In our politically correct society, it is difficult for many to take a stand on politics and religion in public.  However, our current government is forcing this issue down our throats with their attempts to reengineer society through control of the health care system.  The latest flap came when the Health and Human Services mandated that Catholics pay for birth control, a tenet that the religion cannot support.  Whether you agree with birth control or not is not the issue.  The issue is the state is specifically forcing a religious organization to go against its beliefs.  I might add a religious organization that gave Obama and the crew support when he desperately needed it in passing Obamacare.

The President of my own University, Notre Dame, took so much flak for inviting Obama to speak, and yet he thought it was the right thing to do.  I’ll bet he wished he had that decision to do over.   The Catholic Bishops have been extremely vocal against this act, as they should be.  The Archbishop of Omaha had a particularly good letter describing the Church’s response to his congregation that I have posted below.

Well, today there evidently is some waffling going on by the White House because they had no idea what a firestorm they were raising (even though there is a Catholic Vice President who of course we haven’t heard from).  Don’t be swayed by these games being played in the name of politics.  This is a real threat to American liberties that Brian Burch of  CatholicVote.org describes:

“Moments ago President Obama introduced an accounting gimmick to appease voters over his recent Health and Human Services mandate. The so-called compromise will continue to force virtually all employers, including religious institutions, to pay into insurance policies that cover abortion drugs and other immoral medicines and procedures.
What’s the catch?
To protect himself from the national backlash, the President announced a “compromise” that will allow religious institutions to withhold premiums paid to insurance companies for select medicines and procedures they believe are immoral.
But these immoral medicines and drugs will continue to be provided by the same insurance plans for free — to everyone, including every employee of Catholic institutions!
 So President Obama decided to use insurance companies to hide his assault on religious liberty.
Separating the premiums paid to insurance companies does not change what these policies will cover. The very same policies funded by religious institutions will continue to cover contraception, birth control, and abortion drugs for every employee of these organizations. To pretend, by an accounting gimmick, that the premiums paid by the employer will not subsidize these services is simply absurd.
Furthermore, self-funded insurance plans (like many of those used by Catholic institutions) will continue to be forced to provide these immoral medicines.
And owners of businesses who believe abortion drugs are immoral? Sorry. To hell with liberty. Pay up.
All Americans should shudder at what has just transpired. 
Despite repeated promises during the healthcare debate in 2009, the President of the United States has created a sham conscience compromise, and ordered all insurance companies to pay for abortion drugs — and all religious institutions will be forced to pay into these plans. ”

The concern for society is this.  If the Catholic ministries are forced to pull out of providing care because in order to do so goes against their religious beliefs, then society will lose a major safety net to the poor, sick, aged, and weak.  Catholic hospitals, Catholic Charities and Catholic schools will be forced to rethink their missions.   The liberals love to talk about helping the poor, but the Catholic institutions actually do it.  As Americans in a free and open society, we cannot afford to lose this incredible love of our fellow man that Catholic institutions provide.

Here is Most Reverend George J. Lucas, Archbishop of Omaha’s letter

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I write to you concerning an alarming and serious matter that negatively impacts the Church in the United States directly, and that strikes at the fundamental right to religious liberty for all citizens of any faith.  The federal government, which claims to be “of, by, and for the people,” has just dealt a heavy blow to almost a quarter of those people-the Catholic population-and to the millions more who are served by the Catholic faithful.

Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced that almost all employers, including Catholic employers, will be forced to offer their employees’ health coverage that includes sterilization, abortion-inducing drugs, and contraception.  Almost all health insurers will be forced to include those “services” in the health policies they write.  And almost all individuals will be forces to buy that coverage as a part of their policies.

In so ruling, the Administration has cast aside the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, denying to Catholics our Nation’s first and most fundamental freedom, that of religious liberty.  And as a result, unless the rule is overturned, we Catholics will be compelled either to violate our consciences, or to drop health coverage for our employees (and suffer the penalties for doing so).  The Administration’s sole concession was to give our institutions one year to comply.

