tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86632993697724573422024-03-05T01:57:25.057-08:00Don's Early LightDon Earlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14273714520681226543noreply@blogger.comBlogger86125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663299369772457342.post-79230236492127498352021-08-31T10:46:00.003-07:002021-08-31T10:46:49.425-07:00What do we do when someone else's beliefs threaten your health and life?<p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span data-offset-key="691fe-0-0" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;">There are times when I find myself on one of the polar sides of a sharply divided issue, and I cannot get past how the other view point can even exist. I find the viewpoint SO damaging and the other side SO dug in that I cannot see a way forward besides exclusion. I go into amputation mode. Cut off the </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;">other</span><span data-offset-key="691fe-2-0" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"> side, heal from the consequences of that and move on. </span></span></p><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="cgv16" data-offset-key="g17n-0-0" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="g17n-0-0" style="direction: ltr; position: relative;"><span data-offset-key="g17n-0-0"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I recognize this is not sustainable for two reasons: </span></span></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="cgv16" data-offset-key="222r9-0-0" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="222r9-0-0" style="direction: ltr; position: relative;"><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><span data-offset-key="222r9-0-0"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I may be the side that is wrong, at least in part, and have been unwilling to entertain new information from the other viewpoint to update my position. </span></span></li><li>Eventually I'm going to run out of things to cut off (continuing the metaphor). It's a form of running away, which sometimes you should absolutely do. I am sure MANY of those times you think you should is probably not right move.</li></ol></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="cgv16" data-offset-key="ffugg-0-0" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="ffugg-0-0" style="direction: ltr; position: relative;"><span data-offset-key="ffugg-0-0"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The issues that affect me this way are issues that dehumanize others, and issues that have a higher risk or actually cause damage and/or death. Things like:</span></span></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="cgv16" data-offset-key="fcp1-0-0" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="fcp1-0-0" style="direction: ltr; position: relative;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span data-offset-key="fcp1-0-0"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Racism, the fight for racial justice and equality</span></span></li><li>Anti COVID Vaccine/Antivax</li><li>Belief in conspiracy theories like QAnon</li><li>Transphobia, homophobia, misogyny, etc.</li><li>Radicalized religious fanaticism that dehumanizes.</li><li>Climate change.</li></ul></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="cgv16" data-offset-key="82mbu-0-0" style="background-color: white;"><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="82mbu-0-0" style="color: #050505; direction: ltr; position: relative; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I shut down. I can't even with these things. The pandemic of misinformation fans these flames and I feel helpless to stop it. If we don't confront the issues effectively they will never stop growing. People need the opportunity to change their mind and heal. Is there a line where the opposing belief is so extreme that it is not worth the effort to try and change? </span></div><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="82mbu-0-0" style="color: #050505; direction: ltr; position: relative; white-space: pre-wrap;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Nazi's/Alt Right</span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Trump Supporters</span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Antivaxxers</span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Men's Rights Activists (or whatever they're called now)</span></li></ul><div>People who hold my position are losing family and friends, probably irreparably, and many of use can feel like that cost is worth the price in the long term. That idea deeply saddens me, no matter how satisfyingly righteous it may feel. </div><div><br /></div><div>It seems like the answer is a commitment to relentless confrontation with the intent of not making enemies. That. Sounds. Exhausting. Is THAT worth it? Should we never give up?</div><div><br /></div><div>I have to believe there is a way through this. Life on this planet's very existence literally depends on it. Can you imagine? The fate of the habitability for life on this planet rests in the ability to change the minds of groups of humans to the point that they change or reverse course? </div><div><br /></div><div>We live in the WORST time to be divided over the important issues we are divided over. </div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Now more than ever we need a critical majority of global support to reverse climate change.</li><li>Now more than ever we need a critical majority of all people children ages 12 and over to get the COVID vaccine.</li><li>Now more than ever we need a critical global commitment to deal with the epidemic of misinformation.</li></ul><div>All of this is on top of stopping the disease of racism, transphobia and all of the accompanying gender phobias and hate. </div></div><div><br /></div><div>Humanity does have excellent examples of how to accomplish this. We do have mentors we can learn from and skills we can develop. I discovered a channel on YouTube that does a great job of at least breaking things down in the goal of making people better communicators. Below are a few that made me really stop and think, and even write this post.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/EVF0ojfhSrE" width="320" youtube-src-id="EVF0ojfhSrE"></iframe></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lgXqaS08ZqM" width="320" youtube-src-id="lgXqaS08ZqM"></iframe></div><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="82mbu-0-0" style="direction: ltr; position: relative;"><br /></div><br /><div><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #050505; text-align: center; white-space: pre-wrap;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/agEqp7_BCCA" width="320" youtube-src-id="agEqp7_BCCA"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #050505; text-align: center; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #050505; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #050505; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;">Additionally I these are helping me get perspective:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #050505; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #050505; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-55350794" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-55350794</a><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #050505; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.psychologicalscience.org/observer/debunking-misinformation" target="_blank">https://www.psychologicalscience.org/observer/debunking-misinformation</a><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/nbc10-issue/what-not-to-do-when-confronting-vaccine-hesitant-people/2920183/" target="_blank">https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/nbc10-issue/what-not-to-do-when-confronting-vaccine-hesitant-people/2920183/</a><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">One thing I am gleaning from a lot of the advice on how to talk with people about these kinds of things is that maybe I really am NOT the person to be having these conversations with particular people. On the one hand I find that a relief for obvious reasons but on the other, what then can I do? Maybe help find a more effective person, a more trusted person who might be able to get through? </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In either case I know I am on the right path here, because I am very uncomfortable. I think that's a healthy place to be.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #050505;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><br /></div>Don Earlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14273714520681226543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663299369772457342.post-48993973307393369182014-06-21T10:28:00.002-07:002014-06-21T10:28:57.733-07:00Expelling my internal stormThere are big changes happening to a lot of people right now. I still feel like I'm in a huge holding pattern, but getting closer to some kind of execution. Yesterday on Facebook I posted that I am feeling overwhelmed and this still holds a bit true. But I have terrific friends who come out of nowhere sometimes to give me support.<br />
<br />
So I can't talk about my professional situation for compliance and other reasons. But in general terms it's the difference between what you do for a living as your life's calling, a mission to serve everyone you know and try to help make the world a better place, and what you do for a living is your job which provides you the opportunity to pursue your life's mission and calling on the side.<br />
<br />
I'm also mindful of my dad, Bob Early, who died 12 years ago yesterday. A friend responded to my feeling post about being overwhelmed and thinking about dad:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: #fafbfb; color: #4e5665; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15.359999656677246px;"> It sucks that he's not around to see the man you've become, but take comfort in the fact that his work in that regard was finished, and he can consider it a job well done.</span></blockquote>
And I sincerely appreciate that notion. In dad's case, he's often my example of how not to live one's life. I remember him fondly, don't get me wrong. But he did die at 52(ish) years old. Self-employed. Single income family. He lived a life of anxiety as I recall, and dealt with that by drinking and working (being away from the family), rarely taking a day off. I am prone to work anxiety to a debilitating level, and I keep myself and everyone around me to help me make sure I don't become an alcoholic. So one of the biggest things I'm weighing right now is how can I have a professional life without becoming crippled with anxiety.<br />
<br />
Top priority for me in life at the moment is to have the freedom to be present with my family and not be forced to work and be away all the time just to make ends meet. I also don't want my daughter to transfer my anxiety to her in anyway. Best way I know how to do that is to somehow avoid that anxiety. Best way to avoid that anxiety? Well that's the question.<br />
