Among all the trendy phrases most prevalent in society right now, these are among the most prolific when it comes to our modern approach to saving the Earth, preserving our bodies and boosting the economy. And certainly, there is nothing wrong with this push to better ourselves and the world around us. But when you boil it down, how does one actually accomplish this on a micro level? In other words, how do you actually live these philosophies out?

Several new programs, initiatives, events and even individuals in the Lynchburg area are doing just that, and it’s safe to say we could all learn a thing or two by following in their collectively shrinking footprints. First, there’s the Live Healthy, Lynchburg campaign, kicked off by Mayor Joan Foster earlier this year that challenges residents not to just to elusively “get healthy” but sets real goals in place (like dropping 12 tons total) by asking people to move more and keep track of their mileage and pounds lost on livehealthylynchburg.com. It’s now been three months since Foster kicked off the program, so we decided to check in on its progress and behind-the-scenes minds that brought it to life. Read what we discovered in the Healthcare section.

Another tool in this “live healthy” puzzle is this month’s Education story, which takes you inside the emerging healthcare-meets-classroom world at Lynchburg College (LC). From the doctorate of physical therapy program (now in its second year) to the soon-to-be-launched R.N. to M.S.N. curriculum that allows registered nurses without a bachelor’s degree to achieve their Master of Science in Nursing, to The Walker Human Performance Laboratory which exists to examine numerous aspects of health, wellness and human performance, LC is on the cutting edge of upping the wellness factor for the future.

Then, there’s the professor actually living it out on LC’s campus—Dr. Kevin Peterson, who championed a year of sustainability at the college, the long-term effects of which will save the school thousands in energy bills over the next few years and has already saved millions of gallons of water on campus. He also walks the walk (or pedals the pedal) with his own commitment to carpool, walk or bike the 16-mile route to and from LC every day. Learn his definition of “sustainable living” in the Going Green section.

And when it comes to supporting local businesses, there’s now an even tastier and affordable reason to eat at independently-owned restaurants in our area, thanks to the launch of the first annual Lynchburg Restaurant Week, from June 23-29. Get the delicious details on how this week seeks to fill bellies while elevating traffic for the 21 participating local restaurants, in the Tourism & Transportation section.

Whether you subscribe to these “buzz words” or not in your daily life, there’s no denying that the intention behind them is positive for our health, wealth, and quality of life. And to that, we gladly raise a glass … at a locally-owned restaurant, of course.

Cheers,
Prototype Media

The United States court system is divided into two main systems: federal and state. The federal courts have limited jurisdiction, so they generally only hear cases involving disputes between people from different states, constitutional issues or special types of cases such as bankruptcy, admiralty and treaties. This means that if you bring a case in federal court for a dispute between you and your neighbor involving the property line, it will be dismissed because the federal court does not have jurisdiction over such issues. Property disputes, along with most other cases, are a matter for state courts, who have general jurisdiction.

In Virginia, there are five main levels of court: magistrates, district court, circuit court, Court of Appeals of Virginia and the Virginia Supreme Court. There also may be divisions within each level, so it is helpful to examine each level individually.

Magistrates serve the Commonwealth from offices located throughout every county and city in Virginia. A magistrate is an officer of the state, similar to a judge. The magistrate’s primary functions are to conduct probable cause hearings on complaints of criminal conduct brought by law enforcement or the general public, issue warrants and summonses, and determine whether an arrested person is eligible for bail. They may only act within the authority granted by statute, and they only operate within the borders of their own jurisdiction.

The lowest level trial court is called district court, and it is divided into two parts: 1) juvenile and domestic relations court, and 2) general district court. Like magistrates, district courts are found throughout each city and county in the Commonwealth. Juvenile and domestic relations courts hear cases involving children and families. General district courts hear minor criminal matters and traffic violations, and they perform pretrial hearings for more serious criminal matters. General district courts also hear civil cases, and they are the only courts that can originally hear civil cases with claims of $4,500 or less. They may also hear civil cases with claims between $4,500 and $25,000, but they are not the only court that may do so. They share jurisdiction of those claims with circuit court.

