Wednesday, November 19, 2014

It's All About Dat Fish, 'Bout Dat Fish...No Chicken!

When you live in a coastal community, it is always a good idea to know where to buy the best local, fresh seafood.  Mount Pleasant Seafood on Shem Creek is one of those local favorites!
A family-owned business for more than 60 years, it is timeless....just what you would expect a local fresh seafood market to be...from the wooden porch to the concrete floors to the friendly, laid-back staff to the fresh fish displayed on ice.   Stepping inside, they will make you feel like part of the family in the casual, no-frills market. It's all about the fish---whether it be the fish, or the sauces, sides or dessert to go with!
Love a Shrimp Boil, but don't have the equipment to prepare it for a crowd?  They've got you covered---just give them a call and they will have it hot and ready for you!  Hosting an Oyster Roast?  (A hugely popular event in the Lowcountry). They've got you covered----they can either cater your event or supply you with everything you need to host the perfect Oyster Roast or Shrimp Boil!   
For more info or to place an order, check out their website at www.mtpleasantseafood.com or their Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/mtpleasantseafood/info

Lovin' Life in the Lowcountry,
 
Janie

My mission statement:  To live each day to the fullest, with excitement, enthusiasm and a strong desire to build a successful and highly respected real estate business, earned by developing relationships through consistent and predictably high work ethic of always going above and beyond, and always doing so with a creative surprise up my sleeve.

Sunday, November 2, 2014

Lessons Learned from the Doghouse: Business Plan 2015


Have you ever noticed the intense focus of a dog?  If you haven't, let me tell you what I have learned about it from our labs.  
We have two labs.  One is the mother and the other is one of her pups from the litter she had in 2011. My husband, being the primary care-giver of the dogs,  is their main focus, the love of their life----He is their "WHY".  They rely on him to survive and thrive....A pretty big "WHY", I'd say!  When he goes to fill their bowls with food, every morning and every night----they jump and spin around like it's time to PARTY!  "Woo hoo!  Chow time! This is the best day of my life!"  When he is in their view, the dogs won't take their eyes off him. I can be sitting right next to him, and even though I take a secondary seat in taking care of them (I have a pretty strong allergy to dogs, and unfortunately can only spend a limited amount of time with them up-close), they won't take their eyes off him.  He is their primary focus, taking care of and spending a much greater amount of time with them.  (And oh, we can't forget he provides them with the "best day of their life", twice a day!)  And when the puppies were first born, the puppies focus was on mama---she was their "WHY"----they relied on her to survive and thrive. They didn't take their eyes off her---especially whenever she was taking a break from them, and was just out of reach.
How intense is your focus?  What is your "WHY"----why do you do what you do?  Setting aside earning a paycheck---WHY do you do it?  Is it for your family?  To be an impact to your clients and help them achieve their dreams?  To improve your lifestyle?  To improve your knowledge? To be famous? Or like the labs--to survive and thrive?
If your focus needs some sharpening, just imagine how our businesses would thrive if we had the same intense focus and energy as these pups, in everything we did? What if we had a "Woo hoo---this is the best day of my life!" mentality?  Do you love what you do?  Do you celebrate and appreciate that you have a career you love?  Does your attitude say "Woo Hoo!" or does it say "BOO HOO!"?  What if we didn't allow interruptions and/or setbacks to get in the way? What if we really focused on what would really get us to our "WHY"?  What if we had clear and achievable goals along with a concise plan, and followed it with laser focus?  What if we knew what we wanted and didn't take our eyes off the target until we achieved the goal (AKA:  The "WHY") ?
2014 is winding down, and it is time to start working on business plans for 2015.  It is time to really focus on WHY we are in this business and how we will achieve that "WHY".  It is time to start writing down our goals, and how we plan to accomplish them.  
Take some time to really focus on this task.  Find a quiet place to work, where you will have no interruptions or distractions, and really give it some thought.  What tasks require most of your time and attention to get you to your "WHY"?  What tasks have you found propel your TOWARD your "WHY" and what pushes you further away?  Use these ideas to create your business plan.  Getting your business mapped out for the coming year will give you the headstart you need to get 2015 off to a great start. By beginning with the end (your "WHY") in mind, planning the journey is a whole lot easier, and your success a lot more likely!  WOO HOO!!!! 

Lovin' Life in the Lowcountry,

Janie

My mission statement:  To live each day to the fullest, with excitement, enthusiasm and a strong desire to build a successful and highly respected real estate business, earned by developing relationships through consistent and predictably high work ethic of always going above and beyond, and always doing so with a creative surprise up my sleeve.