The Fog Win SWO Ball Hockey Championship!

It’s been a busy week. Having spent last week at the Parmasters Conference in Mexico, this week has largely been about recovery and catch-up. I didn’t have email access in Mexico, which meant a massive backlog when I returned. (It also meant I couldn’t blog remotely, which was disappointing.)

Most of my current activity involves attracting capital to the business, be it debt or equity. I’m in meetings most of the time, either presenting or answering a lot of questions. I enjoy the process, but look forward to the time when we transition to building the site and marketing our products and services, rather than simply raising capital.

That transition will happen very soon. We’ve made a lot of progress lately. We’re close to making some announcements, all of which will appear in this blog, of course.

While I was away, on Saturday June 23, my son’s SWO ball hockey team won their league championship! I’m the assistant coach. I felt terrible about missing the final weekend of games, but couldn’t re-arrange the Conference. They won 6-1. My son plays goal, along with another great goalie. Keeping the other team to one goal in the final game is very impressive. A great defensive and goal tending effort!

Congratulations to The Fog on their impressive championship!

Matt Jeffrey

The Parmasters team is in mourning. Matt Jeffrey was the Area Developer for the Canadian Maritimes, my counterpart in the Maritimes. We had a great week together at the Franchise Owners’ Conference before we all flew back to our homes and loved ones this past Sunday. Matt passed away on Monday, at his home.

All of us within Parmasters owe Matt a massive debt of gratitude. He was the first to really prove that we could sign-up hundreds of members prior to opening. Matt made it happen. He was the first Canadian franchise owner. Matt helped me and many others immensely. He was a fantastic business partner and a great man.

Matt is sadly missed by all who knew him.


JEFFREY, Matthew Christopher
JEFFREY, Matthew Christopher - 46. It is with shock and profound sadness we announce that Matt died very suddenly at his Beaver Bank home on June 25, 2007. A son of the late Edward and Bernadette Jeffrey, he is survived by his wife and best friend, Ruth (Copland), as well as Haley and Paige, his much-loved daughters; sisters, Anne Marie (Roger) Morash, Meagher's Grant; Victoria (Michael) Innis, Centreville; brothers, Eddie (Lynda) Jeffrey, Dartmouth, and David (Donna) Jeffrey, Mississauga, Ont.; nieces, Carly, Andrea and Meaghan, and nephew, Paul; his "adopted" family of Orval and Geraldine Browning, in particular, their son, Michael, his "brother from another mother". For 16 years Matt delivered milk for Farmers Dairy in the Dartmouth and Beaver Bank areas. He cared about his customers. Matt then decided it was time for a change. He combined his passion for golf, his work ethic and his inventive creativity in a new project with Parmasters International. At his death, he had been immersed in developing the market in Eastern Canada for two years. Matt was a loyal, kind and generous friend to all. He would be the first to pick up a tool to help and the last to put it down. Matt's enthusiasm for life and capacity for work was boundless. He derived great pleasure fundraising for the Cobequid Health Centre. He said he enjoyed his turn "to give back". Matt's deep, infectious laugh was always heard at a gathering when he was present. Matt loved his family, golf, entrepreneurship, a good time and beer, in that order. He was a good husband, provider and a great dad. He excelled as a party host, in particular, of those for his children. Matt was a bright and very creative guy who was just now reaching his stride. He had recently been named Innovator of The Year at the Parmasters International Conference in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Matt's friendship and generosity will be missed by many in the Metro golf and business community. In a nutshell, Matt was an honorable man, uncomplicated without being simple and incisive without being arrogant. Doing business with Matt was always a pleasure. He was just a prince of a guy. We shall miss you. Cremation has taken place at Cole Harbour Funeral Home. A gathering of family and friends will take place at home in Beaver Bank on Saturday, June 30, from 1-4 p.m. No flowers by request. Donations may be made to the Cobequid Health Centre, Gibson Woods Baptist Church or a charity of your choice.
(From the The Chronicle Herald, Halifax, NS)

The Grand Old Game

I was asked to give a toast during our white-tie closing banquet during the recent Parmasters' Franchise Owners' Conference. The following was well received.

On the first day,
Pastures became areas of play,
Holes and fairways were there and here,
Stones rolled askew, never true.
And as the day faded,
Players looked at what they had made,
And it was good.

On the second day,
Land was crafted and shaped,
The numbers 9 and 18 sprang forth,
On the way out, or in, an addiction was born.
And as the day faded,
Players looked at what they had made,
And it was good.

On the third day,
Tools, implements were crated and shaped,
Feather-ies were made to fly anew,
Bold careers, showmen at times, came to be.
And as the day faded,
Golfers looked at what they had made,
And it was good.

On the fourth day,
Feathers were for birds, Balls for golfers,
Knowledge grew, The game was no longer merely play,
A metaphor for life, lessons taught, relationships created.
And as the day faded,
Golfers looked at what they had made,
And it was good.

