No Dickheads

 

 

 

                                                                                       Edition 272 Monday March 9th 2015

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hi, “Marriage is about realizing you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody,and wanting the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.”

 

 I love that we have so much in common and often think about things at the same time .I love that we text each other simultaneously.I love that you make being me so easy even if it is the ‘occasionally grumpy’ me.I love that you get ‘that look’ when you’re looking at me like I’m nuts. I love that we produced a beautiful son and that he has you as his Mother.

 “I guarantee that we’ll have tough times. And I guarantee that at some point, one or both of us will get more than a little annoyed with the other. But I also guarantee that if I didn’t ask you to be mine, I would regret it for the rest of my life. Because I know in my heart you are the only one for me.”

 

“If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day so I never have to live a day without you”.(Some of my reading from our wedding 08/03/14).

 

Fletcher says; Happy first wedding anniversary Mummy and Daddy…..do I get a present too??

 

I consider myself a lucky person to have found my soulmate and to be blessed with the family I have.They will always be more important to me than anything else in the world.The vital thing for me is to always make sure they are never in any doubt that is the case no matter how busy I think I am.

My wife, life and family inspire me to fight off the ‘work life balance’ goblins!!!

Hey, how about those Breakers, NBL Champions 4^th year out of 5!!! Obviously their ‘No Dickheads’ policy is a winner…..the Auckland Blues would do well to adopt it as soon as possible !!!

Have an awesome week ahead, take care……Cheers Jonesey!

 

Harry and the Hendersons reckon dogs have a simple life compared to anyone they know!!!

 

 

“Aim high,at least you wont shoot yourself in the foot”.Josh James

 

Josh James is an interesting character,his own answer to Bear Grylls he has been posting videos to youtube of his hunting, shooting, fishing trips on NZs West Coast for a couple of years.

This down to earth kiwi joker out of the Bazza Crump mold having a crack at wild do it yourself sustainability and self sufficiency has just landed a huge Discovery Channel contract to do a series!!!!

Crikey Josh is now off to the US to start filming in a week or two and feeling pretty good about cracking the big time wide open.

Yes Kiwis punch above their weight on the world stage but getting on to that stage is the challenge.

I found Josh’s story incredibly inspiring and motivational and something I wanted to share with you in case you hadnt heard about it. A great example to us all of what is possible if you back yourself.

On another positive note we won an extension and expansion of an existing retirement village contract last week due to the strength of the relationship we have built with our customer.

In a review meeting my contact said one of the things he remembered was my simple gift of some chocolates as a ‘get well’ gesture to a resident who had sustained a bump from a bin lid!

He said it was little things like that which made the difference between our company and others when they came to award the renewal and the extra work recently.

Those sorts of things don’t cost a lot of money or time but certainly pay huge dividends in time !!

Always look for ways to add value and enhance what you are doing by being different and caring.

 

“Life is like a box of chocolates,you never know what your going to get”. Forrest Gump

Howzat!!!

         

 

 

                                                                                       Edition 271 Monday March 2nd 2015

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hi,after the build up and the tension all week there was only one thing we could possibly do on Saturday and that was hit the Muriwai terraces at 48 in support of the mighty Black Caps.What an afternoon it turned out to be with an epic and ultimately breathless encounter at the garden of Eden!

A game of cricket is a truly magical thing that can change in a couple of balls or swishes of the bat and so it was in this emotion/action packed roller coaster ride that went down to the wire.We like the crowd at the ground and probably thousands watching around the world were gripped from the first ball to the last…WOW what a game….what a win, bragging rights for now but a long way yet to go.

Fletcher says; happiness is a NZ cricket win and a new pre loved bike from Dads favourite refuse transfer station…..looks like new!(see attached).The perks of having a dustman for an old man !!!

