A date with 48

 

 

 

                                                                                       Edition 264 Monday December 15th 2014

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hi,after kicking off 2014 with a hiss and a roar here we are 48 ripper editions later sliding in sideways flat out to the finish leaving no questions unanswered whilst ‘upbeating’ the mediocre masses!!

Thanks for the support and feedback, I could not do it without your honesty, frankness and most importantly your friendship.I know it is not easy ‘keeping up with the Joneses’ but I also know that without you it would be so much harder to pick myself up, dust myself off and keep going regardless!

There have been many highlights this year for me but the one that stands out above them all would have to be marrying my soul mate Christine on what was an extra special day for us in March.

Fletcher reckons; his daycare Christmas show is a sell out with the major draw card undoubetedly being the ‘Rockabye bear’ number being performed by him and the Paua room gang!!Mum and Dad missed out online but managed to secure tickets on trademe and will be in the lucky,large crowd.

Christmas for us is a time for family, sharing and reflection and we plan to devote time to all three over the coming festive season….we hope you get the time to do the same.

On reflection I know I am lucky to have the immediate and extended family I have around me especially with my Mum and Dad still thankfully happy ,healthy and wise. I know I could have definitely done a better job at staying in touch with my brother and sister and their families so have that as a goal for improvement in 2015.

‘Upbeat’ is taking a break over the holiday period but will be back bigger and brighter than ever on Monday 19^th January 2015.

Christine, Fletcher and I would like to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a happy,safe New Year break with your families and friends.We have enjoyed sharing our personal and work experiences with you this year and look forward to bringing you more of the same next year.

Have an awesome ‘upbeat’ week, take care and be ‘happy as’…………….Cheers Jonesey!

 

Harry and the Hendersons reckon you are all Scooby Doo for reading 48 Upbeats !!!

 

 

“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give." Winston Churchill

 

The personal highlight for me this year has been accepting the challenge to mentor a group of young enterprise business students from my old school Takapuna Grammar.

I was hesitant at first but decided to have a crack and use the experience as an opportunity to get out of my comfort zone and give something back to others and my old school.

More importantly I saw it as a chance for me to also develop my own skills further in particular my listening and thinking skills.Definitely two things I am always looking to be’ better’ at!

Our idea evolved amazingly over the year into a viable business venture and won a number of young enterprise awards including national recognition for innovation along the way…what a ride!

Our enterprise business won a major sales order from Palmers new Auckland ‘Planet’ store and will feature product on sale in the grand opening and lead up to Christmas….Wow what a buzz.

I have been so inspired and motivated by the experience I have signed up for another go in 2015.

Isee mentoring as an essential part of my ongoing development as a sales professional.

There is nothing more satisfying than sharing your experience and knowledge with others who then use it combined with their own intelligence,enthusiasm and ideas to progress themselves and their ideas further than they ever believed possible on their own. My challenge to you is to seek opportunities in 2015 to become a mentor…..believe me it is one of the most rewarding things you can do for your self and others.

 

"The greatest good you can do for another is not just to share your riches but to reveal to them their own." Benjamin Disraeli

M aking A D ifference

 

 

 

                                                                                       Edition 263 Monday December 8th 2014

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hi,seasons greetings from the Joneses on the wild west coast happy in our natural amphitheatre of rich vibrant red Pohutukawa bloom.Creating a perfect kiwi summer backdrop for the many tourists and holiday makers staking early claims for the best sites at the local motor camp.Yes this time of year has that exciting yet crazy feel about it with heaps of loose ends to tie and no string and limited time with which to do it with! End of year this and that events to attend,deals still to do, people to see,places to go and all whilst attempting to navigate and negotiate the Auckland motorway chaos!!

Fletcher reckons; his new wetsuit and boogie board are scooby doo and cant wait to hit the surf these summer holidays!Father Christmas is popular and in the running for cup cakes and a cold beer!!

Life returns somewhat to normal with Christine now retired as a full timer but looking forward to her new part time job beginning February.In the meantime nearly two months for us all to recover J!

Yes you could have “told me so” and  I guess I sort of knew but decided to have a crack anyway and wrote letters to the cops!Yes I failed x 3 and yes I will pay but will enjoy the extra month to do so! Simply put,the faster you go the bigger the fine…..when will some people learn! L.

