Category Archives: Situational

Donating Blood: An Easy Way to Help Others

  • Today as I do every 8 weeks I donate blood
  • Blood is ALWAYS in short supply
  • Its an easy way to help others
  • Helping others feels good
  • Give blood if your able
  • oneblood.com

A full life

What are your thoughts on the concept of living a very long life?

So I believe life is not about time, but what a person does within it.

Not even 30 years old and this Gentleman whose marker is above had a very full life and most important was content with it. He wrote his obituary before going to Vietnam which is how I’m able to make such a statement.

I just learned of his amazing life while paying my respects to a cherished mentor of mine, who has but a few days left. My mentor wanted to share the story of MAJ Hottell on his death bed as it was his regret he wasn’t able to pay respects to him in his lifetime.

Hence, its very easy for me to say its not the minutes that count but the things within them.

Looking for Business that want to do business with the Federal Government

Sometimes you need more than just the framework

What a Difference a Week Makes

Just few short days ago I received great news.

My wife did not have liver cancer. Waiting for the results of her PET/CT was as if we were transported 18 months back in time. The dread was heavy once again with the fear of life’s uncertainty. Could we get through this next battle?

My mind went to my experience. Deployed from family one time was very hard but it could be done, but two times was scarring at best. Would we survive another round in the ring with cancer? I stayed out of my thoughts and went into business mode. One appointment, one test, one moment at a time to support my wife. It took about 3 weeks from her bi-annual MRI and CT to see the oncologist and the get the PET/CT. Everything else gets put on hold as we wondered what the future held for us during that time. Life seems to stop. Then we received the results through the patient portal app and we were free again for the next 6 months. We cleaned the house, rearranged the furniture and where happy. They was no point before. Now our life was back on.

My son called and said he was going to be a father! These are the things that make the hard times bearable.

Its a balance; like spinning plates on sticks

As a mentor to many of my friends that have left the military after me as well as young people I work with in my side gigs….I try and steer them between idealism and our cruel world especially in the area of being a great employee without being abused.

When is setting boundaries seen as not being a team player?

Or a better question: Why is trying to have boundaries seen as not being a team player? Is there a way to have boundaries and still be seen as not a distraction?

Is being on call 24/7 just the nature of the beast that people working for others have to expect if you want a good paying job?

Does part time mean part time commitment? When did three 8 hour shifts turn into a full time job that pays less than 2000 a month?

A mentor once told me its not like juggling its more like keeping the plates spinning. you have to watch over a lot of things and add your strengths and time to those in need…..Of course, some need more time than others and some are worth the extra time. That is where decisions have to be made.

Just some conversations I have had with young folks lately…

Any sage insights would be appreciated to help my people.

#humanresources#mentoring#worklifebalance#savingyourself#choices#hourlyjobs

Idealism meets REALism

Planning and Setting Up a #Backoffice for a #Small Business that brings #value, is #agile and keeps you focused on your services.

Does your Company offer a health plan? How about an 401K or HSA? A FSA to help with my commute? Pet Insurance? Why not? and If not, I’ll probably work somewhere else.

Even for a Company with as little as one employee benefits security and just plain old concern about their future provides a differential that will set you apart from so many other Companies. I hear all the time the excuses that we can not provide these benefits: it’s too costly, too expensive to the employee, too much time and effort to administer and how does it help me get more customers, retain customers and provide the services I have promised?

In my experience, I have heard of and witnessed many organizations that failed to pay social security taxes for their employees. The employee is faced with sometimes years of no credit towards federal retirement. This does not take into consideration the legal implications on the business for failing to pay taxes. I know of nationally known Companies that offer no health insurance or retirement and can get away with it because of their organizational structure. Providing a vanpool for a group of people might provide a great tax benefit to your company and allow folks to get to and from work easily and endear them to the organization.

Below is the diagram I use to manage my back office. Its our background image with hyperlinks to all the partners and systems we have relationships with. It might help your business let me know if it does or I can help you in your journey.

Daily Management to Focus You on Finding the Next Opportunity

I have been looking for my next great opportunity for half a year now.  
I started a small business and I’m working for a Fortune 15 coming but 
Why stop looking for the something amazing.  I don’t want to settle any longer.
This minimum effort at daily management effort I use on my search.

The Bottom is the Top

In 2019 I was falling

Yesterday I was reading a post on Linkedin entitled; “What was your key to success?” The responder said; “I got my priorities right”.

I didn’t want to exercise this morning, but I put my shoes on and got at it…..Its been four years of that decision. Looking beyond the feelings and seeing what I want. Pushing past the easy to the hard and the hard becoming the easy.

Its hard to share this photo…

In 2019 my father, my hero past away.

To say the least he was quite a man.

In his last two years of life he lived with us.

I stopped doing the foundation work we all need.

I started to deal with the anxiety and stress with poor diet, no exercise and no work life balance. Drinking became a relief.

I couldn’t see beyond the moment.

I reached my highest weight, my highest body fat percentage, my sleep was poor, my mental health was going downward.

My excuse was I was over 50 everything is supposed to hurt. I have already done everything I wanted to accomplish.

I’m done.

Luckly, with the belief in me from my extended circle and my upbringing, Pops didn’t raise a quitter. I began to realize that I needed to be here and not just here I wanted to be here to give back and continue to grow and I couldn’t do that without the basics.

Slowly and methodically I changed my priorities.
I joined “Orange Theory” and I’m still at it today. HIIT is awesome and my OT family provides Love, esteem and safety that support the basics.
I joined “Noom” to learn and understand food. I eat eggplant and spinach. I love food, but Noom taught me to be aware of my choices. For me, it is just like when I don’t want to exercise I’m aware of what the decision long term produces and I don’t want that.
Most recently I left an unfulfilling job and despite losing a tremendously sum in income my outcome holistically is much much better.
The road in my opinion is never down just different levels of incline as we must always be climbing.

My Brand

I’m working on “My Brand” after work.  Today I took my domain name I purchased for 9.99 at godaddy.com and through a small upgrade on WorldPress.com another 9.99 a year I was  able to use it ..louisjschwartz.com as my direct address URL.  I guess my website development days paid off.

From all the recruiter advice I have received, and several articles I have read this supposedly puts me ahead of others in the job market.  Luckily, I’m currently employed, so I have the luxury of time to work on this.  As President John F. Kennedy said; the time to fix the roof is when the sun is shinning.