Circuit court is the next level court in Virginia. Like general district court, it is a trial court and there is a circuit court in each city and county in Virginia. Circuit court has the broadest jurisdiction of any court in the Commonwealth. The court handles serious criminal matters and, along with general district court, can hear civil cases with claims between $4,500 and $25,000. Furthermore, circuit court is the only court that may originally hear civil cases with claims greater than $25,000. Finally, circuit court is the first court to hear an appeal of a ruling by the district court.

The Court of Appeals of Virginia is the Commonwealth’s intermediate appellate court. This court’s sole purpose is to review decisions of the circuit court in domestic relations matters, traffic infractions, criminal cases (except death penalty cases), appeals from administrative agencies and decisions of the Virginia Workers’ Compensation Commission. The Court of Appeals does not have to grant an appeal request in criminal or traffic infraction cases, but the court must hear all other cases over which it has jurisdiction (domestic relations, Virginia Workers’ Compensation Commission and those from administrative agencies). This is also a court of record, so all final opinions are written and may be relied upon by lower courts.

The highest court in Virginia is the Virginia Supreme Court. It is one of the oldest continuous judicial bodies in the United States. The Supreme Court may take original cases under certain circumstances, but it usually reviews decisions of the circuit courts and the Court of Appeals, decisions from the State Corporation Commission and certain disciplinary actions of the Virginia State Bar regarding attorneys. The Supreme Court may decide not to hear a case, except for cases involving the State Corporation Commission, certain disciplinary actions regarding attorneys, and review of the death penalty. Those cases must be heard if they are sent to the Supreme Court. Once a case has been heard by the Virginia Supreme Court, under certain circumstances it may be transferred to the federal system to be heard by the United State Supreme Court.

While this article is only a brief look at how our Virginia court system is structured, I hope it gives you an understanding of the jurisdiction of each court within the system. It is important to know how these courts function and where a case may be heard. The information included in this article, along with further information about the Virginia Judicial System, can be found on the Virginia Judicial System website at www.courts.state.va.us.

The preceding is for general informational purposes only and not intended to constitute specific legal advice or form an attorney/client relationship. Please seek the services of a licensed attorney for specific legal advice.

Around the same time, Jill Fees was enjoying her retirement after a long teaching career. She, like many who saw West Manor for sale in the papers, thought it unfortunate that the estate may close its doors. However, the thought to purchase and take on the wedding business had never occurred to her.

“I have no experience in weddings,” Fees said. “A florist friend of mine who did a lot of floral design work out here called me and said, ‘I can’t believe you haven’t bought West Manor, it would be perfect you!’”

The power of suggestion proved to be strong and by the end of September 2011, Fees was the new owner of West Manor Estate. As she walked through the historical building and the grounds, she knew that while the property was beautiful, she had her work cut out for her. She consulted with local designer, Leigh Giles.

“I did have a vision of what I thought it could be and it wasn’t too far off of what it already was,” Fees explained. “There were some obvious areas that needed improvements and the ideas of additions were brewing.”

The renovations to West Manor began at the end of December. Painting a few rooms here, taking inventory there; it was a slow beginning, as the venue was booked through the holidays. When 2012 came around, the heavy work began.

“The atrium addition began in January. It was the dream of a previous employee, Katie Lester,” Fees said. “She worked here for years and recommended that we build it as another alternative to the outdoor wedding.”

The now-completed atrium is entirely made of windows and extends off of the West Manor Ballroom. The addition has already received attention from potential brides, and now makes winter weddings possible.

The most extensive renovations have taken place where the bride and groom separately spend their last few hours before the ceremony—the bridal suite and the groom’s area.

“The bridal suite was previously a full bathroom complete with a large bathtub,” Fees said. “The transformation idea presented itself as we looked at it. The bathtub and overall feel of the room, while beautiful, didn’t make sense for its purpose.”

The bridal suite was gutted and the space was reinvented with separate vanities for the wedding party, classic hardwood floors and a locker area. These renovations allow the wedding party to prepare for the wedding on-site together. The groom area received a similar upgrade. Hardwood floors replaced black and white tile, and neutral tones against dark chestnut furniture replaced the soda-shop décor that previously existed.

As the weather grew warmer, the outside gardens became the focus of the renovations’ attention.

“The garden was an obvious change. I worked with Rosser Landscape Design to create balance and symmetry in the gardens,” Fees said. “It now has an elegant touch. It is more formal, but we are still in the country, so it needed to reflect a little bit of both.”

