MERRY CHRISTMAS

I just wanted to take a quick moment on Christmas and thank all of my blog readers.....all 2 of you! This thing has been in affect since 2006 with no plans to end soon.

These are some rough times, times like our generation has never experienced. If you are lucky enough to still have a job,

"Work the Hell Out of It";

.....at least until this blows over.

Your family is depending on it!

That's my little Christmas advice.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO YOU AND YOURS......ENJOY THE DAY....BECAUSE TOMORROW THE PAPER CHASE CONTINUES!!!



I hate to do this to you but here is a little inspirational video to keep you focused!

Being a Sitting Duck is Hard Work

Yep, that's me, A sitting duck. This was an extremely long week, as I watched some of my colleagues getting picked off one by one. It was long and scary. I was like a sitting duck, just waiting to be plucked. Pooping my pants, every time the HR lady emerged with a red folder in her hand. My back up plans were in motion but not in place. I was shook!! It was crazy watching peoples reactions as they got the news. Some people laughed, some people just sat there and stared, thinking about what they were going to tell their wives.

Some of the layoff's were deserving and long overdue and one or two were a surprise. Honestly you can still cut more due to non performance and the company wouldn’t blink an eye.

Middle management means you have no idea where you stand in the company. It's one of the worse, most difficult positions to be in; hence my drive to get out

If they would have pulled my card this week, I would have definitely been in some trouble. There is no "Golden Parachute" at my job, you get two weeks and then it's a wrap! No medical insurance and a direct ticket to the unemployment line; which in Detroit looks like an American Idol Audition.

With General Motors closing their plants for the first 6 weeks of 2009, there undoubtbly will be more cuts coming.

HERE’S THE GAME PLAN:

All I can do is turn it up even more at work. Work harder & smarter, more aggressive and more hours. Believe it or not, I'm not ready to leave Michigan. I will if I have to, but I'm not ready to leave…….just yet (more to come on that on a later post).

So I will be a sitting duck again in a few months and then probably again at the end of the 2nd quarter. During this time my goal will be to advance far enough in my company to get me out of middle management. I'm close but not close enough. Once out of middle management I will have the versatility to move anywhere in upper management in the country supporting a wide variety of industries. A move right now would put me from the top of middle management to the bottom or middle of the middle management ladder at another company. A step backwards. If (Or should I say "When") I make it to upper management, that ladder is short. It's more like a step stool. A Director is a Director, there aren't really any midlevel directors. I need to take this goal and tape it to the inside of the visor of my car. I need to flip it down and read this so I’m focused on the task at hand when I walk into that building every day.

For those people who are the sole providers for their families with kids,
GO TO WORK LIKE YOU ARE THE SOLE PROVIDERS
Don’t go there jerking around, emailing jokes, drinking coffee and bullshzitting.

Your wife and kids think you are working hard. This is like cheating on them. When you get laid off you are surprised and you are telling your wife how unfair it is. Boo-hoo.

DO WORK – Times have changed – DO WORK

2. I need to really start saving my money. I"m entering a phase where stability is going to be key. Marriage, kids, etc. If I can't escape being a sitting duck, then I need to be able to stare the barrel of the gun down knowing that me and my family will be "better" then alright.

3. Still concentrate on my entrepreneurial endeavors, but using generated money as capital investment money instead of dumping my pay check into the 100 ideas per week I work on. This will be key. I think I have enough momentum in my small hustles to keep the fire burning to a flame in almost all of them.

NEWS FLASH! WASH AND ROLL has been requested to quote a job bigger then life! If our quote is selected, my biggest money loser will be the biggest money earner. Please keep your fingers crossed, say a prayer, light a candle, what ever you can do for your boy. I need all the help I can get with this one.


I’d like to end with this: I want to keep this post serious because this was a serious week. Job loss is like the black plaque to this blog. If you are here and still reading, you are A.B.B. (Against Being Broke).

If you have time...here is a very interesting email sent out by our new company Prez, who I must say handles and continues to handle his business in this current automotive crisis....and it is a crisis. Here is the email sent by him that is really worth the read. As a responsible blogger with a voice (over 20,000 hits on this bee-ach), it's my duty to pass this on.


Holla at your boy...and I still got my job haters!!!!!
-MJL


It is likely that you, like me, are tired of hearing our government call for an end to the industry that puts food on our family’s tables. I am also sure that most of your friends or families outside the Detroit Metro area do not get a well rounded perspective of the true story of the Big 3 or the auto industry in general. If you would like to help others obtain a slightly different, somewhat biased, view of the situation than is currently portrayed by the media and the US government, I thought this was an interesting article that you could forward out to your network. I hope you find it good reading.



TS
President
CUBES R US Inc.


Incredible editorial from one of our Dealers
in the Pittsburgh Region....Attached is a well written
"Letter to the Editor" from Elkins Fordland.


Editor: As I watch the coverage of the fate of
the U.S. auto industry, one alarming and frustrating fact
hits me right between the eyes. The fate of our nation's
economic survival is in the hands of some congressmen who
are completely out of touch and act without knowledge of an
industry that affects almost every person in our nation. The
same lack of knowledge is shared with many journalists whom
are irresponsible when influencing the opinion of millions
of viewers. Sen. Richard Shelby of Alabama has doomed the
industry, calling it a dinosaur. No Mr. Shelby, you are the
dinosaur, with ideas stuck in the '70 s, '80s and
'90s. You and the uninformed journalist and senators
that hold onto myths that are not relevant in today's
world. When you say that the Big Three build vehicles
nobody wants to buy, you must have overlooked that GM
outsold Toyota by about 1.2 million vehicles in the U.S. and
Ford outsold Honda by 850,000 and Nissan by 1.2 million in
the U.S. GM was the world's No. 1 automaker beating
Toyota by 3,000 units. When you claim inferior quality comes
from the Big Three, did you realize that Chevy makes the
Malibu and Ford makes the Fusion that were both rated over
the Camry and Accord by J.D. Power independent survey on
initial quality? Did you bother to read the Consumer Report
that rated Ford on par with good Japanese automakers? Did
you realize Big Three's gas guzzlers include the 33 mpg
Malibu that beats the Accord. And for '09 Ford
introduces the Hybrid Fusion whose 39 mpg is the best
midsize, beating the Camry Hybrid. Ford's Focus beats
the Corolla and Chevy's Cobalt beats the Civic.

