Be Thankful for more than Technology

Yes I am thankful for my family, the people in my life, the blessings from above, we all should be. Tomorrow we can all slow down for a moment and reflect and be thankful.

But something tells me the Blackberries will still be working, the videos will be rolling, the high definition will be in focus and the laptops will be in full swing. It is amazing, this time we live in. Think about now versus 10 years ago. Cell phones, smartphones, IP phones, VOIP, high def TVs, memory cards, servers, e-mail, IT, GPS, flat panel PC screens to name a few. How will the elves keep up with this type of demand? It is everywhere, just look around and it looks so different than it did just a few years ago. Are we smarter, maybe, more efficient, probably, but there is still something better for all of us out there. What will it look like in 2020?

Yeah now that I think of it, I am appreciative for those simple things like family and health. They really do matter more than our space aged gadgets, at least for one or 2 days a year.

Welcome to the future.

Mike

Here comes Android

Well, Motorola is officially back in the game. Their stock is up over 10% today on strong 4th quarter earnings and the launch of Android.

This new smartphone is ready to tackle Apple, Rimm, and Palm once it releases. Motorola has some major hitters behind them in Verizon and Google. Droid 2.0 has a solid exterior, intelligent interior and is one of the thinnest full QWERTY keyboards slider phones now available. It has voice recognition, and could be summed up as a no fuss, high tech, over the air updating, multitasking machine. The screen is brilliant and has high resolution qualities as well and of course Google maps will be a staple feature. The camera is 5 mega pixels with a 16 GB memory card which is very impressive.

There are also many preloaded apps like gmail, youtube, calendar, Amazons MP3 store and another 12,000 apps that can be downloaded. Compared to Apple and its 90,000 apps, this may not be significant, but this phone will deliver competition to the smartphone market. The partners that are vested in this project are all serious players.

The unit will be exclusive from Verizon and run $199 with a 2 year agreement. For more information go to www.droiddoes.com. I love the press release I got earlier which starts off by saying "Hello Humans"

Welcome to the Future.

Mike

Those misleading cellular prices

You see the commercials. $49 for the new Blackberry Tour, or $29.99 for the Motorola Rival. Verizon, Sprint, ATT all of them do it. They advertise these prices left and right with the small print almost off the picture. These prices are for renewals for 2 year contracts. These prices are only available IF you are eligible for an upgrade.

Most cellular contracts are the same. You have to have made it roughly 20 out of 24 months through the contract to be eligible for the advertised prices I mentioned. I get calls every other day from people confused about this. They are 6 months into a contract, break or lose their phone, do not carry insurance and then I quote them "$289, are you kidding me I saw it on TV for $29.99" Well that is for an "eligible" customer.

The retail price of most all of these phones is not cheap. A Blackberry for example will run well over $400 to replace at retail if you do not carry insurance or have eligibility to get an upgrade with a discount off the new phone. In the carriers defense, when they discount or subsidize the phone they are losing money and have to keep you under contract for several months to reclaim the discount and actually be profitable.

Be careful of the E-bay purchases for replacements. Carry insurance on Smart phones and create a relationship with a broker that has access to wholesaler's if and when that dreaded day comes.

Welcome to the Future.

Mike

Observing New York technology

My wife brought me to the Big Apple this last weekend as a pre birthday party. I turn 40 in January and she knows I love that city so we went there now before winter kicks in.
We met some friends there and had the time of our lives, what a city with so much to do.

As we toured midtown from day to day I watched and listened to the people and how business is happening. Ironically we flew in on the the morning of the 11th. As we got into the city, there was obviously a somber mood, that day will never leave any of our memories, let alone New Yorker's. The cab we were in had a touch screen GPS. So even though our driver did not speak English well, I knew where we were going. The girl that sat next to us on the plane was on Facebook on her IPhone the minute we landed. We used my Blackberries GPS to find our way around the city as well. I traded e-mails with people from Arizona to North Carolina with them having no idea I was not in the office. Almost every other person that you walk by is on their cell phone. The digital age is abundant in Times Square, it is quite a spectacle for your eyes to see. There are high definition TVs in all the bars and restaurants. The studios where they film NBC's nightly news look like something from 2112. Technology is everywhere. We have come so far since even 1980. Now we just need the people in New York to be as helpful as the gadgets we all own!

This is a weekend I will certainly remember forever for personal reasons. But once again technology strikes!