With West Manor’s initial post-renovation wedding approaching in May, Fees and her employees are gearing up for their first full wedding season. Fees daughter and West Manor’s Food and Beverage Manager/In-House Chef, Stephanie Fees, together with new Executive Chef and owner of Gerald’s restaurant in Wyndhurst, Michelle Hamrick, were a large part of the renovations that took place in house.

“We want to make sure that our food and our facilities behind closed doors are just as great as the public renovations we have made,” Stephanie said. “Our kitchen has been totally redone and brought up-to-date. It makes it easier to put out the best food possible.”

Hamrick and Stephanie have joined together to take the food presentation to a new level, in part by controlling the type of food that goes out of West Manor, instead of having different vendors coming and going every weekend.

“I know that wedding food in general gets such a bad reputation,” Stephanie said. “It is usually just chicken breast or pork that has been sitting out on a buffet line for a long time. We have really focused on bringing the foods away from that, creating original creations and different options for our brides that are above and beyond what they would expect for wedding food.”

Fresh changes inside and outside of West Manor Estate have breathed new life into the historic property and the public was invited to celebrate with Fees and her staff in early April. A public open house and a private tasting was held to unveil the new look.

“We invited our brides to see the new facility and the renovations,” Fees said. “We really encourage people to look at our website and come for a visit. We can talk about the changes and show pictures on the blog, but there is nothing like being here.”

Jill and Stephanie Fees may be newcomers to the wedding industry, but they have big plans for the new West Manor Estate. They are looking forward to paying special attention to each event, to ensure it is as unique as the property it is being held on, for many years to come.

To see more before and after photos of West Manor’s renovations, visit www.westmanorevents.com/blog/.

This is David O’Brien’s story, but it doesn’t end there. After almost 20 years of being an alcoholic, he says he discovered recovery through Christ and this led him to start the Lynchburg branch of Celebrate Recovery, a worldwide 12-step program established to help those with “hurts, habits and hang-ups” recover through faith and restore their relationships with friends and family.

“I had a knowledge of recovery and a knowledge of the Bible, but because of my addiction to alcoholism I couldn’t live up to what Christ wanted me to do,” he said. “Finally, I put God first and recovery first in a way I hadn’t done in the past. During that time, I was able to restore my relationship with my wife. It was the catalyst that God used as a turning point in my life.”

David says this turning point happened after two decades of drinking—something he says he began doing when he was just 12. At age 32, he finally had had enough, and put down the bottle for good. He has been sober now for more than 17 years.

“Part of this recovery was that I knew God wanted me to give back. I got involved at Blue Ridge Community Church and I got this idea of starting a Bible Study just for alcoholics. That’s when I got introduced to Celebrate Recovery,” David said.

Though the program made a lot of sense to him on paper, David said it wasn’t until he went through the participant’s guide in a couple’s group that it really clicked as his calling.

“We said, ‘Wow, this is it.’ This was what God was calling me to do. I could combine recovery with a Christ centered atmosphere,” he recalled.

Debbie, David’s wife, also wanted to be involved in this ministry with her husband.

“We knew we wanted to do something because we knew there weren’t a lot of other families out there that had survived what we’d gone through. When they brought Celebrate Recovery to us, I remember thinking, ‘This is it.’ It covered everything I’d been through. I’d been a single mom. I was the wife of an alcoholic. I was a woman. There wasn’t anything in this curriculum that did not address everything.”

Celebrate Recovery was founded in 1991 by Pastor John Baker of Saddleback Church. Currently, it can be found in 19,000 churches worldwide and that number continues to grow. Blue Ridge Community Church is just one of the places that has seen many people with changed lives because of the program.

The O’Briens are in charge of the program at Blue Ridge and Debbie is also Celebrate Recovery’s southern Virginia representative. Their group started with only 10 to 15 people in a backroom of the church.

“There’s three doors to Celebrate Recovery. There’s a large group time, an open share time and a step study. Getting all that started at first was difficult. We started with only two groups. I led an alcoholic group and my wife led the co-dependency group. She was for women and I was for men. We didn’t have the large group time yet. Now we have upwards of 150 people,” David said.

However, this program is not just for those with chemical addictions. In fact, 60 percent of those who come do so for other reasons, such as sexual purity, anger or control issues, deep hurts, emotional or sexual abuse and more. Celebrate Recovery covers issues that everyone has or will deal with and keeps confidentiality as a central aspect.

