One of the discussions we’re having in our strategy meeting tomorrow is on the topic of legacy. A few months ago I wrote a blog specifically on that topic. In our Express Leadership Academy we were offered up the following definition of legacy: “The impact we have on the lives of others.” It’s not about what we are remembered for, it’s specifically focused on the impact we have in the lives of others. When I consider my professional career one of the few who’ve had biggest impact in my life is one of my mentors, Mark Tasler.

A handful of years ago we were conducting an exercise talking about our personal values. There were three sets of voices I kept hearing in my head as I thought… my parents, my favorite priest, and Mark Tasler. I could hear his voice as I thought about the values of giving, dreaming big, and being a great and human leader. As we talk about legacy tomorrow the impact he’s had in my life will be readily apparent. In most cases i still have a long ways to go before I’m to his level, but he’s helped me set the course. Those three key values are a part of the legacy that Mark has left on me that I hope to continue to pass on to others.

Before we even talk about values I’d be remiss to not mention that quite literally I would not be with Express without him and his wife, Sheryl. They opened a staffing service on their own in Rochester many years ago. Taking a leap of faith they took out a loan and started working on their dream. That dream has continued to grow bigger and bigger as they opened more offices then moved on to helping others open new offices, then moved into helping other grow into their offices, all while continuing to help generation after generation of their beloved Express family. Their dream and leap of faith have left quite the legacy, who knows how many thousands of lives they’ve impacted for the better.

One of the biggest values Mark instilled in me really hit me in our first meeting. All new hires for their offices went to Rochester to meet with Mark and Sheryl and then they would take us out to lunch. Even though Mark had a meeting with all of the franchisees in his region that day he carved out time to spend with me, an entry level brand new employee. As he and I talked the conversation quickly went away from business and went to family. We shared stories of our parents and how we grew up. He had lost his father not too long before our meeting and at one point he shared how he’d wished he’d taken his dad up fishing in a specific spot. I spoke from the heart and told him that if he went now his dad would be with him this time. At that moment I saw his eyes well up a little. He took a deep breath and excused himself from the office. A while later we jumped back into conversation and then had an excellent lunch in downtown Rochester.

As I drove back to Winona my mind kept going back to our conversation. In the span of about 30 minutes Mark showed me how to be an excellent leader. Treat everyone on your team with the utmost respect regardless of position. A great leader is human, has feelings, and is not afraid to express him. What Mark didn’t know at the time was that when we met he was by far and away the most successful person I’d ever met and I was scared to death to meet him. Within seconds he helped me see that regardless of how successful he was that he was a real and approachable person. That single conversation helped me see that great leaders are real people who care about their family and that they consider their teams their family.

At another one of our monthly meetings Mark and I had a conversation as we both grabbed a cup of coffee. “Mike, what are some of your dreams?” I immediately told him the dream I had of making a specific personal income goal. He smiled, chuckled, and said, “and then what?” I shared that if I made that much every year I’d be good. He again chuckled, “you’ve got to dream bigger than that! First dream big, and then dream bigger.” At the time i was a little frustrated and totally missed the point. I kept thinking, but that’d be enough, why dream bigger?

Even though I missed it at the time that conversation has stuck with me. At some point a few years later as I was running multiple offices and I started helping to grow others on my team it finally sunk in. There was much more that I could do, more lives I could impact if I kept dreaming bigger and kept pushing myself. Since then as I start to dream I first get my dream pictures in my head and then ask myself, “what would be even cooler than that?” The results sometimes might sound a little ridiculous, but they would be pretty awesome! Instead of dreaming of opening one new office and occasionally vacationing in New Zealand why not dream of opening several Express offices in New Zealand and then working as a developer to help others in that country live the dream of business ownership? See what I mean? A little out there, but that’s when the really cool stuff can start to happen… dreaming bigger opens up many new possibilities and I have Mark to thank for that!

Quite possibly the most beautiful value Mark has helped to instill in me is to give more than I think that I can. In another one of our monthly meetings Mark and i had a great conversation about philanthropy (seeing a trend? Maybe I should ask him to have a weekly conversation instead!). As we talked he told me, “Mike, just give and keep giving. Give without thought of receiving. Give more than you think you can and you’ll always find that you can give a little more. The more you give the more rewards that come back to you. Those rewards are never why you give in the first place, but they’re a fantastic benefit.”