We took delivery of our pre loved ‘super king’ size bed this weekend!! Crikey there is only one room in the house big enough to fit the thing in.You could say goodnight and not see each other again until the morning, that’s how long it will take to get back to where you started!Lovely to have though and plenty of room Fletcher reckons to come visiting or for a longer stay!!

In world news…our globe trotting son Mark on his never ending OE is in London hunkering down for a cold but white Christmas before heading off on another adventure in the new year.you always worry!

I hope you are coping with the work load, the traffic and the festivities whilst still managing to focus on spending quality time with the people most important to you…………….Cheers Jonesey!

 

Harry and the Hendersons reckon they could work with the ‘super king’ without any  fuss!!

 

In a gentle way, you can shake the world. — Mahatma Gandhi

 

Always looking for inspiration?,look no further than things that happen around you every day.

I find it is the simple,small things I do that often provide me the greatest inspiration or boost.

Like last week I was visiting a potential customer and happened to pick up a piece of litter that was in the main entrance of their premises.It is something I do often when visiting existing or potential customers.I thought nothing more of this until the person I was meeting mentioned how great they thought it was that I would take the time to do something like that!They had seen and it meant enough to them to make a point of thanking me.A relationship with this customer could not have got off on a better note, a small thing to do that had a big impact!

In another example I had to drop my car to the panelbeater(againL) for some minor repairs. When I picked it up I noted that the car had been groomed and was gleaming.I personally sort the groomer out from the back of the shop and made sure he knew how much I appreciated what he had done and how great I though my car looked.I didn’t have to do that but I reckoned it was well worth it to let him know that what he did impressed me enough to specially thank him.The smile on his face said it all and gave me a great deal of personal satisfaction also…..small thing but huge!

I have come up with a cunning plan for the 1000 plus golf balls I have found out daily walking ‘Harry and the Hendersons’.I am going to do a deal with the local golf club pro shop to sell the balls back to their owners and others for a gold coin donation to the local volunteer fire brigade and surf life savers.A simple idea to provide a perfect way for the local golfers to support the local community!

All small,simple things that either made or have the potential to make a huge difference.

Anyone can do this by being ‘Upbeat’ and willing to think a little differently to Make A Difference!!!

 

Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.  Dr.Seuss

Do the Hokey Pokey!

                                                                                       Edition 262 Monday December 1st 2014

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hi,once upon a time I was a drainlayers labourer happily digging drains and mixing concrete from dawn to dusk. I would then run home and go to footy practise! Then up and off again the next day! Crikey this weekend I lifted some furniture and loaded some rubbish in and out of a trailer and  collapsed in a heap with exhaustion! The next morning I could hardly move I was so sore,I felt like I had been hit by a bus that had then reversed back over me!Getting old is painful and sore in places you forget you had!!

A few well earned beers and a special treat Sara Lee deep dish apple crumble with lashings of hokey pokey icecream went a long way to restoring my faith in decadence and the aging process…bless!

Fletcher reckons; the word ‘why’ is a winner, the secret is to just keep saying it and the information and the frustration flows aaaarrrggghhh. New Ipad is pretty cool too, already know more than Dad about how to make it go ! (not that hard really J).

As I sit here writing to you I am enveloped in the beautiful natural pine smell and sheer magnificence of our freshly chopped Christmas Tree(photo).We made sure we were among the first to choose our tree for this festive season at our favourite local ‘pick and chop’.We love the look, the feel and the smell of a real christmas tree and reckon it signals the official Jones build up to the big day not to mention the competition between the dogs and Fletcher for the low hanging decorations and sparkling lights!ggrrrrrrr

Fletcher was on hand at the local fire station to sadly farewell his good mate ‘Dennis’( photo) who is being retired in favour of the slicker ‘Mitsy’(Mitsubishi).At least with Dennis gone it will mean that ‘Henry’(Ford) is able to be parked inside again out of the rain and cold….Yay.

I hope you are getting excited about the silly but happy season approaching and planning to spend plenty of time relaxing with family and friends, have a great week…………….Cheers Jonesey!

 

Harry and the Hendersons reckon apple crumble and icecream allround sounds fairer!

 

One customer well taken care of could be more valuable than $10,000 worth of advertising.– Jim Rohn

 

I was reminded this weekend about the importance of getting customer service right.