<br />
I can certainly achieve all this with my present career. To do that it requires breaking up things into seriously tiny pieces and only focusing on what's in front of me and not let the big picture overwhelm me. That is really hard to do. To let go of everything that is stressful about my present situation, and to just focus on checking things off my daily checklist. Making those tasks easily doable. In my present career I can help people directly affect their own lives for the better. It can be seriously rewarding. But like dad, it's running your own business, which comes with its own costs, variable income, etc. Those things cause me a great deal of anxiety. It would be true if I were running my own business in any other field I think.<br />
<br />
On the other hand, working for someone else of course can provide a little more income consistency depending on the position. You have to deal with having a superior/manager, which I haven't really had for several years. The anxiety in facing that possibility is of course things like: What if I think I can do a better job than my boss? What if I can't stand the job? I'd be giving up A LOT to leave my current career.<br />
<br />
At the end of it though, what is it that gives me life, energy, motivation, excitement? I know I don't want to feel guilty for spending time with my family for fear/feeling that I'm not working enough, and then vice versa. Feeling guilty for working to support the family and not spending time with them. A vicious cycle.<br />
<br />
Maybe if you know me, you can help me. Sometimes you're so entrenched in your own situation you don't know how to see yourself, or what your strengths are, etc. Gonna let go of my fear that people might think I'm fishing for compliments, and maybe if you feel like it, you can help me out by sharing what you think my strengths are, or what you have observed about me when I'm at my best. I think I've been out of touch with what's inspiring to me, what drives me, what I'm best at, etc.<br />
<br />
For some I have been able to help give ideas about where a person might look for a new line of work, just based on what I know about them and what I think they'd be good at. I'm interested in similar feedback for myself. All things aside, is there something that comes to mind when you think of me? But mostly it's the qualities... if I'm in the right place now and I just need a new perspective and a reconnection/awareness to/of my strengths, motivations, what I'm like when I'm at my best.<br />
<br />
Either way, thanks for being there for me everyone.Don Earlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14273714520681226543noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663299369772457342.post-26522437509030655702014-05-16T11:10:00.001-07:002014-05-16T11:10:30.912-07:00Holding PatternMy health is finally better. Tried giving up gluten, corn and soy for 30 days, which was a giant pain. Made a few other attempts at reducing stress, like exercising for 5 minutes a day in addition to trying to walk 30 minutes a day. Other hope-inducing opportunities surfaced as well. So yeah, things are better in that regards.<br />
<br />
Now I'm just in a holding pattern. What is really important to me? What could I be doing that could make me happiest? What sorts of things would make me excited to get out of bed in the morning? What am I willing to do to get what I want? What the hell do I want in the first place? What am I worth? These are questions that are most on my mind, along with am I appreciating the people in my life enough?<br />
<br />
A friend and colleague of mine passed away last week. I miss him a lot. There was a time when I believed I wouldn't live to see 40, for whatever reason. Dreams of dying in explosions haunted me for several years in the early 2000's. I don't have those dreams anymore. Not for a while. No, now I have an amazing family; I live in the place I want to live; we bought a house last year that actually feels like home; I have amazing friends. Life is overall pretty damn good in those areas.<br />
<br />
It's my professional life that I'm struggling with. There, I said it. In public. It's not the actual work I do with people. I love that part. The company is great. But someone had the gall to pose me a question that has had me reeling for over a month and a half: "What if for your income you were a speaker of some sort, something with a message that mattered to you?" And something about my wife being intrinsically linked to my ability to do what I do. The possibility that I could make a living doing all the things that give me life, energy, excitement, and full meaning. I immediately thought again about seminary. But that's been shot down with so many holes. "No, being a pastor/preacher seems too limiting for what you would do" I was told.<br />
<br />
I think back to that palm reading too I had, where he said that I was made to be a performer, and that I need to be performing right now!<br />
<br />
I just don't know how they are all connected. What would be this mysterious career? Would it be the same one I have, just coming from an entirely different paradigm or perspective? Whatever I'm doing right now is clearly not working. Or would it be something entirely different I never even thought of?<br />
<br />
I mentioned "hope-inducing opportunities" above. One such possibility has been brought to my attention I never thought possible, and I have a lot of excitement at the prospect of it. But it that path seems to be cooling. Even if nothing comes of it, which would certainly be disappointing, it's given me an example of something else that would be right up my ally. The details are not important. What I know is important is to understand myself, to clarify what I want, to evaluate how all that is going, and determine next steps.<br />
<br />
I don't know if happiness is the most important thing in life. Making life better seems a higher priority. But that's meaning that will take an entire lifetime to unpack. Where to get started?<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Don Earlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14273714520681226543noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663299369772457342.post-61888747947089190572014-04-01T14:03:00.001-07:002014-04-01T14:03:20.541-07:00PoisonedI have never been so sick, so often than I have been in the past several months. And the bastard thing about being sick is that just as you recover, your immune system still isn't fully back to 100%, leaving you vulnerable for something else. I'm just now at the tail end of some stomach horribleness, although the muscles around my gut are only slightly clenched, rather than fully squeezing at my intestines.<br />
<br />
Yeah, it's been a trip. I'm back to kind of eating real food again. But what I am struggling the most with is a kind of gripping anxiety and depression. I started my work year off with a lot of good momentum, seeing a lot of people, making the start of my year feel really productive. And it was. And then all this sickness started in the family. Typically starts with the girl, then to Cindy, then to me. Then back again. I have been SO sick that I couldn't possibly sit across the table from clients. Momentum has slowed to a near stop, as I get my bearings and confidence with my stomach.<br />
<br />
It's not that I don't know what I need to do to get back to work; to get back at it. I'm just filled with so much anxiety over my present situation, depression over my self-perceived effectiveness... I need to feel and believe that I actually make a difference.<br />
<br />
I've struggled with chronic anxiety and depression for many years, unmedicated. Not untreated, just not medicated. To some extent I feel like I've managed it okay. I have good support from Cindy and friends. But I admit it's getting more difficult. A lot more difficult. Maybe it's time to evaluate some kind of medication.<br />
<br />
A friend of mine recommended I seek a naturopath to maybe get my immune system back to par. Might not be a bad idea. Just made an appointment for next week.<br />
<br />Don Earlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14273714520681226543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663299369772457342.post-80957071638459809052012-03-18T23:42:00.001-07:002012-03-18T23:42:57.675-07:00Discovery of an earlier me. Pun intended.We are going through a lot of stuff lately, getting ready for the baby. Cindy's in high nesting mode and I"m doing my best to keep up. II do appreciate getting rid of clutter and reevaluating what do we value. We discovered some old journals and diaries, and one in particular kind of jarred my attention. It was the notebook I wrote poetry in when I was in college. The poetry I won't subject you to, but I did find a list of goals, and what appears to be theological understandings. I went through a lot of transformation at PLU theologically, but it's nice to see that I recorded it. I may have been preparing for my candidacy essay as well. Later on I would discover that was folly. Oh well.<br />
<br />
I will resist the urge to edit this list, as some of it seems a little silly, but to be true to where I was at in my life I'll preserve it.<br />
<br />
<b>In 15 Years</b>, dated March 31, 1998. That means I got one more year left to make good.<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>I will have graduated from PLU</li>
<li>Married</li>
<li>1-2 children</li>
<li>Graduated from seminary/ordination</li>
<li>have a congregation of 800</li>
<li>Gone to Scotland and back to develop roots</li>
<li>Read Greek and Latin regularly</li>
<li>Begun graduate work on Luther theology</li>
<li>have worship styles - contemporary (jazz, blues, pop, etc) & traditional</li>
<li>have theatrical messages/productions regularly (direct)</li>
<li>have a house</li>
<li>have investments - mutual funds, etc & untaxable $ for college fund for kids</li>
<li>Give theological lectures/discussion groups</li>
<li>Developed/created family traditions</li>
<li>Develop stronger self esteem</li>
<li>Know how to dance</li>
<li>Train in martial arts regularly</li>
<li>Be a well known figure in the local area</li>
<li>Active in Lutheran political work</li>
<li>Have good health coverage for whole family and retirement plan</li>
<li>Have organized financial life</li>
</ul>
<div>
The congregation size and worship styles goals made me laugh out loud. I can't even begin to unpack what I was thinking then. But it was stunning to see so much of this list actually come to pass. This is interesting because this is BEFORE Dead Gentlemen. At this time I had not developed a plan to go to Scotland, but I fulfilled that part the following year. It's also interesting looking at the financial language I wrote, and the concepts I was thinking about. Who knew I would end up working in the financial industry?</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