Mark and Sheryl have lived this value many times over. The number of ways they’ve given to their communities, friends, family, and countless others is nothing short of staggering. From starting a golf outing that’s raised over $1m to trips and support to those in need in Africa to helping fellow franchisees they’re always amongst the first to offer help before it’s asked for. One only needs to spend a little time with them to see just how giving they are.

In addition to giving of financial help Mark is an incredibly giving leader. He’s always willing to help guide us through any situation we may face. Mark’s there for us when we need advice and guidance. Another thing he gives is his passion and his honesty. Never one to mince words he’ll open tell me when I’m wrong. In times when I’ve disagreed with him both of our voices have been know to raise with the passion we have for what we do, yet never has he made me feel belittled. Mark will push me and challenge me to lift myself to be greater than I think I can be at times. He gives that honesty and passion even though it’d be so easy for him to not say anything. It is because of his love and respect for us that he speaks up and does everything he can to make us the best we can be. What a gift is it to have someone like that in my life? I’m so thankful for this and for his helping me see one of the areas in which i need to continue to grow if I truly want to live up to his legacy.

One of the many facets of Mark’s legacy are those three values he’s helped me see and understand. To always be a human leader who values every single one of his family (team). To dream big, and then dream bigger. To give more than I think is possible without thought of receiving. There’s a long, long way for me to grow before I’m truly loving up to his legacy, but I’ll stay the course and I know that at anytime he’ll let me know if I’m getting offtrack. In keeping with the concept of legacy I hope to have that same impact on the lives as others, to keep the ripple that Mark has started moving forward.

Mark, thank you so much for all you’ve given me throughout our past 18 years of working together. From the opportunity to work with you to helping me see that dream of ownership more clearly to pushing me to dream bigger to openly sharing your values. I am the man i am today because of the impact you’ve had on me. Thank you for seeing something in me that i hadn’t quite seen for myself. Love you Mark!

Thanks!!!

Dominic is getting ready for winter camp with his cousin Nathan’s troop this weekend (my old beloved Troop 540!). As he’s been going through his packing list it’s bringing back some awesome memories for me. Using double sleeping bags, packing clothes in plastic bags, and double checking his list has kept me smiling all night. This will be the first truly cold weather outdoor camping he’s done and it will be awesome hearing what he thought of it. Many years later I still remember waking up to see frost and icicles inside my tent for the first time out at Camp Lugerville… it was AWESOME!!! He’s so pumped up to head out, he’s in for an amazing adventure and I can’t wait to hear all about it.

While Gavin and I were heading home we were talking about one of the highlights of his day, playing with the other kids on the snow pile during recess. As we talked about it he told me how much he loved playing it even though sometimes you fall and hurt yourself. Sometimes it was an ankle, other times a bump on the head. “Dad, it might hurt sometimes but it’s well worth the fun. Sometimes having fun hurts, but it’s worth it. I’d rather have a life with a little hurt and a lot of fun than a life of no hurt and no fun.” Amen little buddy, you nailed it! Keep that awesome nugget of insight, it will do you well in life.

This picture has nothing to do with the two things I blogged about, but they were having so much logrolling while I was typing that it only seemed appropriate!

Many great things to be thankful for today, thanks boys for making my day even more awesome! Love you boys!

Thanks!!!

There’ve been many times when I’ve seen something delicious on Aunt Andrea’s Facebook feed.  Normally I drool for a few minutes and then move on.  These past few days I’ve actually taken action on them and I’ve made two of them.

For the Super Bowl I made Baked Antipasto Sandwiches and for a side for supper tonight I made pepperoni chips.  Both recipes were super easy and tasted delicious!  Nope, neither of them were even remotely nutritious, but they were amazing nonetheless.  As Gavin put the chips tonight, “they’re the greatest snack ever made by the greatest dad ever!”  Pretty sure he was just sucking up to get them again in the future!

