An audio clip of Jack saying the Lord’s Prayer:

An audio clip of Harry calling Mom, Dad and Papa:

If the audio files above don’t work, then please try this link to Jack’s clip and this link for Harry’s clip.

Taking a lead from Lisa Haneberg (who writes Management Craft), I sought Rob Brooks‘ assistance to use WordPress to develop a new company site. The old one has gotten pretty stale and nothing ever seems to change on it. WordPress (used by many sites and bloggers, including this site) should allow us the flexibility to have a non-technical person quickly and easily update the site on the fly.

Go here to get to the old site. Go here to get to where the new site will be developed. Go here to see his latest design work on the site’s graphics.

A blog post by someone I’ve never met referred the new designer, Rob. He and I have never met but have worked on the project through e-mail. I used PayPal to pay the invoice to get started. But, one of the more enjoyable things about this process is being able to use a technology that I’ve never used in the chicken business, free Voice over IP. We talked for free over the Internet using Skype.

Please give me comments if you have any suggestions.

Teddy Listening to Alison Krauss’ Stay with Dad

Meghan and the boys went to Wal-Mart to pick up some school needs for Jack and I was left at home to take care of Teddy. Those were rare moments. The house was very quiet, no one was jumping around and bouncing off walls, and I had precious moments to spend with my 3rd son. After he drained a bottle and a half, we listened to Alison Krauss in his room (thanks to Apple’s Airport Express and an old pair of computer speakers.) That’s when I got the photo above.

I asked the builder last week when he thought we might be done with the renovation. “A month and a half.” So I asked, “Is April 1 a realistic date?” “Yes.” Notice that April 1 was 9 weeks. There is some humor to that dialogue, but it’s hard to find when you’ve got 3 boys at home. So, we five live in a house in which we feel a little cramped.

But you know, I was talking to our neighbor this weekend. I asked her if she recalled who lived in this house when she was a little girl back in the 70′s. Guess what? A family of 5. Convicted was I of our generations’ Super-Sized mentality.

So, we enjoy the warm, comfortable abode provided to us gratis until our home is complete. No complaints… These are days we’ll cherish forever.

I’ve been thinking about this recently. If I had my pick (I don’t, but what if) of a dream job/title, what would it be? Here’s a list of corporate officers from Wikipedia:

• CEO: Chief Executive Officer (Top pick by everyone. No need picking this one.)
• CFO: Chief Financial Officer
• COO: Chief Operating Officer
• CAO: Chief Administrative Officer (I like the term CPO better-Chief People Officer)
• CAO: Chief Analytics Officer (Makes me want to vomit.)
• CTO: Chief Technical/Technology Officer
• CRO: Chief Risk Officer (Nice ring, but I don’t want to train to do it.)
• CIO: Chief Information Officer
• CMO: Chief Marketing Officer (Target for all the ad agencies. Spends New Year’s on a football field during half-time for a million-dollar toss.)
• CKO: Chief Knowledge Officer
• CDO: Chief Data Officer

I’m going to have to take a pass on all of these jobs for now. What fires my engines, what gets me excited about going to work in the morning is creating value by creating revenue. Innovating to find ways to create new product lines, new markets, and new customers to drive top-line growth. Therefore, taking a line from Tom Peters, I’d choose the title…

For most of you non-chicken guys (especially the white collar professionals out there), I bet it is hard to imagine sold out hotels and a full Georgia World Congress Center because of a bunch of chicken guys (and a very small number of girls) who came to Atlanta to talk business. It was a sight to see.

Here are a few things I took away:

• Set up meetings far in advance for conferences. Not the scheduled meetings, but small meetings with the people that you can help and that can help you. Conferences have some value in and of themselves. But using the setting to meet with leaders increases the value exponentially.
• E-mail a confirmation a couple of days prior to a scheduled meeting to remind everyone of the appointment and to make sure everyone is going to the same place at the same time (this one hurt me-wrong place, wrong time, or simple no shows)
• Be available. I hate standing at the hotel lobby bar chit-chatting with people I don’t know. But building these relationships is key to building success. So, I make myself do it.
• Never go alone. In case you get in trouble, you need a backup. Cell phone dies, run out of money, don’t have anything else to say. A teammate offers a way out in these and many other situations.

