Well, it has certainly been a long time. Not sure why I stopped writing these posts, but I did. I am going to try to write more often now, because I think it is important. Sorry about that.
I have most recently gone to Guatemala again with Rachel and continue to gain insight to how blessed I am compared to most of the world. As Americans, we worry about such silly things. Who really cares about how nice our car is, how much money that we have or who has the bigger house?
When we went down there, it was all about the simplicity of life. Here, a bunch of people living in two tin sheds would sit at the end of every night and talk at the picnic table. No TV, no video games, no computers! They just sat there and talked. Their family relationships are strong, no one is yelling at anyone else about what channel to turn the TV to, nothing. A lot of laughter and simple enjoyment of those around you.
I ask, who are the rich ones?
Since we have come home, I have spent 30 minutes or more each day reading the Bible or simply sitting outside watching the sunset. In a life where everyone expects to get hold of me at all times, and I am almost always available, it is nice to turn it off. Frankly, I can live without TV (just not my Cubs and Vikings), video games and even my computer. I know that is probably sacreligious for an IT business owner to say, but what the Heck.
Turning off the world is a healthy thing to do. Look at what God has given us and enjoy it for what it is. Pure beauty, every time.
Words from a guy that hardly Blogs.
Rock on,
Miguel Santiago Fafinski
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Saturday, December 6, 2008
The Purpose of Life
I am sitting here at 4:45 a.m. on Saturday morning praying for Peace to come to a couple of friends of mine. You see, they have had a difficult time of things. They were pregnant and their son, Maxun, was diagnosed with a genetic disorder that would take his life shortly after they delivered him.
So, in order to comfort Dustin and Trish, we decided to do 24 hours of prayer and the 4:00-5:00 a.m. slot is mine. Miracle Max was born yesterday morning at 7:30 a.m. and was taken back by the Lord Almighty at 10:30. His life was short, but there is meaning in it.
Dustin and Trish have tried so hard to have children the last few years. They have gone as far as artificial insemination as a means to get pregnant. This is a difficult process and can be quite painful for the mother. Trish has done awesome and is strong woman and luckily found herself pregnant, when they were not sure that they could even become pregnant.
So, what was Max's purpose in Life? To show us all that God exists and that he is a miracle. He was not suppose to make it past the first trimester, but he did. He wasn't suppose to make it to delivery, but he did. He was not suppose to be delivered alive, but he was.
You see, he was a miracle. He was the baby that was never suppose to make it, but he did! God shows us his ultimate Purpose in Life. It is to see him in everything, to love him despite all that is wrong in the world and to always follow him.
Some may say that this is a "shame" or a "tragedy", but it really isn't. I have no doubt that Dustin and Trish will move forward from this experience as a stronger couple, with a stronger faith in the Lord. They are that type of people.
So, here I am praying at the end of my hour for them to have peace to accept the consequenses that have presented to them. My brother Bob lost his son, Jack, to SIDS 20 years ago. Though Jack lived only 6 weeks, his life has had a profound effect on Bob and Mary. Their faith in God is deeper and their marriage stronger, and they were blessed with three additional, wonderful children after Jack's passing.
I talked to Bob about Jack a couple of years ago and do you know what he said. "Jack is my hero", what strength and resolve to gain as much benefit from such a tragedy. Jack has helped Bob be shown the way to closer relationship with God.
May God Bless us all, may we endeavor to follow him in all things and may he grant Peace to those that need it.
For Miracle Max's story, go to http://ourmiraclemax.blogspot.com/.
So, in order to comfort Dustin and Trish, we decided to do 24 hours of prayer and the 4:00-5:00 a.m. slot is mine. Miracle Max was born yesterday morning at 7:30 a.m. and was taken back by the Lord Almighty at 10:30. His life was short, but there is meaning in it.
Dustin and Trish have tried so hard to have children the last few years. They have gone as far as artificial insemination as a means to get pregnant. This is a difficult process and can be quite painful for the mother. Trish has done awesome and is strong woman and luckily found herself pregnant, when they were not sure that they could even become pregnant.
So, what was Max's purpose in Life? To show us all that God exists and that he is a miracle. He was not suppose to make it past the first trimester, but he did. He wasn't suppose to make it to delivery, but he did. He was not suppose to be delivered alive, but he was.
You see, he was a miracle. He was the baby that was never suppose to make it, but he did! God shows us his ultimate Purpose in Life. It is to see him in everything, to love him despite all that is wrong in the world and to always follow him.
Some may say that this is a "shame" or a "tragedy", but it really isn't. I have no doubt that Dustin and Trish will move forward from this experience as a stronger couple, with a stronger faith in the Lord. They are that type of people.
So, here I am praying at the end of my hour for them to have peace to accept the consequenses that have presented to them. My brother Bob lost his son, Jack, to SIDS 20 years ago. Though Jack lived only 6 weeks, his life has had a profound effect on Bob and Mary. Their faith in God is deeper and their marriage stronger, and they were blessed with three additional, wonderful children after Jack's passing.