While I only spend a couple of minutes each day on Facebook I’m glad Aunt Andrea’s awesome recipes are right on top.  Whenever I’m in the mood to try something a little different (and especially when it’s just the boys and I) I know where I’ll look for inspiration.  Thanks again for the delicious posts Aunt Andrea!!!

Yeah, the Packers aren’t in it so it’s not nearly as stressful to watch this year, but we’re still enjoying some family time together. While I may have tuned out for a little bit to get some work done for tomorrow, Becky bowed out to practice a presentation, and Gavin stepped out to finish his book for Battle of the Books, but we’ve had a great time watching the game and the commercials. We had a delicious Super Bowl supper (baked antipasto sandwiches using crescent rolls for the crust) and are just chilling and talking during the game. Throw in joking about the commercials and it’s been pretty awesome!

While we could pretty much care less about who wins we’re having a good time spending time together as a family and loving it. It’s been a great excuse to all curl up on the couch and chill together.

Thanks!!!

Last April I was making some pretty awesome progress in making puzzle boxes.  Crafting puzzle boxes was relaxing and very gratifying at the same time.  Spending time in my workshop is always great, but time spent on something relatively small that will be a gift just makes that workshop time even better.

Over the past few months I’ve spent most of my free workshop time on insulating it.  My intent was to get that done first and then jump back into making boxes.  After yesterday it just felt right to start making them again.  Dad had always wanted to know how I made them and after as close to him as I felt yesterday I got the urge and gave in.

No major progress was made, but just the act of making the blanks felt great.  When I went to cut the first one I just laughed at how rusty I was.  I totally screwed up the first cut and all I could do was chuckle.  Time to get back into the swing of it!

While that was going on Dominic was at a Boy Scout merit badge day and was able to work on earning two merit badges.  Gavin spent much of the afternoon working on his Game Design activity pin for Weblos.  I got out den meetings mapped out for the rest of the school year and have it worked out so the boys will have the opportunity to earn their Weblos badge.  Lots of time and work spent on scouting, and it was pretty awesome.  Both of the boys had a great sense of accomplishment after their hard work, I was proud of both of them for focusing on reaching the goals they set for themselves.

This was a great day spent mainly at home and it was awesome.  Working on the puzzle boxes and making progress on scouts made it all the better.

Thanks!!!

 

Aunt Donna’s funeral was today and we said goodbye to an incredible woman.  While I knew her in life it’s still amazing to learn more about her than I knew before.  She was remarkable in more ways than I can even begin to count.  One day when I see her again I am so excited to sit down with her and ask her so many questions.  Every additional story I’ve heard about her helps me see that I only saw the tip of the iceberg…  and I already held her in very high regard!

I was honored to be asked to give some family reflections during the service today and wanted to share what I wrote below.  Many of her family members sent me thoughts, memories, and deeply heartfelt messages of what the appreciated the most about her.  In reading their stories I was moved to tears by the love of them for her and her love for each of them that came through clearly in the stories.  In some cases I literally laughed out loud at some of the stories that I hadn’t heard before.

Donna was really quite the gardener, wasn’t she?  She grew so many beautiful plants and flowers.  She had a knack for planting the right things in the right places, giving them just the right amount of sun, water, and love…  That wasn’t the only thing she grew though.  Look around this room…  She grew us as well.

To put it simply, Donna was awesome.  How else do you describe someone who was an incredible cook, gardener, friend, and polka dancer who was also able to run a chainsaw, teach you how to drive a clutch, and milk cows?  Throw in the fact that she was always willing to share advice on a recipe, sewing, and gardening.  Awesome, right?  And that’s before we even get into the incredibly loving and giving person that she was.

Donna was such a giving person and in so many ways.  When new siblings were being born the other young siblings all went out to Donna and Tom’s.  She even knew that those “city boys” didn’t like fresh milk so she had chocolate milk waiting for them.  When her mom needed to go shopping or go to a doctor’s appointment she did without question and always with a smile.  Donna touched many lives as she volunteered for hospice, the nursing home, and her church.