On the fifth day,
Amongst so many others, Vardon, Hogan, Snead, Nelson, Jones, Palmer, Nicklaus, Woods,
Addiction becomes epi- and then pan-demic,
And yet for many, fun turns to affliction, frustration, anger, a nice walk spoiled.
And as the day faded,
Golfers looked at what they had made,
And it was not so good.

On the sixth day,
People named Scott, Tom, Andrew, John, Michael begat Parmasters Golf,
Regionals, Area Developers built upon the foundation,
Members, clients, teams, suppliers brought More profits and More life.
And as the day faded,
Golfers looked at what they had made,
And it was good.

On the seventh day,
A day of rest, Straight-Line Golf, Better Golf,
Shoulder to shoulder, tee to green, More Fun,
Pandemic is positive, frustration turns to fulfillment, Guaranteed.
And as the day faded,
Golfers looked at what they had made,
And it was truly, truly good.

Above all else,
Beyond any person, plan, ego or system,
Beyond those here or those that will follow,
Beyond our members, clients and teams,
Beyond and above all else,
We owe our thanks and gratitude to
The Grand Old Game.

So please raise your glasses and help me honour,
The Grand Old Game.

Back From The Franchise Owners' Conference

It’s been a long time and no blogging. I have a fairly air-tight excuse for the past week or more, but must merely point to an overloaded schedule for the period from June 11, my last post, to June 17.

I recently attended Parmasters’ annual Franchise Owners’ Conference in sunny Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. I was there from June 18 through June 24. There were about 40 of us, including a few franchisor staff, many franchise owners and many regional franchise owners, and also a few spouses.

The resort, the Riu Palace, was wonderful. It’s beautiful, spacious and quite modern, with lots of amenities. The staff were extremely helpful and friendly. The pools and fitness areas looked very inviting, but I barely visited.

Our days were quite full. Most of us arrived throughout the day on the Monday. Tuesday through Thursday were full days, starting at 6:45am and finishing up around 9:00pm. Friday was a free day, so I golfed with a few others. Saturday we started with a meeting at 7:30am and then spent the afternoon on the links, followed by an evening white-tie event. And Sunday, of course, most of us flew back home. I made it home around 1:00am Monday.

The Conference was very well run. Lots of great presentations, education, announcements, working sessions, break out sessions and networking opportunities. Parmasters is a young franchise system. The numbers are not huge. But in a few years, the numbers will grow substantially. It’s nice to be in at this stage, and building great relationships with my peers.

I’ll blog more about the Conference in the coming days.

Shareholder Meetings

I didn’t find the fairway on the first hole Sunday morning, as mentioned and hoped for in my previous post. I was in the first cut of rough, about 120 yards out, with wedge in my hands.

However, I did get over the shanks. I practiced late Saturday and hit the ball quite well. So all was well with my approach on number 1.

I didn’t get as much done as hoped on the weekend. I simply wasn’t very productive. I’ve learned over the years to quickly recognize my peak versus non-peak performance periods. This past weekend was mostly non-peak. When that’s the case, I sometimes just plow through the work using various tricks. Other times I’ll adjust my focus and work on tasks that I tend to enjoy a little more. That way, even though I’m maybe not making a lot of progress on my top priority tasks, at least I’m getting something useful accomplished.

We welcomed another shareholder to the company today. That’s always a pleasure. I’m really pleased with the individuals we have involved thus far. I’m certain they’re all “team players” that will bring a lot to the table as our decisions become increasingly complex. I will look to our shareholder team for experience, insight and advice. But they know, and I know, the decisions must rest with me.

I’ll be meeting with some of our shareholders over the coming week. I need their insight and their assistance. I’m sure the meetings will be fruitful. Hopefully they can move a few tasks along while I’m in Mexico the week of June 18 (Franchise Owners’ Conference).

We're Talkin' About The Shanks

There’s been a lot of good progress thus far this week. Parmasters Kitchener-Waterloo moved a little closer to opening.

I continue to seek investors. I can’t say much here about that, but it’s going well, and took a good leap forward this week.

We’re also finally moving ahead with some marketing. Our PR firm is working on a press release and we’re finalizing the center’s website.

We also moved forward on many other fronts, all too small and numerous to mention, but cumulatively, very satisfying. And I had many small tasks nagging at me, many of which were completed recently.

And there’s still two days left in the week! Lots to do!

I practiced (golf) on Wednesday evening, as mentioned in my last post. What I failed to mention – or admit – in that post was my battle with the shanks, of all things, during said practice. I was astounded, dumbfounded, and rather exacerbated. The shanks!