I talked to Bob about Jack a couple of years ago and do you know what he said. "Jack is my hero", what strength and resolve to gain as much benefit from such a tragedy. Jack has helped Bob be shown the way to closer relationship with God.
May God Bless us all, may we endeavor to follow him in all things and may he grant Peace to those that need it.
For Miracle Max's story, go to http://ourmiraclemax.blogspot.com/.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Working the ownership route
I really enjoy owning my own business. It allows me the flexibility to choose what I do on a daily basis. The way I figure it is that I have multiple jobs within one title and can be anything that I want to be for that day.
Today is going to be a strategy and appointment setting day. The last couple of months of the year is generally pretty quiet and I spend the time working with our client base to determine what their needs might be before year end and also to start working on next years goals/objectives. Ahh, setting goals and objectives with clients. I really like doing this. It gives me an opportunity to find out their needs and goals for 2009 and to extend recurring revenue contracts with them. For example, I will be meeting with Hope Community Center tomorrow to work on 2009 goals, such as PC purchases, projects and renewal of their Managed Services contract and renewals. It will provide me with an opportunity to talk to them about MX Logic and other service offerings that clients are using with Syand and also get a gauge on the state of their business for next year.
This time of year is also a great opportunity to work with clients for last minute purchases of equipment before year end. With the economy being what it is, organizations like Dell, HP and Lenovo are working hard to keep their sales volume as high as it can be. There are always fourth quarter pushes and this is the ideal time to get last minute purchases.
As a sales consultant, our job is to present the best opportunity to our clients to save money and to create goodwill with our customers.
Til the next time we write,
Mike
Today is going to be a strategy and appointment setting day. The last couple of months of the year is generally pretty quiet and I spend the time working with our client base to determine what their needs might be before year end and also to start working on next years goals/objectives. Ahh, setting goals and objectives with clients. I really like doing this. It gives me an opportunity to find out their needs and goals for 2009 and to extend recurring revenue contracts with them. For example, I will be meeting with Hope Community Center tomorrow to work on 2009 goals, such as PC purchases, projects and renewal of their Managed Services contract and renewals. It will provide me with an opportunity to talk to them about MX Logic and other service offerings that clients are using with Syand and also get a gauge on the state of their business for next year.
This time of year is also a great opportunity to work with clients for last minute purchases of equipment before year end. With the economy being what it is, organizations like Dell, HP and Lenovo are working hard to keep their sales volume as high as it can be. There are always fourth quarter pushes and this is the ideal time to get last minute purchases.
As a sales consultant, our job is to present the best opportunity to our clients to save money and to create goodwill with our customers.
Til the next time we write,
Mike
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Taking it easy!
I was talking to Joddey Hicks yesterday about the level of pressure and stress that each of us are consumed by on a daily basis.
Being 40 years old, having four kids, a wife, a business and many friends/associates certainly makes for a busy life. What are we doing to manage our stress levels? Personally, I really enjoy working out, spending time with family/friends and relaxing with a good movie. The older I get the more I realize that I need my cave time and fun time, or I take things way to seriously.
My sales advice for today?
I have decided to look closer to the work we perform on Managed Services clients to make sure that things that fall outside of the spectrum of support is being invoiced accordingly. Today I was able to find a few hours of work that normally would have been thrown into the Managed Services bucket and invoiced clients for it.
Have a good one!
Mike
Being 40 years old, having four kids, a wife, a business and many friends/associates certainly makes for a busy life. What are we doing to manage our stress levels? Personally, I really enjoy working out, spending time with family/friends and relaxing with a good movie. The older I get the more I realize that I need my cave time and fun time, or I take things way to seriously.
My sales advice for today?
I have decided to look closer to the work we perform on Managed Services clients to make sure that things that fall outside of the spectrum of support is being invoiced accordingly. Today I was able to find a few hours of work that normally would have been thrown into the Managed Services bucket and invoiced clients for it.
Have a good one!
Mike
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Guatemala
My apologies for not posting anything for quite a while. I was in Guatemala for almost two weeks and spent most of the time since catching up on work and haven't had a chance to write to my Blog.
WHAT AN EXPERIENCE!
I went down there to experience what being poor is and also to assist others in their needs. I was actually surprised by the level of wealth that they have and the help that they provided Rachel and myself. They are not wealthy from a financial standpoint, but are not caught up in the daily grind of life, feeling sorry for themselves, etc. It was certainly a fresh approach to life. As Americans/Canadians (that's for you Stuart), we are sometimes to rushed from thing to thing and also caught up in the materialism of the world. Try taking everything away from yourself and see what happens. You actually become happier. When you have nothing, there is no longer anything to lose. My family and I watched a PBS special a few years ago about two couples that lived on a farm, but had to live as if it was in the 1880's. Guess what happened? The spouses became much closer to each other and improved their overall relationships in life. I know that this isn't a very popular thing to say as a Technology Person, but disconnect. Look around at what God has provided you, the beauty of the world, of your wife, and children and be thankful. Thank the provider of all things and then turn on your electronics. Being connected takes on a much different meaning.