Welcome to the future.

Mike

Obama the Rock Star

I was lucky enough to sit right behind the President on stage in Raleigh yesterday. I had never seen a US President in person before, it was a great experience. Politics aside, it is truly amazing to look the President in the eye as he speaks. His followers are so excited to see him, he really is a rock star, very iconic.

Whether he can sustain good policy for our country or not, he will no doubt always be remembered for his charisma and charm as a speaker.

When I first arrived there was a gal in line that I stood next to with a Blackberry. She was talking to her friend and she said "this device has truly transformed my life" Her friend soon after took a phone call herself. I could not help but now ask her about the phone and why she said that. She said her family never believed she would actually use it. But she talked about Internet access, e-mail, the ease of texting, doing business on the run.

I love hearing those comments. Ordinary people using technology to make life easier. That is what Blackberries or technology in general are designed to do.

Welcome to the Future

Mike

Verizon and Alltel

Verizon has purchased Alltel, we know that now. But there are several pieces of information coming to us day to day.

Sometimes I wonder if Verizon or Alltel truly know what is right or wrong. The end users lose the stockholders win. In North Carolina Alltel customers bills now read Verizon. But that may not be the case in another state. But coding/rate plan wise they are still Alltel. Their agreements and hardware are with Alltel until the contract ends. Verizon is offering deals/discounts to Alltel customers to move them completely over to Verizon. They are waiving early term fees and activation fees.

Alltel phones currently work on the Verizon network but data features may not work properly so at some point it will be wise to switchover. Business customers are being treated differently than consumer accounts. The Verizon friends and family feature was offered now to comply with Alltels my circle feature. But it is not offered with all rate plans. You must meet minimum rates to get that type of service added to the rate.

Ask questions, find agents that follow the carriers. They typically get detailed information faster through their resources than the direct teams do. The agents that deal with businesses are pushing to obtain that information because the customer is demanding it.

I hope this is the last merger for awhile, the confusion is too great for everyone involved.

Welcome to the Future.

Mike

Power cycle

Have you ever been instrcucted to restart your PC? It gets locked up, it needs to be refreshed. Cell phones are the same way. Does your phone ever act up on you? Always power cycle (turn the phone off and back on) at least once a day. It is like giving the phone a nice shower without having to make an insurance claim! Phones need to reregister with their perspective networks.

Welcome to the Future

Mike

GPS vehicle asset management

You own several vehicles or trucks. Fuel prices go up and down. It is 2009 and most major companies with fleets are using tracking technologies to manage these assets.

What is so great is there are a host of financing options out there. There are great leasing programs, and rental agreements. Competition has brought lower overall prices on both the hardware and the monthly live services.

Track the vehicles, dispatch the closest vehicle, run route reports, customer visit reports, take charge of the fleet. The fuel and time costs are enormous. Imagine riding with every driver every day everywhere they go. Reduce idling and speed to reduce fuel costs. Reduce risk management with seat belt requirements and insurance premiums go down. Customer service is precise, and billing is accurate. After hour use is eliminated saving fuel costs.

It is 2009, get on board, this is a technology that will be as common as a cell phone in a couple more years. Your competitors have it.

Welcome to the Future.

Mike

Smartphones still on the Rise

What an exciting time for smartphone manufacturers. Turn on any stock analyst show and you will hear mention of this segment in our markets. Even though RIM introduced the new Tour world phone, Research in Motion's stock is sliding today because of more competition. I am a big RIM fan but this may not be such a bad thing. Apple is introducing its new I-Phone, Google's G-1 Android phone has sold over a million devices, Samsung just announced 4 new smartphones, and Palm introduced its Pre on the Sprint network. What is next, Nokia gaining demand domestically again?

The winner in all of these new launches is the you, the consumer. We are seeing a more universal approach by the carriers to offer devices that meet our needs. Social media browsing, browsing in general within the data plans are becoming easier to use. There is plenty of memory and the data speeds are improving, 4G is also around the corner. The quality of the camera's are catching up to what Best Buy puts on its digital camera selection. You can post a video on YouTube in minutes. We are an e-mail centric nation now, how does anyone live without e-mail in their hands? This one factor alone is pushing demand.

I think there is a cool factor also here. It is a less expensive way of "keeping up with the Jones" People cannot be approved for refinance their homes so why not flash their smartphone bling. But there is no doubt a more effective approach to communicating with these devices. What was once an Enterprise device only, now the smartphone has caught the attention of the masses.