When you ask how many times are we going to
bail them out you must be referring to 1980. The only Big
Three bailout was Chrysler, who paid back $1 billion, plus
interest. GM and Ford have never received government aid.
When you criticize the Big Three for building so many
pickups, surely you've noticed the attempts Toyota and
Nissan have made spending billions to try to get a piece of
that pie. Perhaps it bothers you that for 31 straight years
Ford's F-Series has been the best selling vehicle. Ford
and GM have dominated this market and when you see the new
'09 F-150 you'll agree this won't change soon.
Did you realize that both GM and Ford offer more hybrid
models th an Nissan or Honda. Between 2005 and 2007, Ford
alone has invested more than $22 billion in resea rch and
development of technologies such as Eco Boost, flex fuel,
clean diesel, hybrids, plug in hybrids and hydrogen cars.

It's 2008 and the quality of the vehicles coming out of
Detroit are once again the best in the world. Perhaps Sen.
Shelby isn't really that blind. Maybe he realizes the
quality shift to American. Maybe it's the fact that his
state of Alabama has given so much to land factories from
Honda, Hyundai and Mercedes Benz that he is more concerned
about their continued growth than he is about the people of
our country. Sen. Shelby's disdain for "government
subsidies" is very hypocritical.

In the early '90s he was the driving force
behind a $253 million incentive package to Mercedes. Plus,
Alabama agreed to purchase 2,500 vehicles from Mercedes.
While the bridge loan the Big Three is requesting will be
paid back, Alabama 's $180,000 plus per job was pure
incentive. Sen. Shelby, not only are you out of touch, you
are a self-serving hypocrite, who is prepared to ruin our
nation because of lack of knowledge and lack of due
diligence in making your opinions and decisions. After
9/11, the Detroit Three and Harley Davidson gave $40
million-plus emergency vehicles to the recovery efforts.
What was given to the 9/11 relief effort by the Asian and
European Auto Manufactures? $0 Nada. Zip!

We live in a world of free trade, world
economy and we have not been able to produce products as
cost efficiently. While the governments of other auto
producing nations subsidize their automakers, our government
may be ready to force its demise. While our automakers have
paid union wages, benefits and legacy debt, our Asian
competitors employ cheap labor. We are at an extreme
disadvantage in production cost. Although many UAW
concessions begin in 2010, many lawmakers think it's not
enough. Some point the blame to corporate management. I
would like to speak of Ford Motor Co. The company has
streamlined by reducing our workforce by 51,000 since 2005,
closing 17 plants and cutting expenses. Product and future
produ ct is excellent and the company is focused on one Ford.
This is a company poised for success. Ford product quality
and corporate management have improved light years since the
nightmare of Jacques Nasser. Thank you Alan Mulally and the
best auto company management team in the business.

The financial collapse caused by the secondary
mortgage fiasco and the greed of Wall Street has led to a
$700 billion bailout of the industry that created the
problem. AIG spent nearly $1 million on three company
excursions to lavish resorts and hunting destinations.
Paulson is saying no to $250 billion foreclosure relief and
the whole thing is a mess. So when the Big Three ask for 4
percent of that of the $700 billion, $25 billion to save the
country's largest industry, there is obviously
oppositions. But does it make sense to reward the culprits
of the problem with $700 billion unconditiona lly, and
ignore the victims? As a Ford dealer, I feel our portion of
the $25 billion will never be touched and is not necessary.
Ford currently has $29 billion of liquidity. However, the
effect of a bankruptcy by GM will hurt the suppliers we all
do business with. A Chapter 11 bankruptcy by any
manufacture would cost retirees their health care and
retirements. Chances are GM would recover from Chapter 11
with a better business plan with much less expense. So who
foots the bill if GM or all three go Chapter 11? All that
extra health care, unemployment, loss of tax base and some
forgiven debt goes back to the taxpayer, us. With no chance
of repayment, this would be much worse than a loan with the
intent of repayment. So while it is debatable whether a
loan or Chapter 11 is better for the Big Three, a $25
billion loan is definitely better for the taxpayers and the
economy of our country.

So I'll end where I began on the quality
of the products of Detroit . Before you, Mr. or Ms.
Journalist continue to misinform the American public and
turn them against one of the great industries that helped
build this nation, I must ask you one question. Before you,
Mr. or Madam Congressman vote to end health care and
retirement benefits for 1 million retirees, eliminate 2.5
million of our nation's jobs, lose the technology that
will lead us in the future and create an economic disaster
including hundreds of billions of tax dollars lost, I ask
this question not in the rhetorical sense. I ask it in the
sincere, literal way. Can you tell me, have you driven a
Ford lately?

Jim Jackson Elkins
Nothing needs to be said...

Ford, Chrysler and GM's contributions
after 9/11. An interesting commentary:

CNN Headline News did a short news listing
regarding Ford and GM's contributions to the relief and
recovery efforts in New York and Washington.

The findings are as follows.....
1. Ford- $10 million to American Red Cross
matching employee contributions of the same number plus 10
Excursions to NY Fire Dept.
The company also offered ER response ! team services and

office space to displaced government employees.

2. GM- $10 million to American Red Cross
matching employee contributions of the same number and a
fleet of vans, suv's, and trucks.

3. Daimler Chrysler- $10 million to support of
the children and victims of the Sept. 11 attack.

4. Harley Davidson motorcycles- $1 million and
30 new motorcycles to the New York Police Dept.

5. Volkswagen-Employee s and management
created a Sept 11 Foundation, funded initial with $2
million, for the assistance of the children and victims of
the WTC.

