Glenn Shepard’s Personal Blog

Dear Rebecca,

I just wanted to take a moment to let Glenn know about my situation and
what my stand and attitude cost me (Work is certainly NOT for sissies).

After marrying and settling down in 1985 with my best friend and
business financier, he quit his job at the local airport to work in the
now “family” business with me. When we decided to have children I became
less responsible and he took over management of our business. After our
10th wedding anniversary and a move to the country I became an at home
mom, substitute teacher at my children’s school, and volunteer.

Three years ago my hubby asked me to return to the business (48
employees) to assist them with Human Resources, compliance with OSHA,
EEOC, etc. and all the paperwork now necessary to stay out of trouble
with our ever increasingly interfering government. I learned as much as
possible, went to some seminars, gathered knowledge online and became
the HR rep for his company. I was professional, expected the company to
be in compliance, and was responsible for the first ever employee
handbook, training, hiring, firing, reviews, etc. as well as vaccine
programs, etc. I thrived in a situation where EVERYTHING was in need of
improvement and was very good at my job.

Unfortunately during my “mommy” years they had hired a gal to assist
them and to “run” the night portion of their business. I NEVER would
have hired her. They didn’t call for references. They ignored early
warning signs that proved her incapable of handling the scope of
business they handed over to her. They ignored her insolence, blatant
violations of company directives, and out of fear that they would lose
her and be thrown back into managing both the day portion and the night
portion of business, they rewarded her financially in excess of what
makes good business sense. (We’re talking somebody in charge of
janitorial workers at night making 50,000 plus per year with benefits
who at the time I returned to work wasn’t even putting in 35 hours per
week!!)

Fast forward to this past November. The company has raised the bar and
this gal has been unable to meet the new standards. At best she is a
martyr who will work physically all night long (and who is sure you will
never forget) but who trashes management, divides her employees against
each other, gossips, stirs up trouble, and who has cost us many
potential managers because of her unprofessional and possibly illegal
behaviors. When the documentation was more than enough, and when the
legal service we use assured us that we could very easily let her go
with no problem, the decision was made to do so within one week. As the
week progressed the weenie management (my hubby ultimately) decided not
to terminate her employment. Fear gripped him and in spite of
overwhelming evidence, possible lawsuits by former employees, and proof
that we COULD survive without her, he changed his mind.

Work is not for sissies, so I gave 30 days notice and left my job.
Character is very important to me and I could no longer support the
business practices and endorsement of this gal’s behavior by management.

Thanks for all you do to remind us that work is not for sissies. And
yes, I am still married! We just “don’t go there” when it comes to his
work. My legacy lives on even in my absence!

Signed….Anonymous for very obvious reasons
 

“I loved the response from Coach Belichick tonight at the Patriots press conference when asked how he keeps his players focused on the task at hand.  He said, ‘They come to work every day.  They can take constructive criticism and they always try to find ways to do their job better.’
 
How outstanding that is!  Could every employee adopt that philosophy?  Maybe we could all be “undefeated” in life if we did! I would love it if someone would write an article about how keeping the Patriots focused on the task at hand was accomplished in this outstanding season.”

Steve and Julie Terstriep

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In my 11/5/07 posting to this blog (“Nanny State”), I wrote about how Dodgeball has been prohibited in multiple states because it has been deemed too rough, while Colorado and Massachusetts have prohibited “Tag”. I was referring to grade school students, but today the following comment was posted by a college age student:

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“This is a great topic that I have really just discovered. It is absurd that kids are prohibited from these games that are essential, in my opinion, to being a decent, healthy child. What may be more absurd is the reason this topic was brought to my attention. I am a senior history major at Ohio Northern University. Randomly looking through a student handbook the other day, I came across a rule that states that dodge ball is prohibited on campus. I was appalled. Not only did I blame this on a campus that, for reasons I won’t mention, has been infected with administrative idiocracy, but on the total collapse of sensibility in American society. I think that many people would find this just as stunning as me and certainly Harsanyi would. We can only hope America will regain consciousness and stop trying to protect us from our own lives.”
—Ryland Breeding
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Thanks to Ryland for the update. I had no idea that this has now extended to college students too, but am going to ask my nephew who’s a sophomore at the University of Tennessee if U.T. prohibits such a “dangerous sport” as dodgeball. Un-Be-Lievable!