“Every family has some sort of hurt or dysfunction that they have to work through,” David explained.

Along with Celebrate Recovery for adults, there are two other programs for children. The first is Celebration Station for children in elementary and middle school. They also have The Landing for teens. These programs seek to educate children on the same topics their parents are learning at an appropriate age level.

This month, Blue Ridge Community Church is celebrating 10 years of Celebrate Recovery as one of their programs. In recognition of this, the church will hold an expanded worship time during their large group and Dave Dent, who is on the national team for International Celebrate Recovery, will give his testimony. A picture montage of their history over the past 10 years will be shown and other churches that use the program will be coming to join in the celebration. Afterwards, a meal will be served to everyone in attendance.

By all accounts, Celebrate Recovery is a life-changing program that meets people where they are and helps them restore their life and their relationships.

“This is about changed lives, that it works … there is healing,” David said. “There is recovery.”

Blue Ridge Celebrate Recovery meets as a large group on Sundays from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Following the large group time, they offer small group open share times from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. If you’d like more information about Celebrate Recovery, please contact David and Debbie at celebraterecovery@blue-ridge.org or at (434) 525-7481.

Online commenters called the story “propaganda,” saying the upcoming auction was not evidence of a healthy real estate market but exactly the opposite. So what’s going on at the lake? Is the real estate market “bouncing back” or not?

“Just because Mariners Landing is distressed, doesn’t mean the market is distressed,” Terri Stanley, a real estate appraiser with Premier Appraisals, said. “You can’t look at the actions of one property and base what’s going on at the entire lake on it.”

Stanley describes the current situation at Smith Mountain Lake—which has shoreline in Bedford, Franklin and Pittsylvania counties—as an “awesome buyer’s market” and says she’s recently seen a “big upturn” in sales.

“If you’ve got money, you can just about double your investment of what you could have [bought] five years ago,” she said.

Jeanette Childress, broker and owner of Lake Retreat Properties, agrees.

“The silver lining to this dark cloud is that lake property is once again affordable and the buyer’s market it has created has many buyers deciding to get off the fence and finally pursue that lake property they’ve always dreamed about,” she said.

As Tom Fansler, an agent with Prudential Waterfront Properties, sees it, now may be the perfect time to invest in lake property. Tax assessments recently went down in Franklin and Bedford counties, he says, and some people believe prices have bottomed out.

“Ultimately, when the economy starts booming again, lake property is going to be a valuable asset,” he said.

Asked if he’d seen an increase in sales recently, Fansler said, “Yes, but it’s a qualified yes,” adding that when he compares the first quarter of 2012 to the first quarters of the past five years, he found a 20 percent increase.

“But it’s 20 percent of a small number, so you’ve got to qualify that. The pending sales were up 30 to 40 percent, which is more encouraging,” he said. “It’s a short time frame and we’re not declaring the market is back, per se. We’re saying it seems to be improving.”

Jim Shauberger, events manager for the Smith Mountain Lake Regional Chamber of Commerce, reported a boost in inquiries about lake property over the first quarter of this year, mostly from people visiting from Mid-Atlantic and New England states.

“We are seeing a lot more people looking to move here for vacation homes and retirement homes over the past three months,” he said. “It’s been a dramatic increase. I think the economy is getting stronger overall [and] the banks are starting to lend money again.”

According to Shauberger, it’s more than just talk.

“The Realtors are much more busy, to the point that they are slammed,” he said. “We’re hearing that from a lot of people. … I know the appraisers are busy as the devil.”

Fansler said he’s seen the same trend: increased interest in lake property, particularly from retirees seeking to relocate from New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. What he hasn’t seen recently is an increase in purchases by this demographic.

“We are a retirement destination,” he said. “That element maybe hasn’t come back as strong yet as we hoped, simply because many of these people live in areas where they need to be able to sell their house to be able to move here. It’s a trickle down thing.”

Fansler says what he is seeing are people from the “middle age groups” looking for a weekend getaway.

“We’re probably seeing a little bit more of that kind of sale than the retiree moving in from somewhere away from here,” he said.