What's not on this list is also pretty amazing. After this, I would go on to:</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Co-found Dead Gentlemen Productions</li>
<li>Direct a feature length movie my senior year of college</li>
<li>Travel and study in Scotland, as I previously mentioned</li>
<li>Experience serious identity theft</li>
<li>Experience the death of a parent</li>
<li>Produce DG's most successful project so far, The Gamers: Dorkness Rising, and see that it gets on Netflix</li>
<li>Collaborate with an industry leading RPG publishing company to create the <u>Demon Hunters Roleplaying Game</u>, which I would then co-direct the video content of the rebooted Demon Hunters world.</li>
<li>Move to Bellingham</li>
<li>Help build/repair boats</li>
<li>Sell fiberglass </li>
<li>Move to Los Angeles and actually work in the film industry by supplying them with fiberglass and other products, and consult with them on mold making.</li>
<li>Be laid off in an economic downturn</li>
<li>Sell Volkswagens</li>
<li>Go to Germany and visit family</li>
<li>Move back to Bellingham with no solid employment lined up</li>
<li>Buy a new Volkswagen.</li>
</ul>
<div>
Sure there's tons of other things, but I must say it's been a pretty eventful last 14 years. And now we're having our first child, a daughter, named Caitlyn Iona Early. Her middle name comes from the profound experience I had when I went to the Isle of Iona off the coast of Scotland. Truly magical. Just like this first pregnancy has been.</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I'm not going to copy down my theological musings from 14 years ago, but I will say this. They sound VERY similar to my recent musings on Facebook. It's more than interesting to me to find that what is making sense and speaking to me, is something that I had come to understand 14 years ago. Now I feel I just understand it deeper. In another decade, I fully expect another transformation of a similar deepening.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Okay, so it worked the last time, I need to set out some goals for the next decade.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>In 10 Years, </b>dated 3/18/2012</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Sticking with the 1-2 kids</li>
<li>Buy a home</li>
<li>Buy a house/space for my office/business</li>
<li>Visit Scotland with people close to me, and revisit the Isle of Iona.</li>
<li>Found a non-profit ecumenical, or at least Lutheran, beer brewing organization that offers proceeds to support local needs, like the Food Bank, Lighthouse Mission, and other things like that.</li>
<li>Exercise daily</li>
<li>Develop a coveted BBQ sauce</li>
</ul>
<div>
I guess that's about as big as I can dream at the moment. So say we all.</div>
</div>Don Earlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14273714520681226543noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663299369772457342.post-85055344982055334342010-10-28T14:37:00.000-07:002010-10-28T14:51:45.425-07:00Complacent, or Contentment?I've been struggling with an odd sensation lately... an absence of ambition. One might think depression or anxiety goes with that, but for me, I'm neither depressed nor fidgety (well apart from my normal bouncing knees when I sit). I discovered this as I tried to set some goals that would motivate me. And I found that I think I pretty much have everything I want out of life. <div><ul><li>Happily married</li><li>I love where I live</li><li>I like my career</li><li>I have great friends and family</li><li>I have a car that I love</li><li>I game regularly</li><li>...</li></ul><div>Sure there are things I'd like to have, but I've just noticed a kind of lack of passion. The things that used to drive me don't anymore. I'm not unhappy about it, it's actually kind of peaceful. </div></div><div><br /></div><div>I feel like something's wrong. Something's missing and I don't know what it is. I'm strangely comfortable and content. Maybe it's complacency? </div><div><br /></div><div>Camille helped me see that I really haven't done anything truly creative (apart from gaming) since we moved to LA. So yeah, no creative movement probably suggests the lack of a particular passion. But you can't just force that, decide to be passionate about something, or create something when you're not really inspired and you're basically okay with that.</div><div><br /></div><div>Except I guess I'm not because I'm writing about it, and questioning it. It's just the first time in my life I look around and go, you know, things are pretty great. But I'm only 32, that can't mean I'm done. I got a LONG ways to go. </div><div><br /></div><div>Help me out folks, what do you think?</div>Don Earlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14273714520681226543noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663299369772457342.post-17410336265664590032010-03-29T22:09:00.000-07:002010-03-29T22:39:37.374-07:00My next blog postWill be way better than this one. I pulled this up as I felt like I had something to say, and then stared at a screen for 2 minutes and realized I really don't.<div><br /></div><div>I have seeds of ideas and reflections that just starting out. I'll disclose them later. Disclose. That's a word I've picked up from my insurance studies.</div><div><br /></div><div>And who the crap ever thought I'd be studying insurance and securities? I went to PLU and got a degree in Classical Languages because I was going to spank everyone in Biblical Hermeneutics thanks to my ability to read the ancient languages... Ah yes, well that fell through. But my education did give me a rudimentary system of critical thinking and a higher awareness, and a serious amount of close friends that have lasted all this time... Including some professors!</div><div><br /></div><div>And what have I learned so far, now that I'm almost 32?</div><div><br /></div><div>When you graduate from High School, you kinda think you know a lot. When you get to college, realize you don't know crap. When you graduate from college, you have a sense of entitlement.<i>Hey, I have a college education. People are supposed to hire me.</i> WRONG! <i>Wait, but I paid all that money. I got great grades. I did everything right... </i>Too bad. The world is not college. You have to pay your dues just like everyone else who didn't go to college. </div><div><br /></div><div>But in college you learn how to think for yourself, or at least ask good questions. That WILL help. But lose the entitlement stuff. Just accept your lot, take your life by the scruff, and do something about it. Seize opportunities. You could die tomorrow. No really, you could. It sounds like a cop-out, but it happens every day. </div><div><br /></div><div>But what's the point? Right now, I think the point is to know thyself. Sort out your priorities, and make your life enjoyable. Zombieland had some great things I think apply:</div><div><br /></div><div>Rule number 1: Cardio. Start exercising, fatass. Or skinnyass. The zombie apocalypse could happen tomorrow, and you'd be food. And as an added benefit of getting in shape to outrun the evils of the world, you actually do feel better and maybe don't hold as many grudges in life because you just kind of work them out. It's similar for dogs. If you exercise your dogs regularly and rigorously, they stop being pains in the ass. Same goes for humans. Thank you Caesar.</div><div><br /></div><div>Rule number 2: Doubletap. Well that's just common sense.</div><div><br /></div><div>But one he added later on in the movie, was: Enjoy the small things. </div><div><br /></div><div>Last night it was windy as heck, and then it rained like crazy. We had the window open in our bedroom. I've had a hard time going to sleep at night. Just with all the studying and the concentrating and the new information racing through my brain... but the sound of the wind howling out there through the trees, sang me right to sleep.</div><div><br /></div><div>I love where I live.</div><div><br /></div><div>I also love my wife very much. I don't think I tell her it as much as I should. (I know, we all think that, but again, maybe we outta do something about that). The thing that I think is amazing is how she tolerates me and even supports me. Don't get me wrong, she draws the line and I respect the hell out of that line when it's drawn... but yeah, thanks babe. I'm a handful. </div>Don Earlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14273714520681226543noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663299369772457342.post-10633522448322698042009-12-24T13:24:00.000-08:002009-12-26T11:31:54.314-08:00Holiday Rum-inationsI have a definite lack of rum in my eggnog. It's a problem.<div><br /></div><div>In less than 2 hours I leave for the airport to fly down to Burbank to meet my lovely bride for Christmas Eve. We'll be attending midnight church service tonight, and then figuring out our driving plans for tomorrow. Traffic SHOULD be light on Christmas day, one would think. I think we'll make the best of it.</div><div><br /></div><div>Well, we did it. We've up and moved from California. Cindy's retaining her job and working remotely, and I am unemployed looking for work. Currently I have three prospects. One is a local VW dealership, that also sells Audi and Porsche. Very nice place, great reputation. If I'm going to sell cars, that's where I want to do it. I'm also pursuing heavily an opportunity with Thrivent Financial for Lutherans. I'm setting up an interview with the other financial consultant here in Bellingham for next week. Finally, I also have an opportunity where Dupp works. A sales position just opened up that I definitely fit the bill for. I am continuing to look for opportunities, and I have faith that Cindy and I will be okay, despite the amount of credit card debt we've had to rack up for this move. The credit card debt stresses me out a little. We've been credit card debt free for a while now. But I still feel this was the right move. And I love our new place. </div><div><br /></div><div>Dead Gentlemen Productions is turning a few new leaves with new projects in the works. We are finally getting to a point where several people are contributing content. We're not totally there yet, but we're definitely stepping in the right direction to spread out the workload. For years we've struggled to answer the question "What is a Dead Gentlemen Productions?" Does it have to be a comedy? Is it feature films? Is it only gaming related? Originally we had set out to be the next Monty Python, or at least our own incarnation of a similar group. Recently I had an epiphany about this question and I'm acting on it. A Dead Gentlemen Production is something that the Dead Gentlemen do together. Whatever it is. It's the group of people who work together that make it special, and it's special and it works because it's those people who are making it together. So rather than genre or whatnot, I've made that the center in determining what project to do, and why it should be done. I feel responsible for a lot of the rifts and disagreements with Ben and Matt because I didn't have this understanding before. I felt obligated to a certain genre, or catering to a particular audience. Both of those foci are incorrect if DGP is ever going to grow beyond their current successes, and I feel like I've alienated some people because of that. I just hope it's not too late. If it is, I think DGP will be looking for a new president. I don't want to run a company that doesn't include the people I want to work with. Kind of leads into my next Rum-ination: purpose.