There are several things that make me proud to be a member of YTB and ZamZuu. I mentioned Flags4Vets just before Convention. The company has also been a part of Feed the Future in years past, which provide toys, computers, musical instruments, and other gifts to children. We also can’t forget Passport To Giving which provides a steady stream of income for non-profit organizations who no longer have to beg for money.

This fall YTB and ZamZuu will expand its community service to help even more people in the form of security services for the average person. We know all too well about nut cases who poke and prowl the internet for your personal information and end up posting it publicly for everyone to see. While the information age we now live in can be a huge benefit – there is a segment of society who is suffering for whatever reason – and in their own dysfunctional way, they believe that victimizing others will make their pain go away.

While these people may or may not take responsibility for their own wellbeing and happiness – there IS something YOU can do to protect yourself and your family from this ugly segment of society.

That’s why we have a special interest in what ZamZuu will roll out as a new premier identity theft recovery product called the Entrust America ID Recovery Plan. In the event of an identity theft, the covered member is assigned a certified “Rush ID Recovery Specialists” from Entrust America who performs all the recovery and restoration work on behalf of you, the victim.

Most other plans on the market today merely offer assistance and expense reimbursement, and the victims are forced to do their own recovery. Don’t be fooled by slick marketing tactics, partial solutions and fine print exceptions that protect them, not you.

Last year, as many as 10 million Americans were victims of identity theft according to the Identity Theft Resource Center.

We know how nasty and foul these perpetrators can be – but there is a way for you to remain in control and have peace of mind. Entrust your identity to local, regional, and national police associations and law enforcement (who also use THIS product) with Entrust America who fully recovers the victim’s identity, repairs the damage done, pursues the perpetrator, and takes legal action on your behalf.

The second product ZamZuu will launch is something we believe every parent needs in this day and age. Personally, I have no problem with people coming after me – but when it comes to my family that’s an area that’s so far out of bounds I can’t even put it into words. (And you know me – I have a way with words.)

KidZafe by Zamzuu helps you protect your kids from predators, bullies and sexting and helps you protect their privacy and reputation on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and on the mobile phone.

I could go on for days writing about this – but the mind doesn’t see in words – it sees in pictures – and I want you to get the full impact of what’s at stake here as a parent and what you can do to protect those you love. The video embedded below is powerful – especially if you’re a parent of young children. What I really like about this product is that it doesn’t force you to hide or lock up your children from the scum that may be after them – but it will warn and help you protect them. It puts you back in control of the information they now have at their fingertips.

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By the time you read this, we’ll be off enjoying time together as a family.

We picked an additional half week to spend with extended family to celebrate “Googley-Bears” birthday on Friday. He’s been talking about turning 7 for weeks now and we wanted to do something special for him.

Yes, he’ll turn 7 in spite of the fact that I’ve asked…

I’ve pleaded…

I’ve even made an attempt at ordering that he must remain at six for at least one more year but he won’t have any of it.

Little does he know that I have this picture already framed and prepared give to his bride on his wedding day. I’ve entitled it “Sand in Diaper” which was shot on a Weekend Getaway to Sandestin Resort several years ago.

Teach him to disobey his father. ;-P

Because I want to enjoy as much family time together as possible, I don’t plan on posting again here until after the 11th.

The newsletter will still go out as scheduled. (Part of this weeks publication is already done.)

Here’s wishing everyone a happy and safe holiday weekend!

Chow!

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Before I get into today’s post, I wanted to apologize for the site being down a couple hours last night. WordPress just came out with the new 3.0 upgrade and one of my plugins didn’t take too kindly to the upgrade.

When they ask you to backup BEFORE upgrading it can rescue you from a whole heap of trouble. I had to restore from this backup, deactivate all the plugins and then re-install WordPress 3.0. Everything not only seems to be working properly, but the new look and feel of the dashboard, (kind of like a back office where I write and create content and pages) is very nice. Faster too.

So Cheers to WordPress and big Thanks for this very cool upgrade!

Back before either of our kids were born I remember hearing that “kids will change your life”.

You’ve probably heard it as well.

When we were expecting Brittany my brother-in-law told me he wasn’t going to waste my time telling me how much my life would change – words just couldn’t do it justice. But I’d know the day she arrived.

Truth is, he was right – I had no idea of the impact our two kids would have.

The first thing that comes to mind when Brittany was born, was “Holy COW! She looks just like me!” (The only difference between my first baby picture and hers was that mine was in black and white and hers was in color.)

Then nano second later it hit me like a ton of bricks – I understood.

It’s a feeling that you just can’t express in words. You have to experience it not only to understand it, but appreciate being a parent.

I knew that I was wired to be a father. Kids and I have always gotten along. I think the first time I recognized that I’d be good at it was in high school. I taught kindergarten Sunday school back then. I loved them – and they sure got a kick out of me. I also auditioned at a small dinner theater one summer and got parts in 4 children’s plays that year, one of them as an original cast member of a play called “Patchwork”.

