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The American Dream Needs Revisiting

The big lie about the American Dream is the concept of upward mobility through dedicated effort to a career and a job. Statistics and surveys indicate THAT just doesn’t happen any more in America. The fact is great economic upward mobility comes from those who work not only harder, but smarter.

An article in the Seattle Times yesterday made us all aware of how bad things have gotten. “Problem With Paychecks” took much of its content from Parade Magazine’s annual “What People Earn” survey. Here are just some examples of what the story reported. The following list names the person, their location, and their annual income and descends from highest to lowest:

…11. Lorri Froid, Seattle
Office manager
$49,000
12. Heather Murphy
Woodinville elementary school teacher
$39,032
13. Anne Fogarty, Kirkland
Event planner
$37,760
14. Mary Purdy, Seattle
Dietician and adjunct college professor
$36,000
15. Nan Lammers, Skykomish
Forest services snowshoe ranger
$33,414
16. Curtis Hodgson, Burnaby, B.C.
Lacrosse player
$26,500
17. Ned Whalen, Seattle
Car sales professional
$26,000
18. Cara Sullivan, Seattle
Barista
$15,000
19. Betsy McPhaden, Seattle
Artist
$2,000

I didn’t list the Top Ten on the actual Seattle Times list since most of us are not them; i.e. Major League baseball pitchers, NFL running backs, CEO’s of billion dollar corporations, etc.

I know the income that my wife and I earn, and I know how much we struggle to meet our bills and live in what could only be described as a middle-Middle-Class lifestyle (8-10 years ago I would have said upper-Middle-Class, but that’s another story). Nine years ago when we bought our home in the Seattle suburb of Renton, WA it’s purchase price was exactly what the King County Association of Realtors was identifying as the median-price for homes being sold in King County at that time.

Some up-grades may have pushed its price slightly above the local median price/value; but for the most part it serves as a pretty evident measuring stick for middle-Middle Class. My point is…for the people listed above…I don’t know how they make it.

The American Dream as it is defined by one on-line dictionary is as follows:

a·mer·i·can dream
Noun
The traditional social ideals of the United States, such as equality, democracy, and material prosperity.

The term was coined in 1931 by historian James T. Adams. It’s changed over the years but basically came to represent:

Owning a home and a car or two

Raising a family, with kids that grew up to do much the same as you

Working 40 hours per week for 40-50 years in a job or career

Taking 1-2 approximately week-long vacations every year to Disneyland or the big regional beach

Retiring in comfort to regularly play golf, bingo, and visit the grandkids once in a while.

It became:

Leasing (buying) your home from the bank who charges you a low-interest rate for the right to do so; a home of 2500 square feet or more, 2-3 cars, and an RV.

Have kids raised by someone other than Mom or Dad who are too busy at the office to be home for dinner, let alone after school (whether as a family or not is optional); or raised by your 55-inch tv, or by Facebook. Pay $15,000-$20,000 per year per kid for 5-6 years for them to get drunk at college.

Work 50-70 hours per week for a wage capable of allowing you to save for retirement, or (as with the people listed above) 40 hours per week to barely scrape by and have zero retirement.

Vacation every year for 2 weeks in some exotic location, paying for all of it on your credit cards.

Retiring in your 70s with a reverse mortgage praying the 20-30% equity you’ve managed to accumulate in your primary residence is enough to maintain your lifestyle.

That’s some lifestyle. That’s a lifestyle in which children are sacrificed in favor of “stuff” and “status”.

Today working a job that keeps you from your family, or your recreations, 50-70 hours per week is something people wear like a badge of honor. Why? Wouldn’t you be better off working only 30-40 hours per week, making as much money or more, and devoting the rest of the time to your children, your wife, your husband, vacations, etc? The obvious answer is, yes. And you can do it. But the key is to get money working. Get multiple streams of income. The earlier mentioned Seattle Times article points out that median hourly income has rose only 11-percent since 1973. Additionally, in 2011, wages for males with college degrees were JUST 5 percent greater than in 1979. For men with only high-school degrees, entry-level wages were 25 percent lower than in 1979. Your single-solitary job is making you poorer and requiring you to work more hours. The 1-job, 1-career American Dream doesn’t work. You need money coming in from elsewhere.

