Take a look at our newsletter this month.
POPALOCKKY.COM
KEYSTROKE MONTHLY THE
NOVEMBER 2020
COUNTING BLESSINGS INSTEAD OF SHEEP
Taking a Break to Be Thankful
Nothing in any of our lifetimes has disrupted Thanksgiving plans — or really any of our plans, for that matter — like the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s going to look different for anyone celebrating the holiday, as travel restrictions may prevent people from visiting their loved ones in person and as we may struggle to find things to be thankful for in such a crazy year. Media coverage of the coronavirus has been highlighting the downsides of the pandemic for months. People have lost their jobs and businesses, schools have closed, all sorts of events have been canceled, families have endured financial stress, and many people have lost loved ones. Completely separate from that, our country recently wrapped up a brutal presidential election, and while I’m writing this before they’ve announced the winner, I can already guess that the next few months are going to be pretty contentious. While we shouldn’t just ignore all the ways this year has drastically affected all our lives, it’s my hope that, at least for me, Thanksgiving can be a time to take a break and really focus on what I have to be thankful for. Because, even though this year hasn’t been great, I think the things that went right shouldn’t go unmentioned. For one, I’m grateful that Pop-A-Lock was considered an essential business back in March. When lots of businesses had to close, we were fortunate enough to stay open. Along with that, I was also thankful I didn’t have to lay anyone off because of the pandemic. Additionally, I wasn’t forced to issue pay cuts. As more and more businesses reopened during the summer months, things really started to get back to normal, and there wasn’t much difference in our day-to-day operations. In a year like 2020, continuing business as usual (or at least as usual as possible) was a bigger blessing than I could have guessed. Not only am I grateful for Pop-A-Lock’s continued operation for me and my employees’ sakes but also for the sake of our clientele. Throughout these difficult times, we’ve still helped people get back into their cars and homes, rekey homes and businesses, make keys for their cars, and program their key fobs. I’m always glad to see
good reviews of our services pop up online. It means we were able to help someone, despite everything else seeming to go wrong these days. Finally, after a year like this, I’m just thankful to make it through healthy. At this stage in life, that becomes more and more of a blessing every year. Some of you might remember the song “Count Your Blessings (Instead of Sheep),” written by Irving Berlin and sung by Rosemary Clooney and Bing Crosby in the movie “White Christmas.” As we enter the Thanksgiving season, and then the Christmas season, it’s an idea I’ve thought about more and more. Right now is the perfect season to end the day remembering the things we’re thankful for as we fall asleep. After everything that’s happened so far in 2020, it’s the best way to end the year and start off 2021. -Doug Barnes
REQUEST A FREE QUOTE 1
Published by Newsletter Pro • www.newsletterpro.com
BORED ON THANKSGIVING? PLAN A MOVIE MARATHON!
5 Thanksgiving Flicks for the Whole Family
to success are comfortable clothes like pajamas and robes, along with plenty of movie snacks. This Thanksgiving, plan your marathon around these holiday-themed films. 1. ‘FREE BIRDS’ — This hilarious 2013 animated film stars Owen Wilson and Woody Harrelson as turkeys who have escaped the Thanksgiving table. Together, they go on a mission back in time to break up the first Thanksgiving and get turkey off the menu for good. 2. ‘A CHARLIE BROWN THANKSGIVING’ — This old-school television special from 1973 is a Thanksgiving classic. In it, Charlie Brown and Snoopy navigate football, an ever-growing Thanksgiving guest list, and a backyard feast of junk food.
Thanksgiving mainstay. The vet puts Garfield on a diet at the worst possible time: right before Thanksgiving. 4. ‘AN OLD-FASHIONED THANKSGIVING’ — This 2008 period drama is based on a short story by Louisa May Alcott and tells the tale of an estranged family who find themselves back together just in time for the holidays. It’s historical, heartwarming, and fit for all ages.