6. Hyundai- $300,000 to the American Red
Cross.

7. Audi-Nothing.

8. BMW-Nothing.

9. Daewoo- Nothing.

10. Fiat-Nothing.

11. Honda- Nothing despite boasting of second
best sales month ever in August 2001.

12. Isuzu- Nothing.

13. Mitsubishi-Nothing.

14. Nissan-Nothing.

15. Porsche-Nothing. Press release with
condolences via the Porsche website.

16. Subaru- Nothing.



17. Suzuki- Nothing.

18. Toyota-Nothing despite claims of high
sales in July and August 2001. Condolences posted on the
website.

Whenever the time may be for you to purchase
or lease a new vehicle, keep this information in mind. You
might want to give more consideration to a car
manufactured by an American-owned and / or American based
company.

Apart from Hyundai and Volkswagen, the foreign
car companies contributed nothing at all to the citizens of
the United States ...

It's OK for these companies to take money
out of this country, but it is apparently not acceptable to
return some in a time of crisis. I believe we should not
forget things like this. Say thank you in a way that gets
their attention..

Boiling Frog Syndrome

There is a strange phenomenon that biologists refer to as "the boiled frog syndrome". Put a frog in a pot of water and increase the temperature of the water gradually from 20oC to 30oC to 40oC…to 90oC and the frog just sits there. But suddenly, at 100oC, something happens: the water boils and the frog dies.

The frog has a fatal flaw. Having no evolutionary experience with boiling water, he is unable to perceive it as dangerous. Throughout their biological evolution, frogs have lived in a medium that does not vary greatly in temperature, so they haven’t needed to develop sophisticated thermal detectors in their skin. The frog in the pot is unaware of the threat and simply sits complacently until he boils.

As I sit here at Cubes –R – Us I look around and see how the Boiling Frog Syndrome actually works.

This is an actual picture of my job. Geeesshhhh! Depressing

On a Micro level, my job is a big ass bubbling cauldron. I was thinking, “ how can management plan on cutting 15% of our personnel without telling those who are safe that they are safe?” I am a Program Manager. By definition I get paid to think 4 steps ahead, and plan for the worse – but make the best happen, on time under budget. The better Program Manager you are, the better Plan A, B, and C you will have.

Well, as a good P.M. , I know that we will be reducing heads, and if no one has pulled me aside and assured me safety, I need to have a Plan A, B, & C; which would include getting a new job in almost all three scenarios. The only variant would be where, and what kind of job.

The Frog Syndrome is so bad and so rampant that our management just assumes that we will sit here and boil! As absurd of an assumption as that might sound, they are right. You would think you would see people working harder, smarter, longer hours, spending less money and interviewing for jobs "just in case". None of thee above is happening. Actually some people are spending more, and even taking vacations.
WTF.

People are yappin’ it up all day and on youtube.
I say it again, WTF!

The stress level here in Detroit has been brewing for so long so gradually that people don’t even notice. Then one day they are out of a job, with bills up the Ying Yang and no game plan. That would be just about when the little froggies heart explodes.

Another common example of the boiling frog syndrome is weight gain. I'm sure we can all relate to this one. As you get older, your metabolism slows down, your activity slowly decreases as you sit at a desk all day and before you know it, you've gained 5 lbs. No big deal. Then the holidays hit and you gain another 5. No big deal. You will start the new year hitting the gym. After three hardcore weeks working out and a 3lb weight loss, life catches up again and you fall back into your weight gain rut. With each 5 lb gain you learn to accept it, because it's only 5 lbs.
If you gained 20 lbs overnight (similar to getting placed in a pot of boiling water) you would be disgusted with yourself. Since it was gradual you have accepted the heated condition.

As future millionaires we need to stay ahead of the pack. We need to be in the minority. Stay tuned to our surroundings. When you feel the heat, don't necessarily jump out the pot, but have your exit plan jumpin'

Holla at your Frog
-MJL

REPOST: The Thinker

HAPPY BE-LATED THANKSGIVING.

I have been ass over elbows in crap this last week. I thought I was gonna come out of Thanksgiving with 8 or 9 posts just chillin. Instead I bit off more then I can chew and have nothing!! I set the "to do" list at Extra Challenging and fell flat....but that's what I do. Reach for the stars, right?

Luckily I have posts that date back to 2006 and some of them are funny.

Here is a repost from 2006 - As you can see my thoughts are about the same now as they were then. I call this one...The Thinker!

THE THINKER

As usual, I am busy as hell, and loving every minute of it. It's 1:49 AM and my mind still hasn't stopped. What goes on in there? You don't want to know, or do you? I had a meeting this morning at 10:00 and decided to write down my thoughts, exactly as I thought them in that meeting. No editing, pure raw thoughts.

At 10:03 AM they were as follows:

• F'ck this damn meeting
• F'ck Warranty
• How come I'm not rich,
• Did I get enough done this weekend?
• Damn, everyone in this room has a fat gut.
• If I let myself go like that, sneak up behind me and hit me with a 2x4
• My V.P. Sucks
• My job Sucks
• How come our lady at the front desk isn't Hot.
• Am I that shallow......Yes
• Everything cost f'kin money
• Damn my Mom is going to need help soon
• If I had a Gallardo - I would drive it butt naked with a clown nose on and an afro wig.
• How are all these fat bastards still married and I cant' make my marriage last 6 months
• F' my ex wife
• I should hit some golf balls today
• I got to work harder
• I need more money
• Is my posture as shzitty as his
• I need to get more customers for my small business
• Damn, let me out of this damn room
• Damn Pirates of the Carribean II made 136 million in it's first week
• How much would Pirates in the Hood make, starring Dave Chapelle?
• Snakes on a Plane - What the F'ck
• I could be getting so much done if I wasn't sitting here
• If I had a Gallardo, I would drive it butt naked with tube socks on.
• I wish I could do crunches in this chair
• I need a hot girl before I'm rich, before the Gallardo
• HOW COME I'M NOT RICH
• I wish I had an office
• At half speed I'm twice as good as everyone in this room
• Who in the hell is breathing that heavy
• An office with a bathroom is the shzit
• Run from MTV's Run's house, does he really have that much money?
• I did 110 mph on I-75 on the way to work this morning, I have to put away that Mobb Deep CD
• I need a hot car, I need a hot girl, Shallow Shallow..
• Girls make me loose focus, I need to stay focused
• Snifff, Sniff, Who's breath smells like butt and B.O. ?
• That's "B" B.O., ha ha ha
• Jerry Seinfeld has mad money
• If I had a Gallardo I would pull up to the club in tighty whites and tap shoes, and do the running man.
• I need to make more money
• I'm so frustrated. I need to do some push ups.
• Tiger was the shzit this weekend
• He is focused, and professiona, and rich.
• My golf game sucks, sucks
• Why am I not Rich
• Damn I only slept 3 hours last night
• Nip Tuck is the shzit
• I can't believe I ate a donut on Friday
• The Jefferson's are on TV Land
• I hate the new Lionel the old Lionel is hood
• Who would win, The old Lionel vs Lamont Sanford?
• Aww shzit I"m suppoed to be writing a recco letter for my boy!
• I can't forget to get cat food,
• Damn, I have to go to China again.
• If I had a Gallardo, I would drive it butt-naked with glittery gold cowboy boots and a neck tie
• 10:05 Damn fifty five minutes left.

-MJL

For your Reference: A Gallardo

No it's not mine, if it was I would be driving it butt naked.........

Shout out to Blog Reader Deuce

This is the best ever....Previously I wrote about the dealership that I was calling and trying to convince them to let us do their detailing for their used cars.

Here’s a quick recap: I called the head of the Used Car department. His name is "Ricco". I knew I was in for a rough time with a name like Ricco. He gets on the phone, and shuts me down like a Nun to a thong salesman. I try my best but to no avail. He just doesn't want to use us, we are "too small of an outfit" he says; not to mention T-mobile dropping the call like it's HOT! Twice. After each call back, Ricco sounds like he wants to choke me out, to get me off the phone.

A week goes by and I can't get any other calls lined up. I'm feeling positive, but I feel like I need to do something really aggressive. I watch Boiler Room for the 245th time and double dose on “A" type personalities by watching Entourage. I'm ready to take on the world now. I have to do something that normal people don't do, otherwise I will be normal. Get it? Easy. Normal acts get you normal, Extraordinary acts gets you Extraordinary people.


So I call Ricco back. After they finally connect me, and I explain who I am, Ricco says, "Oh you; call me back in 15". Then he abruptly hangs up the phone. WTF!! 15 minutes later, I call back. He wasn't going to get rid of me that easy! I have no idea what I'm going to say different, but just that I want to here him tell me NO! I'm either going to piss him off for sure, or close this deal. After 10 minutes of back and forth, Ricco says, "Where are you guys going to be located?".
I got him! So I started closing him. Then he says, "Do you have insurance?".
Then he says, "OK" sounding like Scarface, "Come see me tomorrow after 2:30".

Ahhhhhh Yeeeeaahhh Boyyyeeee!!

Here's where it gets good.

So the next day, after a super crappy morning at work, I'm trying to focus for the sales meeting with Ricco. My Blackberry goes off, and it's an email. It's from blog reader/writer Deuce Carter, fellow hustler and author of blog: Hustle Basics. He says, "Like I told you before homie, "keep going".

That's What's UP. Now I'm pumped. Somebody truly understands my plight. I put in some Jay-Z "Show me what you Got". Then top that off with the old Special Ed CD, "I've got it Made".



Just as I pull up to the dealer ship, my blackberrry goes off again. It's Deuce Carter - I swear this really happened. His next comment says, "You’re making power moves".

It's like he was in my head!!! Yes, son. I’m making power moves. That’s just what I was thinking at the time I was thinking it!!

I walk into Ricco's office and throw him a good handshake. I got my only authentic Kenneth Cole watch on, that I’ve only wore twice. The handshake is firm and my hands aren’t clammy for once.

Now here is when being physically fit really helps the confidence. Ricco was a little shorter then me, and kind of out of shape. I am now a newly trimmed 182 - down from 207 a year ago, and feeling confident.

After about an hour of real talk, I close the deal. 16 cars per month. That's What's UP!!! That cuts my loss almost in half. One Sales Call, one meeting and my losses are cut in half.

GOOD LOOKIN' OUT DEUCE.
When the cash flow is right we need to hook up and make some money together.
We are definitely on the same wave length.

The celebration is only for a minute because more moves need to be made, and more hustles need to happen. But for a few hours I'm feeling good.

Cheers to the blog, my readers and my man Deuce!!

Holla
-MJL

Don't Break before your Break!

Ok, this is by no means a "Whoa is me Post". It's just a post to help those who are taking this journey to wealth with me, understand why, when we get to our destination, and have millions, we won't feel guilty. We will have earned and deserved every last penny. The big car, the big house, big yard, & home theater will all be well deserved.


THE BEGINNING
So the saga begins.....I get a call from my operation’s manager about 10:00 AM on Wednesday. I'm at “Cubes ‘R Us” (how I affectionately refer to my day job) and he is out in the field working the small business. He knows that I am "in and out" of meetings all day, so if he calls, like E.F. Hutton – I listen. I know it's either really good news or really bad.

I step out the meeting and take the call.

ROD: "Yo J, the trucks are gone".
Me: "What the F@#$ you mean the trucks are gone".
ROD: "I rolled up to pick up the candy (for the vending machines - which he also manages) and the trucks were gone. Everything that was parked in the lot is gone!”





I couldn’t' believe it. Just 6 days ago, we broke the front axle on the big truck to the tune of $2100, and now all of our vehicles had been impounded.

