I would like to share with you a very interesting discovery. I am currently with my family, visiting relatives in Vancouver. A friend invited me and my brother-in-laws out one night. He asked us what we would like to see. He offered to bring us out for ice cream. We were all amused at the thought. 4 grown men going out for ice cream, but he promised to show us something we would never see anywhere else.

We then headed to downtown Vancouver. As we were driving, we noticed that the area starting to become more depressed causing us to wonder where we were really going for ice cream. Then we saw it, on a street corner, a beacon of lights in a dark neighborhood, surrounded by a lot of customers, with signs in multiple languages. There was a very simple slogan that caught everybody’s attention. It said, “218 flavors of ice cream”. 218 flavors, WOW.

The place was full, there really were 218 flavors. The best part was that you were allowed to taste all 218, with the staff happy to serve up sample spoons. The place was very clean , the signs were well placed. The customer experience was amazing, with people lining up to try different flavors. There were exotic flavors like wasabi and curry. There were all fruit flavors that you could think of , as well as very interesting combinations. I found out that they actually have 508 flavors with 218 on site at any given time.

I believe La Casa Gelato located in 1033 Venables street is a super brand. I got a lot of reaction on last week’s column on super brands, most of the reaction centered on the question, is it possible to build your own super brand? Brands take time to build, a super brand takes more time, but it is possible. There are no short cuts towards doing it. Let me share some simple steps on how to start.

P – romise, A brand must promise to deliver “WOW” to the customer and then more importantly, deliver it. In order for your brand to attract attention, you must go for the spectacular. Whether it is in the service, product, pricing, advertising, always go for the “WOW”

E – xceed Expectations. One of the secrets for exceeding expectations is to set expectations low and then exceed them. Can you imagine the simple joy when we are told that something that will take 5 day gets done in three?

R –easons for people to come back. Constantly find reasons for customers to come back. Try to project a can do attitude from all your staff. Or better, have staff that always shows the attitude to serve happily.

F – irst Impressions. It is important that the first impressions the customers get is good. So if your running a store, simple things like keeping the store clean, everything well stocked can go a long way to establishing first impressions.

O – Opportunity to demonstrate. Always look for opportunities to demonstrate your service or product. It establishes a connection immediately with the customer. Turn complaints into an opportunity to show that you listen and care, then provide a solution.

R – emind, call them. If a new customer has bought a product, find time to call them and ask how they like it. Or better, keep a database of their birthdays and find them to call and greet them.

M – Make them your friend. The best way of showing appreciation is to recognize your customers and greet them by name. It shows that you find them important and makes them feel good about you.

If you add all these steps together, it spells out “PERFORM”. The most important step is to perform. Show that you can do it. And then, we are all on our way to building our own super brand story.

Let’s follow the examples of these ordinary individuals as they strive to make a difference. Each week, lets all get together and share knowledge, stories, experiences, information, all for the sole purpose of getting One Step Up.

For comments, suggestions or stories that you want to share, email me at stirspecialist@gmail.com , or visit http://www.stirspecialist.blogspot.com/ .

I once asked a successful entrepreneur on what was the secret of his business. He gave me a puzzling answer, he said, “my lowest paid employee.” I asked him to explain what he meant. He shared with me how his people define his brand. All of his employees must treat customers with same quality and service that they will get from him. The challenge was to ensure that this lesson was exercised all the time, even by his lowest employee. He added, “most times, the customers’ experience with the brand is actually crystallized in the 5 minute conversation with my lowest paid employee. If they get that kind of service at that level, they feel assured that they will get it at all levels.”

Let me recount to you my experience recently with two super brands. I was recently in the market for a mobile phone and have been checking around for the best deal. I was very happy with the opening of branded concept stores of the manufacturers in the malls. My expectations were higher simply due to the fact that this was a brand store. I went into one around lunchtime and started to look around. I noticed that the staff was more interested in having lunch than serving me, the worse part, they were eating in front of me inside the store. Not exactly the customer experience that I was expecting.

I browsed around and was amazed at the features of the new 5 megapixel camera phone. I asked for a feature comparison with the other brands, but the staff did not know. I still ended up buying a phone, banking on the quality of the brand.

Later that day, as I was having lunch, my friend noticed that there was a big sticker in front of the box stating that my phone came with a free Bluetooth headset. We searched but we could not find it. So I rushed back to the store and asked about it. The staff asked each other about it, unsure of the package. When they were able to confirm it, they told me that it was out of stock, that I had to come back for it another day.