5. ‘A FAMILY THANKSGIVING’ —
After a giant Thanksgiving meal, it can be tempting to sink down onto the couch and never get up — so embrace it! This Thanksgiving, try planning a family movie night to enjoy while the turkey settles. Movie nights are about as low maintenance as family hangouts can get. According to Elle magazine, actress Angelina Jolie credits family flick marathons for helping her survive quarantine with six kids at home. Her secrets
This Hallmark comedy is a funny combination of “A Christmas Carol” and “17 Again.” A high-powered lawyer is transported to an alternate universe and gets a look at what her holiday life could have been like if she’d made different choices.
3. ‘GARFIELD’S THANKSGIVING’ —
Everyone loves Garfield, and this 1989 television special starring Jon, Odie, and the fat cat himself is another
With these five films on your watch list, you won’t need any other Thanksgiving entertainment!
How Microsoft Has Stayed Alive Despite Its Competitors’ Best Efforts Whether because of its bloated software, seemingly outdated operating system, or unremarkable mobile phones, everyone likes to make fun of Microsoft. At first glance, it would seem like the tech company that once ruled an industry — now dominated by Apple and Alphabet (Google’s parent company) — is on its way out. However, that’s simply not the case. Despite many of its products barely making an impact in certain markets, Microsoft continues to be successful in bold, new ways. Last year, they still topped $125 billion in revenue and their stocks were still the most widely held in index funds and ETFs. So, how does the company with a search engine, Microsoft Edge (previously Internet Explorer), which once held 95% of the world market but now no longer leads anywhere in the world, stay in the game? If one word could describe the reason for Microsoft’s continued success, it would be “diversification.” Microsoft is still the world’s largest software producer, and it does so much more. Azure, Microsoft’s cloud computing service, is second only to Amazon Web Services and is responsible for about a third of the company’s revenue. Additionally, products like the Surface Tablet and Xbox Gaming systems, while not the leaders in their respective markets, still make a big enough dent to keep them relevant. And that’s before
even mentioning their Windows operating system, which is what they’re best known for throughout the world.
These are just a few examples of markets that Microsoft has dipped its toes into over the course of its time. In some markets, they do extremely well. In others, they’re not even close to being relevant. But, ultimately, their willingness to diversify, take risks, and step into new markets keeps them in the black even when it seems like they would have been swallowed by another company by now. Many companies can find success in pouring all their efforts into one product or a few different products. However, if you don’t pay attention to the market, that means the success you see with those could stagnate. But, if your company is like Microsoft, willing to diversify products and meet new needs, your continued relevance will be all the more secure.
2 WWW.POPALOCKKY.COM
Published by The Newsletter Pro • www.thenewsletterpro.com Newsl tter Pro • www.ne slett rpro.com
SHOULD I REKEY MY BUSINESS?
3 Questions to Answer
Being a business owner means keeping a lot of different ducks in a row, and one very important duck that you may find difficult to keep in line is office security. While questions about how often you should rekey your office space, or about specific situations that might compel you to do so, will be decided on a case-by-case basis, a few key factors can help you decide when you should have a locksmith rekey your office. IS THERE AN IMMEDIATE SECURITY THREAT? Of course, if you believe your workplace may be in danger of theft or vandalism, it might be time to rekey your office and update your security measures. Examples of immediate security threats include: • Someone having access to keys for which they shouldn’t have access • An employee has left the company disgruntled and still has access to the workplace • Forced entry or burglary has already happened at your workplace IS THERE A HIGH DEGREE OF TURNOVER AT YOUR WORKPLACE? In the absence of immediate security threats, you could base the rate at which you rekey your locks on the average turnover rate at your workplace. If your turnover rate is higher, and employees are given
access to the office as they come and go, you might want to consider rekeying your locks more often than not. If your rate of turnover is lower, the opposite might be true. DO YOUR OFFICE ASSETS REQUIRE THE LATEST IN OFFICE SECURITY TECHNOLOGY? Depending on the kind of assets you want to protect at your office, you might just want to keep tabs on the latest offerings for office security. While your motto with regard to office security might be, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” a better one might be, “Better safe than sorry,” if you have expensive equipment or sensitive information stored at your office. Better to spring for the extra security upfront than grapple with your losses later on down the road. Let the experts at Pop-A-Lock know if you’re looking to rekey your business — or update any part of your workplace security for that matter. Call your nearest Pop-A-Lock location today using one of the numbers on the back of the newsletter!