</div><div><br /></div><div>I still struggle every day trying to find a sense of purpose. I just dug up some old journals of mine and reread them. I had such a strong sense of purpose a decade ago. Even 6 or 7 years ago. This time alone these past few weeks, up here by myself, settling in, sorting things out... it's been a good time for reflection. I've identified that I lack a cause nowadays. Cindy and I had strong causes back in college, just those few years just outside of college. But I think it's faded. Taken for granted unintentionally. We both chose to turn away from becoming ordained pastors because we wanted to be married to each other and not a congregation. I've sought out in some prayer if I or we should be thinking about seminary again, and I still don't feel pulled in that direction. I'm thankful that the church might have lost me as a pastor, but the gained Chris Ode. It's almost like we swapped lives or paths there at one point. Maybe I should ask him what he was going to do before he was called to ministry. :)</div><div><br /></div><div>I know a few basic things I want out of life. I want to buy a house and plant some effing roots and stop moving every year. I have averaged a move once a year for the past 13 years. I'm sick of it. I also want to start having children in the next couple years. There, I said it.</div><div><br /></div><div>Think I'll use my plane ride down to Burbank to do some goal setting and some objectives to reach those goals, with timelines. If you don't set goals, you'll never reach them. </div><div><br /></div><div>Happy Holidays everyone. Merry Christmas. Think of us tomorrow as we make our drive back up to the PNW. </div>Don Earlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14273714520681226543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663299369772457342.post-16700493277816512312009-12-03T13:52:00.001-08:002009-12-03T15:26:27.301-08:00WinterAwesome StewIngredients:<div>1 package beef stew meat</div><div>1 package ground Italian Sausage (spicy to your own taste, I chose Hot)</div><div>1 large chopped yellow onion</div><div>16 - 18 garlic cloves (about 12 chopped, the rest whole)</div><div>8 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, cubed</div><div>1 package button mushrooms, halved or quartered</div><div>1/3 cup bourbon... okay maybe 1/2 cup :)</div><div>32oz Beef Broth<br />1 package fresh basil</div><div>1 package fresh oregano</div><div>28oz can whole tomatoes</div><div>Salt</div><div>Pepper</div><div>3 tablespoons cooking oil or olive oil</div><div><br /></div><div>Directions:</div><div><br /></div><div>In a large stew pot, heat oil on high. Add chopped onions and chopped garlic and stir for 30-45 seconds or until slightly softened. Add potatoes and stir for about a minute. Salt and pepper the beef and add to the pot. Add ground pepper and salt to taste. Stir until beef is browned on all sides. Add ground Italian sausage. Stir until slightly browned (about 2-3 minutes). Stir in beef broth and tomatoes, crushing the whole tomatoes as you add them, and bring to a boil. Add bourbon and mushrooms, turn down heat, cover, and let simmer for 5 minutes. Chop half of the basil and add to the pot. Add the rest whole. Chop and add oregano to taste. (I used about half the package). Let simmer uncovered. Serve when you can't stand waiting anymore.</div>Don Earlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14273714520681226543noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663299369772457342.post-79731468670305677792009-11-09T10:55:00.001-08:002009-11-09T11:31:52.780-08:00And so begins Chapter 5...If you've been following Cindy and my Facebook pages, you probably already know the news. We're moving back to Bellingham! The decision came very quickly and unexpectedly, but it mainly boiled down to answering the question: What do we want out of life?<br /><br />We can't seem to find the answer in LA. We came down here for a huge opportunity through my work. It was going to open a lot of doors, and I would be able to be regularly involved with the Industry. (Entertainment Industry, duh.) We already had Matt and Camille down here. At the time, it was the right decision. I was getting a significant pay raise. Cindy eventually found a really great job.<br /><br />But we all know that the economy wasn't doing well. The writer's strike happened. Then the actor's negotiations, then really, nothing was happening in Hollywood. It spiraled out into every other industry in the area. It was like an earthquake with an epicenter in Hollywood. Everything was shaken up. Some businesses folded. Some shook off several of their employees in order to survive. Then, I got the shake.<br /><br />Standing on ground zero, unemployed, none of my movie connections were hiring, and like so many other people like me, I asked: Now what? What am I now going to do with my life? For a career?<br /><br />With a short stint of unemployment, I got hired with a VW dealership. Learned quickly about the cars, and started selling them. But it sucked up my life. The commute is terrible, and it seems no matter how successful I am in the car business, I still come home feeling empty.<br /><br />More and more businesses leaving the State. Productions being shot in Arizona, Louisiana, New Mexico. Anyone in the biz is clamoring over the same positions. And movie distributors are struggling with their identity and business structure, asking how will we be profitable as technologies advance? How do we monetize these new things. Of course, that's if, and I mean IF, they even recognize the threat at all. A large number of distributors seem to be in a huge state of denial.<br /><br />Production-wise, it seemed we Dead Gentlemen were doing it right the first time... we're just way better at it now, and know how to do more.<br /><br />On top of all this, Cindy and I want to start on children soon. We asked the question, if we had the opportunity, where would we want to live to do that? Bellingham.<br /><br />Suddenly, it's like the opportunity machine just turned on. With a leap of faith, we just decided to bite the bullet and make the commitment to moving there. And it is a leap of faith. Not everything is settled. But spiritually we feel pulled back there, we just know it's right. Somehow it will all work out. It's going to be tight. I don't even have employment yet. And there doesn't seem to be much in the way of it up there. But somehow God will provide.<br /><br />And if confirmation was needed... Jeremy and Katy are having a baby and are making plans to move to the PNW. Matt's <span style="font-style: italic;">Journeyquest</span> is getting off the ground. See his blog post here: <a href="http://invancible.blogspot.com/2009/11/quest-begins.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Quest Begins</span></a>. Ben is up to his eyeballs in projects and opportunities. And I have finally received inspiration for my own project to develop.<br /><br />Chapter 1: Growing up in Idaho<br />Chapter 2: The College Years at PLU in Tacoma<br />Chapter 3: Living and working in the PNW, from Bellingham to Tacoma<br />Chapter 4: The Big City - Los Angeles<br />Chapter 5: ??? buying a house and starting a family in Bellingham?Don Earlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14273714520681226543noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663299369772457342.post-84980808379962935912009-10-04T08:53:00.001-07:002009-10-04T08:54:09.250-07:00More...More pictures from Germany on its way. Haven't had time to compile them.<div><br /></div><div>We're also going to be doing "Best of" pics, and maybe a slideshow with music and either narration or captions to go along with it.</div>Don Earlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14273714520681226543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663299369772457342.post-36400777335576788152009-09-25T03:02:00.001-07:002009-09-25T03:02:22.789-07:00More Germany Pictures<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; white-space: pre-wrap; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; "><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" width="288" height="192" flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&hl=en_US&feat=flashalbum&RGB=0x000000&feed=http%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2FDon.Early%2Falbumid%2F5385334635666488769%3Falt%3Drss%26kind%3Dphoto%26authkey%3DGv1sRgCNb-rdrl8oe03AE%26hl%3Den_US" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed></span>Don Earlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14273714520681226543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663299369772457342.post-59462497081779286872009-09-23T08:58:00.001-07:002009-09-23T08:58:34.070-07:00Germany Photos... In Progress<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; white-space: pre-wrap; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; "><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" width="288" height="192" flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&hl=en_US&feat=flashalbum&RGB=0x000000&feed=http%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2FDon.Early%2Falbumid%2F5383951716742030785%3Falt%3Drss%26kind%3Dphoto%26hl%3Den_US" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed></span>Don Earlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14273714520681226543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663299369772457342.post-70083971238253698202009-08-19T22:07:00.000-07:002009-08-19T23:14:41.082-07:00In a fog bank...Until I found my faith in God, I really didn't know what I wanted to do with my life. I remember in junior high I was looking at being a helicopter pilot. Sounded interesting. Seemed like everyone in my family wanted me to do "something with computers", whatever that meant, and so of course that's exactly what I didn't want to do. Once Faith became a part of my life, it wasn't long when I found a direction, the Calling.<br /><br />At the time I interpreted that to be a Lutheran minister, and to be more specific, a missionary to Mormons. Ah, young and infantile faith... so judgmental. Well when Wisdom finally made clear that I was being a judgmental douchebag with that line of "mission", I pursued what it meant to be a "person of faith". That quest turned out to be much nobler, and guess what? I made a lot more friends that way too. And all through college, I had it easy. I was going to just go to seminary after I get my BA... and so I might as well study something that will put me leagues ahead of other seminarians when it comes to Biblical translation and Classical contexts: I would major in Classical Languages.