Mike
WHAT AN EXPERIENCE!
I went down there to experience what being poor is and also to assist others in their needs. I was actually surprised by the level of wealth that they have and the help that they provided Rachel and myself. They are not wealthy from a financial standpoint, but are not caught up in the daily grind of life, feeling sorry for themselves, etc. It was certainly a fresh approach to life. As Americans/Canadians (that's for you Stuart), we are sometimes to rushed from thing to thing and also caught up in the materialism of the world. Try taking everything away from yourself and see what happens. You actually become happier. When you have nothing, there is no longer anything to lose. My family and I watched a PBS special a few years ago about two couples that lived on a farm, but had to live as if it was in the 1880's. Guess what happened? The spouses became much closer to each other and improved their overall relationships in life. I know that this isn't a very popular thing to say as a Technology Person, but disconnect. Look around at what God has provided you, the beauty of the world, of your wife, and children and be thankful. Thank the provider of all things and then turn on your electronics. Being connected takes on a much different meaning.
Mike
Friday, August 29, 2008
Need to have some fun!
I need to have some fun today! I have been feeling anxious lately between all the travels and some personal commitments that I have made. I feel the need to go out and get a bunch of exercise or have some fun. Either one of them will help me clear my head.
What do you do to clear your head and relieve stress? Most people seem to do the wrong thing, because they are not thinking clearly. This may be smoking, chewing (which is what I used to do), drinking, eating too much, etc. I used to chew and go out for drinks. Though I still enjoy a libation, I tend not to drink when I am stressed anymore. I found that exercise has helped me the most, though it is sometimes hard to get the 40 year old body moving. I also like to spend time with family and friends. Tonight, Rachel and I get to spend time with Stephanie and Darren. They are both family and friends and it should be a good time.
On another note, I am buying a new home PC today. Out with the Dell, in with the Lenovo! I increasingly find Dell to be difficult to work with and am enjoying my relationship with Lenovo. They are a very good company and seem to really focus on the Partner Channel. My main frustration with Dell has been the way that they handle us, as partners. No loyalty or working with their partners. Everything is a transaction. I don't get this feeling with Lenovo. I know that I am just a blip on the map, but I still purchase around $200-$300k of computer equipment each year and expect it to be handled better than just a transaction. I would like to start seeing my clients move to either Lenovo or HP. I am also working with IBM to purchase a test server for Syand. This would provide us with some exposure to their equipment and allow us to provide our customers with necessary feedback on all equipment.
Well, that's it for today. Have a good and safe weekend. Attached is a picture of me with one of my best friends, Frankie. He is my Cinnamon Lab, is 3 years old and goes pretty much everywhere with me. I sure do love that dog. I think every guy needs one. Wonderful animals.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
"Yes, No or Maybe"
I have intended to post this for awhile and jut did not get around to it. I would like to talk about this self created law.
Many sales people simply waste time chasing their tails in the hope of potentially getting a deal. What a mistake this is!
So, in a nutshell. The best response that a potential customer can provide us is a "yes." The second best answer a potential customer can provide us is a "no." Why is that, you say?
Sales is a profession of prioritization. The quicker we are able to make customers provide an answer to our questions, the faster we are able to move onto the next thing. When I have a list of 30-40 things to do in any given day, the last thing I want to do is to call a customer to follow up on a potential deal with them. I am not saying that this is the case with all closes. There are many deals that require follow up as part of the process of closure. I am talking about the deals that all sales people have that are really not closeable. We have to be honest with ourselves to best determine what those deals are.
I had been working on a potential deal for close to a year on a phone system for a Business Association here in town. I kept trying to convince myself that it was worth the time to work the client in the hope that somehow this deal would happen. What a joke! I finally woke up and smelled the coffee. Even someone with almost 20 years of sales experience can do this.
Do yourself a favor. Learn to walk away. You will be a more successful sales person for it.
Many sales people simply waste time chasing their tails in the hope of potentially getting a deal. What a mistake this is!
So, in a nutshell. The best response that a potential customer can provide us is a "yes." The second best answer a potential customer can provide us is a "no." Why is that, you say?
Sales is a profession of prioritization. The quicker we are able to make customers provide an answer to our questions, the faster we are able to move onto the next thing. When I have a list of 30-40 things to do in any given day, the last thing I want to do is to call a customer to follow up on a potential deal with them. I am not saying that this is the case with all closes. There are many deals that require follow up as part of the process of closure. I am talking about the deals that all sales people have that are really not closeable. We have to be honest with ourselves to best determine what those deals are.
I had been working on a potential deal for close to a year on a phone system for a Business Association here in town. I kept trying to convince myself that it was worth the time to work the client in the hope that somehow this deal would happen. What a joke! I finally woke up and smelled the coffee. Even someone with almost 20 years of sales experience can do this.
Do yourself a favor. Learn to walk away. You will be a more successful sales person for it.
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