But that is not the end of the story. After one and half weeks of using the phone, I started to notice signal anomalies. The phone would register full signal but I could neither receive calls nor text. I brought it back to be checked. The technician said it was a software corruption and would need a software boot. I asked what happened. He replied that it was factory defect. I asked how long would the software installation take? He replied, “2 to 7 days.”

I complained that was too long and would prefer to have my phone replaced, considering that it was supposed to have a warranty. They refused because my one week replacement period had lapsed. To make a long story short, I was very disappointed with my customer experience of the store and of the brand. Because of that, a superbrand in my eyes was reduced to an average brand due to average people.

My second experience was with one of the oldest and most respected restaurants in Cebu. As we were walking by one day, we saw the set menu advertised. It looked delicious, and we decided to try it. We ordered Set A as described in the poster outside. After a while, the food came, but we discovered that it was not set A. We argued with the waiter and finally, I walked with him outside to show him set A. It turned out that they advertised two different “Set A”. The waiter graciously offered to have it replaced. When the replacement arrived, it still was not the one. We went out again and discovered that it was Set B. The waiter again offered to have it replaced. But at this point, we began to hear a loud argument break out in the kitchen. We decided to decline and went elsewhere.

It takes a very long time to build a superbrand, but it takes very little to turn it into a average one to the customer. Let’s follow the examples of these ordinary individuals as they strive to make a difference. Each week, lets all get together and share knowledge, stories, experiences, information, all for the sole purpose of getting One Step Up.

For comments, suggestions or stories that you want to share, email me at
stirspecialist@gmail.com , or visit www.stirspecialist.blogspot.com .

A lot of businessmen have to believe first before being spurred to action. But there are some who are led to action by Faith. Faith is often mistaken for gut or instinct, it is neither. Faith is defined in the Bible in Hebrews 11:1 as “ being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. “ Let me recount to you this simple story.

A famous acrobat once performed before a small crowd on the roof deck of a tall building. He strung a tightrope from the edge of the building to the opposite edge of the next building. He asked the people present, “Do you believe that I can balance across the tightrope to reach the other side?” “No!” The audience chanted in unison. The acrobat then crossed over to the other side and came back. The audience cheered.

The acrobat then asked, “Do you believe that I can balance across the tightrope to the other side and back blindfolded? “ “No!” The audience chanted excitedly and in unison. The acrobat blindfolded himself then crossed over to the other side and came back. The audience cheered.

The acrobat then asked, “Do you believe that I can balance myself pushing a wheelbarrow across the tightrope to the other side and back blindfolded? “ “No!” The audience screamed in disbelief. The acrobat blindfolded himself then pushed the wheelbarrow across and back. The audience erupted in cheers.

The acrobat the asked again, “Do you believe that I can balance myself pushing a wheelbarrow across the tightrope to the other side and back blindfolded? “ “YES!” The audience cheered. “Do you have faith that I can do it?” “YES!” The audience erupted. “Good, I need a volunteer to sit on the wheelbarrow.” The acrobat responded. Suddenly there was silence. Nobody said anything and all eyes stared at the ground. That is the difference between believing and having Faith.

Having Faith means trusting everything to God. In Isiah 41:10, the Bible says, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

What are the characteristics of people who rely on faith in business?

F-Fearless - They are capable of making big decisions. They are courageous and exercise decisive action. "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men..." Colossians 3:23

A-Active – They believe in the power of preparation. They work hard to ensure that they are ready for all eventualities arising from their decisions. “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. “ Matthew 7:7

I- Inspired – They believe in the power of prayer. They make it a point to develop the habit of prayer before making decisions. “ ..whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." Mark 11:24

T-Trusting – They trust God with everything. They are honest in their assessments of themselves and seek to trust and develop a good network of family, friends, co workers that can give true feedback. “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.” Mark 10:27

H-Humility– They have humbled themselves before God and acknowledged that all that they have is His and His alone, and that they are only caretakers of God’s wealth and business. "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. “ John 15:5

To start a business, we must believe in ourselves and in our ideas. But in order for the business to grow, we must have faith in ourselves and in our ideas. It is the intensity of our faith that attracts potential partners, employees, customers to believe in us. But it is only our Faith in God that will give us the true meaning of success. Let’s follow the examples of these ordinary individuals as they strive to make a difference. Each week, lets all get together and share knowledge, stories, experiences, information, all for the sole purpose of getting One Step Up.