We used a very large sales-commission check to buy our first home in 1994. Two years later being home owners allowed for us to borrow enough to move-up into a bigger house and keep the other house as a rental. We did the same thing again in 2003. My wife and I acquired nearly all our most valuable possessions, went on our most expensive vacations, and spoiled our kids during the time we had the additional income stream from owning rental property from 1996-2006. Warren Buffett, among others, is one who cites multiple streams of income as key to being successful.

The Missus and I have finally re-learned what we knew before. In our case AdvoCare is already giving us a new income stream. Based on the $20-25-thousand per month incomes our friends achieved with AdvoCare in just 3-years, we expect it to be a sizable stream, growing into a river. We’ve met many others who also are earning over $1000-per month with AdvoCare while working a mere 5-10 extra hours per week. And it’s a growing business. And it has the added benefit of paying us while we aren’t even doing anything. It has the added benefit of only paying us when we genuinely help other people. And it has the added benefit of being a continuing inheritable business and income stream, meaning should my wife and I die the income generated by our AdvoCare business becomes our children’s. Then they will have multiple income streams too.

Thanks for visiting. Comments are welcome.

Click to go to our AdvoCare website.

March 11, 2013
Categories: Business, National Politics, Washington State, Weight Loss . Tags: 2nd income, Advocare, American Dream, Anne Fogarty, Burnaby, Business, Curtis Hodgson, direct sales, health and nutrition, income streams, James Truslow Adams, MLM, multipke incomes, multiple incomes, Plan B income, Seattle, second income, streams of income, United States, Weight loss . Author: Michael Schuett . Comments: Comments Off on The American Dream Needs Revisiting

My Weight Loss. How I did it.

I am proud to say I stand as a living breathing example of how you can lose weight and not dramatically change your life in doing so. If I’m right that there are a lot of people who are overweight because they don’t think they can lose weight, or haven’t reached a stage yet where they feel the need and don’t want to change eating, drinking and exercise habits in order to make it work have I got the solution for you.

As of this morning I weigh 208-pounds. I’m 6-foot 1-inch tall. And I have a 32-waist. Since I’m 49 years old and was 185-pounds in high school and know that I’ve added muscle mass since that time I’d say I’m doing pretty good. Nine months ago I wasn’t doing good. I was 245-pounds and had a 40-inch waist, a big ol’ pot belly.

Me at my worst- about 245 lbs.

I thought a blog on specifically what I’ve done since my great weight loss adventure began would be helpful. So, here is what’s typical.

(With the mention of each product I use I provide a link for you to go to the website and see and read, purchase and try-out said product)

I wake at 5:30am, weigh myself and immediately have my AdvoCare Spark, Prostate Support, and Bio Tools.

At 6am I’m in my exercise room to begin my workout Mon-Fri. I was a member of LA Fitness for the first 6 months of this journey. But since I have much of the workout equipment already in my home I decided not to pay the monthly fee at the gym and just continue what I’ve been doing for 10 years at home.

The first 20 minutes of my workout consists of vigorous stretching.

In following a plan devised by a fitness trainer I conduct resistance training (weight lifting) Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. On Tuesday and Thursday its cardio workouts, or simply treadmill work.

Monday’s are “core” days. I do three sets of 60-second planking. Sit-ups. And most everything else on the universal weight machine we bought years ago. I do lat-pulls, bench press, and butterfly presses. I frequently do an exercise in which I hook on a single handle to the weights, hold it with my arm stretched fully down my side, and then I bend sideways at the waist lifting the weights while doing so. With all lifting I do 3-sets of 10-to-15-reps. Muscle building is not a goal. Thus the high reps. At this point I’ll then put in ten minutes on the treadmill to wrap up my hour.