Stanley says while she’s noticed an increase in home sales, “the houses that are moving are the more economically priced ones,” those between $400,000 and $800,000. The “mack daddy homes,” as she calls the million-dollar-plus properties, are selling, but not as quickly and often at a discounted price.

Childress says homeowners who are serious about selling are adjusting their prices to attract buyers. She compares current prices to what she was seeing in 2004.

“We all know we can’t go back in time, but in the real estate market, that has proven to be false,” she said. “Investors who purchased after 2004 and still hold the property today will struggle to make the profit on the sale that they anticipated. The exception to this are the property owners who own the magnificent point properties that are so much sought after. Those one-of-a-kind properties have held their value and, more than likely, will continue to hold their value.”

Although times may be tough for sellers, buyers appear to have it made.

“It’s a great opportunity for buyers to get to the lake, an opportunity that may have been unobtainable for five years,” said Bill Bryant, president and owner of Counts Realty and Auction Group, the firm that handled the Mariners Landing auction. “If you have a good job and good credit, now is an excellent time to be buying. Banks are willing to loan money. Interest rates are more affordable than they have been in decades. It’s just a perfect storm to purchase real estate.”

Research reveals organizations that intentionally focus on programs, policies, and practices that not only acknowledge the elements of diversity in the workforce but also identify methods of inclusion, see positive results to their bottom line. These results are due to improved talent management, increased performance and effective team processes all leading to an increased likelihood of achieving a competitive advantage.

Mental Models

Peter Senge, MIT professor and author of “The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization” states, “mental models are deeply held internal images of how the world works … and these images limit us to familiar ways of thinking and acting.” This researcher, also known as one of 24 people who have had the greatest influence on business strategy, further postulates that “very often, we are not consciously aware of our mental models or the effects they have on our behavior.” An effective model to demonstrate those issues that drive our mental models is the Iceberg Model.

The Iceberg Model provides us with a visual representation of ways in which we are diverse. Typically, we focus on those issues that are seen above the water line, such as gender, skin color, race, age and other physical attributes versus those items that are below the water line, such as work and learning styles, value systems, education and family history. This model shows that there are more ways in which we differ that we cannot actually see but that do impact how we interact and perform in the workplace.

Statistics

Of additional interest and concern are the statistics published annually by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). In 2011, the most frequently filed charges with the EEOC were disability (25.8 percent), sex-based discrimination (28.5 percent), race (35.4 percent) and retaliation at a high of 37.4 percent for all statutes. The issue related to retaliation in and of itself must be of interest to managers and business owners today. This growing trend of individuals charging they are retaliated against for making claims of discrimination is quite concerning. What policies and practices do businesses have in place to reduce not only the charges of discrimination, but the issue that employees believe they are being retaliated against for bringing discrimination issues to light?

Diversity/Inclusion in Practice

A diversity/inclusion culture is one in which diversity is acknowledged and inclusion is valued. Diversity and inclusion management is seen as a comprehensive process for developing an organizational culture that is open, supportive and responsive. A diversity and inclusion culture gives companies a competitive advantage by successfully competing in the international marketplace, meeting the needs of all stakeholders and having an expanded labor pool.

In order to successfully create a diversity and inclusion strategic plan, organizations must first identify its stated organizational mission, vision, core values and goals. Once the overall organizational goals have been developed and the diversity/inclusion objectives have been established, the strategic human resource planning will need to be addressed.

This planning will start with analyzing the industry, economy and workforce population as well as the internal needs, makeup and support of individuals, teams and departments. Questions to address include: Do the recruitment and selection methods support organizational inclusion goals? Is there a potential for adverse impact? How do current employees and others feel about your organization’s practices and culture? It will be important to ensure your orientation program and on-boarding process addresses the culture of your organization to include your efforts regarding inclusion.

One of the more important items to address will be that of training management and employees on issues impacted by diversity, such as effective staffing methods, conflict resolution, diversity sensitivity, identification of personal mental models, improved methods of communication and issues related to performance management. Finally, the organizational members must understand not only the behavior that is expected but that the organization has zero tolerance for harassment or retaliation.

Organizations must be proactive in their diversity and inclusion practices. It is critical to ensure that an organization has a desire for fundamental change in their culture, as well as the practices and policies strategically aligned and focused on a long-term commitment to inclusion. With the rise in employment legislation, expanding global demands and exponentially increasing competition, organizations who intentionally value a culture of inclusion are more likely to create opportunities for a competitive advantage.