<br /><br />While I was studying Ancient Greek and Latin, that "ham" part of me came out again. What? Did I forget to mention that apparently I love to be the center of attention? Let me digress a bit: Goes back to when I was a little tyke, always smiling for the camera, hogging the limelight. I even would simulate playing in a rock band with cardboard instruments. I even filmed it. In high school, I discovered what I could do with a camcorder, shooting stuff and editing with 2 VCRs connected with RCA cables. In college I got a job with the TV services department, shooting plays and editing school events. I found myself in a group of friends who were actors, writers, creative thinkers, and mostly Lutheran. It was GREAT! I even decided to take a course called "Acting for the non-actor", which is pretty much me. The professor said I had a natural talent and I should try out for the next play. I got in! And it was so much fun.<br /><br />I found myself totally enamored with acting, directing, putting stuff together... my friends and I even made a little video together when we had the time. I even got to be in front of the camera.<br /><br />But this wasn't always the creative outlet I had. I used to draw. I wasn't too shabby with charcoal pencils. I used to play the clarinet, and a little bit of the sax...<br /><br />But I've digressed long enough...<br /><br /><br />I started out talking about at one point I didn't know what to do with my life. Then I found something. I think I've ended that journey and I'm back feeling like I did in junior high. Why not ministry? What happened with that?<br />- When I was graduating college, the Church basically told me I couldn't go to seminary until I had less debt. THAT was NOT in the plans. Once that came to a screeching halt, and I had to figure out what to do next, Dead Gentlemen Productions gave me a purpose. I would strive to be a filmmaker. We proceeded to do some great stuff together. I accomplished some things I am very personally proud of. I did good. Also during that time, my home church pastor essentially got booted out of his congregation because the congregation just didn't get along or didn't agree with him... whatever it was, it was lame. Then, the pastor Cindy and I got attached to when we were living in Bellingham also basically got the boot, and I don't care what anyone says, her being a strong woman had a lot to do with it. She really inspired me, and to see the congregation turn on her like that really soured me. When Cindy left seminary to come and start our lives together, she brought with her another thing I hadn't really given much thought to: She left her path of becoming a Lutheran Pastor because she didn't want to be married to me and the church at the same time. That REALLY resonated with me, and still does.<br /><br />Why not be a filmmaker? Afterall, I am living in Los Angeles now...<br />-Right now I have no personal inspiration. It's a bit like after I had directed Demon Hunters: Dead Camper Lake, and then had to move back to Idaho, and the guys went on to make The Gamers without me... It's a bit like that now. Not that I take it personally, I just don't have anything I'm inspired to do. Matt's all inspired now with his next awesome project.. which again feels like it did with The Gamers... meaning it's the next hit, the next project that's really going to propel him and anyone along with him, and there's really not a place for me. Not right now. It's not a "poor me" statement. I'm a car salesman. I work 6 days a week. I sleep on my day off...<br /><br />Back up in the Pacific NorthWest, Ben is getting his big project off the ground too. Which is awesome and will be successful because there's so much positive energy behind it. I again don't really have the capacity to participate. So here I am supporting in the sidelines.<br /><br />Again, this is all fine, but to turn myself around, I would need a project of my own to be inspired to do. When I moved back from Idaho to Tacoma, I had Revamping Doyle. Right now, I got nothing. And besides, having been down here, and seeing what it takes to be a filmmaker professionally, I don't really think it's what I want as a career. But I do love being in the director's chair, I do love coordinating and collaborating with a great crew and actors, hell I even like at times being the producer/"bossman" type on a project I really believe in, like <span style="font-style: italic;">The Gamers: Dorkness Rising</span>. But I had time to do all that then.<br /><br />The difference between then and now is that now I don't really have a project I'm personally inspired to do... Starting to feel pretty out of touch with the entertainment industry.<br /><br />So I've built up my strengths through a variety of roles, jobs, and even career paths. They all culminate to this point. And as I look out into the landscape ahead of me, all I see is fog. All my friends seem far away. My family IS far away. I don't know which direction I'm going. And I don't yet have a reason to take a step forward... and by reason I mean a sense of purpose. A goal. An inspiration. I can always do a job to pay the bills. But I want to work to live, not live to work.<br /><br />I used to write stanzas, I used to draw. I used to play an instrument. I used to act. I used to create videos. I used to have a radio show (forgot to mention that part). I used to game regularly. Ultimately I know I'm lacking a creative outlet.<br /><br />Recently I had a conversation with one of my classics professors from college. He suggested I consider the foreign service or the CIA... seriously. It is an interesting time right now, and the idea of eventually becoming a diplomat sounds kind of inspiring. But I'm not quite in touch with what all this means yet, so I'm still doing my homework on this.<br /><br />Either way, I feel a little isolated by my circumstances, and therefore I also feel like whatever direction I'm drifting towards, it might mean away from the people I've been so close to. That's more than terrifying, and a lot depressing.<br /><br />I just try and remain open, and trust God to lead me. Send some positive energy my way, and maybe pray for me for some clarity and some inspiration. Thanks.Don Earlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14273714520681226543noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663299369772457342.post-3308768055441597062009-07-27T19:30:00.000-07:002009-07-27T20:39:01.334-07:00The Truth About "Cash for Clunkers"<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.cars.gov/"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 195px; height: 168px;" src="http://www.garyromekia.com/images/cars-program.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>More like "Cash for A-holes"...<br /><br />I heard this <a href="http://www.huazhuanghufu.cn/templates/story/story.php?storyId=111093618"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">story on NPR</span></a> explaining how the new <a href="http://www.cars.gov/"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">CARS</span></a> program is going to work, and for the most part, David Shephard from the Detroit News was fairly spot on... except that part at the end.<br /><br />Click on the link and listen to the story.<br /><br />As many of you know, I work for a dealer who is participating in the CARS program. Here's how the program works from my understanding:<br /><br />1. If you have a car you think would qualify to turn over, go to www.cars.gov and plug in your car and see if it qualifies. You can also go to www.fueleconomy.gov.<br /><br />2. If your car qualifies, according to David Shephard and "other consumer reports", you should then go to a dealer of your choice and select the car you want to buy, but don't mention you have a "clunker" until you have done the deal. This is where I get pissed off.<br /><br /><tangent><br />There IS a reason why car sales people have such a bad reputation. You the consumer go into a car dealership with the expectation that the salesperson is going to try and screw you over. So it's screw them over or get screwed over. The problem is, most customers don't have a CLUE what the car they are trying to buy is worth. Even if they do the research online... a "good deal" is totally subjective. My manager once told me that he's been in the car business for several years. He knows the industry well, he makes deals, he negotiates with the banks, etc. If he were to walk into a Ford dealership or a GMC dealership, he STILL wouldn't know whether or not the deal they offered him was a "good deal".<br /><br />When it comes right down to it, you, the buyer, have a budget in mind. You walk into a dealership trying to buy a more expensive car than you can afford, and try and get the dealership to cram it into the budget restraits YOU set out for yourself. It has NOTHING to do with the actual value of the car. And it's up to the dealership to decide if they are going to DEVALUE the car for you so that you can take it home. Sometimes that gap is reasonable, most of the time it's not.<br /><br />There's a famous book out there that teaches you how to buy a car, and in it they tell you if you have a trade-in vehicle, to bring that up after you have settled on the deal. This is smart for the consumer, and both annoying for the dealership as well as USUALLY disappointing to the customer. But the reason why the book recommends it is correct. Many dealership inflate their trade-in value by taking what it's actually worth and adding on some of their profit from the vehicle you want to buy, thereby showing you a "discount" on the vehicle and showing you more for the trade-in. But if you go in, negotiate your "rock bottom price" and then bring up the trade-in, don't be surprised when your POS car is not worth what you think it is.<br /><br />In fact, we tell a lot of our customers to take their trade-in to CarMax. It's less hassel for us, and CarMax almost always pays more on trade-ins/wholesale transactions than the dealerships will. The reason is, they have access to the markets where YOUR call will likely sell for the highest amount of money, so they're able to pay you a higher dollar amount.<br /><br />Where most people's disappointment is when they negotiate this "rock bottom deal" with the salesperson, and everyone's happy because the payment is perfect and we're ready to sell/buy the car, and THEN you bring up the trade-in, it's then, we the salespeople get to discover how upside down you are in your current vehicle, and when we roll the substantial negative equity that YOU owe on YOUR car, your payment doubles or raises significantly, and now you want to negotiate the price down back to where it was. Guess what? THERE'S NO ROOM LEFT! YOU JUST NEGOTIATED THE <span style="font-weight: bold;">ROCK F*CK!NG BOTTOM</span> PRICE!!!