Wednesday are “legs” days. And I hate legs days. After stretching I do 3-sets of 60-second squat-and-holds. Did I mention that I hate this? I do leg extensions, leg curls, and toe raises by clicking the lat-pull bar to the weight pulley near the ground. I grasp the bar behind my back and with my arms fully extended and NOT shrugging my shoulders I rise up on my toes and lift the weight simultaneously. I do 3-sets of 20-reps of this exercise. As with Monday and Friday I close-out with 10 minutes on the treadmill. But on legs day instead of jogging I wear 10-pound ankle weights and walk the treadmill with a steep incline. By the end of my hour on Wednesday’s my ass is kicked. Did I mention I hate “legs” days?

Whenever there is only 10-20 minutes left in my workout I take my packet of AdvoCare MNS pre-breakfast supplements.

Friday’s I work on arms and shoulders. Arm curls, arm extensions, and fly weight lifts (arms fully extended to the side. Raise weights up from legs to shoulder height, keeping arms straight and locked). And I also have a 10-pound weight tied to a dowel with a long shoe-string. I roll the dowel in my hands, lifting the weight. I do this palms up and palms down. Three-sets each exercise.

On Tuesday’s and Thursday’s I put in 40-minutes on the treadmill, after stretching.

Breakfast comes after my workout. Since my weight loss began breakfast 4-5 days per week is an AdvoCare Meal Replacement Shake; Chocolate. When I’m doing the 24-Day Challenge I don’t add anything to the shakes. When not doing the Challenge I might add something to the shakes like peanut butter, a banana, strawberries, black berries, or raspberries. I’ve done the challenge three times, or every three months. And I have my breakfast MNS supplement packet, which usually contains OmegaPlex Fatty Acid pills.

About 3-4 hours after breakfast I have a late morning snack. It’ll either be a piece of fruit, nuts and seeds (unsalted), or an AdvoCare Snack Bar or Fruit and Fiber Bar. Love ’em. Sometimes I’ll have a celery stick with Adam’s All-Natural Peanut Butter (no salt, no sugar).

30-minutes prior to lunch I enjoy another Spark, AdvoCare Catalyst, and my MNS pre-lunch supplement packet.

I eat a late lunch so that I can watch one of my favorite TV programs, Pardon the Interruption on ESPN. At lunch I frequently eat dinner-left-overs. Lately, that’s included a lot of fish, and chicken breasts. The food items that are most frequently missing from my diet now, that were regular before, are cheese and bread and condiments loaded with sugar and salt. Also I have my lunch-time AdvoCare MNS supplement packet.

To help one’s metabolism nutritionists recommend eating 5-6 times per day. I never did this before beginning to lose weight. And now the meal I’m most likely to miss is the late afternoon snack. Since I eat lunch so late I often am not hungry, and merely forget to eat something. When I do it’s usually a piece of fruit, nuts and seeds (think trail-mix), or celery and peanut butter.

Throughout the day I have a glass or bottle of water with me at all times, and I drink it at all times.

Around 6pm I’m having a cocktail, usually rum and coke. Usually 2.

Dinner comes around 7pm. On Friday’s it’s almost always pizza. My wife will fix-up some pasta recipe most weekend days. But usually its something quick and sensible; again lots of chicken and fish. I don’t eat out often. I might have a fast-food meal once every 1-2 weeks. Salads are part of my dinner 3-4 nights per week. I use spritzers now instead of the italian or bleu cheese dressings I used to always pour over my greens. If I don’t have a salad I have vegetables of some kind.

I don’t avoid hamburgers, or other junk food any more than I used to. I still enjoy a fat, juicy burger, beef steaks, spaghetti with meat sauce and parmesan and lots of other “bad” stuff. I don’t think I eat as much as I use to eat. And if I had a big-bad lunch I have a very light dinner. And vice-versa. I don’t think I was previously as conscious about eating light during one meal because I had or was going to have something heavy in another.

About 2-3 times per week I enjoy a dessert; usually about 2-hours prior to bedtime. Dessert could be a bowl of ice-cream or 2 cookies.

How does this differ from the time when I was 40 pounds over-weight. Honestly? Not much. I added AdvoCare. Other than that most of what I just described I’ve been doing for at least 10 years. The only major difference is AdvoCare. And now I weigh less than I have in nearly 30-years. It’s the truth. You figure it out.