WHY WERE THEY TOWED AWAY?
We’ve been parking our trucks in the same location for 2.5 years without issue. While we are generally neat, the truckers who shared the lot were not. They were throwing McDonald's and Arby's garbage in the lot after every truck run. There was a blown out 18 wheeler tire, a gas tank and even a charcoal grill. I have to admit, it was pretty bad. It was starting to look like a Junkyard. I could hear the Sanford & Son theme playing every time I looked at the lot.

The owner finally got fed up and towed everyone’s vehicles. Cars, trucks, vans, trailers, it didn’t matter.

I was pretty calm when the axle broke, but I wasn't prepared for any additional emergencies. Let alone one less then a week later. First we had to find the vehicles, then we had to get them out of impound.

JERK AND JERK-OFFS TOWING

After we finally locate the vehicles, I have to actually leave work and go and pick them up myself. In the middle of the day, I have to leave my job, which is on thin ice as is, and go pick up the trucks. Whooo-hooo am I pissed.

When I get to the first place I find out that “Jerks & Jerk-offs” towing doesn't take credit cards.

WTF! How can you not take credit cards. Cooter was kind enough to tell me where an ATM machine was.

NO shzit Sherlock, there is an ATM on every f#$kin’ corner Einstein. But you can only get $400 out. So I had to go to the bank.

Now time is running out. If I don’t' get to the vehicles by 4:00 PM then I incur another nights of storage fees.

After I get to the bank and explain to them 10 times that I'm the owner of the account and that's my F_ckin money, and I need my money now!! I hurry back to Jerk & Jerks. Cooter is back there making out with a jelly donut, half of which has found a home on his shirt next to the mustard I'm assuming from lunch. He doesn’t have a care in the world.

He looks up and says, “Can I help you”.

I almost had an out of body experience. I was just here 30 minutes ago MORON!!!

Finally Cooter calls Bubba and we get our truck released. 2:45, plenty of time to pick up my vans right? Wrong. We get the truck and it doesn't go into Park. The shifting gear feels like spaghetti. None of the gears are taking. OMG! – I’m going to freak!!

I'm so pissed. I’m Jack Nicholas in A few Good Men Pissed, I’m like Gary Busey insane. I’m Kanye not getting an award pissed.

We get the gear in neutral, start the truck and drive it right to the transmission shop. I'm writing checks like a drunken sailor at this point. We fill out the paper work and the transmission guy says he needs the truck overnight. That's the first good thing all day because at this point we have no idea where we're going to park it anyway.

Off to get the Vans. When we get to the other impound yard. Ms. Doubtfire behind the counter is super cheerful. I felt like slappin the smile off her fat face.
My van just got towed, how about dialing the “Cheer” down a notch or two sweetie.

We pay our fine and fees and go in the yard to get the vans. Guess What....the battery is dead in the old van. It can’t be jumped. It’s dead!

Cut another check and get a battery. But we better hurry because it's 3:50.

After I get all the vehicles out of the impound drop of my guy, and get home. I'm toast. I had $3000 set aside for business emergencies all winter and I was at $3150 and it was November 14th.

FEELING GOOD AGAIN!!

That was OK because I had a sales meeting before work the next day with a potential customer that could get us on track for profits. He agreed to meet me at 6:15 AM so I can still get to work by 7:30 AM for my conference call.

Every cloud has a silver lining. I was able to get myself out of my mood, and I'm feeling good again. You can’t keep a good man down.

I wake up early (3:00 AM) preparing and reviewing the information for my sales pitch. I read it over 10 times (because you have about a 10 second window to make your first impression), it has to go flawless. I'm going to sell this guy like Giovanni Ribisi in Boiler Room. I look in the mirror before I leave, tighten the tie – and I am Boiler Room. I’m Ari Gold about to close this deal!

I rush outside to the Bat Mobile precisely at 5:45 AM.. I hit the car alarm….guess what……….

All I could do at that point was laugh, turn on the TV, pop in Entourage Season 2 and zone out for an hour before I regrouped got my tire fixed and headed to Cubes R Us. Sales meeting postponed, tire fixed, I'm recharged ready to kick ass.

So as I write these details and remember the events from that day; it fuels me. I'm fired up all over again. One more emergency and my business is wiped out' but I feel more confident then ever.

I can't be stopped. Am I crazy, F&$%K yeah! But the potential is there.

No regrets. All I need is one small break, and Wash and Roll will survive.....I just have to hang in long enough for the break.

Don’t break, before the break; and I have no plans to do so.

-MJL


Small Business
towing
Nuff Said Outfitters
Millionaire
Rich

One leg of the Empire.....Still losing $$$

Dang, Dang, Dang! (I'm trying to watch my language). Jim Rohn says, I can alienate potential readers by using foul language and I don't want to do that.

However, I'm pissed! My mobile Wash Company (www.washandroll.com) is still losing money at a steady clip. Thank God, gas is cheap. I can't tell you how happy I was to see $1.99 on the sign of my local gas station. I was so happy - well here's a clip of how happy I was:




Ok, seriously....the gas prices being cut in half is equivalent to me getting a new account. Just enough to keep me alive.

So what has the Self Proclaimed Hard Worker, Future Millionaire, Mogul in training done about the situation?

Not nearly enough. If I had, I would be writing a happier post.

Listed below are the 5 actions I have taken so far:

1st – WORKERS COMP INSURANCE
I got my workers compensation insurance. This was a big deal because we could not perform any subcontracting truck washing work without it. That was a huge effort because it involved an audit, and getting tax returns from the IRS. It’s hard as heck, to call the IRS while you are at work. Especially when you are at work in a cube 

2nd – SALES LITERATURE
I produced a top notch company description booklet. It’s a little more then a brochure with policies, insurance documents, customer referrals and pictures of work we’ve done.

3rd – MEET WITH UNITED MOBILE (The company we wish to sub-contract for).
I blasted out of work 2 Thursdays ago and met with one of the company heads. He was impressed with the information booklet I prepared. YES! – I was pumped! Our personalities gelled and I left feeling good. I didn't leave with work, or an account, but I left with a good feeling. I will take what I can get.


