Professional Equities, Inc - November 2018

Check out our November newsletter!

Insider Passive Residual Income THEULTIMATEPASSIVERESIDUAL INCOME TM November2018 The

FROM THE DESK OF

Bill Moist

When I was young, I did not understand my father’s sign that read, “Pray for our troops.” As I grew older, I learned that my father’s serving in Korea with the Indian Head Infantry Division was one of the most challenging times for both of my parents. It wasn’t until 40 years after his discharge that Dad reconnected with his fellow serviceman. Mom never complained about life’s situations, but before she passed, she said being a newly married farm girl living in California while her husband was being trained and deployed was one of life’s greatest challenges. When I was born, my dad wanted to call me David, after his friend David Black, who was killed in Korea next to dad in the battle. However, Mom wanted to call me William. So they compromised: William David. I have tremendous respect and gratitude for people currently serving the military, veterans, and their families.

THE HISTORY BEHIND THANKSGIVING TRADITIONS T urkey , F ootball , and B lack F riday

“There is one day that is ours. Thanksgiving Day is the one day that is purely American.” –O. Henry

In our lifetimes, Thanksgiving hasn’t changed all that much. Sure, you may have modernized the menu and begun posting your family photos to Instagram, but the tried-and-true quartet of family, football, grub, and gratitude has been in place for generations. While it’s easy to take holiday traditions as a given, each one has a fascinating history all its own. Christmas trees, Valentine’s chocolate, and other de rigueur activities often have strange, unexpected origins. With that in mind, let’s take a look at the backstories behind some of the essential Thanksgiving traditions. TURKEY Unlike other items on this list, it’s likely that turkey has been a staple of Thanksgivings since the first Thanksgiving in 1621. At the time, the holiday didn’t even have a name, and it was still more than 200 years away from being officially recognized by Abraham Lincoln. There are only two primary source documents detailing the meal between the Massachusetts colonists and the Wampanoag natives, and one of them mentions the famous Thanksgiving bird explicitly. Plymouth County Governor William Bradford described the menu in his journal “Of Plymouth Plantation,”which is one of the earliest accounts of life in colonial America. “Besides waterfowl,” he wrote, “there was great store of wild turkeys, of which they took many, besides venison, etc.” As the colonists moved throughout the continent, they brought turkeys with them. In fact, there was even a specific role, called a “turkey drover,” for the person who would shepherd the birds from one part of the country to another.

Joyce & Lee Moist

–Bill Moist

Continued on page 2 ...

(817) 657-4080 • 1

Cover story, continued ...

Many people assume that the holiday gets in name from retailers going from “red” (having a loss) to “black” (making a profit) on that day, but that’s actually a myth. The term was coined by Philadelphia police officers to describe the influx of suburban shoppers who flocked to the city, wreaking havoc and forcing them to work long hours. It took only a few years for Black Friday to become an unofficial city holiday. Black Friday in Philadelphia began in the 1950s. A few decades later, in the ‘80s, when America was chock-full of shopping malls, it became a nation-wide phenomenon. Even the explosion of online retail hasn’t slowed the droves of people lining up at insane hours to secure the biggest savings of the season. Thanksgiving is one of the most traditional holidays. Whether you’re content to keep the routine the same or are the type of person who likes to spice things up, it’s fun to know why Thanksgiving looks and feels the same for so many Americans.

but the NFL is how we get our Thanksgiving football fix these days. The Detroit Lions played in the first professional “Turkey Bowl” in 1934 against the Bears, and the Dallas Cowboys got in on the act in 1966. The teams from Detroit and Dallas still host holiday games to this day. The NFL, never one to miss an opportunity to make money, added a third Thanksgiving game in 2011. One year later, Mark Sanchez of the Jets produced the now-notorious “butt fumble,” laying an egg that even the largest fowl would be envious of. BLACK FRIDAY The wildest shopping day on the calendar begins earlier and grows more annoying every year — recently, it’s started to encroach on Thanksgiving itself, making you wonder if you should stick around for pie or head off to the mega-retailer for a chance to take advantage of some screaming deals. You may be happy to know that people being irritated about Black Friday goes back as far the tradition itself.