For comments, suggestions or stories that you want to share, email me atstirspecialist@gmail.com , or visit www.stirspecialist.blogspot.com

A lot of entrepreneurs actually attribute their success to luck. But is it possible to attract luck consistently? Is there really such a thing as being lucky in business? I believe that there is a formula to attracting luck. It is actually directly attributed to a price. Let me introduce to you the PRICE needed to bring luck consistently into business

P for Preparation – Be prepared. Attend seminars and lectures on how to improve your business. Join associations and other organizations that will allow you meet new people. Constantly keep up with the latest trends in your business. This will allow you to respond to any opportunity that suddenly gets thrust your way. Dr. Armand Hammer said , “ When I work fourteen hours a day, seven days a week, I get lucky.”

R for Reputation – Develop a good reputation for you and your business. Your reputation is an unspoken business card. It allows you to be recalled top of mind whenever people ask about your business sector. Henry Ward Beecher said, “I never knew an early rising, hard working, prudent man, careful of his earnings, and strictly honest, who complained about bad luck.”

I for Integrity – Develop business ethics. Stand by your word. Be responsible for all your actions. Potential business partners will be eager to develop alliances and relationships with you. “ Good luck is often with the man who does not include it in his plans.”

C for Consistency – Be consistent in all your endeavors. This will make you predictable. It allows customers to rely on your business and potential partners to get a good feel for your business. Carl Zuckmeyer said, “ One half of life is luck, the other half is discipline – and that’s the important half, for without discipline, you would not know what to do with luck.”

E for Enterprising – Think out of the box. Be open minded. Be willing to explore new situations and new solutions to conventional problems. This will allow you to spot the hidden silver lining in all situations, and create innovative ways of mining it into something productive. Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Shallow men believe in luck, strong men believe in cause and effect.”

This is the PRICE that entrepreneurs know is needed to consistently attract luck. Luck does not happen by chance. If you don’t believe me, you can agree with Jean Cocteau who said, “ We must believe in luck, or else, how do we explain the success of those we don’t like.” But my personal favorite comes from the founder of the biggest burger company of the world, Ray Kroc, who said, “Luck is a dividend of sweat.”

Let’s follow the examples of these ordinary individuals as they strive to make a difference. Each week, lets all get together and share knowledge, stories, experiences, information, all for the sole purpose of getting One Step Up.

For comments, suggestions or stories that you want to share, email me atstirspecialist@gmail.com , or visit http://www.stirspecialist.blogspot.com/ .

One of the most interesting small businesses that I found was a small kiosk called Ma. Rita Fresh Pineapple. This small kiosk located at the Gaisano Mactan Island Mall sells delicious chopped pineapple bits in a small plastic bag, in varying sizes. The kiosk design was colorful and functional. They would chop the pineapple on the spot, weigh it and put it into plastic bags, with free toothpicks and salt,. The experience is actually very similar to buying popcorn.

I was intrigued because of the concept. They took a basic fruit and made it into a snack staple. And from the looks of it, they are doing well. Business ideas need not be complex, but it should be innovative. It should answer the needs of the market.

Some of the greatest success stories in kiosks locally are Tacos and Thirsty, two of my favorite snacks. I love the tacos in Tacos. I have been to their branches at JY Discovery Mall, Paseo San Ramon, Ayala Center and the Banilad Town Center. It tastes great and its priced right, what more can you ask for.

Thirsty is a fantastic story. Bunny Pages and his sons bought the franchise some time back and turned it into a fine tuned machine. There is a Thirsty outlet in almost every place you can think of. Everywhere, they serve a consistent healthy drink for all walks of life. They have turned the Thirsty brand into

a super brand by attaching it to sporting events such as football, tennis, etc. They even shocked the market by raffling off a sportscar Mazda Miata in one of their ingenious promotions. I recently found out that they have gone nationwide with several outlets in Manila and the rest of the country.

There are many success stories in Kiosks. You see them everywhere and each of them have a story to tell. For those who want to start out as a entrepreneur, a Kiosk is a great way to get your feet wet. Some of the great reasons why are

1. The initial investments are low. – For a investment of less than Php 100,000., you can have your own business up and running.
2. Locations are variable – It is easier to find a great spot for setting up the Kiosk. If it doesn’t work out in one spot, it can eventually be moved.