Mark Merz, spokesman for O’Reilly Auto Parts, believes customers would be better served to bring their business to them.

“Customers benefit greatly from our broad selection of merchandise at competitive prices, our stores access to large distribution centers, our everyday low price philosophy and our promise to price match like for like merchandise,” Merz said, adding that other O’Reilly benefits include attractive stores in convenient locations, a high level of customer service and parts specialists’ product knowledge.

With one store in Altavista, Appomattox and Madison Heights each, two locations in Lynchburg, and plans to open a third location, many local residents are already familiar with O’Reilly’s offerings. Merz believes these customers have already witnessed firsthand the enhanced services offered by O’Reilly—services such as used oil and battery recycling, battery diagnostic testing, electrical and module testing, a loaner tool program, drum and rotor resurfacing, custom hydraulic hoses and professional paint shop mixing.

O’Reilly’s dedication to above and beyond service is likely the result of the family-oriented spirit of the company. In 1914, Charles Francis O’Reilly was working as a traveling salesman for Fred Campbell Auto Supply in St. Louis, Missouri. By 1924, he had worked the area enough to recognize that the region carried the potential for growth. O’Reilly was so sure of this that he asked to be transferred there. By 1932, he had become manager of Link Motor Supply in Springfield, and one of his sons, Charles H. (Chub) O’Reilly, joined the company. Together, they provided the leadership and management that made Link the predominant auto parts store in the area.

In 1957, they started O’Reilly with just one store, consisting of 13 employees. As a result of their hard work and the talents of the original employees, the business grew and prospered in its very first year and, by 1961, had reached a total volume of $1.3 million. The long range plans and stability of the company were solidified by a public offering of company stock in April 1993. From 1997 to 2008 the company grew through numerous mergers and acquisitions.

O’Reilly currently operates in 39 states, with a total of 3,740 stores and 23 distribution centers. It is currently ranked among the top three auto parts distributors in the United States, with a total sales figure of $5.8 billion for the year ending 2011. Their success has given them the opportunity to collect a wide customer based of large service providers.

“In an area like Lynchburg, a store’s customer mix will vary depending on the market and location in the market. But in general, we derive half of our business from professional service providers and half from retail customers,” Merz said.

With a new store opening soon on Old Forest Road, it’s clear that customers are returning to O’Reilly again and again. Merz cites several factors the company considers when opening a store in a new location. Among them are population density, life style and per capita income. Other influencing elements include market economic strength, retail draw and growth patterns, the sales potential of existing automotive repair facilities, the physical location, traffic count, size, economics and presentation of the site, and the financial review of adjacent existing locations, just to name a few.

As for the shaky economic climate, Merz believes that it has actually served to help a few auto chains, O’Reilly included.

“All retailers have felt the pinch of the difficult macro-economic environment,” he said. “However, the same macro conditions have caused consumers to hold their existing vehicles longer and choose to repair and maintain these vehicles. This has driven strong demand for our products over the last several years.”

With a rich family history to continue building its reputation on, O’Reilly has grown financially and in size over the past 50 years. And with new locations popping up everywhere, it is clear that O’Reilly Auto Parts aims to stay in the top three automotive distributors for the foreseeable future.

Learn more about O’Reilly Auto Parts at www.oreillyauto.com.

It’s May 2012 and we’re entering a new quarter. How are you adapting? Jeffrey Gitomer, renowned sales guru, acknowledges that as professionals, it’s easy to get stuck in a rut. Soon, that rut becomes a groove. And if you’re not careful, those grooves become a grave. The decline begins when you don’t force yourself out of the rut. Let’s shift strategies, find new opportunities and break bad habits before it is too late.

There are a few key areas to check for ruts in your profession or business. Ask yourself:
1. How is my pipeline of opportunities?
2. How is my work ethic?
3. Where is my attitude?
4. Where is my responsibility?

1. Increase Your Opportunities
“You don’t drown by falling in the water; you drown by staying there.” -Edwin Louis Cole

Developing opportunities starts with finding ways to become the expert in your field. Start by understanding the difference between knowing, doing and mastery of your area of focus. When you think of those highly skilled in their field, whether it be a star athlete, best-selling author or master con-artist, one of the emerging correlations is the hours of hard work and practice that was dedicated to reach their level of success. No pain, no gain.