The market share for smartphones is less than 20% of the market. So there is plenty of room for growth for these manufacturers. The economy dominated with recession yes but it sure is impressive to see this segment prosper. The Internet is literally in our hands now and regardless of the soft economy, the demand continues. Buy their stock or buy their devices, either way, but do not let this momentum pass you by.

Welcome to the Future

Mike

GPS- Navigate or track?

GPS. Global position satellites. It is often misunderstood. But GPS can mean either tracking or navigation.

There are 2 totally distinct conversations to have. Navigation would be like using google maps for Blackberry or a Garmin Nuvi to find your way from one point to another. You may just want to see where you are at on a map. You can use Google maps before you leave an office or home to gage your trip. You can even e-mail those directions to your Blackberry before you leave. There really are no excuses for being lost anymore.

Tracking on the other hand comes in the form of vehicle asset management. The goal for a company is to reduce fuel costs, create better customer service, in a nutshell improve the efficiency of the fleet as a whole. What would happen to your productivity or fuel costs is you were riding shotgun every day with each and every driver? GPS tracking is becoming a significant technology. It will be ordinary in 5 years to have this type of technology in a vehicle. The stakes of employee misbehavior and fuel costs are too great for an owner to worry about the politics of being called "big brother". On top of their business seems more appropriate. So the next time you are thinking about jumping in that vehicle and driving down to the beach, or going to the park or even running that extra errand, remember there may be an e-mail arriving in your managers inbox once that vehicle so much as moves. Scary but very useful! Putting one in your wife's car you ask, I am not going there!

Welcome to the future.

Mike

Blackberry still on top

Well, once again I read that 3 out of the top 5 selling smart phones are produced by yes, Rim Blackberry. The Apple I-Phone and the new Google G-1 Android also made the list. If Google and Apple would expand distribution beyond only ATT (I-phone exclusive) and T-Mobile (Google exclusive) they would certainly penetrate the market more effectively.

In a market with negative feels about it, smart phone technology continues to prosper. E-mail, GPS navigation,Outlook sync capabilities, browsing being just some of the "extra" features. While I was at lunch yesterday my buddy said to me, "I just do not know what I would do without this Blackberry anymore" For the record, I agree.

Heck Rim's stock was at $43 a share just 30 days ago and is trying to break through 80! What recession?

Welcome to the future.

Mike

Online etiquette

I mingle in social media more and more these days. Linked in, Inside 919, Twitter. They all have a good purpose. Meet people online, create introductions for people that are in your network, gather information, share ideas.

I like Linked in because you can get feedback in a group forum setting. You can ask a question (I believe you can ask 10 per month) and get real feedback from other professionals or people in your network. It can be very valuable. But there seems to be those few individuals out there that just cannot follow proper etiquette.

I recently was a part of a group discussion about hosted VOIP phones/Internet/voice services. We just had to have that one guy who cannot play nice. Rude comments, personal attacks, just in mature. They cannot help themselves. They are know it alls, they rub us the wrong way by delivering condescending comments. It seems to me out on the web and in your network, you would want people to like you, and to respect what you have to offer. I find it amazing when that one person in the group has to be disruptive. This person ripped multiple attendees and I am still not quite sure why. At the end of the day though that person completely discredited himself and now has a negative reputation with at least the folks that were in this discussion. I am sure he has done it before and will do it again. I guess my wish is for people using social media is to work with integrity within the forums. The old comment "Why can't we all get along?" idea. After all there is so much for all of us as vendors, buyers, end users, suppliers to gain from these discussions. As a person in communications technology, with this online tool, I have access to some great minds out there, great or input. Unfortunately since it is an open forum sometimes it comes with a price.

Welcome to the future

Mike

Hosted solutions

It is a new catchy term, hosted. It appears more and more in technology so get used to it. There are a few key areas in communications technology that this term is cementing itself. First of all database and application hosting. Up until know most businesses have tried to manage these services on their own. Hiring IT people, purchasing hardware, and maintaining services within a "telco" room. But it is becoming more attractive to move these services off premise (off location) and let someone else manage them for you. The end user pays a flat fee to have these services maintained.