The relationship between turkey and Thanksgiving was well-established by the time the American Revolution began. Alexander Hamilton went so far as to say, “No citizen of the U.S. shall refrain from turkey on Thanksgiving Day.” According to the National Turkey Federation, more than 40 million turkeys are eaten each Thanksgiving, so it’s safe to assume that most people are heeding Hamilton’s advice. FOOTBALL American football — or any football, for that matter —wasn’t even a sport when Thanksgiving began. However, the association between the two American icons dates back to the earliest days of the sport in the late 19th century. Harvard and Yale played the first Thanksgiving game in 1876. A decade later, the University of Michigan began a series of games that most historians believe inaugurated the tradition of Thanksgiving football in earnest.

College football may have been where the sport’s relationship with Thanksgiving began,

Best DIY Gift Ideas FOR EVERYONE ONYOUR LIST

artistic freedom as much as they’ll enjoy your thoughtful gift.

and add other decorations as they like. You can also find some fun ideas on the blog Little Page Turner, like painting a butterfly from your kids’ stamped footprints. Have fun with it!

Looking for gift ideas that don’t break the bank but still show the special people in your life how much you care? Do-it-yourself (DIY) gifts are the way to go. Here are a few ideas to put together on a chilly night. Pull out your crafting supplies, turn on some holiday tunes, and get creative.

BEST DIY GIFT FOR SOMEONE SPECIAL: Memory Map

BEST DIY GIFT FOR YOUR BESTIE: Personalized Mug

Utilize a map, a pair of scissors, some glue, and your memories of meaningful places to create this sentimental gift. Choose map locations that are meaningful to you and your special person — where you met, where you celebrated special moments, where you first lived — and cut them out in geometrical or heart shapes. Then, glue the cutouts to a piece of matboard. You can add kind words at each point, or let the places explain themselves. Place in a frame and gift to your loved one.

BEST DIY GIFT TO MAKE WITH THE LITTLE ONES: Handprint-Covered Apron

You only need a mug and an oven-safe or porcelain marker to create this personalized gift. Use a mug you already own, or pick one up from the dollar store or thrift store, and get expressive! You could write a sweet or funny message (“but first, coffee” or “two shots, hold the chatter”) or list their favorite beverage (“coffee, no sugar” or “green tea”). Write something that makes them think of you, or create a simple drawing. Enjoy the

Aunties, uncles, and godparents will love a gift that incorporates their favorite little ones, and it’s a great way to get the kids in on the project. Choose some unadorned aprons from your local craft or home goods store and some acrylic paint in a variety of colors. Then get crafty! The kids can use their handprints as a starting point

2 • Self-StorageInsider.com

WHAT MATTERS MORE IN NEW HIRES? Experience vs. Potential

many employers want to limit uncertainty and ensure they aren’t gambling with their company’s future. But experience doesn’t equate to competency, which is why some employers elect to hire for potential.

Take a Break! A degree- or trade-specific education can certainly lay a foundation for an employee to be successful, but experience provides specialized training that cannot be found anywhere else. An employee who has a working knowledge of their craft can provide a sense of security when hiring. With new employees playing such a pivotal role in growth, Scaling a business is one of the most complicated challenges for entrepreneurs. Developing a model that allows for consistent growth while maintaining profit margins and effective systems is a substantial task for business owners. But once the proper blueprint is in place, a new test presents itself, and how well you perform will undoubtedly define the future success of your company. Hiring plays a significant role along a company’s path to success. It’s not a landmark or a checkpoint on the map; it’s the vehicle that takes you to your destination. Your business is only as good as the people who propel it forward. You need individuals who fit into your culture, possess the necessary skills to be effective, and have a desire to continue learning best practices if you’re ever going to achieve your goals. Some qualities are universally known to be linked to good hiring practices, but there’s still one important question that divides the masses: Do I hire for experience or potential? EXPERIENCE

POTENTIAL

The argument for hiring based on potential centers around two concepts. One is that by hiring someone with a bright future and helping them achieve their goals, you could gain the loyalty of that person and thus retain that employee for a longer time. This comes with the caveat that those who have potential also look for potential, so as an employer, it’s important to provide opportunities for advancement. The other argument is that potential combined with training can equate to a more effective employee in the long run. In truth, the disagreement that transpires is a moot point. You can hire someone with experience or an individual with potential and strike out just the same. All successful employees will have one important trait: passion. You can’t teach passion, but you can hire for it.

