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You are the Solution By Bob Cox If you are feeling upset, fearful or angry over the results of the presidential election, you’re not alone, especially here in California. The results are in and 8,753,788 Californian’s voted for Clinton (61.7%) while 4,483,810 residents in California voted for Trump (31.6%). Now that the most bitter and viscously contested presidential election in American history is finally behind us, can we all just take a deep breath, relax and move on to something more positive, which by the way does not include loading our shotguns and waiting for the grim reaper to bust through our door! Whether your candidate won or lost, when it comes to dealing with fear and anger, you really have only two choices: You can either choose to be part of the problem by staying stuck in the past and venting to anyone within screaming distance or you can become part of the solution by facing your worst fears head on and then choosing to make things better. To truly become the solution, which means creating more peace and joy for yourself and your loved ones, your leap of faith begins by admitting what you’re most upset about. By clearly identifying the scope and nature of your problem with openness and honesty, you will have a much
more thorough understanding of the havoc it’s wreaking on your mind, body and soul. The next step is sharing your concerns with no more than three confidants that you trust and respect. Any more than that means running the risk of overanalyzing a problem. Sharing it with too many people is a bit like eating a slightly toxic soup every day. Each day you eat it, you get a little bit sicker until you’re too sick to think straight and solve the root cause of your illness. Hello grim reaper again. Come in and enjoy our delicious soup, seasoned with arsenic and lace! Once you’ve gotten feedback from your advisors, come up with the best possible solution and resolve to take immediate action. You’ll know when you have the right answer because you will feel awakened and excited just thinking about it. With the New Year upon us, now is the perfect time to go for it! On the TV Show CNN Heroes, my wife Diana and I were moved to tears as we saw one powerful story after another about ordinary everyday people doing extraordinary things to make a positive difference in the lives of others. The winner was Jeison Aristizábal, a man from Columbia suffering from cerebral palsy. His doctor once told Aristizábal’s mother that he would amount to nothing because of his condition but Aristizábal refused to quit on himself. He is now enrolled in law school and has dedicated his life to helping others reach their full potential by offering young people with disabilities a range of vital free services. Another CNN Hero was Umra Omar. Omar left a lucrative career in America to help people in need of health care in her native land of Kenya. Her group is called Safari Doctors and they travel to remote villages, bringing free medical services to more than 1,000 people a year. “Being here, being close to home, to be able to fill some of the gaps in accessing health care, it’s kind of been an IV drip for life and purpose,” Omar said. I’ve heard a few people say that life is not a spectator sport and that we’re all players in the game of life. That can be a difficult notion for sports fans like me to grapple with. Why, because we spend so time as spectators, watching and rooting for our favorite teams either from the comforts of our man cave or a nearby sports arena. But now is the time for those of us who are unsettled about something profound by breaking out of our comfort zones, taking on that one thing that gnaws at our core and then doing something positive about it. We can be the solution and we will be the solution. Why, because we are not AmeriCANNOT’S. We are AmeriCAN’S! Bob Cox is the founder and publisher of Go For It Magazine. He can be reached by phone at (916) 266-3115. His email address is coxrobert@comcast.net. Go For It Magazine is owned and operated in Rancho Cordova, CA. Copyright © 2017.
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By Bob Cox While the vast majority of us enjoyed the cozy comforts of the holidays, sipping cider and hot coco with family and friends, there were large numbers of abused and neglected children in town who wanted nothing more than a safe place to escape to. Fortunately, we have an organization right here in Sacramento that has been committed to doing just that for the last 75 years. When local law enforcement is called in to remove children from a dangerous home environment, many are transported to The Children’s Receiving Home of Sacramento. The primary goal of this organization is to find safe, healthy and permanent homes for these abandoned children. They have a specialized program to help children under 5 that have suffered from severe physical and sexual abuse. While the average stay is about 30 days, some older children end up staying much longer, which is why this amazing organization provides a wide variety of life training skills. When local chiropractor and holistic practitioner Dr. Beth Blakely heard about this amazing organization from her Univera representative Bruce Backman, she said: “count me in”! Backman explained to Dr. Blakely that his health organization Univera has a charitable division called Univera Serve First, which provides nutritional aid to children locally and around the world. There are two great things about Univera Serve First: 1. 100% of donations go directly to the charity because everybody volunteers and 2. Univera Serve First matches
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each donation dollar for dollar. For these fine reasons, it’s easy to see why Dr. Blakely has become so passionate about Univera Serve First. This year, with the help of a large number of good local Samaritans, Univera Serve First was proud to present a check for $20,735 last month to The Children’s Receiving Home of Sacramento. Even better news: Every penny of that money will go to help the organization that helps these kids! Univera is a nutritional supplement company that has committed $100 million and 40 years of cellular research to provide premium quality health products. Owner Bill Lee is much more than a billionaire philanthropist that has refused to take any money from Univera as a company. The heart of his mission is to give back as much as possible to people around the world and this purpose embodies the culture of Univera and Univera Serve First. The charities they support like the Children’s Receiving Home of Sacramento are thoroughly vetted and are required to ensure that a minimum of 90% of all donations go directly to the children. Editor’s notes: For more information about Univera, contact Dr. Beth Blakely directly at (916) 944-1444 or visit the following websites: www.econetholdings.com, www.newunivera.com/en-us or www.servefirst.org/.