<br /><br />Okay, but that's trade-ins. You're saying: <span style="font-style: italic;">Don, David Shephard was talking about the CARS program, not trade-ins. </span><br /><br />You're right. He was. But he DIDN'T tell you what you need to bring in addition to your POS car you're going to turn in for a rebate, which I was hoping he would have, which would have made this tyraid unnecessary...<br /><br />If you go into the dealership, after having qualified your car as a legitimate "Clunker" that will get you a rebate, and you wait until AFTER the deal has been negotiated to bring up that you have a qualified clunker to get your CARS rebate, the dealer then is going to ask you for the following:<br />- Proof that you have owned the car for more than a year (which means two consecutive years of registrations in your name)<br />- Proof that this clunker has been insured and drivable for more than one year (which means two consecutive years of insurance cards for your clunker car)<br />- The ORIGINAL title<br />- A printout of the side-by-side fuel economy comparison between your clunker and the car you want to buy<br /><br />See, YOU are expecting the dealer to just give you $4,500.00 or $3,500.00 rebate, whichever one you qualify for. And when they ask you for it, you're not going to have it, because who the crap carries that stuff... then you're going to go home disappointed and upset, and thinking that dealership is trying to screw you over, and now you have to hunt for all this BS paperwork so you can get your freaking rebate... when it's actually the effing government not having their crap together in educating people about what it's going to take, and oh by the way, the "quick reference guide" for the dealers is like 80 pages long and you need to be a lawyer to read it. But that's not your concern...<br /><br />So if you're going to be a douchebag, I mean, a smart, informed consumer, and bring up this CARS rebate program after you've negotiated your "rock bottom deal"... do your homework and bring all the required paperwork and make it easy for the dealership. You've already done all the hard work of negotiating the salesperson's paycheck away (does anyone find it weird that no one negotiates with a waiter their tip? Or with the cook how much they think the food was worth paying for?) at least do US the courtesy of bringing everything you're going to need to make the deal happen.<br /><br />Oh, and about that "rock bottom price", I say it like that because that's what we always hear in the car industry "What's your rock bottom price"... You're not actually asking for the rock bottom price, you're asking for a starting point to begin your negotiation. You say you want to cut out the back and forth negotiating BS, but in the end you end up doing it anyway because no matter what number the dealer gives you, even if they've awarded you significant savings even in this economy, it's still not good enough because it doesn't fit in your budget. It's not because the dealer is trying to screw you, although at this point you may deserve it... it's because you're on the WRONG CAR.<br /><br />Don't expect me to devalue my product just because you got a lower price at a different dealer. My car is a 4-door with premium audio, a sunroof, 18" wheels, an ipod adapter and leather seats. You have seen and touched my car, and my manager has given you an aggressive deal because we have taken our best guess as to what we could get away with on the car and what we think you would say yes to. It happens to be the maximum amount we're allowed to sell the car under invoice. Except you call around to other dealers and one gives you a price $1800 lower than the one we gave you. They say it's the same car, but until they give you a VIN number, the managers name, and what the deal is associated with that VIN, WE have NO reason to believe that deal. You're telling me Peter Pan will sell you the same car for $1800 less than what we quoted you, and we worked hard for your business. IT'S NOT THE SAME CAR. And how DARE you ask me to devalue my product because someone else said it costs less and aren't willing to prove it.<br /><br />You don't negotiate how much you'll pay for groceries, or your cell phone bill, or your new refrigerator you buy at Best Buy...<br /><br />It's a stupid cycle and both the customer AND the dealers/salespeople are equally to blame.<br /><br />Find a sales person you like, someone you want to do business with. Do your homework, and by the way, Kelly Blue Book and Edmunds.com does not count as homework. That's a start, but until you get an offer from Kelly Blue Book to buy your trade-in, it doesn't count. They don't buy or sell cars. Your dealer knows the auctions and the market for what they can make a profit from your car, and if you don't like it, take it to CarMax and be done with it. But find a dealership, a salesperson and a manager you like that you want to support, negotiate a fair price for everyone involved, and be prepared.<br /><br />Being prepared means bring all the necessary documentation you'll need. If you think you're credit's sketchy, bring some pay stubs, 3 months of your most recent bank statements showing income, a recent phone bill or something proving your address. Bring proof of insurance. Bring your driver's license.<br /></tangent><br /><br />Don't be an A-hole. If you're going to screw someone out of their paycheck, make sure you have everything you need to bring to transaction in order to make it happen.Don Earlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14273714520681226543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663299369772457342.post-8688180035655778832009-07-19T18:57:00.000-07:002009-07-19T19:31:18.634-07:00Standing in a sink holeThere is a lot out of whack in my life. I just read some <a href="http://kevintheirishman.blogspot.com/2009/05/ramblebalanceramble.html"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">ramblings</span></a> from my good friend Kevin on his blog about living a balanced life. Kevin and I have shared similar life philosophies about work and play, relationships, etc. My grandfather has said a couple things that I think sum it up pretty well:<br /><br />1. Most people work 5 days a week. If you have to, you work 6. If you can't do it in 6, you're not going to do it in 7, so you might as well take a day off.<br /><br />I've mentioned this next one before:<br /><br />2. Friends are the currency of life, and I always considered myself a rich man.<br /><br />And in general, no specific saying here, but something about you might not have a tomorrow, so don't forget to live a little right now.<br /><br />Well right now I have a serious imbalance in my life. I'm working too much, doing something I don't feel too much reward for doing. I've mentioned before that whatever I do for a career, I just want to make a difference in people's lives, as well as my own. For the better of course.<br /><br />It's no wonder I was drawn to being a pastor when I was in high school and college. Sure I've thought about trying that path again, but after watching two of my mentors being ousted from their congregations, I think it's caused some serious trust issues with me. Now when I go to a congregation, I always feel like "now what responsibilities are they going to rope me in for?"<br /><br />Used to be that I would get something out of serving. Being in sales now, however, it's all I do. So it all just feels like more work. Taking out of me, not giving back. And I don't seem to really get much out of church services any more. I don't sing and I don't enjoy singing as a form of worship, which is a draw for most people who go to church. If it were me, it'd go Confession and Absolution, Prayer of the Day, First & Second Lesson and Gospel, Homily, Communion, Offering, Benediction. Boom. Done.<br /><br />Ramblings of my own I guess.<br /><br />I wish I had more time to game. I wish my days off weren't all needing to be spent sleeping and catching up on laundry. I hate reading about the great things my wife and friends are doing on the weekend without me, and not being there with them.<br /><br />My friend Chris Duppenthaler once asked me, "Don, if there was one thing you could make a living at doing, what would it be?"<br /><br />I still don't have an answer.<br /><br />He asked another one once, "If you could something of your choice, what would you sell?"<br /><br />Still I got nothing.<br /><br />And that's about where I am. Spiritual life is pretty dry. Personal life is pretty dry. Professional life is pretty dry. I feel like I'm missing out on something. I also feel like my career is right in front of me and I can't seem to see it.Don Earlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14273714520681226543noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663299369772457342.post-32279480129459105312009-06-28T23:05:00.001-07:002009-06-28T23:16:41.992-07:00I am an AutobotI don't know what the whole bad press thing is about. I frankly thought it was better than the first movie.<br /><br />That said...<br /><br />What's with the swearing? This is based on a kid's show. Obviously I'm not against swearing in movies, but it just doesn't seem to fit this one. Was odd.<br /><br />Other than that, I was pretty happy with it. I've already surrendered to the fact that Michael Bay is ruining my childhood memories. So having accepted it, I'm rolling with it and trying to make the best of it. I still hate the design of the robots. But, nothing I can do about that. They got Peter Cullen. They brought in Soundwave, which was my favorite Transformer anyway.<br /><br />Overall, I was pretty happy with it. Still miss Jazz though. Spoiler alert, they don't bring him back. :(<br /><br />Typical Michael Bay film. Lots of stuff blowing up. Megan Fox is... well a fox, and he does not sacrifice camera angles in order to show her off. Wow. She is tasty.<br /><br />I do wish the franchise wasn't just all about General Motors vehicles though. Totally lame. Suppose it covers the spectrum okay though, just... I miss Bumblee being... A BUG! I miss Optimus being that other kind of Semi, the boxie kind...<br /><br />But whatever. At least I didn't really watch G.I. Joe as a kid, so the movie looks pretty cool to me. It's way lame and far fetched, which is just fine by me. I never got the draw growing up. I mean, I understood it was all about being The Real American Hero... but basically it was playing Army. Plenty of Army movies out there, so the concept seems a bit boring. The new take looks more interesting to me, and that is my own brand of hypocrisy with all my complaints about Transformers and He-Man movies.<br /><br />Back to Transformers 2. I wouldn't own either movies, but I definitely think they are worth seeing in the theaters. It was a good time, and I never get tired of hearing Optimus Prime. I want an "Optimus Prime for President" bumper sticker.Don Earlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14273714520681226543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663299369772457342.post-85285086377133716792009-06-27T20:18:00.000-07:002009-06-28T03:38:29.186-07:00Face + Brick Wall = Car SalesThat about sums up my day. I'm not sure I've ever been more agitated in general.