Monthly Archives: April 2013

Jerry Seinfeld Drinks Coffee

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I love Jerry Seinfeld but at times forget why I love him so much.

He explains the ordinary in an extraordinary fashion.

His latest “masterpiece” is how he describes he fell in love with coffee.

Actually he reminds me of, wait for it, one Billy Shakespeare.  Shakespeare used the very ordinary and made into a work of art we still celebrate hundreds of years later.  While I don’t think Jerry will have that lasting effect, he catches the pop culture of America perfectly at times.

Here’s the link. 

My favorite excerpt if you are too lazy (hey try some caffeine) to read the link.

On why coffee is so central to our culture

“I think the answer is we all need a little help, and the coffee’s a little help with everything — social, energy, don’t know what to do next, don’t know how to start my day, don’t know how to get through this afternoon, don’t know how to stay alert. We want to do a lot of stuff; we’re not in great shape. We didn’t get a good night’s sleep. We’re a little depressed. Coffee solves all these problems in one delightful little cup.”

 

– – Joel Fleischman.  Joel is the president and solution provider for Drexel Building Supply.  (www.drexelteam.com).   You can follow him on twitter:  @JoelmFleischman.  He has provided solutions for builders and their clients since 1996 and a whole bunch of other stuff that you probably don’t care about.

One quarter in for 2013. How bad do you want it?

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I just got on twitter last week (this is my third try) and I think I am finally figuring out the madness of it.

I do love some of this stuff.   LIke the fact that the Pope tweets.  Lessons right from the top. Russell Wilson posts a daily Bible verse, and dumb stuff like I knew when Aaron Rodgers was eating at 812, his restaurant in Brookfield on Thursday night.  Here’s my favorite pontiff’s tweet so far.

26 Apr

Dear young people, do not bury your talents, the gifts that God has given you! Do not be afraid to dream of great things!

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Anyways, the first quarter from 2013 is over.  Are you on pace to win it?

How are your goals coming?  Can you smell it, can you taste it?  Can those you lead know what you want this year?

 Don’t let yourself get into the fourth quarter and find yourself in such a hole that you can’t get out.

Analyze where you are at.  And how you can get there. Do you have to adjust?   Don’t let yourself get into the fourth quarter and find yourself in such a hole that you can’t get out.  Great news, it’s not too late.

Visualize it.

For instance, the head coaches on my team have a goal.  It’s clear when we hit our goals what we win:  Training with Ken Wilbanks for a business conference.  Fly fishing, relaxation, drinks, and learning our craft even better.  I can already hear that stream, and “taste” the experience.  This blog will remind them and me of our goal.  And I update them often.

It’s the air I breathe.

– – Joel Fleischman.  Joel is the president and solution provider for Drexel Building Supply.  (www.drexelteam.com).   You can follow him on twitter:  @JoelmFleischman.  He has provided solutions for builders and their clients since 1996 and a whole bunch of other stuff that you probably don’t care about.

Hustle & Home work – Tips for Grownups

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Contrary to popular opinion, the hustle is not a new dance step – it is an old business procedure.
Fran Lebowitz

One of life’s most painful moments comes when we must admit that we didn’t do our homework, that we are not prepared.
Merlin Olsen

One of the things I hear parents, coaches, and teachers preach to our kids is to hustle and do your homework.  I think it is universally taught that doing your homework and hustling is the best thing to do to get better at any given task.  And the best in fact ALWAYS hustle and do their homework.

Now fast forward from first grade, to high school sports and then to the so called “real world”.   Tuesday afternoon in a cubicle.  Friday afternoon in the car as an OSR (hate that term by the way).   Driving truck.  Cutting hair.  Waiting tables.  Are we still hustling and doing our homework.  The answer is often a very reluctant, “No.  But I mean to.  I was going to start.  Um, what?”

We all celebrate Charlie Hustle (ok, not the creepy weird Pete Rose that sells his autograph on the Vegas strip for a few bucks) but the mythical one.  The person that just out works everyone.  You know, hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.  Business leaders need to find people that hustle and do their homework.  But beyond that…leaders need to set the example.  Are you hustling?  Are you doing your homework?

Homework can and should be reading books that relate to your industry, and also business books that are not in your wheel house.  Oh, I get it, you don’t have time to read.  But your fifth grade son has time to do their homework right?  Ok, let’s move on.  Go on factory tours; learn your craft.  Again, if you think you already know, you are an idiot.  Seriously.  Another great way is to “secret shop” or any way so you can learn about your competition.  Roundtables and factory tours of your product line, all the way up and down the food chain, in your business will help you become an expert as well.  And if you are new to your industry, study, study, study.  Become an expert not only of your industry but of YOUR COMPANY.  Do you know everyone’s role?  Do you know what your boss expects of you?  Do you know where you are going and why?  This is your adult homework.

Homework can also be social and charity endeavors.  You will learn a lot about yourself and your surroundings.  The old cliche you get back twice what you give is so true.  I don’t know anyone that isn’t submersed in these things that are not better people because of it.

Now on to the big obvious secret (oh, see how I did that?).  Hustle.  Of course we all hustle.  Riiiiight.  But what do we REALLY do…what are you doing?  Are you really sprinting or are you jogging?  Are you going a second early in wind sprints and instead of touching the line?   Are you going about one foot short of the finish line?  Are you crusing?   Your coach, um boss, or even more important your customers and those around you, they know.  You don’t think they know.  They know.  Trust me.  And deep down you know they know.  Do you care enough to change?   Or you happy with your fate?  That’s up to you.  But when someone steals “your promotion”, “your account”, “your next big thing”, and you have 100 reasons why “it” left you, my instincts will tell me that you got out hustled.  When that ball was going out-of-bounds did you dive into the stands or did you reach out your arm and let it go out?  Were you the first one at practice or just getting there on time?  Hustle doesn’t lose you your job.  It doesn’t always cost you the game.  It doesn’t always cost you your career.  But it might.  And certainly with hustle you will do better.

