Toledoan reinforces ‘warrior’ creed: The buck stops here
Written by Nolan Baker Mark Clair | | letters@toledofreepress.comRecently, the Retirement Guys had an opportunity to attend a business conference in the city of San Diego. It was sure nice to get a break from the cold weather in Toledo. The temperatures were in the 70’s each day and although we were inside attending meetings much of the time, we had the chance to enjoy some rays of sunshine.
At the conference, we attended various business strategy sessions and came away with some great ideas on how to better serve our clients. We even had one of our meeting sessions aboard the U.S.S. Midway. This meeting raised money for a great charity called Special Ops Warrior Foundation. The organization pays for the college education for children of special operations military soldiers who have died serving our country. We had the opportunity to meet a young lady whose father died serving our country. And guess what? Her name is Melinda Petrignani originally from Toledo, graduating from Clay High School in 2004. What are the chances of running into her in San Diego? Her father, Michael D. Rudess from Oregon, Ohio, was killed in a training accident in 1986. Shrapnel from a demolition exercise struck him near the heart. He served in Company A in the 1st Battalion 75th Ranger Regiment and received the Army Commendation Medal. Melinda was less than a year old when her father passed away and was his only child. Melinda attended DePaul University in Chicago, and graduated in 2008 with a Bachelors of Business Administration. She is living in Scottsdale, Ariz. and studying to take the GMAT so that she can study for an MBA.
Mark and Nolan with Melinda Petrignani.
The conference had several excellent speakers, among them David Walker who was the former comptroller and head of the Government Accountability Office; Scott McKain, an expert in customer service; and Andy Andrews, bestselling author of the book “The Traveling Gift.”
While we enjoyed all of the speakers at the conference, I (Mark) was especially struck by Andrews. He had a way of talking that captivated the audience. He spoke with a southern accent and was extremely funny in delivering his speech. His book is a fiction book that illustrates the seven principles that are keys to success in life. I have obtained a copy and am currently part way through it. As the Retirement Guys, we are constantly looking for ways to advise our clients on how best to achieve the relaxing and successful retirement that they deserve. Of the seven principles, I am through the first four and believe that they can be used to help our clients and how our clients plan. We always say on our radio show that we are all about information and the key is obtaining good information and applying it.
The first principle in “The Traveling Gift” is “the buck stops here.” In other words, nobody is responsible for your life and your circumstances. The sooner you accept this, the sooner you can begin to plan to make your life better. You won’t gain anything by sitting around complaining about bad things that have happened. The second principle is “seek wise counsel.” In other words, find a good source and get the information you can use to better your situation. Our Web site is full of free information and a schedule of upcoming educational meetings. Please feel free to take advantage of it. The third principle is “be a person of action.” This goes back to what was mentioned earlier about not only getting the information, but applying it. The fourth principle is “make a decision.” So many people get the information and do not make a decision on how to apply it. This is like getting the football down to the 1-yard line and then quitting the game and failing to score a touchdown.
I don’t know what the fifth, sixth and seventh principles are yet, but if they are good ones, I will let you know. Our friend Melinda has taken responsibility for her life even though she has experienced the tragedy of losing her father. She is acquiring education to give her the necessary skills to help her make decisions that will lead to a good life. No matter what stage you are in life, what are you doing to improve your life? My 94-year-old grandfather told me he is still learning and improving. I was amazed and thought what he told me was wise advice. Seek wise counsel, make a decision and take action. The buck stops with you.
Got a question for The Retirement Guys? Send your e-mails to letters@ToledoFreePress.com or you can reach them by calling 419-842-0550. Securities are offered through NEXT Financial Group Inc., Member FINRA / SIPC. The Retirement Guys are not an affiliate of NEXT Financial Group. Their office is located at 1700 Woodlands Drive, Suite 100, Maumee, OH 43537.
