I was born in
Kansas in the early 1940s. I grew up on a small family
farm along with two sisters and four brothers. All our friends and
neighbors, everyone I
knew then was living the same rural lifestyle, independent
farmers and ranchers living close to nature.
We prospered by hard work and personal endeavors, enduring the whims of
chance and nature, and depending greatly on the grace and mercy of God.
Through good times and bad, the love of personal Freedom burned
brightly in our hearts.
My early history shaped and molded my worldview, my perception of right
and wrong, how things ought to be, and what a person should do and
strive to become. At that time a simple handshake
was an ironclad contract, a man's word was his bond, and a reputation
of honesty and integrity was necessary to gain
friendship or respect.
I think Doctor Ron Paul says it best...our goal should be to strive for
excellence and virtue, rather than for fortune or fame. And the Bible
teaches us to store up treasure in heaven, the only place it is safe
from theft or decay. Perhaps we will only fully understand that on our
very last day of this life.
There
is a saying that "change itself is the only constant in this
world". The first major change in my life was caused by the insidious
growth of Big Government. The small family farm as a way of life was
gradually pushed to extinction. This was done by the government using
the two tools of control, the "carrot"
and the
"stick". The "carrot" in the form of government subsidies and the
"stick" in the form of strangling bureaucratic
regulations. That change in our way of life was helped along by the
steady erosion of the
value of the Dollar. The destruction of the Dollar is continuing to
this
very day.
Then came the 1950s. In order to support his family, Dad was forced
to
give up his independence. He entered the "corporate rat race", took a
job in town, and sold his time and talents for an hourly wage.
His small farm was relegated to a "hobby status" instead of being a
lifestyle or the main source of creating a livable income. Eventually
Mom would have to take a job also, just to make ends meet.
I
graduated high school in 1960. At that time having a college degree was
not as desirable or as necessary as it seemingly is today. So,
choosing to not go to college, I too worked a job and then served my
tour of military duty in the U.S. Air Force as a jet engine technition.
I got married in 1965 and started a family of my own. We raised two
sons and two daughters, which I regard as being my crowning
achievement. They fill my life with love, laughter, and a deep sense of
fulfillment. Along with the pride I feel in their own individual
accomplishments.
As
they say, life goes on ... I continued , going from one job to the
next and surviving from one weekly paycheck to the next. It seemed I
was on a treadmill, forever struggling to earn more
dollars, only to find that the increased number of dollars would buy
less goods than I had been able to buy before. No wonder it is
called a
rat race!
But my initial worldview of how things should be and what a person
should strive to become continually filled my thoughts and desires. My
love for personal Freedom still burned brightly, and the quest for
Freedom continued to motivate me.
I became interested in Marketing as a way to create my own self
supporting lifestyle back in the 1980's. My dream was, and still is, to
maintain a sufficient income to support myself and my family without
depending on a job, any company or government, or anything other than
my own talents, efforts, and abilities. The one caveat being
that I recognize my talents, efforts, and abilities come to me as a
gift from my Creator.
In the beginning my marketing business took the form of direct-mail
campaigns and magazine & newspaper ads. Over time I learned much
about how and where to advertise, about human nature and what
motivates people to make the decisions they do.
About the turn of the century it seemed that the majority of my niche
of business was migrating to the internet. So I obtained a computer and
connected to the internet. The shock was almost like being
dropped into a pool of icy water! I found myself immersed in a whole
new learning experience...a world that seemed to
exist in a different dimension of time and space.
My journey began with my not knowing even how to turn on a computer and
has progressed to being able to communicate with people worldwide, the
use of different types of software, and finally
to creating this very website from a totally blank page.
Conventional wisdom advises that in order to be successful in any
endeavor online you must have your own web site, one that you totally
own and control. This fits in with my philosophy of
independence and responsibility, and also provides a sort of "home" ...
my own little piece of property in the vast world of
cyberspace.
Although some have been successful using strictly the internet for
marketing, I find that using direct mail is still a very good way to
operate my business. Perhaps using a combination of the two gives you
the best of both worlds.
My
ultimate goal is not to be rich or famous, but to strive for excellence
and virtue, including honesty, compassion, humility, and a lively sense
of
humor. And to offer a helping hand to the people I meet
along the way.