I’ve met so many people who have great ideas for great causes.  Great things they plan on doing.  Great intent.  Talk is cheap.  They aren’t willing to hustle.  So it never happens.

So really it’s up to you.  Will you hustle and do your home work?  Will you practice what you preach?  You just read this whole article.  So I believe you will now go do it.

Feel bad that you haven’t been doing all this?  A Chinese proverb reminds us of the possibilities:  The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago, the second best time is today.

Proverbs 6:6-8 Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise. Without having any chief, officer, or ruler, she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest

 

– – Joel Fleischman.  Joel is the president and solution provider for Drexel Building Supply.  (www.drexelteam.com).   You can follow him on twitter:  @JoelmFleischman.  He has provided solutions for builders and their clients since 1996 and a whole bunch of other stuff that you probably don’t care about.

Selecting the Right Builder for You

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Selecting the Right Builder for Building a Your Dream Home
Choosing a builder is likely the most important decision in the custom home building process. The Metropolitan Builders Association (MBA) offers tips to select the right builder.

Choosing a builder early in the process – ideally before you’ve settled on a site or design for your home – can set the stage for a successful home-building experience. The building process is complex and most owners need professional guidance from the beginning to avoid mistakes in site selection, home design and setting a budget.

Your budget shouldn’t be among the top criteria in selecting a builder. No builder can quote an accurate price for a custom or semi-custom home until he or she knows the type, style, finishes and features of the home, the site conditions and the type of contract you want to use for construction. Rather than focusing on cost, you may want to base your decision on the builder’s competence, reputation, professionalism, warranty coverage, experience.

Here are a few things to consider when selecting a builder:
1. Types of Builders:
Custom Home Builder: A truly custom home has an original and unique design. It is designed to be built on a specific site and purchased by a specific buyer.
Semi-Custom Home Builder: A semi-custom home starts with an existing home design, which then is modified to fit the individual home buyer’s needs.                                                    Production Home or Model Home Builder: A model is built according to a standardized plan.
Spec Home Builder: A home built “on speculation” by a buyer who hasn’t identified a specific builder but hopes to sell it during construction or shortly after it’s completed.

2. Builder Reputation:

Look for an established builder who is a member of the Metropolitan Builders Association.
MBA members have met stringent membership eligibility requirements set by the MBA to protect consumers.

3. Areas of Operation: Choose a builder who is familiar with the area where you want your home to be built. Local  knowledge is important in handling variations in local building codes, subcontracting practices or other factors.

4. Type of Home:

Select a builder who has extensive experience constructing homes in your price range and general design style.

5. Compatibility:

Building a home is a highly personal and emotional experience. You’ll want choose a builder with whom you’ll feel comfortable.

6. Warranty:

The builder should be willing and able to offer you a comprehensive written warranty on your new home.

7. Financial Stability:

Make sure the building company you select is financially viable.

8. Financial Strength:

Successful builders are in the best position to contract for the services of top subcontractors and suppliers – the people who will actually build your home.

9. Quality:

Cost is not a direct measure of quality. Good quality is the merging of good design with appropriate products and materials that are installed with superior workmanship.

10.  Contact me.

Seriously, if you are building in South Eastern, Central or East Central Wisconsin give me an opportunity to use my 20 years of networking to help you, you can e-mail me at joel.fleischman@drexelteam.com or kick me on twitter @JoelmFleischman.  I’d love to help you get started.

Bottom line:  Building a new home is not like buying a car. Apples for apples for builders just doesn’t exist, every builder will build a different home.  GO WITH THE BUILDER YOU CAN TRUST. THAT’S THE BOTTOM LINE.  So many things will happen after the contract that will require communication and yes money, go with the builder you have the connection with and can trust.

Bonus Bottom Line:  Building a home will require a ton of your time.  Don’t assume it won’t.  If you are not prepared for that, I would recommend not building at all until it’s better timing in your life.

— – Joel Fleischman.  Joel is the president and solution provider for Drexel Building Supply.  (www.drexelteam.com).   You can follow him on twitter:  @JoelmFleischman.  He has provided solutions for builders and their clients since 1996 and a whole bunch of other stuff that you probably don’t care about.   Article from the MBA, and is a press release.

My Favorite Quotes

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A simple list of some of my favorite quotes.

A quote is both inspiring and meaningful.  It expands your soul while at the same time can become a mantra to repeat in life.

A good quote is almost as good as good memory of a past experience.  Well not really, a good memory is worth much more than a good quote.  A good quote is more like a good piece of cake.

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Try not to become a success, but rather try to become a person of value.  – Albert Einstein

Remember what I said about a meaningful life?  I wrote it down, but now I can recite it:  Devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning. (Tuesdays with Morrie)

Give people more than they expect, and do it cheerfully.

A manager is an advocate for the customer.

If you don’t have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over? – John Wooden

English writer John Donne once wrote that no man is an island.  “Any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee,” were Donne’s words.

Ignore the voice that says, “You deserve it.” – Phil Vischer, Veggie Tales

Tell me, I’ll forget.  Show me, I may remember.  But involve me and I’ll understand.  – Chinese Proverb

Enthusiasm is nothing more than faith at work.  – Henry Chester

 

— Joel Fleischman.  Joel is the president and solution provider for Drexel Building Supply.  (www.drexelteam.com).   You can follow him on twitter:  @JoelmFleischman.  He has provided solutions for builders and their clients since 1996 and a whole bunch of other stuff that you probably don’t care about.