We cannot-we will not-comply with this unjust law.  People of faith cannot be made second class citizens.  We are already joined by our brothers and sisters of all faiths and many others of good will in this important effort to regain our religious freedom.  Our parents and grandparents did not come to these shores to help build America’s cities and towns, its infrastructure and institutions, its enterprise and culture, only to have their posterity stripped of their God given rights.  In generations past, the Church has always been able to count on the faithful to stand up and protect her sacred rights and duties.  I hope and trust she can count on this generation of Catholics to do the same.  Our children and grandchildren deserve nothing less.

And therefore, I would ask of you two things.  First, as a community of faith we must commit ourselves to prayer and fasting that wisdom and justice may prevail, and religious liberty may be restored.  Without God, we can do nothing: with God, nothing is impossible.  Second, I would also recommend visiting www.usccb.org/conscience, to learn more about this severe assault on religious liberty, and how to contact Congress in support of legislation that would reverse the Administration’s decision.

With best wishes and prayers, I am

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Most Reverend George J. Lucas

Archbishop of Omaha

A good friend of my parents is a gentleman by the name of Walter Scott.  He is a remarkable businessman whose net worth qualifies him to be on the Forbes list of billionaires.  He came by this fortune the old fashioned way — he earned it.  For years he was the head of Kiewit Construction, one of the world’s largest privately held, employee owned, construction companies.  Walter is also chairman of Level 3 Communications and sits on the Board of Berkshire Hathaway and Burlington Northern Railroad.

What has always impressed me about Walter Scott is what an astute, problem solver  he is.  Besides being a driving force in a number of successful businesses he also has been an incredible philanthropist in Nebraska.  Many buildings and projects honor him and his wife Sue for their donations of time and money to get the big projects going.  I respect him greatly for his willingness to give back.

Recently, Walter gave a talk to the Omaha Business Ethics Alliance that I wanted to share with you a synopsis.  In many ways, his talk about his views on integrity is why he has been so successful in business.  The rest of this article are quotes directly from the talk

“To me, high ethical standards are like air.  If the air is present, we don’t think much about breathing.  If it’s absent, you notice right away.  In the same way, we don’t often notice ethical behavior;  because it is assumed in those companies with high standards.  It is much easier to spot poor ethics which is why we usually illustrate the subject with negative stories.”

“… ethics reflect societal norms.  Integrity on the other hand is a personal quality.  It is difficult to conduct our businesses or our government institutions up to the ethical standards of the society in which we operate unless we employ people of integrity… It was my goal to hire and develop people with personal integrity;  because people of integrity will uphold and perpetuate the ethical standards of our companies and the ethical standards of society.”

Walter quotes his former boss, Peter Kiewit as saying “No matter how much native ability a man may have, no corporation dare employ him… unless he is fundamentally and entirely honest and trustworthy.  Without this, his very ability is all the more dangerous.”

“I believe there are potential problems for all firms…A big problem is that employees don’t come to us the same as they did when I started my career.  It’s probably a big surprise to these kids when they get to the world of work and find out their performance will be judged.  We can no longer assume employees come to us with the ethical toolkit of previous generations.  Society in general has lowered its standards, but society’s expectations for business are higher…

So what’s the prescription for us as business leaders?  Number one on my list is the tried and true — start by hiring people of personal integrity.  Number two is never assume an ethical culture will not automatically perpetuate itself.  Any business organization is only one generation away from losing its ethical moorings…Number three is to have an open culture where it is recognized that mistakes do happen.  In the world of politics our leaders learn  — or perhaps don’t learn that its never the scandal that gets you.  It’s the cover up.  The same is true of business.  The measure of a company’s character isn’t that they can have a problem from time to time, because that will happen.  Rather it is how they respond and whether they take immediate action to resolve the issue and ensure it doesn’t happen again.”