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Made in the Shade
By Bob Cox unprescedented growth. When oil company exAnd then everything ecutive Dan Wilmoth was changed when the Great given the opportunity to Recession hit our commufind a place to call home, he nity like a giant tornado, chose Sacramento because blowing away hundreds it had what Dan refers to as of local businesses. “When the wow factor. “Drive an this economy collapsed in hour and a half in any di2007, I called my group torection and you go “wow!” gether and we lowered our Tahoe, Napa, San Francisprices 30% and we cut the co, Monterey, Yosemite, all overhead out of the busithese places are day trips”, ness. We were able to keep said Dan. our place of business, our After 23 years and 9 The showroom at Sierra Sunscreens & Patio Covers gives customers a place reputation and the quality moves, Dan was more than to review a variety of quality shade protection products. of service by all of us workready to unpack his suitcase ing harder and smarter”, and settle down. “My wife Dan said. and I fell in love with the Northern California area. I wanted to I sat down recently with Dan to learn more about Sierra get into a business that I didn’t have to wear a tie again, that Sunscreens & Patio Covers. Here’s how our conversation went. had a sales force and was outside”, explained Dan. When Sierra Sunscreens went up for sale back in 1998, Q: Will you tell us about the history of Sierra SunDan chose to go for it, despite his limited knowledge of screens & Patio Covers? the industry. He chose Sierra because it was an established A: Sierra Sunscreens was established in 1982 and the purcompany with a great reputation for delivering outstanding pose of the business at that time was to provide sunscreens for service. a hugely growing market here in Sacramento, especially new During the first nine years under Dan’s helm, Sierra Sunhomes, which needed protection from the heat of the sun. screens flourished as the Sacramento market experienced From 1982 to about 2002, Sierra Sunscreens was the largest sunscreen dealer in the state of California. Q: What caused Sierra Sunscreens to expand to include other shade products? A: As the market evolved from so much growth to no growth of new homes, we had to diversify into patio covers, room enclosures and sunrooms as our primary business. Sunscreens has actually become more of a secondary business. Today we are one of the largest selling patio cover companies in the Sacramento valley. Q: What other shade products do you provide? A: We have vertical roll down shades, patio covers, sunrooms, screen rooms and retractable awnings. We evolved from primarily a sunscreen company into a company that provides shade of any kind. As we met those market needs
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we became really focused on the physical structures of patio covers, room enclosures, etc. Q: What’s your company’s philosophy when it comes to doing other home improvement projects? A: Our philosophy is to do a few things and do them better than anybody else. We could do kitchen and bath remodels and other home improvement projects, but that’s not who we are. People ask us to do all of these things, including landscaping, but we choose to focus on a few things and do them very well.
From start to finish, you will be impressed by the friendly and knowledgeable service from Sierra Sunscreens & Patio Covers.
Q: What have you done to separate your business from the competition? A: While several other companies carry the same product lines, we’ve seperated our business with the quality of the people we hire. Our employee based staff is manufacturer trained and extensively trained to communicate with customers. We want our customers to be very comfortable with what we are doing. We strive to live up to our mission statement: “simply the best”. Having employees can be a big advantage because most people in this business subcontract their labor out and do not use employees like we do.
Q: By having employees, don’t your customers have greater peace of mind knowing that you are 100% responsible for the project? A: Yes. I would say nine out of ten times a customer doesn’t even know that their contractor has subbed out the labor for the work. One of the reasons companies sub out labor is because they don’t have to pay workmen’s comp or liability insurance on that labor. A consumer is at great risk if these subcontractors are not carrying their own insurance.