3. Contracts are shorter – The typical kiosk contract is 6 months.
4. Great feel of the market – Kiosks provide a great feel for whether or not the business is viable.
5. It is easy to expand – If the business is good, it is easy to set up more kiosks as the business model is modular.

One of the greatest brands locally that made it nationally is Islands Souvenirs. Believe it or not, but it too started out as a kiosk in 1992. Today it is in the Hall of Fame of the Philippine Retailers Association for being a three time winner of the prestigious Retailer of the Year award.

If you are interested to find out more information, there are organizations that can assist you. There is the Philippine Franchise Association which most kiosks belong to and the Philippine Retailers Association. You can also get assistance from Cebu Chamber of Commerce as well as the Department of Trade and Industry. Feel free to email me so I can put you in touch with the different organizations.

There are a lot of ways to begin your entrepreneurship story. Trade and Industry Undersecretary Carissa Crus-Evangelista once told an audience of aspiring entrepreneurs, “Small cash can start up a business. But a brave heart and a steady mind will steer your business to success,”

Let’s follow the examples of these ordinary individuals as they strive to make a difference. Each week, lets all get together and share knowledge, stories, experiences, information, all for the sole purpose of getting One Step Up.

For comments, suggestions or stories that you want to share, email me atstirspecialist@gmail.com , or visit http://www.stirspecialist.blogspot.com/ .

One of my favorite places to have meetings or relax is Postrio Cakes and Pastries at the Banilad Town Center. There is just something about the place that makes me feel at home. I like the Coffee, the food, the service, the whole concept. I actually like a lot of things about it. I like it even more after talking with the owner, Corito Escario Yu.

I have known Corito for almost a decade. When I was starting out, she and I opened separate shops next to each other. She has achieved a lot of success as a furniture and interior designer. So I was quite surprised to find out that she was behind Postrio too.

I found out that POSTRIO is actually two words fused together, POST short for the Spanish word Postre means dessert and trio is for the three Escario women, Corito, her sister Janice and her mom. I took the opportunity to ask her how she ended up in this business when she has always been more known as a furniture and interior designer? She replied, “ I always had the passion for baking and cooking, when I was young I used to help out in Celebrity Bakeshop, which was co owned by my mom and her sisters.” She added, “ I used to work with my cousins as waitress, salesgirl, and busgirl during summer break. Then eventually my mom and her sister Zelia opened their own called Honeysuckle Bakeshop beside Maanyag in Cebu Doctors.”

She started telling me how she had such happy and fond memories of her childhood helping out. She said , “The smell of bread just brought back happy thoughts spent in the kitchen with members of my family. This is why we started Postrio, we wanted to share and help create good memories for other people.”

“We had a lot of difficulty starting out. Though we had experience at it, it had been so long since we had a bakeshop. We had to learn and relearn a lot of things again.” She added, “We took a risk not knowing how the market would respond. We started out with Php 500,000. It was good that I had a lot of experience in interiors and construction so we were able to keep renovations cost down.”

“We were surprised at how the market accepted the products and the place. So many people have come up to us to express how they have made it a habit to drop by. Postrio is an extension of our family, and we wanted people to feel like part of the family. We wanted it to be an experience.”
Postrio started out with one 50 sq m shop and is now currently operating 2 dine in shops and one cart. But this year they will open 2 additional dine in shops at the soon to open Parkmall at the new Mandaue Reclamation Area and at the Gaisano Fiesta Mall in Tabunok, Talisay.

Corito proudly declares, “The best business to be in is something you enjoy so much that it does not feel like work, you feel so passionate about it.” She adds with a lot of emotion, “ My parents gave me the greatest gift anyone could give a child. They believed in me.”

Corito’s story is an example of the concept of REASONS. She took Risks, Enjoys her work and Aspires to be the better; Serves the best, is committed to being Outstanding , has a Navigation map and contributes to Society. We are all capable of finding the right reasons to become entrepreneurs. We owe it to ourselves to find out if we truly can.

Let’s follow the examples of these ordinary individuals as they strive to make a difference. Each week, lets all get together and share knowledge, stories, experiences, information, all for the sole purpose of getting One Step Up.

For comments, suggestions or stories that you want to share, email me atstirspecialist@gmail.com , or visit http://www.stirspecialist.blogspot.com/ .

