November 2019
TESTER
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Without You, I Wouldn’t Have Made It
Who are you thankful for? Who has encouraged and helped you to take a big step forward in your life?
I thought of performing in front of the family. I was not a natural when it came to performance. If anyone is wondering, I still get butterflies when I’m on stage or even when I’m on the on air. When that red light comes on, my stomach starts to roll like thunder. That night on my grandparents’ ranch in Montana was no different.
There are so many people in our lives to be thankful for that it can sometimes seem too overwhelming to remember them all. However, I have tried my best to remember these special individuals in my life, and I have even attempted to send them cards of gratitude as often as possible. I recently came across the photo of myself in a sombrero performing a magic trick in the summer of 1973. I know what you’re probably thinking, “Dave, is it really necessary for us to know your secrets from 1973?” Don’t worry, I just have to share the story of this particular performance. I had no idea at that time that I would someday work on television in front of the camera and be blessed to encourage and coach others on stage. In fact, on that very night, I was scared to death in front of an audience of only eight: my mom and dad, three grandparents, two uncles, and my aunt.
I like to encourage others to continually stretch themselves and do things that are out of their zone of comfort. Do one thing every day that scares you. Twenty seconds of insane courage can accomplish amazing things. My magic show in front of eight family members on that fateful night in 1973 was one of the moments in my life that changed how I viewed myself and also changed the course of my life. I tell this story because I am so thankful that my Uncle Bob Tester pushed me and encouraged me to do those types of things in my younger years. He and his wife, Lois, tragically lost their son (my cousin) Robert John to a violent crime two years ago. I don’t tell you this to shock you or to make you feel sad. I tell you this to remind you that in this month of Thanksgiving, encouraging others or telling someone “thank you” for something they did a long time ago can be very valuable as a reminder of why we are put on earth. We exist to help our neighbors and to love our friends and family. Without Uncle Bob, my parents, grandparents, and even many of you reading this, I would never have made it on stage to where you see me in the blue sports coat. My Thanksgiving wish (or challenge, perhaps) to you is this: Grab the phone and call someone in your family or in your circle and thank them for helping you to become the man or the woman you are today. Tell them, “Without you, I wouldn’t have made it.”
It was my Uncle Bob who convinced me to perform a magic show in front of such an illustrious audience. To create just the right ambiance, we even dimmed the lights as I came on “stage” in my magnificent costume. I had practiced all day, working on four magic tricks from a kit that was given to me as a gift (probably by my Uncle Bob), so I just had to give it a shot. I felt pretty confident while I was practicing, but my nerves were getting the best of me when
-Dave Tester
Happy Thanksgiving 2019.
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Break Away From Bland How to Write Content That POPS
CONTRACTIONS AREN’T YOUR ENEMY On the other end of the spectrum, some people write like robots. They avoid contractions like “don’t,” “can’t,” and “aren’t,” resulting in stilted, plodding sentences that inflate word counts and alienate readers. Obviously, formal publications like research papers and legal briefs still maintain this archaic ban on mashing words together, but when it comes to marketing content, rules are flexible. Do not fear using these tools. You cannot go wrong with adding a splash of informality to your writing. Your readers are not going to mind. (Are you still with me?) SHOW, DON’T TELL This is a big one. So many businesses publish copy with big statements like “We love our customers!” or “Our passion is helping you!” These blanket sentiments come across as shallow. So, rather than tell customers you care about their needs, write content that shows them you understand their needs and want to help address them. We care deeply about your marketing campaigns and want to help them succeed!
When it comes to winning over customers with content marketing, many entrepreneurs seem to think, “If we publish, they will come.” That would certainly explain the flood of bland, cookie-cutter blog posts pumped out across social media every day. To win over readers and make the most of your marketing dollars, your content needs to have a personality — a voice. Of course, personalizing content comes with a few pitfalls every marketer needs to know. DON’T WRITE HOW YOU SPEAK Read a few sentences from your favorite book or newspaper. Do you think the author speaks exactly like that in real life? Probably not. Speech and writing are two different mediums with different stylistic needs, and trying to translate one to the other can prove disastrous. For example, many content writers include verbal cues like dramatic pauses … by including useless ellipses. In a conversation, strategic pauses may impress, but on the page, they pull readers out of the article.
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Are you ready to better yourself and your business? Have Dave secret-shop your front desk today! Call 208-707-9807 or visit GoDaveTester.com for more details.
“Great television commercials that you produced for us. I watched them this past week, and they were super.”
“Our entire sales team just hit their personal best numbers.
We had an awesome July in sales!
Thank you for all your help coaching and mentoring our team.”