While I nor the play never made it to Broadway, I’ve held a starring role as Dad the last eight years for “Schmopsie-Pooh” and Googley-Bear”.

It’s a role I not only enjoy – but cherish.

I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to spend the kind of time I do with my kids. Because I work from home and set my own schedule it makes me available to help with homework, projects, crafts and games. One of my favorite times of day are when both climb up into my lap in the recliner, one on one side, 0ne on the other to cuddle and watch their favorite TV shows.

They’re my pride and joy – and I wouldn’t give this job up for all the money in the world.

Once a year, we take time to either thank or remember our father’s. The role they play is invaluable to our development. I wouldn’t be who I am today without mine and I’m grateful for the roll he had in my life.

As a kid I didn’t always appreciate it. (We never do – do we?) As I get older and now have kids of my own, it’s made me more appreciative of the sacrifices, hard work, and time he made for me in my upbringing.

He’s now retired and enjoying life on the farm with my younger brother and his family. (Told me he retired and “bought the farm” LOL!) Doing what I remember him doing most as a family during the summer – gardening.

To all the father’s young and old who read this over the weekend – thank you for your contribution.

Happy Father’s Day!

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Phil Mickelson was once known as the best player without a major title. When Tiger Woods exploded onto the PGA scene back in 1996, questions if Phil would ever win a major began to circulate even more.

For me, Mickelson has always been one of those players I’ve always rooted for. It seems like ages since Phil’s second place finishes were the major topic of conversation after major tournaments. His third green jacket yesterday put Phil an elite group of golfers with names like Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicholas, Sam Snead, Gary Player, Nick Faldo, and Tiger Woods.

Mickelson’s victory and his moment with his ailing wife, Amy was a stark contrast to Tiger Woods’ behavior that was exposed to the public last November. Ironically, both the Masters win, his third Green Jacket, and his wife cements Phil Mickelson’s place in this era alongside Tiger Woods.

Phil’s dedication to his wife and family make him a fan favorite for even the part time viewer of major tournaments like the Masters.

There were so many shots during this tournament, but the one I’ll always remember was Phil’s shot off of the pine needles on No. 13 between two imposing trees trying to reach the green in two shots. A risky shot with Ray’s Creek protecting the green that could have eliminated Phil from contention. (Memories of The Shark back in 1996 and Nick Faldo winning ran through my head when Phil hit the shot.)

A stroke that will be overlooked because of his win however was back on the front 9 on hole No. 2 during his birdie bid. In the middle of the green, during his back stroke a seed dropped out of the sky from nowhere directly in line with the hole. As a result, the seed bumped the ball ever so slightly to the left which robbed him of a birdie bid early in the round.

He admitted during his press conference that the shot raised questions if someone was out to get him. Like a true Champion however, he put it behind him rather quickly with a birdie on the very next hole and he never looked back.

That’s what true Champions do. There will always be situations that appear to be beyond your control. You can’t let a little bump in the road ruin your main focus. 

Augusta National will always have a special place in my heart. It’s one of most beautiful places on earth for some of the world’s most elite golfers. Television, even HD TV doesn’t do this course justice. You have to experience the course for yourself to realize just how beautiful and majestic this course really is.

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I know I’m on vacation this week, but I wanted to post a quick thank you for all the Birthday wishes yesterday. My e-mail and my Facebook page were covered with well wishes and it’s a real honor to have such good friends who take the time to send their comments and wishes – especially on a day like yesterday.

It was a really good day. My wife made my favorite dish, lasagna, and the kids decided that “everybody needs to play games on their birthday”, so that’s exactly what we did. To see a birthday through a child’s eyes is really something.

Absolutely adorable!

After seeing all the comments and wishes from you, I felt compelled to return my thanks for thinking of me as well. You’re a good group of friends and your thoughts and comments mean more than you’ll ever know.

I am grateful for having you as a friend. Thank you!

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As I think back to my early childhood, there are a couple of events that I can recall. One of them was watching Armstrong land on the moon. The other was a year prior. The day Dr. Martin Luther King was assassinated. I think one of the reasons I remember the faint flicker on the television, was because the news interrupted the celebration of my fourth birthday.

April 4, 1968

I don’t really recall anything else growing up as a child concerning the Civil Rights Movement. The now famous “I Have A Dream” speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial was 8 months before I was even born. Nor did I have any knowledge of the type of segregation or prejudice that existed in our Country. It wasn’t until I reached my Middle School and High School years that I became aware of the Movement as a history lesson – not experience.

I always think about that flicker on the television this time of year. How peaceful Dr. King was. How violent others were. And yet, how he was able to change history. Two score and six years ago, there was a peaceful march in Washington to speak up and say:

“We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation.“

Nineteen sixty-three was not an end, but a beginning. There was neither rest nor tranquility in it’s pursuit. Because of one man’s undeniable dream, others followed long after he was gone to produce a true American Triumph for this Country. 

I took some time to read Dr. Kings “I Have A Dream” speech yesterday. How the Civil Rights Movement challenged “that all men would be guaranteed the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” – and realize how he had won.