For those who find going to church as enticing as watching grass grow, maybe you just need to find a different church. Today my wife and I visited a Methodist church in the upscale but conservative Nashville suburb of  Brentwood, where a pastor from Memphis was the guest speaker. He spoke on the scripture that says to keep the marital bed pure and addressed the obvious issue of marital fidelity, and then the modern issue of men looking at porn on the web, explaining that it was also a betrayal of the marital vows. But then he said something that I certainly never heard in the conservative Southern Baptists churches I grew up in. He said that keeping the marital bed pure also means to have sex, and then told the women in the congregation to “go have sex with your husbands”. On out way to lunch after church, my wife nudged me and said “I just want you to know that I took really good notes on today’s sermon”.

People all over the U.S. have been emailing me and asking why Fred Thompson pulled out of the presidential race before Super Tuesday when nearly half the country votes, including home state Tennessee. Becoming president was not his dream, as it is for other candidates. Fred already had two jobs many people would kill for. He’s an attorney turned actor who played the D.A. on the weekly TV series Law and Order, and he was a regular fill in for Paul Harvey. He sacrificed what he wanted to do in order to serve. Now he has dropped out of the race for the same reason. He knew he was not going to win, and realized that staying in the race would only convolute the situation even further.

He’s one of the most honorable men who has ever run for president. Even though he’s been a lifelong Republican, he was one of the prosecutors against Richard Nixon. He later put a Democratic Tennessee governor (Ray Blanton) in prison for fraud in the early eighties, but voted to acquit Bill Clinton of perjury when Fred was serving in the U.S. Senate in the late nineties. When asked why a Republican didn’t take the opportunity to convict a Democrat, he said something that I’ll never forget, “Justice has no political affiliation”.

Americans have grown so accepting of “morally ambiguous” politicians (i.e. Giuliani brought his mistress home to the New York City mayor’s mansion while he was still married to his wife,  Bill Clinton made a mockery of his marriage and the presidency with his constant parade of floozies), I wonder if they still know how to recognize leaders with character.

I don’t know enough about the other candidates to know which ones may also have the personal character and integrity of men like Fred Thompson and Jimmy Carter. But I do know that if John Edwards is more concerned about the Democratic party than himself, and Rudy Giuliani is more concerned about the Republican party than himself, they need to drop out now. The only reason they could still be in at this point is for ego.

I almost didn’t send the e-mail of the wedding photos yesterday, and did at the last minute. Glad I did now. For some reason I didn’t expect feedback, but the emails have been really fun. What’s interesting is that women are far more likely than men to send feedback on anything I write, but there have been a surprising number of men this time. Here are a few samples.

—Glenn

P.S. Thanks everyone!

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>Dear Glenn
>
> Congratulations on the making the biggest step of your life. May God be
> the third partner of your union because “a rope with three strings is
> stronger than a rope with two strings”.

>Khanya Ngonyama
>South Africa

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AWESOME photos!!!!

I am going to Vegas just after Valentine’s day to get married…..We were going to fly into to the GC like you did but you beat us to it…LOL….I guess we will have to settle for a small chapel now……Thank you so much for sharing your pictures…..Every woman loves a wedding photo! I wish nothing but loads of love, luck, and happiness to you both!!

Tammy in Tampa, Florida

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Great pic’s! Too bad they didn’t give you the little red “toy” as a wedding present… Sure is nice to see a happy couple enjoying the providence of God and acknowledging Him.  Thanks again for sharing these,

David K. Smith
Director of Quality and Environmental Management
Transform Automotive L.L.C.
Sterling Heights, Michigan

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You guys look like the Top Of the Cake……  What a lovely young lady you have by your side. And what a backdrop. Magnificent!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Paul T.  Mangano
U.S.A.F.