Last week I was stopped in my tracks by a moving speech from a friend who has terminal cancer. There is no one I know who is not affected by this terrible disease in one way or other. I thank my lucky stars and touch wood for more luck daily.My friend has been given months not years to live after making an appointment for what he thought was a routine surgery!He is fit as a fiddle and cycles thousands of km a year.I found myself getting angry that one of lifes genuine good guys like him was having to deal with such tragic circumstances when absolute rat bags run free in good health terrorising the world daily!!....Its not fair, life is not fair and the sooner we get used to it the better.I was left speechless after his passionate address as I reflected on and admired his amazing  courage.I decided to refocus on making the most of every day as a tribute to my friend for sharing what must be the worst thing that could ever possibly happen to anybody.Life is short, there are no guarantees, don’t waste a minute of the time you have.…….go the Black Caps…Cheers Jonesey!

 

Harry and the Hendersons reckon second hand bikes may be ok but second hand dog bones?....thats a bit ruff!! L

 

 

“And will you succeed? Yes you will indeed!” Dr Seuss

 

While most of you were sleeping last week I was making time with prospective customers!

I met one at 6am at a refuse transfer station on a special surveillance mission all in the interests of going the extra mile to win their business. My view is that if this is what it takes then I will do it to ensure we are successful.

The effect this sign of commitment had on our potential customer was enormous and I am confident it will result in success for us ultimately.We all have to be prepared to do whatever it takes to convince people we are worthy of their trust and their ongoing business.

The double wammy/win-win for me was that I identified three other opportunities in the time I was at the facility which made the effort to be there  all the more worthwhile.

I reckon we should all do stuff like this more often to ensure we leave no stone unturned in our quest to be more successful because “if you continue to do what you have always done then you will continue to get what you have always got”.

I admit I thought twice about getting up that early for anyone but in hindsight I am glad I did as it proved to be the right decision. Whenever I have doubts but ‘just do it’ anyway I never end up regretting it.

So next time you have a brilliant idea and then have doubts make sure you push on and do it anyway, I bet you also don’t end up regretting it. These opportunities don’t come along that often and often come dressed up like hard work so you need to make the most of them!!.....Good luck.

 

“Today I shall behave, as if this is the day I will be remembered.”  Dr Seuss

Awesome service

         

 

 

                                                                                       Edition 270 Monday February 23rd 2015

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hi,there are those guys who are natural DIY warriors (and amazing at it),then there are the ones who don’t have a clue and have the money to pay others to do it.So what about the dudes (like me) who don’t have a clue nor the money to pay others?Well the answer is they like me decide despite the obvious lack of natural talent they will have a crack anyway. If nothing else it is highly amusing for those around at the time and quite profitable for the DIY merchants!!

I had a crack at repairing an antique ‘old school’ chair leg last week. I had all the gear, no idea and some vague instructions from one of those expert types who couldn’t believe I was so useless. Well it started well, detriorated quickly and ended with me needing to replace rather than repair the leg!!!

I took some heart from having a crack however this experience combined with a second straight Blues ruggers loss didn’t thrill or excite me.

Fletcher says; making the transition from nappies to ‘big boys undies’ is an exciting time, note to self, remember to tell Mum and Dad when you have the urge so appropriate measures can be taken!

He is glad he has obviously inherited his Mothers height genes having rocketed up another 25mm in the last three months!What an amazing roller coaster ride, even more so for us second time around!!

Fletchers big brother Mark is home from overseas and turns 32 on Tuesday!!! So FJJ is excited because he figures Mark will need plenty of  help to blow that many candles out!

We are loving the Black Caps and their World Cup cricket campaign, cant wait for this weekends clash with Aussie at the garden of Eden. Crikey even if you are not a cricket fan you need to get excited about the prospect of a huge and entertaining battle…..bring it on!!!!

I hope you had another successful week capped with a relaxing weekend with the important people in your life. Have a great week ahead…….go the Black Caps……………….Cheers Jonesey!

 

Harry and the Hendersons cant believe they have to endure another season with the Blues!

 

“I like my customer to be fierce.”Christian Louboutin

 

The radio station I listen to most mornings sponsors an ‘Awesome Service’ awards in partnership with the Auckland Chamber of Commerce on a monthly basis.

I have often thought is was a great idea and made a mental note to submit a nomination when I get exceptional service from someone.

Well I was so excited last week to nominate someone who I always get awesome service from at the local pool/gym complex.