Sonja’s lost over 30 pounds and even more since this pic was shot in July 2012.

Thanks for visiting. Comments are welcome.

Go to our website, read our story and try some AdvoCare. You won’t regret it.

March 6, 2013
Categories: Washington State, Weight Loss . Tags: Advocare, advocare products, build lean muscle, cardio workouts, ESPN, fitness, Health, healthy-living, LA Fitness, lose weight, Monday, nutrition, Pound (mass), shopping, Support Groups, Weight loss . Author: Michael Schuett . Comments: Comments Off on My Weight Loss. How I did it.

Get Your Dreams Answered by Overcoming Disappointment

In the short time my wife and I have been involved in Direct Sales with AdvoCare I’ve come to realize that my friends, leaders and coaches were right. You must overcome disappointment in order to succeed. This is true of anything in life. But in the field of multi-level marketing it’s especially true.

I went from 245lbs in May to 210lbs in February with AdvoCare, achieving a weight not seen by my scale since 1987.

Here is the most important thing to know. Your friends and family will not support your new business venture or your enthusiasm for it. And this more than anything else leads to people quitting and saying “Direct marketing doesn’t work”. Where we benefit in AdvoCare, perhaps more than other Direct Sales companies, is that we are told this repeatedly by those who have been successful representing AdvoCare before.

I know some will read this and scoff that I’m just expressing sour grapes over our failure to “sell” to friends and family. Actually, nothing could be further from the truth. Mrs. Blah Blah Blah and myself are truly enthusiastic about the health, energy, and nutritional products produced by AdvoCare. We really know and believe them to be the finest in the world. Using AdvoCare we have combined to lose more than 70 pounds of fat in only 8 months, we have more energy than ever before (or certainly in years), Prostate issues have been completely solved, arthritis pain has been eased, muscle toning has developed like never before, and we’re making a little money with every expectation that we’ll make even more. More importantly, we’ve helped a couple handfuls of people lose weight and feel great. And based on the fact they keep buying product without prompting is clear indication that they like/love AdvoCare too. No I don’t feel sour grapes for the naysayers, the deniers. I feel sorry for them. I only wish I could find the words to properly convey my feelings. My wife and I have a desire to help those who have similar needs or problems that we faced when AdvoCare was introduced to us. But if they won’t take the time to listen or try the products we can’t help.

Advocare solves so many solutions for so many people.

Do you want to lose weight? AdvoCare is unmatched in helping all kinds of people lose weight.

The 24 Day Challenge is cheap compared to what we all normally spend money on.

Do you have high blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar? Are you pre-diabetic? While it’s important to state we’re not making any medical claims nor is AdvoCare I can say these issues evaporated in my case and in the case of many others after using AdvoCare.

Are you in debt and need an infusion of cash? By applying a mere 3-5 hours per week to AdvoCare; in only 6 months we’re making about $500 per month. By the end of our first year we have every expectation of making $1000 per month. Would you work an additional 3-5 hours per week for a year in your current job if it made you and extra $12,000 per year? Also, my friend and his wife who introduced us to AdvoCare built a business paying them over $20,000 per month in just three years.

Are you working long hours at your job and missing the opportunity to spend time with your family, your kids or grand kids? Is someone other than you raising your children? AdvoCare Distributors work from home and many do make full-time incomes.

Are you a hard-body? A fitness freak? A weekend warrior athlete who can’t get enough endorphins and is looking to take your physical fitness to a new exceptional level? AdvoCare is used by countless professional athletes and Olympic athletes. Our list of non-paid endorsers includes NFL MVP‘s, Olympic Gold Medal Winners, Heisman Trophy winners, NFL Man-of-the-Year recipients, and Super Bowl Champions. If it’s good enough for them, you better believe it’s good enough for you.

AdvoCare awards $20k in bonuses twice per month to the top Rookie Advisor-Distributors.