At the same time I read the text, I couldn’t help but think of the prejudice and bigotry that exists for those of us who work in the MLM industry. How people I know and love are ostracized, ridiculed, and spit at with insults simply because they work in MLM. I looked at Dr. Kings words and could feel the frustration of knowing what is right and just – yet the power within him to deny the frustration and insist that there could be change.

Peaceful change.

Along with being a student of the Travel Industry the last few years, I’ve also become a student of the Network Marketing industry. What I’ve come to know without a doubt, is MLM is full of theories and myths. Theories are great, but they don’t mean a thing if they’re not practical.

Or even worse – dis-proven.

One of the best “theories” I know of is this myth about running out of people – that MLM can’t be sustained. I can’t tell you how many times this graph showing the “unsustainable exponential progression of a classic pyramid scheme” is thrown up in my face.

True, the math is correct. Also true, the theory exceeds the world’s population.

Therefore, it should also be true that we should be able to find an example of when it’s actually happened.

But where?

Not only has it never happened, an MLM that’s been around since 1886 is STILL able to sustain itself by sharing the business with friends, family, and acquaintances. You just might have heard them. They changed their name in 1939 to AVON. Then add in an Association that supports and defends the Network Marketing model that’s celebrating it’s 100th anniversary this year. (Created in 1910 as the DSA.) The Direct Selling Association protects and serves another 200 companies who use Direct Sales as a model.

So why do so many use theory that’s not only never happened but proven invalid?

We often think of the fight against prejudice when we think of the Civil Rights Movement. I looked up the word last night and here’s the definition:

an unfavorable opinion or feeling formed beforehand or without knowledge, thought, or reason.

More times than not, that’s exactly what we see when it comes to MLM and Network Marketing. Some were shown this unsustainable graph and without any knowledge of the history behind Avon, Fuller Brush, Tupperware, Mary Kay, and a host of others, they accept it as fact instead of just a theory. Most all staunch critics or cynics of the industry merely come from prior programming like this. And because prejudice comes without thought or reason, it can be extremely difficult to extract the weeds that are now overgrown and choke the sunlight needed to help them grow.

Another word we often think of concerning the struggle of the Civil Right Movement is bigotry. And yes, I looked for a definition of this word as well.

stubborn and complete intolerance of any creed, belief, or opinion that differs from one’s own.

I don’t know about you…but boy does that strike a cord with me when you look at the insults, the spitting, the dirt digging and the childish pranks that critics and cynics have pulled over the years. If I had a dime for every time I’ve heard that I need to find another host, what a scammer, a liar, and not so proud member of the dumbass den I am – I wouldn’t need MLM.

I’d be independently wealthy.

Yes, it’s frustrating to read the words of a bigot, especially when you’re the one who has the relationship with their subjects at hand and not them. But remember these words when you see the emotional outburst and anger that are evident on the various blogs and boards concerning our company, our Founders, and our people.

In the process of gaining our rightful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.

We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force.

Some try to confuse and muddy discipline with bigotry. It angers and frustrates a bigot that their differing views and opinions have boundaries – that they can’t be heard or express their intolerance everywhere and anywhere. A big reason why I am the subject of much of bitterness and hatred they have.

I fight intolerance and differing creeds with silence. And that’s the worst thing you can do in the eyes of a bigot, because their self worth is tied to their beliefs which need to be heard in order to be valid. Otherwise, like the theories they spit out become invalid.

I’m no Martin Luther King – and I don’t have the fraction of the following or voice that he had. But I can pass his message on, especially on a day like today to help us continue the fight “that all men would be guaranteed the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”.

For me, that includes a dream that I have a right to pursue and promote my YTB business without ridicule, insults, or slander.

Sounds like a long shot I know. But so did the Civil Rights Movement when Dr. King spoke on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial having no idea that 45 years later his Dream would realize a true American Triumph.

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With the way some get so easily offended these days, I felt an asterisk here was appropriate. Fact is, your actual time of merriment may vary. (I’ve heard typical results are an average of 1.39 hours.) Others would consider the word “Christmas” offensive, so instead please replace this word with “non-denominational period of celebration”.

Heaven forbid I am accused of misleading or offending anyone on a day like today.

We’re having a wonderful time in Pittsburgh with the family. The drive up on Monday through the mountains of Virginia and West Virginia was one of the most beautiful we had ever seen. (It’s a shame the camera on the iPhone stinks – otherwise we’d have some great pictures to share.)

A delay of just two days, was well worth it based on the number of stranded cars in medians and ditches. By the time we passed through, the roads were very clear and very passable.

By the time you read this, my bet is that all the Christmas presents have been opened and I am now attempting to disassemble the packaging and inserting batteries. (You need an engineering degree to unpack some of these toys!)

Oh the joy of parenthood!

The kids and I created this little “ditty” for you in hopes it puts a smile on your face.

It just may bump the national average of merriment up to 1.40 hours!

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