There is so much more in his talk including examples of these points.  To get a copy of the talk please click here.

As always, feel free to leave your comments below.

I competed as a finalist for the title of Glazer Kennedy Insider’s Circle Diamond Marketer of the Year.  My friend and fellow rep Jeff Giagnocavo, actually won the contest.  This was really cool because I introduced him into this marketing organization, and he has developed his marketing so well that he won the contest.

My entry was a list of twenty one direct response marketing ideas we employed to grow our business in 2011.  If you would like to have the list sent to you, drop me an email at meroot@mikeroot.com.   If you would like more information about Glazer Kennedy and get a free 2 month trial offer go to www.freegiftfrom.com/mroot.  

I personally enter these contests as a recap of marketing efforts throughout the year and results accordingly.  If I can’t compete, then I didn’t have a good year.  But if I have good results like 2011, then it is a good review to see what worked and we should do more of it, and what didn’t work and we should do less.  The side benefit like this year is that we did plenty of good things to get us to the level of being a finalist.  

As we find ourselves at the end of the calendar year, it is a great time to reflect on what went well and what areas we want to improve and grow next year.  This contest was a good first step for me to reflect on what we did well.  Next week, I will spend some time looking at what goals we will set for 2012 when our company Furniture Sales of Mid-America celebrates its 50th year in business.   

When we talk about goal setting, one guy I have been following recently is Gary Ryan Blair’s 100 Day challenge.  If you are looking for a kick in the butt to jump start the new year, check out his program.   I started the 100 Day Program this summer and will have it finished by year’s end.  This is a very comprehensive accountability system.  If you are looking at shaking up your goal setting for 2012 try out the 100 Day Challenge for 7 days for only $10.   To get this special offer use the following link:  http://www.goalsguy.com/Affiliate/tgg.php?id=1036161

Enjoy the holidays and here’s to a happy and prosperous new year.

Here’s the story…

Mike Root to present NHFA seminar on social media at national furniture market

Jay and I have finally done it – we have corrupted my wife Nancy.  With all of our marketing conferences, newsletters and audio and video training we have here, Nancy decided to see what all this is about.

So while she has been in the process of building a professional consulting practice, she also has developed a really cool website and ezine to help working women, stay at home moms and anyone else who is juggling raising a family with other responsibilities.  Nancy has lived that life for over a quarter of century and has the wisdom brought on by experience to help others with the challenge.

If you get a chance, check it out and pass it on to the working women, the cool moms, and anyone multi-tasking way too much in their lives these days.  Go to www.coolmomsonly.com and sign up for the free ezine.  You’ll be glad you did.

Last weekend I got the privilege of a guy’s golf weekend at a gorgeous golf course in the upper Northeast corner of Colorado called Ballyneal.  My host for the trip flew our group of 8 from Omaha to Holyoke, CO on a King Air jet.  We left at 8 am and were on the golf course at 10:30.  That’s the way to play.

This is the way to go on your next golf trip!!!

The afternoon we started a Ryder Cup type event that kept us on the links for 2 1/2 days.  We played a four ball event, a scramble event and an individual match play.  Unfortunately yours truly did not putt very well and consequently did not score well.  But the experience of traveling on private airplane to a private course should definitely be on any golfer’s dream list.

The best part of the trip for me was to meet and get to know my golfing companions over the three days.  We shared lots of stories, golf experiences, and red wine at dinner.  When you get out to a golf destination with nothing else to do, no cell phones or computers to operate, I realized how great it is to really unplug every once in a while and just enjoy the surroundings and the company of my fellow golfers.

If you love the game of golf, a guys trip to a an out of the way course where the only thing you can do is play golf, is the only way to go.  No distractions, just 36 or more holes a day and when you are tired, you eat a good meal, drink some red wine, and go to bed only to start again the next day.