A Simple Brine

FOR SUCCULENT TURKEY

Ingredients

2 large sprigs thyme

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons kosher salt

2 bay leaves

3/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon black peppercorns

1 carrot, peeled and diced

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds (optional)

1 large onion, peeled and diced

1/4 cup celery, diced

Directions

1. In a large stock pot, bring salt, sugar, and 4 cups water to a boil. Stir until all ingredients are dissolved. 2. Turn off heat and add remaining ingredients. Place brine in the fridge, uncovered, until cold. 3. Add 6 quarts cold water to brine. Add turkey and submerge completely. Brine chilled for up to 72 hours.

Recipe courtesy of Bon Appétit magazine

(817) 657-4080 • 3

INSIDE THIS ISSUE From the Desk of Bill PAGE 1 The History of Thanksgiving Traditions PAGE 1 The Best DIY Gifts PAGE 2 Debunking Experience vs. Potential in New Hires PAGE 3 Take a Break PAGE 3 A Simple Brine for Succulent Turkey PAGE 3 A Closer Look at Your Cup of Joe PAGE 4 Professional Equities, Inc. BILLMOIST'S What’s the first thing you do in the morning? For most of us in the United States, it’s one crucial task: getting that morning cup of joe. Our obsession with coffee is nothing new. A paper entitled“The Consumption of Coffee in the United States,”published July 18, 1861, noted that“the people of the United States habitually consume more coffee than the inhabitants of any other country.”Its popularity has only increased with time; people in the U.S. consume an estimated 400 million cups of coffee a day. Of course, we weren’t the first to find out how great coffee is. Long before anyone in the Americas enjoyed the beverage, legend has it that an Ethiopian goat herder discovered the amazing effects of coffee beans—on his goats. He noticed that after eating“berries”from a certain tree, his goats became so energetic they didn’t want to sleep. News spread around the Arabian Peninsula, and cafes began to pop up, known as“Schools of theWise”for the intellectual conversations that happened there.

THE ULTIMATE PASSIVE RESIDUAL INCOME TM

PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411

401 N. Carroll Avenue Ste. 166 Southlake, TX 76092

Self-StorageInsider.com (817) 657-4080

THAT MORNING CUP OF JOE Coffee and Its Relationship to Your Health

inmoderate amounts, the sugar and other additives that many of us like to put in it get a thumbs-down. The Dietary Guidelines also note that health alone isn’t a reason to start drinking caffeine. Folks with blood pressure concerns should be especially careful and should consult their doctor about howmuch coffee is okay to drink, as studies have shown evidence of increased blood pressure with caffeine consumption. Everything inmoderation, as the saying goes, at least when it comes to caffeine.

In addition to coffee’s long-standing popularity, science has found several reasons to give our morning habit the thumbs-up. In 2015, the U.S. Dietary Guidelines evaluated the effects of coffee and caffeine for the first time, concluding that coffee can be part of a healthy lifestyle“along with other behaviors, such as refraining from smoking, consuming a nutritionally balanced diet, maintaining a healthy body weight, and being physically active.”The guidelines cite “strong and consistent evidence”that consuming coffee within the moderate range (3–5 cups per day, or up to 400 mg of caffeine per day) is not associated with an increased risk of major diseases. In fact, according to observational evidence, caffeine intake may be linked to reduced risk for certain diseases in healthy adults. Scientists think that antioxidants found in coffee, such as polyphenols, might contribute to its positive effects.

There’s one major caveat, however. While coffee shows potential benefits when consumed

4 • Self-StorageInsider.com

Published by The Newsletter Pro • www.newsletterpro.com

Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4

Made with FlippingBook Online newsletter