I’d be remiss to not mention how giving she was when it came to meals and hospitality.  During hunting season everyone received a hot meal from Donna, no cold sandwiches there!  I remember so many holiday meals at her house, a tradition that had been ongoing for a long time.  Her brothers and sister remember going to her house on Christmas day for lunch.  Not only did they never leave hungry, but they’ve said those were some of the best meals they’ve ever had.  That was Donna’s gift to all of them.

In many ways Donna was a second mother to many of her siblings.  She was always there to listen, help, and guide them through life.  One of her many strengths was her ability to listen without judgement and help guide them through any situation.  Whatever they needed, she was there for them.

One of the most heartwarming moments of my life was when I had the privilege of taking her back to see my dad for the first time after his surgery.  My thought was that I would be strong for her and help hold her up.  I couldn’t have been more wrong.  As she talked with my dad her voice was pure love.  It was the pure love of sister for her brother, a mother for a son, and an aunt for a nephew.  I may have gone in with the intent of being strong for her, but by the time we left the room it was Donna who was carrying me.  She helped me see my dad through her eyes and it is a beautiful gift that I’ll never forget.

Donna loved us all completely, simply, purely, and without judgement or expectation.  Her love for everyone was unconditional.  As her granddaughter Julie put it, “you could hear love in her voice.” 

She had the rare ability to truly see us each for who we are, faults and all, yet she always saw us as the best versions of who we are. The best way for each of us to honor her legacy and keep her alive in us forever is to try to be that person she saw in us.  To be that person who is kind, good, thoughtful, and always puts the needs of others first – the same way she always did.

This spring as the weather warms, the flowers start to bloom, and you see the first butterfly of the year please take a minute to pause.  Donna will be with you, smiling down from her eternally sunny garden.  If you listen close I’d bet you will even hear her beautiful voice in your heart. 

If you listen closer you might even hear the polka music in the background as she and Tom are dancing together again.

As you’ve just read, Aunt Donna was an amazing person and I’m so fortunate to have known her, spent time with her, and learned from her.

Aunt Donna, thank you so much for all you’ve given my family and I throughout your life.  While you will be missed we’re happy that you’re home with your other brothers and sisters, your parents, and your beloved Tom.  Please keep an eye on my dad, who knows what type of trouble he’s already causing up there!  Love you!!!

Thanks!!!

When I got to the Rice Lake office this morning Nicole had a card fro me from her youngest son, Bret.  She was talking with him last night about how my aunt had passed away as she explained why I had to re-schedule our development meeting.  He immediately insisted that she drive him to the store so he could get me a sympathy card.

As I opened it this is what I got:

How cool is that???  My new 9 year old buddy wanted to help put a smile on my face and he was successful.  There’s nothing quite like getting a card from someone out of the blue to put a smile on my face!

Bret, thanks for making my day dude!  I greatly appreciated you thinking about me and taking the time to get me a card.  Thank you so much for bringing a smile to my face today dude, you’re awesome!!!

Thanks!!!

 

 

Not going to lie, today has been amazing.  Seemingly at every turn I had another moment in which I could’ve written my blog.  There were even huge moments like knocking another one off my dream list and being asked a tremendous honor.  In bits and pieces this is definitely a day I will remember the rest of my life.  So what am I thankful for today?  In case you missed it in the title, I’m thankful for snuggling with my best-est buddy in the coffee shop.

In trying to help Becky have time to work and study for her PhD I took Gavin with me when I dropped Dominic off at church tonight.  He and I were going to chill, have mugs of decaf and hot chocolate and relax – me with my laptop and Gavin with his book.  While it started off at a normal table Gavin quickly opted for the comfy chairs in the back corner.  Before too long he got up, smiled at me, and said ‘let’s snuggle on the couch!”  How could I refuse?

Next thing I knew I was typing one handed as he snuggled right into my left arm.  It was awesome!  There we sat, just chilling and snuggled up.

I know there aren’t too many more of these moments in the future, so I appreciate every single one of them.  There was much awesomeness today, but that snuggle with him meant the world to me and brought me a ton of joy.  Of all the awesomeness in my life the moments I appreciate most are these quiet moments of chilling and snuggling with my family.

Thanks!!!