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119 Old State Rd., Ellisville, MO 63021 CapitalAdvisoryGrp.com
SEPT. 2018
WHY WE CELEBRATE LABOR DAY
doing dangerous tasks, like cleaning machinery. Work-related accidents that caused injury and death were far too common. The terrible conditions eventually gave rise to resistance from workers who couldn’t take it any longer. They joined forces and formed labor organizations to ask for better wages and reasonable hours. Across Philadelphia, New York, and Boston, labor leaders gathered to get employers’ attention and demand better rights. Similar groups were also forming in Canada, where unions were illegal. Finally, in 1872, workers marched to the door of the Canadian Prime Minister to demand the right to organize. He gave in, and since then, the march has been a Canadian tradition. In fact, Canadian celebrations may have even played a part in the conception of Labor Day in the U.S. After seeing celebrations in Canada, Peter J. McGuire, a carpenter and member of the American Federation
of Labor, suggested that New York do something similar to celebrate its workers. Still, despite victories in some areas, tensions between workers and factory owners remained high in the U.S., even as people began talking about a Labor Day. In 1894, the situation rose to a boil during the Pullman Strike. American Railway Union laborers went on strike against the Pullman Company. As the strike escalated, President Grover Cleveland called in the Army and U.S.Marshals, and several workers in Chicago lost their lives in the aftermath. Six days after the strike, in an effort to appease the workers and pay respect to the unions, President Cleveland made Labor Day a national holiday. As you enjoy your final barbecues of the summer, give acknowledgment to those early laborers who fought for workers’ rights and helped make our country what it is today.
For many of us, Labor Day is a nice long weekend at the beginning of September when we can enjoy that last summer barbecue or vacation. But there’s more to it than that. The holiday celebrates the hardworking people of our country and dates back to the beginning of unions and a time when workers’ rights were not recognized. Let’s go back to the 18th century — to the beginnings of the Industrial Revolution. There were many jobs at that time thanks to factories mass- producing goods. But as employers prospered, workers were not treated well. They were asked to work long hours for low wages in dangerous roles. The factory managers saw them as replaceable parts rather than people. Living conditions for factory workers were also grim since they had only recently moved to the city and resided in cramped quarters that left much to be desired. In those days, children also worked very long hours
-Jeff and John Zufall
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SHAWN’S PASSION FOR PEOPLE AND NUMBERS
Will Help You Declutter Your Workload GREG MCKEOWN’S ‘ESSENTIALISM’
“If you don’t prioritize your life, someone else will,” writes Greg McKeown in “Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less.” When he set out to write the book, McKeown wanted to know what keeps skilled, driven people from achieving as much as possible. What he found was that many people
Shawn joined our team over the summer, and we wanted to give him a proper introduction in our newsletter this month. In addition to being a licensed assistant, Shawn has a background in banking and holds an accounting degree. He’s also been an outstanding addition to our office.
suffer not from being lazy, but from allocating their time ineffectively.The impulse to “do it all” keeps folks from spending their time on the things that actually matter.The book, then, serves as a guide to cutting out the extraneous and focusing on the essential. “Life is not an all-you-can-eat buffet,”McKeown says. “It’s amazingly great food. Essentialism is about finding the right food. More and more is valueless. Staying true to my purpose and being selective in what I take on results in a more meaningful, richer, and sweeter quality of life.”This metaphor can be applied to your work life as well.There aren’t enough hours in the day to accomplish every task.The essentialist works to spend their time diligently by pursuing what actually matters, rather than filling their days with meaningless busywork. Early in the book, McKeown uses famed Braun designer Dieter Rams as an example of an essentialist. He notes that Rams’ design philosophy can be characterized by three simple words: less but better.This, in essence, is what essentialists believe. Doing your best work where it matters and cutting out the superfluous will allow you to better manage your time and increase your performance. As McKeown puts it, “It is about making the wisest possible investment of your time and energy in order to operate at your highest point of contribution by doing only what is essential.” Instead of having their energy spread out in a million different directions, essentialists channel it into what really matters. McKeown also advocates for defining your purpose in order to accurately assess what’s essential and what isn’t.The more a task contributes to your purpose, the more essential it is. Many business owners and leaders struggle to let go of tasks that are best left to other employees. If you’ve ever found yourself struggling to manage a massive workload while resenting the fact that much of what you do is needless, then it’s time to pick up a copy of “Essentialism.”