Q: Is there anything else that seperates Sierra from the competition? A: Yes, all our installers have been with the company at least 8 years and some have been here over 20 years, which is rare in this business. I think we have the best installers in Sacramento. We’ve been in business 35 years and serviced over 10,000 customers. Longevity is a measure of treating the marketplace right. In other words, you don’t stay in business for 35 years if you haven’t treated your customers well. Continued on page 13
Q: From a consumer’s standpoint, why does it matter whether you have employees or subcontractors? A: Employees are directed by the management team they work for, so we can control the timing of our projects, the quality of the installation and the service after the sale. You can rarely get a subcontractor to go back if there is a service issue. When you have employees, you really can control all aspects of the project and that’s very important to the overall customer satisfaction. Q: Is there anything else you do to insure that the project goes smoothly? A: Yes, I personally meet with every installer before we go out on a project. I go over all aspects of the the job with them. With subcontractors, that isn’t always the case. My guys are trained to communicate with customers and some are bilingual.
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A New New Year’s Resolution By Chris Barr With the recent passing of Florence Henderson, the actress who played television mom Carol Brady of the infamous Brady Bunch, I have this question for you: Are you hearing the theme song of that woebegone sitcom every time you enter your kitchen? Or, is that cracked tile or dingy Formica countertop serenading you with another mocking song from the same boogie night’s era, like the Bee Gee’s “Stayin’ Alive” or Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive”? If your kitchen is older and tougher than disco, perhaps it’s time to embrace the 21st century by adding a kitchen remodel to your New Year’s resolution checklist. Now that the joyous and chaotic holidays are in the rear view mirror, it’s the perfect time to look forward to making a few positive and healthy changes in your life. If you’re thinking that a conventional kitchen remodel is too long, too messy and too noisy to deal with, especially after the entire holiday hubbub, it’s time to think outside the conventional kitchen box and consider a far less intrusive option: Granite Transformations! What if you could actually have your kitchen trans-
formed in a single day, minimizing all the noise, mess and downtime from several weeks to just one day? We can make that dream come true by giving you your dream kitchen in a single day! By going over your existing hard surface, we completely avoid the dust, noise and flying debris caused during demolition. All the noise and dirty work of building your beautiful new countertop and backsplash, which are made of engineered granite, quartz or recycled glass will be done right here at our facility in Rancho Cordova. Finally, our friendly and qualified installers will come out and install your brand new countertops and backsplash in as little as one day. Whichever combination of countertops and backsplash you choose, one thing is for sure: The beautifully engineered surfaces from Granite Transformations are truly state-of-the-art. That means they are functional, zero maintenance and will be a gorgeous piece of art that you will surely enjoy for years to come. And they come with a Lifetime Warranty, backed by the manufacturer. For a complimentary session with one of our trained Design Consultants, just call us today at (916) 851-9745 and be sure to tell him/her that Carol Brady sent you!
Showroom: 11367 Trade Center Dr., Rancho Cordova
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Car Tech Talk Does That Make Sense? By Dave Trux It’s a question I often ask at the service desk. Why? Because today’s cars are complex pieces of machinery that have hundreds of sensors, computer systems and are engineered beyond belief. For example, you may visit your repair facility because you have a check engine light. Your shop performs a diagnosis on the vehicle and informs you that you need to replace the fuel tank vent valve as that is the root of your check engine light. I challenge you. Do you actually know what a fuel tank vent valve is? Do you know what function it performs? Chances are high that you answered no to both of those questions. So, at this point, you know what caused the check engine light. Most likely, you also know how much it will cost for the check engine light to go away and how long the repair will take. But you still have no earthly clue as to what this valve is and what it does. At our shop, we feel it’s important to explain to our customers what is wrong with their vehicle. If
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even on an elementary level, it’s important that you have an understanding what is wrong with your car. In this instance, we would explain to you that the fuel tank vent valve is part of the vehicle emission system, that its function is to capture gasoline vapors and to contain them in the fuel system. Otherwise, those fuel vapors could escape into the environment, which would cause you to lose engine performance and on some level, increase emissions output. Lastly, we would simply ask you, “Does that make sense?” Hopefully, your repair facility takes the time to explain things to you in a way you understand. If not, perhaps it’s time to look for a new service provider. There’s no worse feeling than leaving a shop and asking yourself what you just paid for. Does that make sense? Editor’s notes: Dave Trux is the owner of Valley Motorwerks. He can be reached at his shop, which is located at 11403 White Rock Road in Rancho Cordova, CA. His phone number is (916) 636-9526 and his website is www.vmwerks.com.