Fill your pipeline by looking for new areas for improvement. Here are some quick tips for increasing your opportunities:
• Get noticed by first helping others. Focus on understanding why people buy from you rather than how to sell.
• Take advantage of lessons, ideas and strategies.
• Focus on your customer’s needs rather than your capabilities. Be the solution.
• Improve your online availability and credibility by sharing valuable content through multiple communication platforms.
• Build more relationships. Get involved with local community groups. Attend industry events or start your own networking group.
• Earn referrals. Ask people why they chose to work with you. Find out what benefits you, your product or your service provided. Share these responses with current customers and prospects.
• Get curious about people, ideas and processes. Read more, write more and share your valuable insights. Add depth to the questions you ask others.

2. Improve Your Work Ethic
“Success seems to be connected with action. Successful people keep moving. They make mistakes, but they don’t quit.” -Conrad Hilton, Hilton Hotels

Work ethic is often spoken about in almost mystical-like terms. Here are some practical ways to put the rubber to the road when it comes to working harder and smarter.
• Think in new ways to take smarter actions.
• Remove your top three time wasters and invest your time, don’t just spend it. Consider a paradigm shift. Allocate your time to activities in your day like reading, writing, making calls, connecting and chasing new opportunities. Focus your energy on ideas, activities and people that will make you more successful.
• Get up earlier daily to reflect on yesterday’s events and brainstorm three areas for improvement.

3. Change Your Attitude
“Genius is one percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration.” -Thomas Edison

If you’ve ever studied the FISH Philosophy, you learned that anyone can love what they do by following this four-step process everyday:
1. Be present.
2. Have fun.
3. Focus on others.
4. Decide your attitude.

When you begin to change your mentality around enjoying yourself, your work and making others happy, you begin to see that it naturally yielded positive changes and stronger relationships. Live in the moment, show your passion and share your unique value.

4. Take Responsibility for Yourself
“The price of greatness is responsibility.” -Winston Churchill

Sometimes we ask ourselves “Why are these things happening to me?” When you start taking responsibility for who you are and what you’re doing, you empower yourself to change your situation. You cannot always control what happens to you, but you decide how you respond. When we take personal responsibility for our lives, we are destined to fail.

A millionaire once told me that we all walk around with the letter ‘V.’ It represents your perception of yourself and affects every aspect of your life. Every individual perceives themselves as a “victim” or a “victor.” This motivation, she stated, has made all the difference in her success.

5. Finally, Stop Keeping Score
“You’ve got to get up every morning with determination if you’re going to go to bed with satisfaction.” -George Horace Lorimer

Instead of keeping score of what people have done for you lately, shift your paradigm to how you can make someone else’s day. Most of us live our lives with the spotlight focused on ourselves. If we turn the spotlight on others, aiming to give others value and make them feel good, we have a more powerful impact. Approach life with a light-hearted spirit. Learn and grow through play—be curious, explore, experiment.

Get out of your rut in May 2012. Share your story with me, alyse@prototypeadvertising.com.

• Put time on your side. The earlier you begin saving and investing, the better your chances of reaching your financial goal. You can’t expect to “strike it rich” immediately with any single investment, but by investing year in and year out, and by choosing quality investment vehicles, you have the opportunity to achieve growth over time.

• Pay yourself first. If you wait until you “have a little extra money lying around” before you invest, you may well never invest. Instead, try to “pay yourself first.” Each month, move some money automatically from a checking or savings account into an investment. When you’re first starting out in the working world, you might not be able to afford much, but as you advance in your career, you can increase your contributions.

• Control your debts. It’s easier said than done, but if you can keep a lid on your debt payments, you’ll have more money with which to invest.

• Take advantage of tax deferral. When you invest in tax-deferred vehicles, such as a traditional Individual Retirement Account (IRA) and your 401(k) or similar employer-sponsored retirement plan, your money has the opportunity to grow faster than it would if placed in an investment on which you paid taxes each year. Of course, when you start taking withdrawals, presumably at retirement, you’ll have to pay taxes, but by then, you may be in a lower tax bracket. And since you’ll have some control over your withdrawals, you can help control taxes, too.

