LESSONS FROM A REMARKABLE MAN WALKING IN MY FATHER’S FOOTSTEPS
In addition to marking the official start of the holidays, November is National Inspirational Role Models Month. We all have people who’ve inspired us through the goodness they’ve brought to the world, but few people have encouraged me and enriched my life more than my father, Dalton. Growing up, I always looked up to my dad as someone who’d literally give people the shirt off his back. A true example of actions speaking louder than words, he served in the Coast Guard before getting into the insurance business. By the time he started his agency in the late ’80s, I was in high school and old enough to appreciate all the hours he put in to make the business grow. He would always say,
“Take care of the clients, and the business will take care of itself.” That philosophy still rings true for us today. After a stint in the military, I joined my father at the family business in 1998. Helping people for a living has always been the best part of the job, but I also cherish that being here allowed my dad and me to eat breakfast or lunch together every day for more than a decade. When he retired in 2014, I was honored to follow in his footsteps as company president. During my early years at the agency, I became a parent myself. The demands of the job had prevented my dad from attending many of my sports games and other activities when I was growing up, and
I knew that bothered him. When my first son, Jackson, was old enough for sports and field trips, my dad didn’t bat an eye — he always encouraged me to take time away from the office to be involved in my child’s life. I carry that commitment to this day with my youngest son, Logan — who, at 5 years old, is a little daredevil who loves sports and even taught himself how to ride a bicycle! Yes, we’re a family business , but my father taught me that the second word in that phrase should never come at the expense of the first. Thanks, Dad, for touching so many lives and being the best role model I could ask for. —Jason Mackey
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SPINACH, LENTIL, AND ROASTED BEET SALAD
Inspired by MinamalistBaker.com
INGREDIENTS • 1/2 cup green lentils, rinsed clean • 1 cup vegetable stock (or water) •
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 400 F and grease a rimmed baking sheet. 2. To a small saucepan over medium-high heat, add lentils and stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20–30 minutes uncovered until all liquid is absorbed. Set aside. 3. Add leeks and beets to the baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Bake 15–20 minutes. For crispier beets, bake for an additional 10–15 minutes. Set aside. 4. In a small bowl, whisk all dressing ingredients until combined. 5. In a larger serving bowl, combine spinach, beets, leeks, and lentils. Add dressing and toss to coat.
3 medium leeks, chopped 1 medium beet, quartered
• • • •
1–2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp each salt and pepper
4 big handfuls of spinach
APPLE BASKETBALL BLACK FRIDAY
NAP PARADE PIE STUFFING TURKEY VETERAN
Dressing •
1/4 cup tahini
• • • •
1/2 medium lemon, juiced
FIREPLACE GRATITUDE LEAVES
2 tbsp maple syrup
3–4 tbsp olive oil
1 pinch each salt and pepper
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