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> What a beautiful couple!!! Many, many congratulations and happy years in
> front of both of you!!! I had attended one of your seminars in New York. I
> learned a lot and found you to be one of the most captivating speakers I have ever
> met. Thank you for sharing your special day, it’s always so refreshing to
> see true love these days.
> Enjoy your journey together, of course in a Corvette.
> Live, Laugh, and Love 4 ever!!!
> Chris Myruski

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Glenn,

I am so happy you decided to spend some of your wedding experience at Bellagio.  I work at Bellagio and everyday I walk into work, I am thrilled to work in such a beautiful hotel where customer service is so important.  I recognized the Conservatory from some of the pictures.

God Bless!

Lynda Smith
Las Vegas, NV

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> What an exciting wedding…you did it right, we love Las Vegas and
> the Grand Canyon.. I am sure their is an Indian proverb that will bless
> you

Fran Harring in Florida

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> Glenn,
>
> Remember this:
> Marriage is not for sissies!
> It takes work from both sides.
> I speak from experience of 43 years with my wonderful wife Marianne.
>
> May GOD be with you both,
> Logan E. Wing, III

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> Glenn – Thanks so much for sharing these extraordinary pictures with all
> of  us.  (Makes us feel like good friends.)  Best Wishes to you and your
> lovely  bride.
>
>Chris McMahon

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> Rebecca,
>
> Tell Glenn the pictures are just amazing and his wife is absolutely
> beautiful.  Also, tell him a girl in my office thinks he looks 25 years
> old…I don’t know how old he is, but I have a feeling he’s a little older
> than that only b/c of his obvious many years of experience and some of the
> references he makes in his newsletter/blog.
>
> Thanks for sharing the pictures…BEAUTIFUL!!!

Tina Hanley
Moore & Wolf, Attorneys at Law
Mobile, Alabama

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Glenn,

I am so so happy for you and your bride is beautiful, I hope to someday have the chance to meet her and tell her what a lucky lady she is. You have made such a difference in my life and I am very lucky to have a friend like you

Vickie in Michigan

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Wonderful, Glenn.
Me and my wife Manju liked the photos very much, and thanks for sharing with us.  Congratulations once again, and All the BEST to Both of You!!

Rao & Manju Telidevara
Dallas, Texas

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Congratulations

Sheila Bobo, AA III, Supervisor
UCLA Les Kelley Family Health Center
Santa Monica, California

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Thank you for sharing that beautiful moment.  My husband, his 90 yr. old father and I plan to drive to the  Grand Canyon the end of April this year from here in Asheville, NC.  I have never seen it before and I really look forward to it.  Best wishes and many blessings to you and your beautiful bride!
 
Brenda J. Hankinson, NTCA Disab Tech.
Asheville, North Carolina

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Glenn,

Congrats to you and your wife.  Wishing you many happy years together. Looking forward to seeing you in Shreveport on February 22.

Byram Carpenter

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> Wow, and WOW!!
> The photos are just wonderful. What a dream wedding!
> You may tell Glenn for me;  a strong, happy wonderful marriage is a rare
> thing today. We just celebrated our 25th and absolutely enjoy being together. I adore
> my husband.
>
> Best of the best and may God continue to bless you!
> Glenda Dutton

> Jacksonville, Florida

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>G East,
>
> 1. I’m not insulted that you didn’t invite me to the wedding BUT
> if you had told me beforehand, I’d have chauffeured the 2 of you around
> Vegas in my old “pick-up truck” (photo attached).

> 2. If you had asked, I could have warned you about canyon weather
> in December.
>
> 3. Send Breon to Vegas and I’ll turn her into a supermodel and she can
> do her own make-up.
>
> G West    (Glenn Welt, Las Vegas, NV)
>
> P.S. Very nice-looking bride. Did she fall in love with you because you  wear plaid suits?

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Thank you so much for sharing your incredible pictures with me; I feel
very blessed to have been able to share in your joy!  You both look
amazing and you can just feel the warmth and love jump off the page!!!
Being a fairly new bride, (a little over a year), I wish you both all of
the love, joy and blessed peace that comes with being with the one the
God has chosen for us!!!

Just remember Work is not for Sissies and neither is MARRIAGE!!!! 