• Build share ownership. As an investor, one of the best things you can do to build your wealth is to increase the number of shares you own in your investments. So, look for buying opportunities, such as when prices are low. Also, consider reinvesting any dividends or distributions you may receive from your investments.

• Don’t be overly cautious. For your money to grow, you need to put a portion of your investment dollars in growth-oriented vehicles, such as stocks. It is certainly true that stock prices will always fluctuate, sometimes quite sharply, and you may receive more or less than your original investment when sold. But if you avoid stocks entirely in favor of more stable vehicles, you run the risk of earning returns that may not keep you ahead of inflation. As you approach retirement, and even during retirement, your portfolio will probably still need some growth potential. Work with your financial advisor to determine the appropriate approach for you.

• Think long-term. By creating a long-term investment strategy and sticking to it, you’ll be less likely to take a “timeout” from investing in response to perceived negative news, such as market downturns and political crises.
Following these suggestions may someday allow you to reach the point when your financial goals become a reality for you.

This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor.

“When we decided to open the store in a new location, we wanted people to say, ‘Oh, that’s the pita sandwich place,’” Edmonds said. “We wanted to update the look and feel, but retain the product and price.”

Hickory Farms had been operating for more than 30 years in River Ridge Mall, but when its lease expired in 2012, Edmonds and Steward, two longtime employees, decided to reimagine the store with a new name.

“We wanted to focus on producing more of the same high-quality pita sandwiches for which Hickory Farms is famous without paying the franchise fees that accompanied running a Hickory Farms store,” Edmonds said. “The name on the outside is different, but the same [Hickory Farms] store still exists on the inside.”

The store will retain the quaint atmosphere that existed in the old location. The area’s largest display of Jelly Belly’s lines the back wall, the multi-colored candies adding bright pops of color to the store’s ambience. Gourmet coffee sits in heavy glass jars to the right of the jelly bean display, the coffee’s aroma permeating the space when a lid is unscrewed from a jar. Coke products, Mystic, RC, Cheerwine, Arizona Tea, Newleaf tea and Sunkist sit in a drink display by the coffee; Stewarts’ root beer and cream sodas line the wall underneath the menu items. The tables, which seat four people, lend themselves to the small town, sandwich shop feel. The entire store is bright and sunny, with specialty items like pastries for sale beside the cash register.

As for the food offered, the menu is a result of trial and error, policed by Steward.

“There really was no model,” Steward said. “We brought with us the items that sold well, like our pita sandwiches, and left those that didn’t, like candy bars and wrapped Danishes.”

The pita sandwiches are named in conjunction with Farmer’s Garden’s hometown feel, like the Gardener with bell peppers, cucumbers, mushrooms, carrots, spinach, sprouts, cheddar and provolone, the Countryfare with beefstick, salami, ham, Swiss, cheddar and provolone or the Gobbler with turkey, Swiss and cheddar. The classic pita sandwich is made with mustard, mayo, lettuce, tomato, onions, oregano and a special dressing. Deli sandwiches and pita pizzas are also on the menu, along with breakfast croissants (served from 10 to 11 a.m.), drinks, gourmet coffee, cappuccinos and dessert.

Steward and Edmonds also operate several Hickory Farms kiosks around the area during the holidays, which offer the gourmet summer sausages, cheeses, crackers, sweets and nuts that Hickory Farms has been known for since the company was founded in 1951. The items and gift baskets for sale can also be shipped.

Edmonds has been working with Hickory Farms since he was a small boy; he was the co-owner of the old store, working in the franchise with his father and uncle. Steward has worked for years in food management; he managed the Smith Mountain Lake Dairy Queen for eight years before moving to Hickory Farms several years ago. Steward will manage Farmer’s Garden, but is also now co-owner of the store with Edmonds. His philosophy toward ownership and management remains unchanged.

“I ran the [Hickory Farms] store like I owned it,” Steward said. “I wouldn’t run a store any differently.”

Edmonds appreciates Steward’s value as a manager and co-owner.

“The transition would not have worked without Chuck’s leadership,” Edmonds said.

Farmer’s Garden has been open for more than a month now and both Edmonds and Steward are pleased with business so far.
“We’ve been busy,” Steward said. “We’ve served many of our original customers from Hickory Farms and hope that this location will give us the opportunity to serve new customers as well.”