Phone systems are also now becoming hosted. In the past companies would purchase hardware like routers and servers or PBX phone routing systems, and then deal with several carrier providers for local voice and data. Then the company would employ IT people to manage those services. The problem is the management of a network can bombard an IT person's day taking away the very thing they were hired to do which is provide Intelligence to c level folks. Plus it allows companies to preserve capital by lowering up front costs. Let's face it that is a major concern these days.

I am now allowing Intel to Host my Quickbooks data. It is a great feature for a small business. I do not have to worry about backing up the data manually or through a software purchase. Also for disaster relief scenarios, you cannot beat hosted services. What would happen to your business if a natural disaster like Katrina ruined your city? This hosting idea will be a valid market for businesses to take advantage of over the coming years.

Welcome to the future

Mike

Dedicated internet connection 101

I find businesses trying to cut cost from week to week, it make sense, business is off. But buyer beware when it comes to your Internet connection.

I spend time consulting my clients on this topic. There are several forms of catching an Internet connection in your office. Wireless, cable, DSL, and then there is dedicated. If you can afford it, I recommend businesses using dedicated connections. In other words it is a connection that only your office uses. It is not a shared connection like we see with DSL or cable. The speed does not fluctuate. If you purchase a 512k dedicated connection then it is always 512 up and down, that does not change, plus it is more secure. It provides superior performance and most the IT folks I know would agree with that. You will hear cable providers and phone companies DSL service promise 4 to 7 MB download speed but that is if there is nobody else using the Internet while you are. What are the odds of that?

So before you cut that tie and go DSL or cable and share a connection with your neighbors to save money, make sure you understand the performance consequences. We can negotiate with the service provider on price which will be not much more than DSL. We can bundle the Internet services with your voice calls and LD. Don't cut the corner on this one, I think you will find yourself regretting it if you do.

Welcome to the future.

Mike

Sprint/Nextels unlimited plan is hard to beat

I got a call from a potential client a couple weeks ago. They were looking for a Blackerry roll out and because they are high end users, wanted unlimited usage on all of them. Initially they had mentioned they were partial to Verizon wireless services. That is fine Verizon wireless has a great product. But the unlimited Verizon plan runs at $129.99 monthly without any text messaging included. My consultative voice inside of me had to ask them. "Why are we not considering Sprint?"I was told that because Sprint was losing subscribers that this customer would not consider them. I found this extremely odd. Sprint has a very thorough national digital network. Is it as good as Verizon's, maybe not but the Verizon network is not worth another $40 plus dollars per month per subscriber in this example? Especially in these times. On a 2 year contract, this was a huge difference in price over the 2 year term. But at same time, this same customer was extremely worried about the cost of the handsets. It did not add up for me. To set the record straight, Sprint offers THE most complete unlimited plan in this business. There are carriers that still do not offer or have an unlimited plan. Sprint includes unlimited voice calls, unlimited data which means e-mail and Internet browsing, unlimited texting and even GPS navigation. Recently Boost Mobile which uses the Nextel network offered their unlimited plan for $50. In a time when car manufacturers are offering unique plans for laid off workers, both consumers and businesses alike need to recognize this great value being offered by Sprint.

Welcome to the future.

Mike

Alltel gets a victory

Have you noticed Verizon adds for "Friends and Family"? It was Verizon's answer to the Alltel gang in Arkansas pushing to keep some things the same. Verizon is a big beast, not always interested in listening to the small guys. Their purchase of Alltel was a delicate subject for all the dedicated folks in Little Rock. This time they used better judgement and offered Alltel's version of My Circle. I had many many Alltel customers asking about this feature, and guess what, it is here to stay. Verizon is not the least expensive service on the block. But allowing this free mobile to mobile feature add was a wise move. I have to admit, this time they got it right. The story of this merger though is only beginning.

Welcome to the Future

Mike

Smartphone features

I notice market share increasing every so slightly for Blackberries/I-Phones, Windows Mobile devices. People are catching on. But do not fall too far behind if you still carry that old boring flip phone. They find a handful of useful features that make their lives or work that much easier.

Synchronize your phone with Outlook. Taking notes on a device, going paperless. Utilizing a full QWERTY keyboard for easy text. Texting to a Twitter account is a cutting edge idea. Managing media files like pictures or video is becoming easier on a smart phone. How about surfing the web, tracking the stock market portfolio real time (well not quite like a broker but close!) How anyone can do without e-mail on the fingertips is beyond me.