Direct Sales, or Multi-Level marketing companies, are not a scam. They are not pyramid schemes. They have existed proudly in this country for well over 100 years. And some of the finest producers of products in their respective fields are direct sales companies. Amway, in spite of its bad reputation in this country, is a billion dollar enterprise and sells the world over; and their products are top quality. Mary Kay and Avon cosmetics are wonderful (or so I’m told. My wife buys Mary Kay and has for years). Mary Kay Distributors sell $3-billion of product, Avon, $12-billion every year. The Pampered Chef, Party Lite, Tupperware and on and on. Many multi-level direct sales companies are household names with fine products and reputations.

Spark is loaded with 21 different vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients. It contains no sugar. And it works!!!

But none of this means anything to the cynical friend or family member. And let’s face it, these are the people you will approach first when you decide to represent AdvoCare, or any other direct-sales company. And that is why this blog is titled as it is. You have to overcome what initial disappointment might come your way from the utter rejection you get from the people who are closest to you. You have to realize to be successful with AdvoCare you have to be open and eager to talk to STRANGERS. GASP! Here’s the good news…you’d have to do that in any other job also. So what’s the problem?

The Performance Elite line of products will develop muscle and help reduce the risk of injury.

If you make the decision to try AdvoCare and grow it as a business you make a great decision. But you want to prepare yourself for meeting and enjoying new people. You will want to prepare yourself for working occasional evenings at PARTIES. You’ll have to prepare yourself for making more money and getting out of debt. And you will have to do all this while keeping your old friends who will probably not support your new venture, and making new friends who will.

Thanks for visiting. Comments are welcome.

Go to our website, read our story and try some AdvoCare. You won’t regret it.

February 28, 2013
Categories: Uncategorized, Washington State, Weight Loss . Tags: Advocare, Blah Blah Blah, Diet, Direct selling, extra income, financial freedom, Gold Medal Winners, Health, Heisman Trophy, lean muscles, Mary Kay, Multi-level marketing, NFL, nutrition, Olympic athletes, Pampered Chef, Plan B income, Sports, wealth, Weight loss . Author: Michael Schuett . Comments: Comments Off on Get Your Dreams Answered by Overcoming Disappointment

AdvoCare Success School Changed My Life

“People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily.” ~ Zig Ziglar

A lot of cynics might look at the title of this blog and scoff. There was a time I would have been amongst them. Which is why I opened this blog with the well-known quote from one of America‘s All-Time great motivational speakers and sales trainers.

“Learning is finding out what you already know. Doing is demonstrating that you know it. Teaching is reminding others that they know just as well as you. You are all learners, doers, teachers.” ~ Richard Bach

When my wife and I combined to lose nearly 70 pounds in 3 months using AdvoCare and specifically the 24 day Challenge I was happy to sign up as an AdvoCare Advisor Distributor because I was convinced of the products quality, and I was convinced they could help others who, like us, struggled for years to lose weight and get fit. But I was less inclined to buy-into all the overwhelmingly positive, enthusiastic and happy life all those associated with this fine company perpetually represented. After all, I’ve been in sales most of my professional life and I’d seen it all before…or so I thought.

I attended AdvoCare Success School the weekend of February 15-17 in Fort Worth, Texas, not far from AdvoCare’s home in Plano. The School, which others would call a convention, was jam-packed with 23,000 of the most beautiful people I’ve ever had the privilege of surrounding myself with. By beautiful I mean- physically.

NFL Man of the Year Jason Witten and the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders

The huge predominance of people there walked around in bodies a sculptor would happily use as models for efforts to replicate Michelangelo’s David or Aphrodite. I remain only 5-15 pounds overweight, but I felt self-conscious walking around amongst all these hard-bodies; as if I were my old chubby self again. By beautiful I also mean- spiritually, intellectually, and morally. Smiles greeted me where ever I turned. And to say the enthusiasm was contagious would be like saying Michael Jordan was an OK basketball player. It’s an understatement of biblical proportions.