–Dennis L. Johnson President and Chief Executive Officer United Heritage Life Insurance Company
–Mandy Legarreta Director of Sales and Marketing The Newsletter Pro
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‘Business Lessons from a Radical Industrialist’
How to Get Rich Without Hurting the Planet
As awareness about the global impact of climate change rises, consumers have started to vote with their dollars for companies that offer greener, more sustainable products and practices. Slowly, that groundswell has caused businesses to shift their priorities and take steps to track and reduce their environmental impact. But long before the green movement began in earnest, there was Ray Anderson — one man who decided to flip the script. In 1994, Anderson was 60 years old, the CEO of the modular carpet company Interface, Inc., and no more environmentally aware than his contemporaries. But when his customers started asking about the environmental impact of his carpets, he dropped into the rabbit hole of environmental research and emerged a changed man. He had a new goal for his $1 billion company: It would take nothing from the earth that the planet couldn’t replace. In 2009, Interface created and sold over 83 million square yards of carpet without negatively impacting the planet or losing revenue. Anderson chronicles his journey from point A to point B in his book, “Business Lessons from a Radical Industrialist.”
Leftover Turkey Supper If you’re trying to lessen your business’s impact on the planet and tap into a market of environmentally conscious consumers, “Business Lessons from a Radical Industrialist” is the place to start. GG Gretchen’s Kitchen (My mom’s secret recipes) sustainable innovation, and its patents, products, and processes are revealed in his book, which is as much a guide for entrepreneurs of the future as it is for those of the present. One reader on Amazon reviewed the book as “Inspiring,” writing, “If only the world had more Ray Andersons. The fact that he turned a company reliant on the use of petrochemicals for the production of its core product into [a company] with sustainability as its core ideology and was able to improve his profits is outstanding. Any and every company can learn something from this book.”
According to Inc. magazine, Anderson, who passed away in 2011, was considered “the greenest CEO in America.” His company mastered
Ingredients For Casserole:
• 1 tsp salt • 1/8 tsp pepper • 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese For Confetti Biscuits: • 2 1/4 cups Bisquick mix • 2/3 cup milk • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese • 1 tbsp sweet pepper flakes • 1 tbsp chives
Take a
• 3/4 cup onion, chopped • 1/2 cup celery, chopped • 3/4 cup chicken broth • 10-oz can cream of chicken soup • 1 cup sour cream • 3 cups turkey, cooked and cubed • 4-oz can mushrooms • 3 slices bacon, cooked crispy and crumbled • 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
BREAK
Directions
1. In a sauce pan, combine onion, celery, and chicken broth and simmer for 20 minutes. 2. Add cream of chicken soup, sour cream, turkey, mushrooms, bacon, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper to above mixture. 3. Place in greased 2-quart casserole dish. Set aside. 4. Mix all confetti biscuit ingredients together drop by tablespoon onto casserole. 5. Bake at 350 F for 40–45 minutes. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup shredded cheese, and enjoy.
Corner Post MINISTRY
If you would like to listen to Dave’s spiritual podcast, visit www.CornerPostMinistry.com
“Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving and make a joyous noise unto Him with Psalms.” Psalms 95:2
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The Importance of Saying Thank You
Are You Making These Writing Mistakes?
Tester-monial
Is Going Green Good Business?
Not Your Ordinary Turkey Shoot
Not Your Ordinary Turkey Shoot The Crazy Case of Jacobs v. Kent
moved for a partial summary judgment against Kent on the basis that he had failed to determine that Jacobs was not a turkey but, in fact, a human being. Kent cross-moved for summary judgment, saying Jacobs should have expected risks when he stepped into a popular hunting environment. When their case came before the Supreme Court of the 4th District of New York, the courts denied both the motion and the cross- motion. They agreed that Jacobs had assumed the inherent risks of hunting — just not the risks it would be unreasonable to assume, like getting shot by another hunter who thought you were a turkey. Beyond that, the courts did not pronounce judgment because they did not have enough verifiable facts. Jacobs asserted that turkey hunters should not shoot unless they can see the turkey and verify its gender. The court could not determine whether Kent had failed to follow this rule when he shot Jacobs. They also could not determine whether the doctrine of primary assumption of risk, which Kent pointed to in his defense, was even applicable. The court also called into question whether Jacobs had also been negligent. Ultimately, the case didn’t move forward.
It began like any other hunting excursion. Neil Jacobs was walking softly through the bushes, looking for a spot to hunker down and watch for a flock of turkeys. The only problem was that someone beat him to that neck of the woods. James Kent had established a hunting spot for himself, and, when he heard rustling and gobbling in some nearby bushes and saw a flash of red, he took aim and fired.
Unfortunately, the movement in the bushes was not a turkey. Kent was horrified to find that he had shot Jacobs. Jacobs promptly
Maybe next time, they should just try getting a turkey from the supermarket.
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