It’s Holy week in the Philippines and many entrepreneurs are on vacation. At least, they try to be on vacation. For many entrepreneurs, their business is their life, not a job. I wanted to share these stories as a point for reflection for this season of Lent.

There is a story about life involving changing tires. A boy was speaking to his father. "Dad", the boy said, " My teacher says, that life is like a round wheel." "That's right son," the dad responded, "It is like a round tire that goes around and around. Just like business, sometimes your up and then sometimes your down."

"I don't believe that Dad," the boy exclaimed. "Why son?", the father asked. "Because Dad, if that were true, why are we always poor?" The father started laughing and after composing himself answered, "well son, the tire is flat."Life is really like a wheel or tire. It goes up and down. But it can also get a flat.

Let me tell you another story that I read about.There once was a king of a magnificent kingdom. He was wealthy beyond belief. He was proud. He looked upon all that he could see and said to himself, "I am the greatest King."But a rebellion started, the king fought the rebels. But he was defeated in battle. the King fled the battlefield, pursue by his enemies. He rode his mighty steed faster and faster, but the sounds of pursuit became louder and louder.He jumped his mighty steed thru the bushes only to be startled by the sight of a cliff. He reined his steed and tried to reverse his course but the deafening sounds of pursuit became nearer and nearer.He despaired. He looked down at the massive abyss before him and contemplated leaping to a glorious end. Just as he was about to urge the frightened stallion to jump, the sun's rays caught the diamond of his ring causing it to sparkle and dazzle him.He glanced at the ring, a ring that his father had passed on to him. Inscribed lay the words, "It will pass."

The King felt a calmness come over him. He closed his eyes and thought of his father. When he opened them, the sounds of pursuit had become fainter and fainter.The King was filled with hope. He gathered together the remnants of his army and galvanized his people. Together they crushed the rebellion and the kingdom was saved. The kingdom became richer and greater.The King became proud once again.

One day, as he stood before his high balcony surveying his kingdom, the sun again caught his ring causing it to sparkle. He glanced and read the same words as before. He was moved to reflection.He changed. He humbled himself. From then on, he became a good and wise king, beloved by his people.

Our lives and our business really are like a tire. It does go up and down, round and round. If we sometimes feel that we are stuck in a rut, that the wheel has not turned, we should ask ourselves if we have a flat. Then get up, do something about it, change ourselves and the tire. Business is like that, when we feel that we are stuck in a rut, we need to check why. Sometimes, we need to step back from the daily grind, introspect and reflect, identify the problem, search for the solution, then continue on

The great Indian statesman and leader, Mahatma Gandhi, once said, “Every worthwhile accomplishment, big or little, has its stages of drudgery and triumph; a beginning, a struggle and a victory “

Let’s follow the examples of these ordinary individuals as they strive to make a difference. Each week, let’s all get together and share knowledge, stories, experiences, information, all for the sole purpose of getting One Step Up.

For comments, suggestions or stories that you want to share, email me atstirspecialist@gmail.com , or visit www.stirspecialist.blogspot.com .

I believe business must have a positive contribution to society. The contribution may be as simple as providing the best food at the most affordable price . Or it can be providing the best quality service the customer can enjoy or providing the best quality product. There is also a higher kind of contribution, that kind that leads to the development of society.

I have never met a man like Raddy Diola. Rather, I have never met a real estate developer like Raddy. He is the man behind the River Valley Community, a housing development found in Kalunasan, one of the most underdeveloped areas of Cebu City.

Raddy is an accidental developer. He recounted to me his story on how he was offered by a distant relative a large parcel of land in Barangay Kalunasan for a very attractive price. Because He has always dreamt of providing a prosperous financial future for his family, he began to nurture a hope that developing this property can fulfill that dream.

Despite having no knowledge, experience or resources, he went ahead and completed the purchase of the property. The first time he saw the actual site, his heart sank. The road was basically a path, there was no water, and the worst part was that a public elementary school building had encroached on his new property.

The community around his property was both hostile and fearful of Raddy. They feared that they would lose their school. They were hostile that they would lose access to their homes as it would be revealed later, the basic access path ran thru Raddy’s property.

“It was also the time when we were scraping the bottom of the barrel, so to speak, making both ends meet for the needs of the family.” Raddy added, “We had to let go and let God.” He met with the members of the community as well as the school. He immediately donated the portion of the land that the school building sat on. He also donated the path and arranged for it to be expanded into an asphalted road.

