in this cocky arrogant tone.

Now I'm pissed. "How the Phuck is my insurance going to pay for your truck". "What made you think you could tow this truck with that little ass pick up you got".



"I tow things all the time" spews the Ricky Hatton (see pic for Ricky Hatton photo) look alike. "That's your problem," I yell stepping closer. Despite the 17 degree wheather I start getting hot.



"So it like that?" Says Ricky! ITS PHUCKIN' LIKE THAT - I shout back.



Then he gives me this wild look, puts a "Black in Mild" in his mouth and jumps in his truck.


I tell the guys that this dude will be back to flatten our tires or smash our windshield.

When I get to work; I'm holding court as usual entertianing, and I tell the guys the story. One of my co-workers proceeds to tell me that the same thing happeneded to his wife! She felt so bad she gave the guy $200 bucks. Whoa!

I guess if I had a ton of money and he wasn't such a prick; I would have given some money too. Tis the Season Right?

The moral of the story: GET TRIPLE A


Truck Diagnosis from the Dealership: $4200 in damage.
Thats the real Scam!!!



-MJL

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Curse of the Coffee Creamer

So, I started this new job in February and after a few months of adjusting I finally fell into a good routine. I'm on track to fulfilling a lot of my goals so I started to focus again on my weight loss goal. I have always had a problem watching and maintaining my wait since high school but I have good bone structure so discipline and dedication is really all I need to achieve my goal. As we all know the key to the perfect body is diet and exercise. For exercise I lift a little weight and do vigorous cardio on the elliptical machine. Very few times in my life have I been able to do all three consistently. When I have for a period of 2 or three months the results are fantastic.


Around March I started a consistent work out program, and noticed that the neck of my shirts was getting a little "snug". I thought, “I'm just getting bigger because I'm lifting”. Then my waist got a little bigger and I had to extend a loop hole in thee ol’ belt. Hmmmm..... Then met with my Operations manager who I haven't seen in awhile, and we were talking and he says, "Hey you look like you are putting on some weight".

No way, I’m working out harder then I ever have in the past 10 years. It MUST be muscle. Another month goes buy and now a little "snug" around the collar turns to “Can't really get that button closed”. The tension on that center button was like the Pamela Anderson’s bra strap.

I get on the scale and now I start to worry. I have gained 10 lbs. WTF! So I turn up the Cardio and tune in the diet. Lean Chicken or Beef for lunch and vegetables. That’s what’s up, I will drop these 10 lbs in no time. I even switch to the super healthy No taste protein bars. 6 weeks go buy and I gain another 6 lbs. WTF!!

Now I’m in the danger zone. My ASS is like Arsenio hall and my pants are starting to feel a little bit snug in the thighs! Phuck that, I think. I start doing cardio 6 to 7 times per week and lifting 3 times. I take my diet down to 4 hard core things:
1. Coffee
2. Lean chicken or beef,
3. Frozen fresh vegetables,
4. Super healthy protein bars

And then proceeded to go on a candy fast!
Finally my weight levels. I went from Buff to bubba, from fit to don’t fit., from hip to hippy.

I'm thinking that I can't keep this up forever. Then casually over dinner my girlfriend says, “What about the cream in your coffee”. Cream in my coffee. What’s that gonna do. 2 or 3 of those little cups and an equal or splenda packet. What can that harm?

Little did I know! Peep this:


http://www.calorie-count.com/calories/manufacturer/968.html

1 creamer cup has approx. 40 calories. I use at least 2 creamers per cup of coffee. The kicker is: I HAVE AT LEAST 10 CUPS PER DAY!!!

I was taking in a minimum of 800 calories of pure cream. That's like eating a hot fudge sundae every day! I couldn't believe it. I would do 45 minutes of cardio and that would not be enough to even burn off the cream. For wonder I wasn’t losing weight.

I thought this job was the szhiznit because we had the fancy coffee creamers. Little did I know

Needless to say no more coffee for me. What will I do for caffeine.

TEA!


The lbs are Flying off and I have doubled my wardrobe.
This link has some other interesting diet busters that I never knew.

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/21838237/?GT1=10547&pg=2#TDY_20WorstFoods


Now when I finally take a vacation (one day), I will have a beach bod instead of a beach ball belly.

Holla at your boy

-MJL

Tuesday, December 04, 2007

Much Needed Hiatus

Well, as you can see it's been quite a long time since I have
Blogged last. This can be attributed to the fact that I have been busier
then ever before. On top of trying to launch my newest internet project
I was in New Jersey for Thanksgiving and then straight to China for a week.

I thought the blackberry was going to help me stay consistent with my
blogging but to no avail. Despite the $70 monthly Google checks and the
occasional check from Amazon the main reason I decided to blog is to try and capture the events of my life as they occur and the affect of these events on my psyche. When I hit the Forbes 400 I can then pull from these posts and create a memoir that is representative of my feelings at the time when events were actually occurring. Better then the Google check or the memoirs are when I receive an email or feedback stating how a blog has given them inspiration. It’s truly hard to get inspired and stay inspired everyday.

Have no fear, I’m here to help.

Well I’m back in North America and blogging, maybe I can get in one or two posts per week. I still got stuff to say and many successes and many failures that can be all drawn from. I would like to thank my readers for the kick in the ass reminding me to get back on my grind, sometime a good swift kick is needed….Even for the most ambitious man on the planet.


-MJL