<br /><br />Car sales seems to be perfect for single people, workaholics, or alcoholics, or any combination of those three. It's no wonder so many people have some kind of substance abuse in the car industry. A lot of the managers don't drink, but they smoke like crazy. In fact, most of the people at the dealership smoke.<br /><br />Oh, and they're mostly conservatives too. Why is it I always find work, working for conservatives? I'll give them one thing, at least they have a job somehow.<br /><br />I really miss the consultative outside sales life, working from home, and then going out and helping solve people's problems. There are a so many things I could be doing that fit that... why can't I think of one that pays anything?<br /><br />Plus, it seems like when I'm the busiest at work, that's when everyone outside of my job needs something from me.<br /><br />I'm spent. I'm frustrated. I'm aggravated. I'm not sleeping well. I don't get much of a day off.<br /><br />I got no problem working hard for my money. I do have a problem missing out on life as a trade off for it.<br /><br />Bleh, I need a purge.<br /><br />UPDATE: Case in point... it's 3:30am. I can't fall back asleep because I'm thinking about that one of my customers that I have been working with through the internet, and then finally came in to get her car appraised (again I might add), MIGHT have bought a car from another salesman at the dealership, behind my back... That part is not bugging me. What bugs me is that 2 out of 3 of my managers knew I was working on it, and no one told me she came in. If I don't get half the deal, I'm going to be very upset. But I'm already disappointed that the managers didn't tell me. This is not how I want to live my life...Don Earlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14273714520681226543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663299369772457342.post-24317615215030793282009-06-17T16:40:00.000-07:002009-06-17T17:12:58.442-07:00Update on E71<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.amazon.com/Nokia-E71-Unlocked-Slot-U-S-Warranty/dp/B001BZJ54U/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=wireless&qid=1245282280&sr=8-1"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 133px; height: 128px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS-aJzC3obvuoaEK5eoykgozRcSjZvai6Ts58QfWp2U-xCfujBwEEvwhyphenhypheni2MWfP20GwGLZUVtf5U9DGxV3x_7qAa-DPTGKtFs1mt9VlIYPGCMc0GvA_ntdwMZr91ddWAt93beIijmw-H0/s320/e71.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348446036690201458" border="0" /></a><br />This phone is awesome. I haven't even BEGUN to do all the cool stuff it can do, but what I have used it for works really well. It's incredibly thin too. But I wanted to give an update on how my VOIP is going.<br /><br />I decided on <a href="http://www.voipvoip.com">VoipVoip</a>. It's $6.99 per month to have a phone number people can call you on. All incoming calls are free, and all outgoing calls are 1.9 cents a minute. The bummer thing is that you have to reformat your phone numbers in your address book to: 12225557777, and then if you want to get really spiffy and allow Skype to call out for you (using a different application), you have to put a + in front of the number. Doesn't seem to work if the phone number is formatted (222)555-7777. But that's a minor inconvenience.<br /><br />It is VERY dependent on a 3G or WiFi connection. Edge will not work. And 3G is not everywhere, despite what the coverage tells you. Often, there is also about a 2 second connection delay when the phone call initializes.<br /><br />So far, if switching between WiFi and 3G and vice versa, I have to go in and manually change some settings to make it work. But, overall, VoipVoip is very clear, works most of the time, and is a great deal.<br /><br />It also picks up your ring tones just fine, and makes and receives calls through the normal phone function. Even call waiting works just fine. When you have the voicemail turned on, it actually emails you your voicemail, which is pretty cool.<br /><br />I dumped <a href="http://www.fring.com/">Fring</a> in favor of <a href="http://www.nimbuzz.com/">Nimbuzz</a>. I just like the interface better. It seems to be a little slicker with Skype, and it's a great chat program. I can make and receive Skype calls just fine. Most of the time though there is a slight lag when using Skype. A small inconvenience that I'm willing to go through for reducing my phone bill. You can also make Yahoo! calls and GTalk calls.<br /><br />So far there seems to be NO software solution to make video calls. The phone has the functionality, but you can't freaking use it. It'd be awesome to interface with GTalk Video, Skype, Yahoo, MSN, etc, using a WiFi or 3G connection, but nothing seems to be out there.<br /><br /> Also, I seem to fill up the RAM pretty quickly and end up having to reboot the phone. Not sure what that's all about yet.<br /><br />Overall, I'm definitely saving some dough. People who use both a data connection and minutes can cut their bill in half doing what I'm doing.<br /><br />There's my update!Don Earlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14273714520681226543noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663299369772457342.post-83284604501303981192009-05-26T20:43:00.000-07:002009-05-26T21:00:26.218-07:00Friggin FringSo my brilliant plan to beat the Comm system has kinda' worked.<br /><br />I have a new cell phone. It's the Nokia E71. Not the new E71x that AT&T is offering. This is the one that's not stripped down.<br /><br />It's a great phone. Very thin, very powerful. So my plan was, buy an unlocked phone, get a data plan only, and get both unlimited data and unlimited voice for about $40/mo. How? Voice Over IP, or Voip for short. Using programs like Skype, you can make calls out for cheap or free. Basically, if I can minimize my per month cost, and maximize my ability to make and receive calls, and not pay more than $50/month, that's the goal. This means we'll be getting rid of our landline too, once I get this figured out. So then Cindy will have her prepaid phone, and I'll have my phone, and that will be it.<br /><br />Here's what I have to report. Skype Lite, which is the only version available for this phone, doesn't work. It's really stupid too. It requires you to have a voiceplan to make internet calls. What it does is it dials a local number and then forwards you to whatever number you're trying to call. What's the point?<br /><br />So now I'm using a program called Fring. It's not terrible, but has some really annoying characteristics. But first, the pluses:<br />-It works. It hooks up to my Skype account, and on that account I pay $3/month for unlimited calls. So I'm able to use Skype out to make calls using Fring. The calls are crystal clear as well.<br />-Fring works great as an IM too. Pulls in GTalk, MSN, AOL, Skype, etc. And it pulls all your contacts from your phone too. So that's cool.<br /><br />Here's where it starts to suck:<br />- There's a bit of a delay, about 2 seconds or so, in the calls. It's annoying. And it's the same if you're using 3G, Broadband, or WiFi.<br />- You can't use push button numbers while you're in a call. Meaning, if you are calling something and it says, "for such and such, please press 1". You can't do that using Fring.<br />- Haven't figured out how to access my Skype voicemail from Fring either.<br />- You can't just dial a number either. They have to be a contact in your buddy list or in your phone contacts.<br /><br />---------------<br /><br />Next, there's a program called Gizmo. It's pretty cool and uses the phone part of your phone to make internet calls. Also pulls from your contacts. You can dial any number. Basically it works like prepaid minutes. You put money on your account, you buy a phone number (one time fee), and then it's basically 3.9 cents per minute. The really crappy part is, it appears you can only use Gizmo if you're hooked up to WiFi. It won't work with 3G or whatever the phone's normal data plan is.<br /><br />------------------<br /><br />Some of you might be wondering about SIP. I haven't tried it yet. The whole point for me is to minimize my costs, and SIP just seems to be a way to connect everything... Except that I'll be dumping my landline. Still need to read up on this, but I'm open to suggestions.<br /><br />If anyone else has any thoughts on how to accomplish my goal, please let me know. It's an interesting quest.Don Earlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14273714520681226543noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663299369772457342.post-74482319389699724732009-05-12T23:31:00.000-07:002009-05-12T23:41:03.655-07:00VW it isStarted the VW gig yesterday. Spent my first day driving cars. That was cool. Kind of got introduced to each car and what makes each one cool. Discovered I REALLY love convertibles. Didn't really know that about myself.<br /><br />Today, came into my office to discover the small cabinet had been taken, I still don't have a mouse for my computer, and someone took the picture of the his and hers VW bugs side by side leaning towards each other while the guy and the girl kissed. It was cute. Decided I'm going to tell the sales manager if they don't put a cool VW picture up in my office, I'm bringing a Mini Cooper picture to put up.<br /><br />Also, turns out you need a specific driver license to sell cars. Who knew? So today I had to spend most of a full day at the DMV and the Social Security office, because oh yeah, they need a copy of my social security card, and apparently mine is gone. Had to get a Live Scan too, which is basically digital fingerprinting with a background check. Spendy day, except that Social Security didn't charge me for a replacement card. Hey, ONE perk from the SS office isn't bad.<br /><br />So, if anyone is considering buying a Prius or any other Hybrid car, please contact me first so I can talk you out of it. Buy a TDI. Turbo Diesel. Way better gas mileage, and several years down the line you won't have to fork out half the value of the vehicle to replace the batteries. Plus, it burns fuel SUPER clean. Seriously, eff the Prius. Buy a Jetta TDI. And buy it from me.Don Earlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14273714520681226543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663299369772457342.post-22396424818436086882009-05-04T19:33:00.000-07:002009-05-04T20:07:05.963-07:00From Mini to VW to... I dunno, I give. You tell me.Mini passed on me, but they said I was outstanding and would like to consider me for their new store. They decided to go with someone with more auto experience, and I can't really argue with that... having no auto sales experience myself.<br /><br />Then another ad caught my eye, Volkswagen. So I submitted my resume and they called me back. The next day (Friday) I went in for the interview, and that evening when I got home they again, called me back. They really liked me, like my energy, and thought I might be a good fit. Would I come in on Monday morning to their in-house training program and spend a day learning their sales process? Sure. I'd love to. And that's what I did today.