After winning the trust of the community, he was able to organize a water brigade that searched for and eventually found access to water. He recounted , “ For 23 years the school was without any water system. Children risked their lives and limbs fetching water at the nearby river.” Through the help of donations, they were able to pipe the water to the community and the school.

Today, what used to be a place devoid of hope is now one the most pleasant community to live in. The school is thriving. Again through the help of many individuals and organizations, the school now has a thriving library and a computer laboratory. The children are healthy and well fed through weekly feeding programs and medical check ups. I cannot find the words to describe the changes that happened. What was once despair, Hope now springs.

River Valley Community is now a thriving real estate development. It had evolved into a beautiful small subdivision for middle income families. River Valley Community is providing a contribution to society. I believe that the basic questions we have to ask ourselves in planning a business is ,”What kind of impact will my business have on society?”. Andrew Carnegie once said, "No one becomes rich unless he enriches the lives of others."

Life as a journey is a lot like sailing. You are at the mercy of the elements. The trick is to gently exploit the power of Mother Nature and coax the boat towards the destination. The most important thing is to never lose track of the goal, and to constantly check the compass and correct your course. Sometimes the weather can get so bad that it feels like its better to turn around and head back. But for the seasoned sailor, it’s a matter of looking for a temporary safe harbor, weathering the storm, and continuing on.

One of my favorite posters is a picture of a sailboat weathering a storm with a saying, “The rewards of the journey far outweigh the risks of leaving the harbor.”

Jason Hyatt is the celebrity chef/owner of Abacá Boutique Resort and Restaurant. For those who are unfamiliar with the latter, Abacá is the premier fine dining restaurant in Cebu, with food, ambience and service at par with the World’s best.

Jason has achieved a reputation for excellence beginning with his stints as assistant chef at different hotels and restaurants in the United States to serving as the executive sous-chef of the famous Wolfgang Puck at his seaside restaurant Granita in Malibu California. In late 1999, Jason was asked to run the Lan Kwai Fong groups flagship restaurant in Hong Kong, California Restaurant. He went on to running all of the group’s restaurants as the working group executive chef. Jason really made his mark in Hong Kong when he was given the free hand to design and run his own signature restaurant, Lux.

Vince Lombardi, the famous football coach had a saying, “It's easy to have faith in yourself and have discipline when you're a winner, when you're number one. What you've got to have is faith and discipline when you're not yet a winner.”

I recently had the pleasure of chatting with Jason’s dad, Joe, who was here to visit his new grandson. Joe is from blue collar Midwestern roots, having spent part of his life in a rock and roll band, and part of it building hot rods. I asked him, given his adventurous lifestyle then, how did Jason end up a chef?

He told me the story of how Jason grew up. He and his wife had divorced and for many times, it was just him and Jason. So he and Jason had to master the art of fending and cooking for themselves at an early age.

It was a struggle growing up. He told me of many nights spent in a motel with a table drawer and a pillow for his son to sleep on. When it was time finally for college, he asked Jason to go around the United States first before deciding, to be sure that he wouldn’t waste his dad’s money on something that he didn’t want.

Jason moved around finding odd jobs here and there. For some reason, he would always end up in jobs at the kitchen, starting with dishwashing. He then moved on to flipping burgers. One day, the cook was absent, he was asked to fill in. Jason discovered that he enjoyed it and that he wanted to be the best. Eventually, he showed up back in front of his dad and told him that he wanted to be a chef.

“The thing about Jason is that he really knows what he wants in life” his dad proudly proclaimed,” he is like a sponge, he observes and absorbs everything. When he sets a goal, he is determined to get there.” Jason often reminisces to himself, “when I lay in bed or drive to work I sometimes question why we have been so lucky to have what we have and how I actually got here is sometimes a mystery.” He adds, “ After all, I am just a white kid from the midwest.”

We can all be just as successful as Jason by starting correctly with setting a goal , and striving for it. We each need to discover where our journey will take us, but we can never set off without first selecting a destination. Just like sailing, we need to perpetually check our compass and make corrections to our course. In time, each of our ships will make port and the journey would have been worthwhile.

Let’s follow the examples of these ordinary individuals as they strive to make a difference. Each week, let’s all get together and share knowledge, stories, experiences, information, all for the sole purpose of getting One Step Up.

For comments, suggestions or stories that you want to share, email me atstirspecialist@gmail.com , or visit http://www.stirspecialist.blogspot.com/