At the beginning writing books was hard. A major contributor to it being such an effort was that I did not know what I was doing. I hadn’t taken classes, study at Harvard for ten years or even tried writing a book before I just began. Why wouldn’t it be hard?
After a while (maybe ten years) it was easier. I’ve been thinking about how it got to be easier and realized it was still just as hard, but I wasn’t noticing (as much). It took the same effort, the same long hours, the same re-dos, the same start-overs, the same mistakes—but none of it bothered me like it did in the beginning.
The big difference? The pressure was gone. Now, I’m mostly writing for myself; before—I was writing for the breathlessly waiting reading public. A reading public who knew I didn’t know what I was doing. What stress, what worry—someone was going to knock on my door and demand that I explained what I was doing. What—I thought I was an AUTHOR! What sort of arrogance was this?
That fear of being found out to be a fraud is gone. I do know how to write a book—couple of damn good books, too.
My current active project is the third Success Paths business books; How to Plan and Budget for a Successful Small Business. I would provide you with an excerpt, but I’m sure you are not interested in anything to do with planning or budgeting for a small business. You’re welcome. (just in case you are interested I anticipate a pub date in February)
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Eggs and gasoline—the two things that can make us feel like the economic world has gone crazy or that everything is okay. When gas prices sky rocket it drives all of our negative thoughts about government, greedy business people, life is unfair thoughts and general malaise. Now we have soaring egg prices. Don’t eggs come from farmers—why are farmers trying to screw us?
Of course, as we all know but don’t think about much, eggs come from chicken/egg factories controlled by the CEO big boss (asshole) in charge. Avian flu killed millions of chickens and suddenly an opportunity arose in the marketplace. Everything was going up with inflation, why not eggs. Especially eggs with the double whammy of inflation and dead chickens—”sorry there is going to be a slight price increase as we adjust to these unusual circumstances”.
The largest supplier of eggs had no avian flu outbreaks but increased prices at a phenomenal rate anyway. Profits soared. Gross profit went from $50 million last year to $535 million this year. (a) No doubt because of these brilliant management moves many of those millions probably went to the CEO big boss.
I’m not one who advocates for government intervention into every market absurdity that arises, mostly because government does not have the skills to do much about it and eventually the market will adjust itself—but I think this is an exception. This is unfair market control over a staple in every household in America. Something is amiss if one CEO big boss can control the price of eggs for everyone—FTC do something bold and hold someone accountable for price gouging or just plain old stealing.
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My background is business. I have always admired the free enterprise system and the great energy brought to this country with the large number of entrepreneurs. My grandfather owned his own business, my father owned his own business, my brother owned his own business, and I have owned my own businesses. To me it is the strength of the country.
My father was in the shoe business. Before malls most shoe stores were locally owned, many retail businesses that once were the backbone of local communities have disappeared because of malls, Wal-Mart, the internet, and no doubt many other reasons. My father actively participated in the local community, along with most small businesspeople. They belong to organizations that worked to make the community better, Lions, Elks, Kiwanis, Chamber of Commerce, all dedicated to a better life for the people in their communities. That had a lasting impact on me and how I felt about business.
I know firsthand that my father gave away shoes, helped numerous people, as best he could, for those who were suffering due to illness or losing a job. He and my mother became the image of good people, good business people.
I eventually lost that image of businesspeople. Not sure why it happened over the next fifty years or so, but people became harsher, more selfish, more isolated, less concerned, less compassionate—including me.
Maybe the CEO big boss at the egg factory once worked for his dad and helped local people, but now thinks it’s okay to steal money from people who don’t have extra money, because it makes him more important, more powerful, richer; and that is what matters.
Our whole value system has gone in the wrong direction.