Find features for your business that increase productivity. Make sure that your office encourages the use of the features and even offers training on how to utilize them. These devices will bring value to your everyday affairs if they are used consistently.

Welcome to the Future

Mike

Keep insurance on those Blackberries

Have you ever had to purchase a replacement phone for one that was lost or stolen or damaged beyond repair? It is not cheap. The retail value of these phones we all buy has gone up. We demanded Bluetooth, cameras, Smart phone technologies and so the cost of the phones was driven up. When we sign a new 2 year agreement or have an upgrade available to us, we can get a discount off of the new phone so it is not as expensive to buy. But if you are replacing a phone and you are not eligible for a discount, you will pay handsomely for it.

Consider this: The retail value of the new Sprint Nextel Curve Blackberry is $569. The Motorola Q9C retails for $399. The Treo 800w retails for $599! Heck most nice flip phones retail for well over $200.

Keep a spare phone or 2 handy. It is tempting to sell those old phones that we have but wise to keep them for backup purposes, especially if they are still in decent shape. You can have a current address book loaded in them and ready for that untimely moment when the phone is lost or damaged. Most of our business clients keep a drawer full of phones handy. If an emergency pops up then we can move a phone line to the spare right away and avoid any downtime. I have purchased phones from e-bay. I have had clients purchase them from e-bay. It is a cheap alternative. But buyer beware, I can also give you examples of you get what you pay for! If you want to replace an expensive phone with a new expensive phone, then you should carry insurance.

Insurance runs between $5-$7 per month per phone. I have always maintained that if you carry a nice phone, you better carry insurance. Asurion Protection Services is the insurance company that writes policies for most of the carriers. As of April of this year, deductibles on Smart phones like a Blackberry or a Windows Mobile device will go up to $100 per incident. All other phones carry a $50 deductible. You can make 3 claims per year, per phone number. They will overnight the phone to you and you will be up and running in no time at all. All it takes is one claim to pay for several years’ worth of monthly fees.

Welcome to the Future

Mike

President Obama, we need short term lending!

I watched President Obamas address to congress lastnight very closely, with optimism that we will begin our upward journey. Some things were positive, some were not. He is an encouraging figure no doubt but I keep wondering where all this bailout money is coming from?

Then I follow up with 2 more customers this morning that want GPS services for their fleet but do not have the cash flow to invest in a technology that will return savings to them. Now what is wrong with that picture?

Ask or work with enough small businesses and you will hear it from all of them. The banks are not lending. You know the $750 billion dollars that all of us taxpayers approved to bail them out so they could supposedly start lending again? Yeah those banks that President Obama knows we are all so frustrated with because they kept our bailout money for their own agenda. Why would we consider another dollar of bailout for them, the transparency of the original $750 billion has not been disclosed. He acknowledged that "he gets it" Yet he may want to bail them out even further. The solutions that are in the stimulus bill are long term in scope. But I ask myself where are the short term solutions to these lending issues? The fact remains as I speak to my clients, if the lending does not start and start soon, the results will not change. If our small business community does not have the means to invest in technology to reduce their expenses, or hire their staff back, how will they operate at all? How will they flourish?

A note to the banks- Lend that money that we gave you now, develop your own layoff agenda, thin out and stop the golden parachute dilemma. Families and small business have had to stop spending, reduce expenses, so should our bailout recipients and our Government.

Please President Obama, congress, tell me again, do you get it? The taxpayers demand a better solution, a short term solution.

Welcome to the Future
Mike

Blackberry versus I-phone market share

Well, the data is hot off the press: Smartphone purchases in the US shot up 68% in 2008. We now buy smartphones in greater quantities than our Western European counterparts. It is not just a phone anymore, it is mobile e-mail, mobile web, mobile applications for data, navigation, synchronization with Outlook, calendars, contacts, notes, QWERTY keyboard for text. There are endless features that present themselves in the form of a smartphone.

Research in Motion still holds a convincing 46% market share while Apple and its I-phone hold an impressive 21%. Palm, Samsung, and Nokia are on the radar for market share but it is clear that RIM and Apple are our leaders. RIM has agreements with all the major domestic carriers, even ATT. The Apple I-phone on the other hand is sold exclusively through ATT. It is impressive that Apple is on this list like this in such a short time. But I believe this exclusive agreement will prevent ATT from expanding its market share much more dramatically. The fact is, ATT is not known for its network. If the professional consumer (who predominantly is purchasing these smartphones) does not have adequate choice or coverage, ATT will struggle to overcome RIM. Make no mistake, both of these devices have brought a win win to the consumer and the carriers. The consumer has a more intelligent advantage to do business and work while the carriers are collecting the data fees from month to month. I believe though that RIM and Apple will have a hard time sustaining growth and demand for smartphones like we saw from 07 to 08.