Nora Mary Gilgallon-Keele, Office Manager
Tennessee Ophthalmology Consultants
Brentwood, TN

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How precious that was of you to share your special day!  Your bride is  beautiful and I wish your many years of happiness.  My husband and I share our 35th wedding anniversary next Christmas Eve. Said that was all we had to give me for Christmas that year.  If I could share any advice it would be to communicate with each other.  And just
 remember during times of conflict, if you are wrong admit it and if you are right shut up as she will find out later you were right.

I wish you much joy!

Carolyn Harden, CIRS
Coosa Valley RDC Area Agency on Aging NW GA
Rome, Georgia

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Glenn:  These are absolutely breath taking and sssoo beautiful.  And look at
that BIG smile you have on your face in all of the pictures….Your bride is
very, very pretty and you make such a gorgeous couple….I hope and pray for
the best to come in the future for one spectacular person whom I am also
grateful to have come into my life for a long, long time now.  I wish you
were coming back to Paducah at some point, I don’t have any seminars to
attend now…(ha)…however in another year, I hope I wont have to worry
about it cause I’m wanting to semi-retire…and believe me, I’m
ready….Thanks again for sharing these beautiful pictures and please don’t
ever forget me…you’re someone very special to me…Take Care…

Nancy Thweatt
Paducah, Kentucky

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> WOW…Glenn…SOOOO happy for you both…what BEAUTIFUL pictures. Now I
> want to go to the Grand Canyon. My husband and I have talked about it, but have
> never made it a reality yet. Thank you SO much for sharing your special,
> special day…and remember….
>
> “Tomorrow is the most important thing in life. Comes into us at midnight
> very clean. It’s perfect when it arrives and it puts itself in our hands.
> It  hopes we have learned something from yesterday”
>
> Have a great weekend !!
>
> Kat Fitzgerald~Office Manager
> Cutting Edge Carpet
> Orlando, Florida

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Congratulations!  I was married December 31, 2007, I can appreciate your
happy thoughts I too an still on cloud 9.  My husband I leave February 2 for
Rivera Maya Mexico for our honeymoon.

Cynthia L. Clark
Office Administrator

STANLEY, LANDE & HUNTER
Attorneys and Counselors
Muscatine, Iowa

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> Hi Glen,
> Thanks for sharing this with me. You have been blessed with a beautiful
> wife. The venue shows your innovativeness.

> Long life and love
> Eustace Alexander
>Conservation International
>Alexandria, Virginia

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Thank you for sharing your wedding highlights with me.  Very beautiful,
both of you and as always the Grand Canyon, which is always awesome, was
only made more spectacular by you guys.  Congratulations!
Chris Draude

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> Congratulations, Glenn.  Seems it was a mighty fine wedding; quite special
> with much thought put into it.  Of course, I wouldn’t expect anything less
> from you.
>
> Sincerely,
> Cyrus Sloane
> Lafayette, LA attendee of a seminar in 06.

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> Congrats Glenn,
>
> I tried to get married in the canyon.  I have been twice and as
> you said it, if a mountain could dream, they’d dream of the canyon.  Check
> out the Bar 10 Ranch…google it.  We went 4 wheeler riding and I
> recommend it to anyone going out that way.
>
> Congrats again…and life is good since I started listening to you!
>
> Sincerely
> Kevin Faucheux
>Lafayette, Louisiana

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Wow, awesome photos.  I have to say this brings it all home to me…it
brings YOU to me!  Now that I see you on a personal level, I can’t help
but respond.
 
Congratulations on your wedding, Glenn.  I’m a newlywed myself; we got
married Nov. 1st in Pigeon Forge while taking a brief vacation.  We
didn’t plan it, but our starter at the golf course suggested it, and we
decided to do it the next morning.  I knew I couldn’t live without him
when he took me on a surprise hot air balloon at sunrise in Mesa, AZ.
Breathtaking views, but none better than his smile at 700 feet over the
desert!

Friend,
Julie

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WOW wow!!! you have no idea how much your wedding made my day… of course am referring to the pictures….. cold? yes, hot?  hopefully.  You had an option and left the chopper…. hahahahaaaaa.