I made plans to do some stuff and needed to organise equipment to assist which I did in advance.There were mistakes made with the bookings that caused me inconvenience and frustration at short notice. I perservered and eventually got what I wanted after a number of phone calls and extra kms. This was not made easier by the unhelpful/negative attitude displayed by the staff of the company I was dealing with.There was a distinct lack of care or responsibility shown toward me as their customer at any stage of our interaction over the course of the weekend.I dealt with two branches and four front line staff.The equipment and the service was sub standard and for all my trouble I was charged top dollar for the embarrassment of being ignored and treated like an inconvenience.I wont use this company again nor will I recommend them to anyone else ever.This experience could have been so different if the attitude of the staff had been friendly or positive.I would not have minded the hiccups or inconvenience if I had felt my business was important.Getting customer service right should be simple not difficult or an imposition and as employees we all have a responsibility to make the effort required to meet or exceed our customers expectations.Too many staff fail to accept ownership, accountability or responsibility for the hugely important role they all play in the customer service process. Too many managers fail to accept that they too must set an example through their own actions and by providing ongoing training and commitment to service delivery and excellence. Companies have a lot to gain…..and lose in this vital area.

“Nothing is so contagious as enthusiasm”.– Samuel Taylor Coleridge

"The perfect ride for every stride"

         

 

 

 

                                                                      Edition 260 Monday November 17th 2014

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hi,all my problems and those of every person I know wouldn’t have come close to comparing with the terrible tragedy that befell one of our very own Green Gorilla drivers last week! He was sadly killed in a horrific accident on the South Western motorway. The #1 Health and Safety goal of any company has to be to ensure their team members return safely to their family, friends and loved ones after work every day.It was indeed with great sadness and shock to all of us that one of our team was unable to do that on Monday night. It is certainly times like these when you are reminded with a jolt what is important in life and why all of us have to live every day to the fullest and without regret.

Nothing is more important than your own personal safety and we all need to accept and respect that!

Thanks to all of you who made contact and offered your condolences and support, it was appreciated.

Fletcher says; his hair stylist(barber) is a legend, his name is Peter and him and his buds are located in Durham Lane,Auckland City. Now Peter wont mind telling you he was reluctant at first  but after 10 minutes wrestling the Jones kid they were done and dusted,great doo and great mates.

Confession time; We are ‘block aholics’ and have been glued to the show for 12 weeks following the fortunes of the contestants.The final episode and auction was gripping telly with something for everyone as the houses went under the hammer! We ended up shedding a tear or two at the end as the winners Alex and Corban(from Muriwai mind you)unbelieveably gifted the wooden spooners Quinn and Ben $30,000 bucks of their $300k winnings!....WOW how cool was that?!!!We had fun getting up early on Sunday to watch the mighty AB’s take on the Scots, roll on the Welsh!

Crikey, I knew I spoke too soon about the Summer last week as we hunkered down against the Southerly over the weekend, it got so bad we even lit the fire on Saturday night….tch tch soft Jaffas!

Stay safe,well and focused on spending quality time with family and friends…………….Cheers Jonesey!

 

Harry and the Hendersons reckon a good dog is a bad dog !!

 

 

Brooks running shoes…”The perfect ride for every stride.”

 

Its that time of year again, I have nearly cut out another 1500km and my Brooks Adrenalines are screaming “enough”. My feet have burst their way through the webbing that has been attacked by the sand, salt and sea water countless times and finally said enough to the pressure and let go.

So why don’t I think twice or for a split second about what brand or where to go for a new pair?

Because;

“Every runner has a dream. A dream of the ideal run. Our job is to make it come true.

This isnt just a pair of the worlds finest running shoes.Its our passion. What you see here is the result of paradigm-shifting technologies that have been tested and re tested (again and again). Years of research on fit,ride,comfort and biomechanics,and an almost frightening obsession with every last detail.

Brooks mission is to deliver the perfect ride for every stride. Tucked with care in this box is your ‘Run Happy’ revelation.

Go set it free.”………………….. hand written on the inside of my new shoe box….how cool is that ??!!!

Yes, I am the proud owner of a new pair of Brooks Adrenalines for a flying start this Morning!!. They had me 5 years ago at ‘Run Happy’ and they have made me feel they are as interested in running and my fitness as I am and that they want me to be happy doing it ever since….and I am !!!

 

I can only hope I can instill the same belief in my customers about recycling and refuse!!!

 

Brooks…….”Run Happy”