I know the College World Series is a big deal in Omaha.  We just built $150,000,000 facility to keep it around for another 25 years after hosting it for over 50 years.  The city loves it.  The College World Series loves Omaha.  ESPN has been touting the Road to Omaha for weeks, and with a brand new stadium we will be the talk of the sports world for ten hot, humid days of June.

What a casual observer does not know is how much an impression this series makes on the players of America’s favorite past time — Baseball.  Last November, Jay and I met Cal Ripken, JR.  better known as Iron Man.  He holds baseball’s record of most games consecutively played – 2632 consecutive games, 17 straight years without missing a game.  He was loved in Baltimore and other big league cities because of his work ethic.  Jay and I met him and he said to us “I love Omaha.  I hear they have a new stadium and I would love to come see it.”

Mike and Jay Root discuss the Omaha College World Series with Iron Man Cal Ripkin, Jr.

Here are a few comments to share as we get ready to enjoy our baseball moments of glory in Omaha.  Cal told us of 8 elements of perseverence that make a difference.

1. The Right Approach -  It entails the right attitude, a personal mission statement, and a honest simple approach
2. A strong will to succeed – Your drive, the fire within, your desire
3. Passion for what you do – Love what you do, too many people working doing things they hate, passion carries you through and makes it worthwhile
4. Love to Compete – you’ll have internal and external competitions and you have to tame both, when you have success don’t get complacent
5. Consistency – ability to perform everyday, solve problems and find solutions quickly, make yourself irreplaceable
6. Conviction – you need thick skin, need to be stubborn about seeing things through to the end
7. Strength – physical and mental, there is a link between excercising and maintaining focus
8. Life management – how can I bring control over aspects of my life and achieve balance

So as you are watching the College World Series from Omaha this month, think of Iron Man who never gave up no matter what because he had a job to do.  Where do you measure up on a perseverence scale?  If it’s not as high as you would like, take a look at Cal Ripkin’s 8 steps to see how you can become an “Iron Man” as well.

And of course look for Jay and I along the third base line.  Cal, if you’re reading this let me know and I’ll get you some tickets to come join us.

Jay, Nancy and Mike Root with Consumer brands CEO Kathy Ireland

 

Recently, Nancy, Jay and  I got to hear Kathy Ireland speak to a group.  She is a remarkable businesswoman who is passionate about her brand.  She launched her business in 1993 and today it is a $1.5 billion dollar company selling over 45,000 products.

She told the story of starting the brand with a pair of socks selling them out of the trunk of her car.  Now she has sold over 100,000,000 pairs of socks.

Her success stems from the intimate knowledge of her customer and what the customer wants.  She said to keep those doors of communication open with those you serve.  The customer will honestly tell you how you can do better and serve her.  Listening to our customers is critical.

A few other points she talked about were as follows:

• We are our own brand.  What kind of brand to we portray to the world?  If we have to make a change in that brand, do it now.
• A well branded product (or person) will outperform a non-branded, lesser priced product.
• Men buy products but women are loyal to brands.
• Corporate America no longer controls brands.  Do to social media like Facebook, Twitter and blogs, people want to be reached in their own terms and not corporate terms.
• Independent retailers can offer what big boxes can’t – customer service.

She was an inspirational speaker who siad her priorities were faith, family, and service to work.  She indicated whenever she got the priorities mixed up, she was really in trouble.

Probably my major takeaway from her was her persistence in the face adversity.  Anybody can see her now as a celebrated wife, mother and CEO of a $1.5 billion dollar brand.  Some may remember her as a swim suit model.  But throughout she faced lots of people who told her “no” and she still struggled on to build an empire.  The difference between her and millions of others who want the fame and fortune is that she never quits.

If everyone had to write checks on April 15, people would pay more attention to how much the government really takes from us.

The government does not have a revenue problem, they have a spending problem. 

 Stop the spending, let us keep more of what we earn, and prosperity returns for everyone.