“When you see someone without a smile, give them yours.” ~ Dolly Parton, Best Little Whorehouse In Texas

I came home from my four-day excursion committed to being a better man. My wife of 26 years will see a better husband and provider. My kids will see more love and less reprimand. My friends will hear more praise and less teasing. And my work efforts will be more focused. Writing this blog is part of that. It’s important to note that I don’t think I was a bad guy before this past weekend. But I was far from perfect. I am proud to be a business owner, a father, a husband, and a home owner. I am proud to be independent. But far too often I also resented how alone I was. I started my business Total Broadcasting Service eight years ago with numerous friends and co-workers expressing a desire, and in some cases promises, to join me and work together at building a profitable radio advertising, audio production, and video production company. Ultimately, none of them joined me, making efforts to build a company and its profitability a struggle. Through this time my wife and I raised two teenagers. And anyone who has done this knows the volatility that comes with parenting young people who are struggling to break free from Mom and Dad‘s authority. My wife and I clashed often over how and what to do with and about our kids. And again I felt resentment, far too often.

I made my company profitable, but not as much as we have always envisioned. And now I know in my heart that my heart has held me back and not allowed me to provide for my family as much as they deserve. I know my kids have seen the indifferent or aloof Dad more than they should; and they need to see more love. I still believe its important for my kids to see a Dad, a counselor, an authority. But thanks to my weekend experience at AdvoCare Success School and my friends in Texas I now know more than ever my kids can be happier if I’m also their friend more often than I have been; and more of a helper as they continue their lives. I have seen an alternative to how I had been. And I prefer the alternative.

Drew Brees and a host of AdvoCare endorsers take the stage.

I am a strong man. I will remain so. Being kinder and more positive doesn’t make one a push-over. But I will find words that lift up in all I say and do and avoid words that condemn or suppress. And since I pride myself on my writing it will be a challenge I welcome; finding words that promote good and as a subsequent byproduct promote me, my beliefs, and my efforts. The proverbial Win-win situation. Though promoting myself will remain a by-product, not a primary goal. Goal number 1 is to help my children achieve their own happiness. And Goal #2 is to help in any way all those I come in contact with. #3 is to reach out and contact more people, so I can help more people.

Like Zig Ziglar says at the start of this piece a person’s motivation, mine included, can wane. But in surrounding oneself with the positive, happy, ever-accomplishing people I’m now blessed to be fully cloaked with I feel like Superman and know that should I face kryptonite my friends and partners in life who aren’t negatively effected by the green alien rock will kindly chuck it out of my sight. We all are Supermen and Superwomen and just like the cartoon super-hero we all have our own kryptonite that brings us to our knees on occasion. But always remember mere mortals feel no ill-effects from kryptonite. Just the Man-of-Steel. Going forward this super-hero will be flying high rejuvenated with love, and sharing that love wherever I can. God Bless.

Thanks for visiting. Comments are welcome.

Go to our website, read our story and try some AdvoCare. You won’t regret it.

Call for Video Production Services: 425-687-0100

February 21, 2013
Categories: Business, Sports, Washington State, Weight Loss . . Author: Michael Schuett . Comments: 5 Comments

Kids are Spoiled. Do they Know Sacrifice?

A peanut butter and jelly sandwich

August 1982 my brother and I packed up our pick up truck and I left home for the first time to go to college at Washington State University. We arrived on campus 3 days before the dormitories opened. For two nights I slept on the golf course. It wasn’t so bad, at first. It’s pretty warm, even at night, in August, in Pullman. A dorm administrator took pity on me when I went to visit my soon-to-be home, and let me in to register one day before anyone else in the building. What little money I had was being saved for my books; and the only thing I had to eat those two days were a couple of peanut-butter and jelly sandwiches and carrots I’d packed with me when I left my Mom’s house. I have never been hungrier in my life then when they finally opened the dormitory’s cafeteria three days after I had arrived on campus.

I made the decision to arrive on campus three days early in order to find a job before all the other students arrived. It worked. I was hired to work in the dormitory cafeteria. It was a job that barely paid my living expenses during my time in school. I wonder how many kids today would make such a sacrifice today.

Years later after leaving college, attending and graduating from a broadcasting-vocational school I was hired for my first radio job in a little town called Raymond. It paid me only $600 per month and I was paid only once per month. During the one year I held this job I lived on my own. I had no phone because I couldn’t afford it.

Obviously there was no internet back then, so I had virtually no contact with my old friends and family. I lived on Cheerios, Top Ramen, and Mac & Cheese.