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Q: Do you have any advice for consumers to help them select an honest and trustworthy contractor? A: Yes, make sure that the contractor is actually an expert in the area of the project you want done at your house. Many of these licenses overlap to certain areas of expertise. Next, select a company that has a proven track record and check them out with the California State Contractors License Board, the Better Business Bureau, Angie’s List and Yelp. I also recommend choosing a company that has a fixed location. That way, if you have a problem, you can actually go to your contractors place of business. Q: Why is it important to choose a contractor that’s been accredited by The Better Business Bureau? A: An accredited rating with the BBB versus just a BBB rating is everything. Everybody who’s in business that is registered, has a rating with the BBB. Accredited means that the BBB has checked out your business, license, insurance, complaints, etc., to make sure that you are a quality company and then they certify you and put their stamp of approval on your business. Editor’s notes: For more information about Sierra Sunscreens & Patio Covers, call (916) 635-9706, visit their showroom at 3345 Sunrise Bl. in Rancho Cordova or check out their website at www.sierrashadeproducts.com.
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Game ON, 2017... I was surprised last night by two young women who were visiting Greenpeace supporters in the area... They wanted to reach out and accomplish three things with their visit (which we can all learn from): 1. EXTEND GRATITUDE. They braved the cold to visit their Sacramento supporters and personally say “Thank you”. I even got a hug. Emails and phone calls can’t sent that message! 2. RECONNECT WITH PEOPLE. There will be a lot of challenges for everyone this coming year and we cannot do much on our own. We need to connect with like-minded people and link arms. 3. ASK FOR HELP. We can’t be timid or shy when it comes to making changes in this world. We each need to stand up for what we believe in and step forward with financial support, volunteering, and knocking on doors... I told them I have been an environmental advocate since the first Earth Day in 1970 and I am SO EXCITED to see the next generations on the bandwagon. I am also INSPIRED to up MY game in 2017. So I dedicate THIS blog to all the organizations I have supported and to the people who make a BIG difference. If your cause is not on my billboard, make your own and make a difference. GAME ON, PEOPLE!! (This is me asking...) * Visit BobsPocket.com for links to these organizations, Bob’s bio, past blogs, and more! 14 GO FOR IT
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iParts is Part of Buckley’s Team cians use tablets in the field, our salespeople By Bob Cox have laptops and all of them carry mobile Back in 1977, the world was a very differphones. When a computer goes down, we ent place. Gasoline was 65 cents a gallon, the do have a spare, but stuff always happens,” average house cost a tick over $49,000 and explained Buckley. President Jimmy Carter was constantly being When Buckley has a phone or computer embarrassed by the outrageous behavior of problem, he relies on another local business his brother Billy and his infamous Billy Beer campaign. to help him get back on track: iParts Phone The way we communicated and proRepairs. “I’ve been doing business with Alika cessed information were also quite different. Salazar, the owner of iParts for about four The common high tech gadgets that we Brian Buckley with wife Karen. years now. We’re constantly having issues take for granted today, like desktop computwith either phones or computers and Alika is ers, mobile smart phones and portable computers didn’t exist terrific about getting it taken care of in a very kindly manner. during the days when men wore their hair long and women He’s extremely reasonable, so I wouldn’t even consider takwore their dresses short. As a matter of fact, the first personal ing our components to anybody else. computer by Apple had just been introduced the previous Because the technicians at Buckley Heat Air Solar are year at the hefty price tag of $666.66 (Just over $2,700 in toproviding service all across town, Brian was thrilled when day’s world) and did not include a power supply transformer, Alika opened his newest store in Folsom three years ago. a power switch, a keyboard or a composite video display! “Now that he’s got the other store in Folsom, if we’re out 1977 was also the year that Brian Buckley and his father that way, we drop it off there. So, it just really works out well. started Buckley Heat Air Solar here in Sacramento. Back in My experience working with iParts has been terrific and I those days, high tech for the average business meant paper, give Alika 105%” exclaimed Buckley! carbon, ink pens and a pager if you were really on the cutting edge. Editor’s notes: For more information about iParts Like many businesses these days, the folks at Buckley repairs, call (916) 342-0550, (916) 936-9316 or visit Heat Air Solar rely heavily on high tech devices, especially www.ipartsrepair.com. For more information about mobile phones, laptop computers and tablets. “Our techniBuckley Heat Air Solar, call (916) 348-3181.
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