I find it promising to see another American company pick up the slack for sluggish Motorola and compete with this giant from Canada (RIM)and the likes of Korean international vendors such as Samsung or LG. I just hope on the next I-Phone generation that Apple will unlock its technology away from an exclusive arrangement with ATT. Verizon which has now merged with Alltel, and Sprint Nextel are powerful domestic partners to grow their share with.

Welcome to the Future.

Mike

Congrats to The 2008-9 Cardinals

I posted a blog a week back about how excited I was about the Arizona Cardinals being in the Superbowl. They did not dissapoint me at all! No they did not win, the Steelers made a heroic finish, but I could not be any more proud of my guys. A team I had followed for years. Terrible losses, years of football agony, all thrown to the wayside by this current roster. They showed the true courage that it takes to be a champion in any capacity. The few fans that stuck by their side, now rewarded beyond belief. There is a hope that miracles, great things can happen, but only through optimism and hard work. What does this have to do with technology, nothing! But my life does not only encompass technology.

Welcome to The Future!

Mike

Obama needs to get beyond Blackberry

President Obama recently admitted his love of his Blackberry, a device he said he is still "clinging" to. Well that raised my eyebrows, a President with some desire for technology. But he may need to rethink his wireless choice.

Bill Clinton sent 2 e-mails while in office. President Bush has not e-mailed since 2001. He found it irresponsible to correspond in cyberspace. Our new President may want to think closer about this as well. There are a couple of approved devices by the US Government. They are afraid of hackers, eavesdropping, or even digital snoops. Blackberries do have encryption, but the requirements for the leader of the free world are stricter. The Blackberry encryption is not strong enough for The National Security Agency. There are a couple Windows Mobile devices approved with a heft price tag but these may be more reasonable for the President to consider using.

The National Vulnerability Database lists 14 vulnerabilities for Blackberry's. These include ways that a malicious attacker can install malware, and perhaps even crash the device. The device can become infected with spyware, texts can be stolen, e-mail intercepted. Can you imagine, someone actually stealing information from our Commander in Chief? Maybe he should consider using on of the Windows Mobile devices already approved. There is also a risk of someone tracking the coordinates of the Blackberry through its built in GPS. Bush White House aides say that security reasons prompted them to disable the GPS feature on their Blackberry's.

So Mr. President, as hard as it is for me to say, put the Blackberry down. Switch to an approved PDA that will prevent you from answering unnecessary questions about wireless data scandal and your naive love of Blackberry. Leave the Crackberry obsession with us civilians in the free world.

Welcome to The Future.

Mike

Cardinals in the Superbowl

Happy New Year

I am back after a few weeks of X-Mas, New Years, family, friends, food, parties and chaos! It seems like it always takes a little time to get back into the grove after the Holidays. But I am hear to share a fun story.

I am a Phoenix guy, an Arizona guy. I lived in the Phoenix area for over 11 years and went to college in Tucson for 5 years. So I have a good sense of the scene there. I especially have a good sense of sports in Arizona. If anything and I mean anything will bring someone a sense of hope and pride, it is that the Arizona Cardinals have made it to the Superbowl! I got to take my 9 year old son to the Panthers game in Charlotte, what an experience that was! We also saw them two other times throughout the year. The Steelers making it, congratulations to them, but they actually have a great history of making it to the big dance. The Steelers, that is not surprising. But the Cardinals, wow, they have sustained so many losses over the years, that this event really is a monumental occasion. We sat through so many tough seasons, wondering when the day would come, wondering. But guess what? That day is here and for the FEW people that actually supported the team, it is very gratifying.

My hope could not be any stronger right now. The hope for my business, my family, this economy, our new President, our country, my team! This team has put a bounce in my step and they should give you hope too. With the right attitude, persistence, teamwork, individual accountability, and hard work this shows that anything is possible. This team never listened to critics, they only believed in themselves. We can all learn from this team. Go ahead, dream big, you might be surprised what happens! Go Cardinals!

Welcome to the Future

Mike