4th – FIND AN INDOOR FACILITY TO DO AUTO DETAILING
After months and months of building a relationship with the attendant (who’s uncle owns the gas station), I get gas from every day. I made a deal with him, to use his garage bay to let us detail cars. I worked out a percentage deal, from each car we detail versus a monthly rental fee. This was key, because right now, "I ain't got no cars".


5th – PURSUE DEALERSHIP ACCOUNTS FOR DETAILING
Here is my weakness. Your boy doesn't feel confident selling. Everyone I meet thinks I'm a great salesman, or would make a great salesman but I'm not. The good part is, I have no choice. There is nothing like desperation for motivation. So Friday, I put it down. I had a sales call with the guy in charge of a huge dealership. I was Nervous Nellie! There were hundreds of dollars per week vested in this call. This call was three weeks in the making; and it all came down to one 4 minute call.

After the first 10 seconds, it was like one used car guy talking to another. We were both trying to sell ourselves. I fell into my swag, and was trying my hardest to close the deal without sounding desperate.

At the end of the call he concluded that we were not big enough to handle him.
DAMN! It did not help that I dropped the call twice on my handy dandy T-mobile. Thanks to my job for switching service for cost savings. Imagine one of the biggest most intense phone calls of the month and you realize that the last 2 minutes of conversation that no one was on the other end of the phone. Not to mention your potential customer feels like an idiot. After the second drop, I knew it was a no deal, but I kept trying.


Now that I'm over the hump, I’m ready to try again. I mean really, if I’m trying to be a millionaire, and eventually a billionaire, a thousand dollar call should be routine. I have given presentations before in front of 100 of people in 4 differnt countries. It's time to pull up my skirt, grab my balls, and make it happen.

I will promise my readers that I will make at least one sales presentation per week. I know that seems light, but it took me three weeks to set up Friday's call! It's hard to get to the guy who makes the decisions anyone else you talk to is a waste of time. That's true for most sales call.

WHEN WILL I STOP?

When will I cut my loses? Hmmmm.....Not sure if I ever will. I believe in this business and I have put a lot of heart, soul and money. It might be stupid to keep losing money, but if that’s the case I was a Big Dummy years ago.

I don't really know the meaning of quit. No, I take that back. I do when it doesn't make sense. For instance: I-Garage. Didn't make sense. The concept was great but it didn't make sense to continue and it was clear. I had no problem scrapping the idea and writing off the financial loss. Wash and Roll still makes sense! The upside potential is huge, and until I think otherwise, or can't afford it - I will be a fool.

-Nothing can resist a man who will place even his existence on his purpose.
Translation (Rich or Nothing or “Insert Goal here” or Nothing)

Workaholic
Routine
Nuff Said Outfitters
Millionaire
Rich


-MJL

OBAMA SERIOUS AND NOT SO SERIOUS

OBAMA ON A SERIOUS NOTE

So thus far I have managed to stay away from political views on this blog. The main reason being that I didn’t want to succumb to the catty banter that I see on other blogs, however I would be doing myself and my readers a great disservice if I did not take the time to mention the impacts of this weeks election. …..as well as the many requests for my views. (Thanks, I’m flattered)

I’m not afraid to admit that I voted for Obama – unlike many of my co-workers. I didn't vote for him because he’s black, but because he was the best candidate, and his team executed their game plan like the Mutha-F’in A-Team. They set out with a goal and accomplished it. Throw a Mo-hawk and some chains on Barack and you have B.A. Baracus and Biden can be Hannibal Smith.

There is a lot of people who say the didnt' vote for Obama, but just like a 50 Cent album, you can't sell 10 million copies and not have all races spending their money.

This victory is extremely symbolic ….now you can truly look at your children and tell them that “They can be anything they want when they grow up” and mean it. How many times have you heard that expression, or even said it yourself and you knew that it was a crock of shit. I have heard it, and I knew the person telling me that crap didn’t mean it. I might have been in third grade and the teacher told me, "You can do anything and be anything you want". My response was, "B#$tch please!"

The events of election night even surprised me. I am so proud and impressed with the people of our nation and their ability to look past race an elect a president such as Obama. I am proud to be an American.


I am reluctant to call him the first “Black” president. Only because he is as much black as he is white. He is as much young as he is mature. He’s in touch with all religions and has the charisma and swagger to do the job. He’s young enough to adapt when and where the occasion calls for it.

Can he do a better job did McCain?

That really doesn’t matter anymore does it? He is our president and I plan to support him and this country for four years to come.

OBAMA ON A LIGHTER NOTE.

Living in the Metropolitan Detroit area where the unemployment rate in some regions is as high as 8%, black people think that having a black president means that he’s going to be All Powerful – like Sho-nuff (If you don't know who he is, rent "The Last Dragon" and then wait for the remake!).



They expect Obama to have super powers and make weaves free, and all trucks to come with complimintary spinners. He’s going to have the power and snap his fingers and give people educations, better spending habits, improved diets, make jobs plentiful and stop teen pregnancy and drug abuse. People were partying like they just hit the lottery….and so was I.



I have to admit I was and still am caught up in the possibilities!! Maybe he can!

……so understanding that sentiment is essential for the background of the story…..


So I walk into KFC. I haven’t been in a KFC in probably 1 year or so, but I figure I could get a decent salad. In the middle of my 92% white neighborhood there is 100% black people working at KFC. They got the music pumping and I walk in and the girl and the guy behind the counter say “YES WE CAN!!”.

I start laughing and order a chicken salad. The girl leans over and whispers, “The salads been in there for like 3 days”. So I change my order to the grilled chicken wrap. She shakes her head and bunches her nose in disgust, “NO, you don’t want that”. Then she says the popcorn chicken is fresh. “Ok I guess, I will take a small”. She then says, “In favor of Obama, I’m gonna hook you up with a large! Then the guy preparing my order throws in a free large fries.
Then they both look at each other and say , “YES WE CAN”.