Having meat of any kind was maybe a once a week treat. Months later the first time I returned home my Mom cried when she first saw me saying, “You’re so skinny!”. During this time I sold all of my ski equipment to pay for food and rent. I was very lonely. I went to sleep by myself listening to one of the only 3 radio stations that could be picked up in far-away Raymond. Dave Niehaus was my Summer-time pal as I drifted to sleep in my room, in the dark, listening to Mariner games from far away.

I made the decision to work in this low paying job in this tiny far-away town because I wanted to work in radio and they gave this squeaky voiced 21-year old a chance. After they agreed to let me be the broadcast voice of the high school football and basketball games I know I couldn’t refuse. It was a tough year, but I was living a dream come true. I wonder how many young adults would make the same decision in order to reach for their dreams.

It was a few years later when I was working as News Director of an AM/FM radio station in Moses Lake, WA when I was asked to make another huge sacrifice. I was 24 years old and had moved up in income and stature in the radio business and was truly on my way to making a career. But my life had taken on the responsibility of two others. I was now married and my wife and I had a baby daughter. During one of her weekend trips home to Seattle my wife had been offered a good paying job at a Seattle TV station. It was for more money than she and I could make combined in Eastern Washington. Though my resume was still pretty sparse and I wasn’t confident in my ability to get a job in the big market of Seattle I quit my job and moved back to Western Washington. The three of us lived in my in-laws basement for about 4-5 months until I could find work. When I finally did get a job it wasn’t in Seattle. It was at a radio station in Mt. Vernon, WA. We got an apartment in Lynnwood and for nearly 2 years I commuted North, while my wife commuted South.

I made the decision to derail my private career path in order to help build a better life for my family and to cure my wife’s home-sickness for her family and the city in which she grew up. Though I loved Eastern Washington and really liked my job and my career trajectory it wasn’t a hard decision. I knew it would make my wife happy. I wonder if today’s young people know to make similar sacrifices on behalf of the spouse to whom they promised a life together.

One of the most selfish things I ever did was start my own company. I left a job in which I had struggled to build an income that had grown to 6-figures. It had taken 13 years. Upon leaving the job I was faced with zero income, and no immediate clients. My family, which was now a family of five, had to learn to do without a lot of things to which we’d become accustomed. It took a couple of years of sacrifice before my company brought my income back toward previous levels.

I made the decision to start my own business because I knew I didn’t want to work for someone else the rest of my life and knew that I wouldn’t be able to leave anything behind for my kids when my time came to an end. I also wanted to give my wife the opportunity to get back to doing what she loved, radio voice work. She’d moved away from her talent in favor of jobs that paid well and provided a security the radio industry never has. She is now our primary voice talent for Total Broadcasting Service.

My life has never been easy. My parents were lower-middle-income at best, poor at worst, and never provided me with anything outside of the bare necessities. After graduating high school they determined that I was a man and they never provided me anything else, ever. I know others have had it a lot tougher than what I have. Nevertheless, I’m proud of building a life that has allowed me to raise my kids and be happy; to enjoy some niceties.

They say 26 is the new 21. The same as 21 used to be the new 19. Twenty-six is now the age in which kids are becoming adults. Twenty-seven is the age Obamacare no longer allows parents to keep their “kids” on their health insurance plan. And 27 is now the average age in which guys and gals get married for the first time.

I think its sad. Kids have there colleges paid for by either their parents or by our overly generous (and broke) Federal Government. If they get work they expect a middle income lifestyle right away. Too many don’t seem to have any respect for authority. They believe every night is Saturday night. And I wonder if todays kids even know what sacrifice really means.

Thanks for visiting. Comments are welcome.

February 6, 2013
Categories: Uncategorized, Washington State . Tags: 20-somethings, Arts, Business, college life, Eastern Washington, Formats, New York Times, parenting, parents, Radio, sacrafice, sacrefice, sacrifice, Seattle, teens, United States, Washington State University . Author: Michael Schuett . Comments: Comments Off on Kids are Spoiled. Do they Know Sacrifice?

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Kids are Spoiled. Do they Know Sacrifice?

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