As a people person, Shawn found this industry to be a good fit for his skills and personality. His knack for having real conversations with people and getting to know them beyond their financial goals are abilities the clients appreciate. “I like to talk to people, get to know their stories,” Shawn says. “I’ve mostly worked with people who are retired or nearing retirement, and it’s amazing to hear their stories.” Beyond listening to clients, Shawn is passionate about helping people by empowering them with financial planning — something he first learned while working at an investment firm. According to Shawn, “A lot of people don’t understand what we do and how we do it.They don’t know what they should do, and they sometimes get taken advantage of. I like to help them so that doesn’t happen.” A self-described “numbers guy,” Shawn loves what you can do with numbers. “I’m a math person,” he admits. “I love planning and showing numbers to clients to let them know, ‘You are in good shape,’ or if they’re not, “Here’s what we can do differently to help you get there.’” These days, when he’s not working, Shawn spends most of his time at home with his family. He and his wife have four kids, so as Shawn says, “We don’t have too much free time.”They enjoy watching their kids play sports, and when he gets the chance, fishing is his hobby of choice. We’re so glad to welcome Shawn to Capital Advisory Group. Say hi next time you’re here!
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HEAD INTO THE NEXT TAX SEASON PREPARED
W hat if I told you there’s a pile of papers, not knowing what to expect from your meeting with your advisor, you would go in with a clear sense of what your taxes will look like because you’ve done all the preparation. The good news is that this is possible, and now is the time to start! It might sound early, but we only have about six months before tax season rolls around again! It will be here before you know it. Here’s how to start prepping for it. First, schedule your appointment with us today. If you aim to schedule it in September or October, you’ll leave yourself with plenty of time to make something you can do now to save yourself tons of headaches come spring, right before tax season? Instead of going into the season with
any necessary adjustments. Plus, you’ll complete it before the holidays begin. Secondly, consider any big life changes that you’ve experienced or goals you’d like to add for this season. If anything has changed, it’s a good time to talk with us about it. We will also ask you questions during this meeting to find out if anything has changed and if it affects your filing status. By preparing with us now, you’ll know exactly what to expect come tax season, and
you’ll have everything in place. Instead of a mess of papers, you’ll have a completed checklist and an organized file that you’ve gone through with us. Planning will be a breeze because you’ll simply turn all the documents over to us come March, and we’ll take care of the rest! Contact Capital Advisory Group today to schedule your Tax Prep appointment and pave your way to an easy tax season.
Ingredients TAKE A BREAK INSIDE-OUT GRILLED HAM AND CHEESE Inspired by Food & Wine magazine
• 8 slices of bread (Pullman works best) • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (preferably Parmigiano- Reggiano) • 8 ounces ham, thinly sliced
• 1/2 pound Swiss cheese, sliced • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard • 1/4 cup apricot preserves
Directions
1. Butter each slice of bread on the outsides and sprinkle with Parmesan. 2. Layer ham and cheese evenly on top of 4 slices of bread. 3. Spread apricot preserves and mustard across the other 4 slices. Press sandwiches together. 4. In a cast iron skillet or large sauté pan over medium heat, grill sandwiches until golden, about 3 minutes per side. 5. Cut in half and serve.
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(636) 394-5524
119 Old State Rd. Ellisville, MO 63021 CapitalAdvisoryGrp.com
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page 1
Why We Celebrate Labor Day
page 2
A Guide to Workplace ‘Essentialism’
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Meet Our Great Team
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From Tax Prep to Tax Ready
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Inside-Out Grilled Ham and Cheese
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Why Labor Day Is Indebted to the Pullman Strike
How a Railroad Protest Laid the Foundation for a National Holiday THE PULLMAN STRIKE AND THE ORIGIN OF LABOR DAY
Today, Labor Day mostly means a day off and the closure of public pools. But when it was first created, it was a president’s desperate attempt to curb the tension after one of the most violent strike breakups in American history. In the late 19th century, the workers of the Pullman Company, which manufactured luxury train cars, all lived in a company- owned town. George Pullman, the owner, lived in a mansion overlooking houses, apartments, and crammed-together barracks, all of which were rented by the thousands of workers needed for the operation. For some time, the town operated without a hitch, providing decent wages for the workers while netting the higher-ups millions of dollars. But after the economic depression of the 1890s brought the country to its knees,
everything changed. George Pullman slashed his workers’ wages by nearly 30 percent, but he neglected to adjust the rent on the company-owned buildings in turn. As a result, life became untenable in the town, with workers struggling to maintain the barest standards of living for themselves and their families. In response, the workers began a strike on May 11, 1894. As the event ramped up, it gained the support of the powerful American Railway Union (ARU). But Pullman, stubborn as he was, barely acknowledged the strike was happening, and he refused to meet with the organizers. The tension increased when Eugene Debs, the president of the American Railway Union, organized a boycott of all trains that included Pullman cars.The strike continued to escalate until workers and
Pullman community members managed to stop the trains from running. Eventually, President Grover Cleveland sent in soldiers to break up the strike. Violence ensued, with soldiers making a great effort to quell the strike at its core. By the time the violence ended, 30 people had lost their lives and an estimated $80 million in damages had been caused throughout the town. A few months later, President Grover Cleveland declared Labor Day a federal holiday.Many experts believe that this act was an effort to build rapport among his pro-labor constituents after handling the incident so poorly. This month, as you fire up the barbecue and enjoy your day off, take a moment to remember the workers who fought for labor rights in our country.
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