<br /><br />It was very similar to the Dale Carnegie sales process I already know, just more specific to selling cars. So that was nice and familiar and built confidence. However, the main factor that was mentioned was that our biggest selling advantage in selling is our superior knowledge of our products and inventory, and in-depth study of the competition. *beat*<br /><br />Well crap. I don't really have either of those things. Yet, and I realize knowledge will come. But it was discouraging to hear, particularly since I'm entering this industry with no auto experience. On the other hand, when I started selling at Revchem, I didn't have an in-depth knowledge of silicones or UV-initiated resins either, so I suppose in that way it's no different.<br /><br />Overall the day was very enlightening, and I definitely think I could work that process well. So I sat down with the manager again and discussed the position in more detail today. We talked about the commission structure and bonuses, medical/dental all that. Sure working on 100% commission is risky, but it's always a good motivator. That part doesn't bother me. What bothers me is that I have to essentially create my own customer base. The foot traffic at the dealership is very light. So not only am I doing the sales process once they land on the doorstep, but I have to get them IN the door in the first place.<br /><br />Today I was told to treat this as if I were running my own business. The flipside of course is that I'm working for them as an employee, so I'm not totally on my own.<br /><br />There is also no formal product knowledge training. There are certifications you have to eventually obtain from VW, but the internet is my friend I guess. I think my main hesitations at this point are concerns over the short term. How to get people in the door. Getting up to speed enough to speak confidently about the vehicles I will be selling. Becoming intimately familiar with the inventory so as to know what cars to select.<br /><br />I get paid more on unemployment than I do sitting at the dealership learning about the products. So it almost makes more sense to research at home for a week or two, then go work for them. But then I don't want them to hire someone else while I'm learnin' up.<br /><br />I think more importantly I am stressing about the process of getting the customers in the door in the first place. The main reason I'm attracted to selling cars in the first place is that the customer generally comes to YOU! I don't mind doing the work of generating prospects and leads for myself; that's a vital part of the sales process that any seller worth anything should be able to do for themselves. Just in my experience it's the part that takes the longest.<br /><br />So, I'm stressing a bit about it. Mainly because I have no other employment prospects on the table. And, I'm starting to stress again about what direction to be looking for employment. Should I concentrate on sales, or should I concentrate on management? Do I even want a management position? What about teaching? Some people think I should pursue teaching Latin... What about that?<br /><br />I just don't know. My top 5 talents are: Connectedness, Empathy, Individualization, Achiever, Arranger.<br /><br />Definitely seems to tell the story of someone who's a sales professional, doesn't it? Or clergy, or team leader, or producer, or director, or....<br /><br />Anyone got any insights?Don Earlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14273714520681226543noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663299369772457342.post-72221893791532140972009-04-21T15:41:00.000-07:002009-04-21T15:54:03.996-07:00Mini MeLast Friday, I landed myself an interview to Nick Alexander Mini, for a sales position. I kid you not. I was looking on Craigslist and saw an ad "What Recession? Mini Coopers Are HOT HOT HOT!!!" Yep, they are hiring 1 sales person. This happens to be the same dealership I bought my Mini at. So not only do I know at least two of the other salesmen then, plus the service manager, but I know the company and can testify first hand.<br /><br />The interview went really well. I felt very comfortable, and seemed to keep the sales manager interested and talking with me for over an hour and half! It went well enough that he had me do a second interview with the general manager. This gentleman is a big guy, kind of like the owner of the company at my last job. And by big, I mean large stature. I admit, I was a little intimidated. But I think it went okay. We talked about boats a little bit, and leasing climates. I think I held my own okay, but he is clearly a numbers oriented guy. Makes for a great GM.<br /><br />Anyway they're supposed to get back to me hopefully by the end of this week. Here's hoping!<br /><br />This would be a pretty ideal place for me. I mean, I love doing sales, and what better product to sell than something I am already so passionate about?! And it's a car that really does create a community.<br /><br />This week I also started reading, Now Discover Your Strengths, by Marcus Buckingham & Donald Clifton. When you buy the book, you get an access code to their online test called "Strengths Finder". I bought the upgraded version, and so this is what the results came out to be:<br /><br />How well do you think these themes describe me?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Connectedness</span><br />People who are especially talented in the Connectedness theme have faith in the links between all things. They believe there are few coincidences and that almost every event has a reason.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Empathy</span><br />People who are especially talented in the Empathy theme can sense the feelings of other people by imagining themselves in others’ lives or others’ situations.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Individualization</span><br />People who are especially talented in the Individualization theme are intrigued with the unique qualities of each person. They have a gift for figuring out how people who are different can work together productively.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Achiever</span><br />People who are especially talented in the Achiever theme have a great deal of stamina and work hard. They take great satisfaction from being busy and productive.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Arranger</span><br />People who are especially talented in the Arranger theme can organize, but they also have a flexibility that complements this ability. They like to figure out how all of the pieces and resources can be arranged for maximum productivity.Don Earlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14273714520681226543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663299369772457342.post-33748256847954668492009-04-06T23:07:00.000-07:002009-04-06T23:19:14.742-07:00Feeling the pinchSo I'm flossing my teeth, like every dentist I've ever had has told me to do, and I get to the spot just between my top two front teeth... and my floss gets stuck. I pull it out, and suddenly I realize that I had a filling there. On the backside, right between my two front teeth (now you have that song in your head).<br /><br />We don't have dental insurance. And it started to hit me how much this is going to run. I haven't been to a dentist since I moved to LA. That means they're going to want to run X-rays, do a cleaning, fix my filling, and of course discover every horrible thing that's wrong with my teeth. This is where I DO believe in insurance. Too bad, huh?<br /><br />Recently Cindy's car needed new front brakes. Rotors and pads. $350.<br />I needed new clothes. Still not quite done yet. So far... $230.<br />IRS and CA Franchise Office took income tax from us this week... $5600.<br />Cordy almost had to go to the animal hospital. whew. avoided that.<br /><br />Our savings is depleting fast, and I have only my second real prospect interview tomorrow. It's a cellular company. They need an inside sales rep. Doesn't look too great though. The website isn't very good, and I have a feeling I'm WAY over qualified. But we'll see tomorrow.<br /><br />The chocolate thing would be fun, and would be rewarding to help the company grow and to directly affect that... and feeling the dire straits is no better motivator. But the practical side of me craves some kind of stability, and that means someone else giving me a paycheck, paying my income taxes, and preferably paying for my insurances.<br /><br />I have a fancy resume ready to go, if anyone in the LA area is interested.<br /><br />gah... why couldn't I have been born with great teeth?Don Earlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14273714520681226543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663299369772457342.post-27610686313756611432009-04-06T13:26:00.000-07:002009-04-06T14:19:48.699-07:00Should I be The Chocolate Guy?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.thechocolatetraveler.com/home.html"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 270px; height: 119px;" src="http://www.thechocolatetraveler.com/images-nav/top-logo.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />So I had my second interview with The Chocolate Traveler (click the image above to go to their website). Very interesting company and they definitely could use my help. The drawbacks are steep though.<br /><ul><li>I'm not an employee. I'm an independent contractor, much like a Mary Kay rep or Tupperware. The upside to this company though is that I don't have to buy my inventory; it's all on consignment.<br /></li><li>Being an independent contractor, I'm responsible for all of my own expenses, including insurance, cell phone, fuel, income taxes, etc. So that's a lot of chocolate to sell before you start turning a profit.</li><li>So this is all to say that they pretty much won't/can't pay for anything for liability reasons. Just commission. Which is also interesting, because the inventory you're keeping for them, they technically still own. </li></ul>These types of sales jobs, if you're ambitious and really driven, can be fun and profitable if you stick to it. But, I don't know many people who do it as a full time job. It seems like a good part time job. This could be good for me since I'm trying to also pursue producing/directing professionally.<br /><br />The company itself is pretty great. I really like the people, the product is high quality, and I definitely see how I could have a direct impact on the company. That itself is pretty exciting. I also like that I'm basically my own boss.<br /><br />The products are reasonably priced, and the margins are certainly doable.<br /><br />So now... I guess the question is, how much chocolate makes it worth it?Don Earlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14273714520681226543noreply@blogger.com0