At this point I’m laughing my ass off. As a business owner, and a generally decent person I understand how wrong that is on so many levels, not that I haven’t done it before in my McDonald days, but I just had to enjoy the moment. I don’t even eat that stuff but I went home, pulled out the bar-b-Que sauce and the ketchup (condiments I have retired for almost 1year) and said to myself, “YES I CAN” and dug in to my free meal, compliments of Obama.

His first day in office and I got a free dinner.

Let’s see McCain pull that one off.


-MJL

Obama
Election
Nuff Said Outfitters
Millionaire
RichUSA

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THE BIG "THREE FOUR"

As I talk about my sister's birthday (In my last post), my birthday was not too far behind. I hit the big "Three Four" Monday. I vowed to be rich or independently wealthy by 35. That's 359 days and counting. I better get moving.

I look at being 34 like starting a new career.

"What???", you ask.

Stay with me....This week is the first week on the job of being 34 years old. I will have this job for 359 more days. Get it now?

But this isn't like other jobs, I have been doing a similar job for 33 years already! I'm a professional. This means that everything I do, every move I make, has 33 years of experience behind it.

How can I not get reach my goals! If I don't know the answer, or if I don't know what to do in a certain situation, I at least know who knows. 33 years of training for this new job, tells me that there isn't any situation that I can't handle. I might need help, but I am smart enough to know I need help when I need it.

OK, you're with me now! So everything I eat, I know from 33 years of experience what it's going to do to my body. Cake is going to make me fat! I know it. If I don't work out and eat a lot of cake, I will get fat!

If I drive too fast too often, I get a speeding ticket! I know it. 33 years of experience for this job tells me “Slow your ass down”.

Therefore, there is a higher responsibility put on all my decisions. With that responsibility comes confidence and a humble swagger with 33 years of horsepower behind it.

(Sorry, for those hip-hop illiterate readers: Swagger 202 up, 70 down
Swagger is to to move with confidence, sophistication and to be cool.
Swagger is to conduct your self in a way that would automaticaly earn respect
To dress in a very stylish and quirkily fasionable way would suggest one is swagger. Still OK to use - Not like Bling which is dead )


Every move I make has experience, swagger, charisma and life experience behind it. How powerful is that! I have become that person I have always wanted to be. And part of becoming that person, is wanting to become better everyday, and getting better at becoming better.


Success is attracted and is attractive. Successful people attract success. Becoming a millionaire isn't the goal, it's what "I" become, or who "you" become when we are millionaires. It's that person that will be created, while creating the fortune. That's what's important.

Have you ever wondered how millionaires can lose their fortunes and make another fortune a few years later? Because they have gained the skills, the swagger and the experience needed to do the job.

This is very analogous to cooking a Thanksgiving day meal.
The first time you got cook books open, pots and pans everywhere. Your measuring shzit, burning stuff up. It takes forever. But after you get the first one done...OH LOOK OUT. You are writing your own recipes! You are putting a dash of your own seasonings, adding stuff, flipping and bouncing that Turkey around the kitchen like a ghetto Martha Stewart. You don't even taste it as much because you already know the shzit is going to be on point. It takes you 1/4 the time and you probably do it better.

Do you see the similarities! Now that's food for thought, Bread for the head.



359 days and counting.......

Ladies and Gentlemen, I have arrived. I just need the $999,999.99 to go with my swagger.

-MJL

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LITTLE SIS

Hmmmm.....If I was filthy rich, this would have been sitting outside of my little sister's house today, instead of the phone call she recieved this morning. A jet Black Jaguar XKR with Peanut Butter Guts (a light brown interior for those who aren't rap savvy).

Why? Not because she is 1 of the 4 people who read this blog and click my ads, but because this is what she deserves to be driving. Her hustle game is at a catagory 2 (I'm a 1 in comparison; Puffy is a 0). I'm proud of her and her accomplishments. Really. I think what makes me the most proud, is her ability not to settle. She got her degree part time aka "The hard Way"; dabbled in Real Estate, dabbled in the service industry, got her broker's licence and is now killing it for E-trade.

As great a Resume as it sounds, it's nothing to the fact that she still wants more. She is as hungry now, as she was when she was 25 or 26; if not hungrier. She knows her dream of wealth is real. What people don't realize is until you KNOW dream is real, it isn't!


So, I looked deep into my archive and I'm dedicating one of my favorite posts to my little sister -

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABY GIRL! WE WILL BE BETTING THIS MONEY TOGETHER SOON ENOUGH!
LOVE DEW



THE TRUE SECRET TO SUCCESS - REVEALED!!! (Reposted from....sometime 2007)



I think I have found one of the key ingredients that make successful people successful. This is such a profound thought because in all of the numerous mind numbing literature I have read about success, self improvement, leadership etc. I have never been privy to this information.

Now I’m passing it on to my readers free of charge.

Here goes:

How many people actually give 100% of themselves at anything? You can always say you tried hard, but can you really say that you gave 100%? 100% is usually used for a select group of people like Olympians, recovering addicts, and professional athletes.

We tried to dissect ourselves to try and rationalize the reason that 100% effort is not given. The only thing that we could come up with, is the fact that the pay off is not guaranteed. I think the other reason why 100% isn't given is because on most all occasions 85% is more then enough to propel you to society’s definition of success.

If someone told you that they would give you a million dollars to run a 6 minute mile 3 months from now, your life would change immediately. If you seriously signed a contract and the money was put right under your nose, you would put down the large fries and start training. Per the agreement you are not allowed to quit your job, or spend any less time with your family, but you can do anything else to prepare for your six minute mile. Somehow, you would make time to train. You would replace all your reading material with running information. You would have sweat suits in your car for a run before you got home and before work. You would replace all of your internet browsing bookmarks with running sites, messageboards and blogs. You would be fitness crazy. Only a fool wouldn’t give a 100%

This is the mind game that some worldclass athletes are brainwashed into when they are young. A perfect example of this is in the Spike Lee movie "He Got Game". It's about a basketball prodigy, Jesus Shuttlesworth (played by Ray Allen), and his relationship with his father, Jake Shuttlesworth (played by Denzel Washington). During the movie they show flashbacks of the basketball prodigy and his father. They are shown on the basketball court at night, doing running drills. Jake is running with a young Jesus telling him, "The only two people up right now are you and Michael Jordan, and what is Michael doing, training. ". Then he beginns to instill the guarantee of success in his child, " What are you gonna by your mama, What kind of house? ". So Jersus is brainwashed into thinking that if he gives 100% he would be the best basketball player in the US. There was no doubt, so that 100% is not hard to do.