Always congratulate the groom, for he is the one with new blessing <bride>.
Best wishes.
Merci, Sandra

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Thanks for sharing such a personal day.  The pictures were beautiful.  I
have taken a helicopter ride over the Grand Canyons but this was more
breath taking because they were up close and personal and you captured
the colors.

Susan M. Hill
Omaha, Nebraska

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She’s definitely a beauty, Glenn!!!
KEITH FOOTE

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Thanks for sharing your wedding photos with us. They are beautiful.
I look forward to receiving your newsletter every Tuesday and always
enjoy reading it.
Wahnita Schiefer, Assistant Personnel Manager
Bronner’s CHRISTmas Wonderland
Frankenmuth, Michigan

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Lovely photo’s! The selection of the Grand Canyon was lovely – worth freezing for a few moments, the cold goes away- the memories last a life time! Congrats!

Teresa Lupo
Tifton, Georgia

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 Glenn,

Congratulations you have a beautiful bride, I used to photograph weddings. What a delight and worry that would have been to be the photographer. Whoever it was a beautiful job. especially the last shot in the canyon.
may GOD bless you both.

Howard Cornwall

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Absolutely stunning, congratulations and I wish you all the best!  Your
bride is beautiful.

Having just returned from Vegas and the Grand Canyon last night I can really
appreciate your pictures!  Love that place.  Thanks, for sharing.

All the best!

Linda Kreutz

Vancouver, B.C., Canada

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> Congratulations, My prayers are with you. May you enjoy a very long and
> happy marriage as I have. I will be enjoying a vacation to Florida to
> celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary.  It goes by so quickly when you’re
> happy.
>
> Randy Kerkman

This was a comment on this blog yesterday, but knowing that many don’t see or know how to use the comments, I thought this should be a daily post in and of itself.  Well said, Susan!

—G.S.

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Glenn,

While I always look forward to receiving your newsletters, this week’s topic was particularly applicable. Not only am I a Packer Backer, but I am also a perfectionist (though I suspect the two cannot always be combined). While watching the game, it occurred to me that Tynes had to have a lot of confidence in himself, his training and his team to take the field again. He took the field with head held high despite his prior failed efforts.

In my experience, one sign of a good manager is knowing the employees’ talents and capabilities. The coach knew he could “scold” Tynes and still expect him to step up to the plate. He knew Tynes’ abilities including letting go of the past and pushing forward. What a reward he received for his faith in Tynes!

Being perfect doesn’t always win the game. Imperfection and failure are steps toward growth, not weakness. This is a lesson I have learned in years of working with a variety of people, and one I strive to remember every day.

Thanks for the reminder!

Susan Petersen
Rice, MacDonald, Winters & Breeden
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

Rebecca,
 
Please let Glenn know that this is THE BEST newsletter I receive and I can’t wait to open each one upon its arrival in my inbox. I not only get a principal out of each newsletter to better myself, but I am also touched deep down in my heart by connecting with the Cheesecake Factory, nail salon, Keith Urban song, Grey’s Anatomy, football game. Please encourage Glenn with this. He is such a gifted writer!
 
Brook Bower
North Central Pennsylvania Regional Planning and Development Commission
Emporium, PA

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Brook,

I actually hate to write. It’s an excruciatingly painful and difficult thing for me. I do it only because it’s a “necessary evil” in order to be a successful speaker, and I love speaking in public.

I’m struggling to write a 1,000 word article for the magazine of an industrial manufacturing association right now, which I have to get to their editor by Friday. I’m speaking at their annual meeting in March, and they want me to write something that will increase attendance of members in the U.S. and Canada, because it’s their 50th anniversary (no pressure there).

I joke about this with a friend of mine in Canada named Peggy McColl, who is a New York Times best selling author. She loves to write but hates to speak, and does the speaking because it feeds her writing.

One reason I blog every day is to practice my writing skills. I figure that by the time I reach retirement, maybe I’ll get this writing thing down.

 So thanks for your encouragement. It came at just the right time. (Note to self: Keep on plowing through this thing. There’s someone out there who actually called you’re a gifted writer).

Best,

Glenn