People who appear desperate for a job don’t do well in interviews.

If you really are the stud you think you are and you need a job, don’t call up asking for a job. Don’t send HR your latest resume. Don’t go calling headhunters or listening when they call you.

Follow the lead of a good friend who called his network of friends, college alums, business acquaintances, and fellow church members. He simply asked to talk with them to get their advice on the direction for his career.

"Don’t send HR your latest resume."Consider an example. You need a job. You send in your resume to our HR department. You’re lucky if it gets past the first person who sees it. If it does, you’re lucky if it ever gets to one decision maker, one hiring manager. And then, that hiring manager must have a need that you satisfy. You will then have to sell yourself to the hiring manager as an able candidate. If you succeed, you will have to do the same up the org chart (for many key hires in our organization, the president of the company will meet directly with you.)

Consider an opposite example. You need a job. You happen to have a connection to the president of our company because your grandmother’s best friend was in accounting 35 years ago. Based on the relationship, you call him asking for advice on your career because you know he’s been successful and you respect his opinion. You offer to buy his lunch in exchange for some advice. He agrees, feeling noble because he can help a young person on his journey. The two of you eat lunch and talk about you, your experiences, your skills, and your personality. With sincerity, you also listen carefully for advice and tips that might help you in your career.

Chances are, if he likes you, he’ll either find a spot for you in the company or recommend you to a friend.

Act like you need a job and you act like everyone else and the decision maker will never hear or see you. Act like a friend and the decision maker will welcome you and direct you towards success.

Jack loves to play with these keys. Actually, he loves to hold these keys and pretend like they are his and my car is his. They are the “Orange Keys”.

Yesterday, he lost them. We couldn’t find them anywhere (didn’t look super hard though.) Today, I found them under the coffee table.

Jack’s response was classic 3-year-old: “Wow! Look Mom, he find the orange keys!”

My brother Drew never shares his real estate deals until they close. I’m always asking and he’s never telling. He’s afraid that the deal will fall through if he starts talking about it.

I’ve been learning that he’s using business wisdom more than superstition. He knows that if he tells someone, they will probably talk about it. If they talk, a rival will hear about it and turn Drew’s good deal bad.

Pertinent and competitive information is critical to business success. Gaining information about markets and competitors can give our company the edge needed to cash in on new opportunities. But providing information (future plans, customers, sales figures, processing techniques, proprietary formulations, etc.) about our company will quickly diminish our strength and weaken our position.

Just like in the war, loose lips might sink ships.

On my honor I will do my best
To do my duty to God and my country
and to obey the Scout Law;
To help other people at all times;
To keep myself physically strong,
mentally awake, and morally straight.

There are 2 things in my life that I will regret when I am lying in bed as an old man. One, that I was not a Boy Scout (and through to an Eagle Scout.) Two, that I did not serve my nation and the cause of freedom through military service. After all, there is so much more to life than maximizing value in a company. Please read my comments to Ed Brenegar’s post by clicking here.

My mom and I rendezvoused in Byron so that I could pick up Jack and Harry and bring them home. The days in Valdosta had been so busy that both the boys slept most of the ride back. At one point, Jack had a soft cry in the back seat. When I took a glance, both eyes were filled with tears. Responding to my “What’s the matter, Jack?” he simply said, “Daddy, I’m sleepy.” It was just one of those moments…

We’re all back now and the day was a blast. Here are two pictures from our 3 hour walk from home to the park to the train crossing to the old house (being renovated) and back home.

20-Month Old Harry

Jack and Harry Study a Passing Train