Tiger Woods had this same advantage since he was a kid and continues to enjoy it. He can give 100% daily because he knows that he will win and become the best in the world. Players like Phil Mickelson, find it hard to give 100% working on their game because Tiger has already defeated them mentally. Why give 100% when you know you will never be better then Tiger. Phil can give 85% and still be one of the top players in the world. For fat Phil, that is good enough.


What does all this mean?

The reason that we don't give 100% is fear of failure. Fear that we would give everything we possibly have, to reach a goal and not hit it. We would rather give 85% percent and fail, saying at least I tried, then to go hard for 100%.

This applies to me and my resistance to give 100% to my outside endeavors. What am I afraid of? I will try and concentrate on the reward rather then the failure. If I realize the reward as concrete then I should be able to go 100%.

Sounds good in theory but can I apply it? 85% has been good enough to make me moderately successful in the past. Am I all talk and no action?
Knowing this information has put the responsibility of my success on me not any outside excuses.

If you are reading this, you know it’s true, and your success has now been placed in your hands and know one else’s. I have chosen to accept this responsibility because I need to be successful, by our definition of success. There is no other alternative for me. Rich or nothing.

LET’S GO!


-MJL

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Sister
Birthday
Nuff Said Outfitters
Millionaire
Rich

A Week in The Life

This is what I’m talking about finally. Over 120 readers last week and finally one question: Connie writes,

“You seem like you live a very hectic lifestyle, what does a day in your life consist of?”

Well Connie, you asked, so I will tell:

Right now my life consists of nothing but work. I am a true workaholic. It’s weird, but right now, until I bring the truck washing portion of my business into the green, there is no time for play.

I have two choices:
A. Make a couple $1000.00 a month more on other ventures
B. Get the Truck Washing Business into the Green, Period.
Until then, no joy for the future millionaire. I shouldn’t say “No Joy”, because this is what I enjoy. Make no mistakes, I choose to live this lifestyle.

Right now I have laser like focus. No women, (girlfriends, or other), no vacations, no new clothes (unless for work), no Flat screens, no HDTV, no birthday celebrations no nothing. I need focus. If I go to an affair or party, it’s purely for networking or career advancement.

I must continue to over do my (9 to 5) job, so I can keep it. In this Detroit job market, the more money you make the bigger target you become. If the company wants to save money – you are toast, and good luck finding another job.

With that as a backdrop, this is what a week in the life involves:

Monday thru Friday – the routine is the basically the same.
4:30 – 5:00 AM
Wake up & Work out. You have to work out “EVERDAY” to change your body type. Remember that. Every other day to maintain. EVERDAY to change – That’s why so few people do.

6:15 AM
I leave for work, during my 45 minute drive I listen to Jim Rohn, Robert Kiyoski, and a bunch of success motivators. I get to work around 7:00 AM.

7:00 AM - Noon
My job is fast paced so time usually goes quickly. I eat every three hours, from the meals I prepare on Sunday. I'm taking down coffee like a mad man!

Noon
I’m off to the post office to mail the Ebay sales. I find some time to chat with my Post office ladies. I get back in time to have a quick lunch.

1:00 PM– 7:00 PM
I wrap up the day and usually leave work around 6:30 – 7:00 PM 3 days a week, maybe 2 days per week I leave at 8:00 PM.

The drive home is when I make all my business related phone calls.

8:00 PM– Midnight
I get home around 8:00 and every other day is a 2 work out day so I might work out again. Then I shower and I’m on the computer at 9:30 or so. Depending on the day’s needs, I can be doing several things: packing up stuff to ship for Ebay, sending out ship notifications, balancing the books for Wash and Roll, post new stuff, blogging, not to mention working on the 20 other ideas I have in the pipeline. The goal is to be in bed by midnite, but most times it’s 1:00 AM or so, resulting in a 3 hr. sleep night.

Wednesday nights the routine is bucked so “The Nuff Said Outfitters” Team can meet. This is a welcomed break from the daily grind. It’s half work and half social, but it really helps move the week along.


When Friday hits, I get caught up on sleep. I will sleep about 6 hrs. into Saturday. Saturday is a catch up day. After my workout, I’m dong everyday people stuff like, going to the dry cleaners, laundry, groceries, post office, and then believe it or not I usually take a nap about 2:00 PM.

Then I do payroll, (the guys get paid on Sunday’s), shop for Ebay stuff to sell, design shirts, etc until about 11:00 PM. Then I reward myself by sitting in my lounge chair (which is a lawn chair in my bedroom, really) and watching TV without doing anything else! This is my treat, for the week. Yesterday I actually went out to the movies!!!

By the time Sunday rolls around I’m making lunches for the week, choosing my outfits for the week (including socks and Undies) & dinner for the whole week. I drop off the payroll to the Wash and Roll Team, and off to Panera bread to do all of my internet marketing. This consists of updating all business websites, myspace, craigslist, facebook etc. Blogging and reading other blogs, and just enjoying some internet time.

There you have it! When will this calm down? When I can outsource these activities. Don’t forget I used to be the guy washing trucks, now I just drop off the checks.

No Regrets! No Regrets. I will never be able to say, only if. ….

God has blessed me with two arms, two legs, and a sane (hmmm…) mind. I’m taking it to the max everyday – Your dreams won’t come to you, you have to go after them!

Holla Back!

-MJL
Workaholic
Routine
Nuff Said Outfitters
Millionaire
Rich