TAKE A BREAK
THE BEST RIDE-ALONG COMPANION ANYONE COULD ASK FOR
The Pups of Pop-A-Lock
I got Onyx after my previous dog, who had ridden with me all over town for 10 years, passed away. She’s a Chihuahua, chow, poodle, and German shepherd mix that my wife got me from the Humane Society. She looked just like my old dog, and while she took some getting used to, I can definitely say she’s the smartest, healthiest, most protective dog I’ve ever owned. In her downtime, she loves to play catch with a Frisbee and torment my Yorkie. She’ll eat pretty much anything, but her favorite treat is the hot dog that she always gets when we go through the Skyline drive-thru. She perks up every time we’re headed that way. She’s admittedly not the friendliest dog, but I can leave my car completely unlocked and walk away knowing that
no one will try to break into it if Onyx is there. And, if only for that reason, I’m glad to have her around.
-Shane Cochran
REQUEST A FREE QUOTE 3
Published by The Newsletter Pro • www.thenewsletterpro.com Newsl tter Pro • www.ne slett rpro.com
PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411
POP-A-LOCK 739 MILLPOND ROAD LEXINGTON, KY 40514 POPALOCKKY.COM
LEXINGTON SOUTHERN IN 859-253-6736 502-895-6736 812-288-7576 LOUISVILLE
INSIDE THIS ISSUE COUNTING BLESSINGS INSTEAD OF SHEEP PAGE 1 5 THANKSGIVING MOVIES FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY WHY DIVERSIFICATION IS MICROSOFT’S STRONGEST TRAIT PAGE 2 SHOULD I REKEY MY BUSINESS? THE PUPS OF POP-A-LOCK: ONYX PAGE 3 TOP 5 HEALTHY LIFE HACKS TO HAVE AN AWESOME MORNING PAGE 4
Getting your day started with coffee isn’t always enough. Sometimes, you need to give yourself an extra boost, especially when you have little energy or trouble focusing. For an awesome start to your day, here are five tips to get you going right off the bat. WAKE UP 5 MINUTES EARLY. What’s the power of five minutes? It can be more than you think. Spend this time doing simple breathing exercises or a quick meditation so you can get focused for the rest of the day. If that’s not your style, you can prepare a quick to-do list for your day ahead. Either way, it’s always nice to have a little extra time for yourself without losing too much sleep. START WITH GREEN TEA, THEN COFFEE. A cup of coffee at 7 a.m. can leave you burned out by 10 a.m. Try swapping it with green tea for a more gentle wake-up call. After that, you can brew your favorite coffee to keep you going strong. This practice also might help you consume less caffeine overall! TAKE A QUICK MORNING WALK — AND HAVE YOUR MEETINGS ON THE GO. Morning meetings can make us want to fall asleep again. Don’t spend all of them sitting down if you don’t have to! Not only will morning walks help you wake up, but they can also add TOP 5 HEALTHY LIFE HACKS TO HAVE AN AWESOME MORNING
some extra physical activity to your day.
WRITE IN YOUR JOURNAL. Who says you have to journal at the end of the day when you’re tired and ready to sleep? You can journal in the morning about what happened yesterday and the things you’re looking forward to that day. Journaling can remind you of your daily goals and motivate you to stick to your commitments.
PACK YOUR LUNCH (OR SNACKS!). Staying on track with your goals starts with having the energy to do them. Plan a healthy balance of fats, vegetables, carbohydrates, and proteins. This can be as simple as assembling dips, carrots, wraps, and salads each morning.
It’s time to try these tactics to jump-start your day!
4 WWW.POPALOCKKY.COM
Published by Newsletter Pro • www.newsletterpro.com
Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4Made with FlippingBook Learn more on our blog