For a while there I was doing a version of Allen Iverson’s “practice” speech. You know the one, “I mean, we’re talking about practice man. We're talkin' about practice. Practice. Not a game. Not a game. Practice man. We’re talkin' about practice. …”

And me Wednesday during my practice, “The shanks. Are you kidding me? The shanks. Shanks. Not crisp contact. Not crisp contact. We're talkin' about the shanks. The shanks. The shanks? …”

I eventually straightened things out, but not before my golf psyche was significantly damaged. So Sunday morning, just after 7:40am, when I hopefully find myself in the middle of the first fairway, about 110 yards out, yes, the shanks may just enter my head.

I plan to practice again Saturday, in an effort to excise the demons.

Peter Lonard speaks quite frankly about a battle with the shanks here (halfway down in the article). Misery loves company!

Life As An Entrepreneur

Today was highly productive. Or, I suppose, to be more accurate, I was highly productive today. This is a “good thing”, as Martha Stewart is famous for saying.

I love being an entrepreneur. I love the challenge of building a business, creating something from nothing. I also take the responsibility very seriously. I have shareholders and other stakeholders. There are a lot of people involved, already. And the list is only going to grow.

In addition to the challenge, each day is simply very unique. No two days are the same. I use various systems to ensure that I’m always – or almost always – working on the most important / pressing / high-leverage task for any given moment. The various tasks are so, well, varied, that each day is quite unique. This contributes to my enjoyment, I’m sure.

All of this said, life as an entrepreneur will be far more enjoyable, and exciting, when we finally open the doors to Parmasters Kitchener-Waterloo! We’ll open this coming winter.

For now, it’s off to do some reading. Tomorrow will begin with breakfast and an early workout.

Earn Twice As Much With Half The Stress

I recently finished Earn Twice As Much With Half The Stress by Paul Lemberg and Tom Matzen. Tom is President, CEO and Co-founder of Parmasters Golf Training Centers.

Full disclosure, I did not purchase this book. It was a gift, from Tom.

The book is a very quick, light read. The approximately 200 pages, while chalked full of great content, insight and ideas, breeze by very quickly and easily. The book is well organized and indexed. You can jump to a particular area very quickly.

Systems thinking, as well as working ON your business, rather than IN your business, are two strong themes that repeat throughout the book. And rightly so. These two concepts are incredibly powerful!

The focus of the book is primarily value-based retail (or business-to-consumer or B-to-C) businesses. “Value-based” because many of the techniques noted within the book hinge critically on the fact that you’re selling based on value, not based on price. If you’re simply in a price war, buy a different book.

Tom and Paul note “four rules of systems”:
1) “Extraordinary systems, ordinary people. Systems should be designed for people with the lowest appropriate skill levels for the job, not for the experts.”
2) “If it’s difficult, something is wrong. … When it’s easy, you’ve got it right.”
3) “It’s not a system until it’s written down.”
4) “Deliver consistent predictable results every single time.”

The book also deals with scripting, checklists, etc.

Systems take much of the guess work out of running your business, as well as easing training and mentorship of your staff.

Tom and Paul also present the concept of Position Results Descriptions. Instead of the traditional “job description” which simply describes the periodic activities associated with a particular job, a Position Results Description focuses exclusively on the results that the successful candidate must produce. The first rule in hiring is to know what you want. You don’t want someone that will simply enjoy the daily activities that the job encompasses. You do want someone that will eagerly produce the results described, in detail, in your Position Results Description.

I won’t give away anymore of the punch line. I eagerly recommend this book to anyone operating a value-based business, especially such a retail establishment. I believe you can find information here.

Systems Must Evolve

I haven’t had much blog time lately. My reading has also fallen behind schedule.

I am definitely a systems thinker. Systems help me be more efficient and effective. One of my most trusted systems is simply a complete and oft referenced calendar. Anything that must be accomplished on a specific day or at a specific time is noted in my calendar. That includes blogging. But of course, just because an item is noted in the calendar does not mean I actually get to it.

I also use a tickler file. It’s a very basic system of file folders numbered 1 through 31 and others labeled January, February, … through to December. This system allows me to basically mail items to my attention at a later date. It’s all paper based. If a piece of paper comes to my desk and it requires attention at a future date, but not today, it goes into the tickler file on that date. I refer to it daily.

All systems require some level of dedication. If you don’t stick to the system, if you don’t work it, the benefit wanes.

I also took two entire days off earlier this week. I used the time to relax, clear my head and rejuvenate. Of course, as soon as one’s back into the swing of things, the rejuvenation can quickly seem a distant memory.

Things are zipping right along with Parmasters Kitchener-Waterloo. I’ll be blogging soon about our location. Shortly thereafter we’ll start marketing and selling memberships.

During that membership-drive period I will be running preview meetings for future members several evenings each week, and at least once each weekend. My systems will have to adjust to a new schedule.

For now, it’s back to work. I have several documents to produce in the coming days and plan to get a good start on them today.