Moana Whittaker supervises the front desk for the YMCA at the Onehunga Memorial Pool and she makes sure that everybody receives an enthusiastic, warm and friendly welcome daily.

Moana welcomes me personally and always asks me how I am and what sort of day I am having. She also enquires after people we both know and makes me feel good about being there and exercising!

What I also notice about Moana is her obvious ability to motivate and inspire the staff around her to provide greetings with the same enthusiasm and passion.This makes it a great place to work for staff, members,and the public to visit.

Above all else Moana has an awesome personality, smile J, a cheeky laugh that is infectious and she makes all who come into contact with her happy and ‘UPBEAT’.

How could I not love that and all the qualities that contribute to making Moana the great employee and advocate she is for YMCA and Onehunga Memorial Pool!!! I was thrilled to be able to nominate her and hope that she is lucky enough to be officially recognised for her great service.

We should always make the effort to mention good service when we get it so that the customer service champions like Moana are recognised for their efforts…..A great example to us all!

 

“Every great business is built on friendship.” JC Penney

Romance is alive and well!!

 

 

 

                                                                                       Edition 269 Monday February 16th 2015

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hi,it is a good time of year for the ‘romantic me’ with Valentines day(V Day),my parents wedding anniversary and our own upcoming first wedding anniversary.Whilst the commercialisation of V Day has the potential to detract it is still cool to take time out to woo the love of your life.We both made the effort to select a card and some special words to express what being together means to us.We spent the afternoon with some friends celebrating their fourth V Day wedding anniversary and finished off together at home in romantic style with a candlelit dinner watching the firey red sun slink slowly into the deep blue Tasman Sea.It felt good to focus on the importance of ‘us’.

Leading by example my Mum and Dad celebrated their 56^th wedding anniversary the day before on Friday February 13^th. Dad always joked when we were growing up that he and Mum were married on a Friday however I know that deep down no matter what day it was he has always known it was the best day of his life.Congratulations to all the romantics out there, our mission is to do it more often!

Fletcher says; we don’t live in a zoo but at times it seems like it with Harry and the Hendersons for brothers and sisters,pet doves (see attached) that he and his Mother have befriended,pet minor birds nesting annually in our letter box,pet lizards and skinks in the garden and spiders in every nook and cranny, pet praying Mantis and a multitude of pet others we must rescue, resuscitate and rehome daily!!The upside is a potential Vetinarian in the family if the animal food bill doesn’t bankrupt his Father first!!

I hope you had a cool V Day weekend and managed to spend time with the important people in your life….because nothing is more important! Have a good week ahead………..Cheers Jonesey!

 

Harry and the Hendersons reckon Fletcher the Vet could be the answer to eternal life!!

 

"He who hesitates is last." Mae West

There comes a time when enough is enough!

I have had old diaries,note pads and plenty of bits of paper with ‘things to do’ lists on them rolling around in the back of my car for too long.

Every time I brake they shoot out of their folders and on to the floor with some lodging themselves under the seats.I have cursed and sworn at this mess so many times and threatened to sort it out once and for all but never done it !!......I bet you know the feeling ! most people do…….so then……..

One day last week I had enough and headed for a café I know has a large boardroom table available. I lugged all this crap I have been carting around forever into the café(two fully laden trips) and set about ruthlessly dealing to the screeds of paper I have been procrastinating about getting to!

The result was 75% of what I have been stressing about was indeed of no use to me at all. A lot of the info was out of date,won,lost or had already been dealt with!!!

I was able to get myself and my paperwork physically and mentally sorted and re focused.

What an amazing feeling and a huge weight I felt lifted from my shoulders,I couldn’t believe I had been holding myself back with all this baggage,mess and unnecessary clutter.

The purge meant I could delegate some of the small stuff to other members of our team to assist me with.This has managed to create a hit list that we have already started knocking off one at a time!

The secret is to now stay on top of the daily task list and paper flow so that this situation does not recreate itself.Easy to say but well worth the effort to be in control for a pleasant change.

“Never put off till tomorrow what you can put off till the day after tomorrow” Mark Twain