About Me.

If you're reading thisI, then I've gone on.  I made the decision some time ago to not go with the flow of the crowd. I was about 2 years old at the time.  In many ways, I have taken the road less travelled.  And yes it has made all the difference, but not in the way I had hoped.
     So, in keeping with the life I've led, I also made the decision not to have a notice of my death published anywhere, nor to have a funeral where people could try and remember the good in me or the good things I've done. Believe me when I tell you the bad and the stupid far out-weighed anything I may have contributed to this journey.
    Suffice it to say that I laughed way more than most people.  I was blessed with a great wife in Kimberly and three great children who I love.  I want to make sure Chris knows to stay the course, Katherine knows to follow her path and Henry knows that I love him so very much. And Baby V - Violet - I love you so much!
   Being of sound mind and body, I bequeath everything I have to Kimberly and anything that the children want that is mine, they can obviously have.  I was never as good or bad as anyone said or that anyone thought. 
   I plan to make it to Heaven, thanks to the blood of the Lamb and the forgiveness of sins. I never did fulfill my destiny on this earth and that old saying, "Most men live lives of quiet desperation," seems to be the most appropriate epitaph for myself.  I'm to be cremated and my ashes simply left in the oven. To have a grave is a waste of real estate and to force my loved ones to spread ashes some place seems incredibly taxing and selfish.  I tried hard to conquer the trials and tribulations that were set across the path of my journey.  Ephesians 6:12 seems appropriate.  Thank you to those who actually read this. I chose the path less travelled.



    
"I'm the most humble person on earth."
    Seriously, there is a continuum that is always in conflict in each of our lives regardless of who we are or what we believe.  On one end of the continuum is humility. On the other is humiliation.  You get to choose one.  If not, the other will be chosen for you. The good thing about following Jesus Christ is that He loves us so much that He's willing to keep us moving toward true humility... no matter how much humiliation we cause for ourselves or the brand of Christianity... so that we can realize how little we are and how much we need the love of a Savior... in order to maximize true success in our lives and the lives of our friends and family.  That's a rare person who can accomplish their full potential.
    I used to always ask, "What's the opposite of success?" The younger people are, the more often they snap back, "Failure."  The older they are the more often they say, "Apathy."  Failure is the path to success. Einstein, when asked, "How did you get so much smarter than everyone else?" humbly answered, "I'm not smarter. I just stay with the problems longer than most people are willing to do..." 
    Notice the direct relationship between humility and persistence.  That's why it's said that persistence is undefeated against resistance.  Humility doesn't consider the tax on ego or the delay of outcome. It simply embraces the two best leaders in every organization, on every team and inside every human being - goals and deadlines. ​
     Meanwhile... I've owned franchises. I've worked for franchisors. I've been in networking organizations.  .  I've been in technology and marketing.  I've worked with doctors, lawyers, CEOs, and janitors. I owned and built one of the first in mall TV networks in America in over 200 malls.  I've been a part of building the largest dog track in America, one of the largest homebuilders in Texas and one of the largest residential developers in the United States. I've built my own off grid "ranchette".  (full disclosure... it's a glorified camp... but I see what it is going to become).  I worked on the first Telemedicine project in Texas for the Texas Department of Corrections.  I pioneered "Internet marketing" with Dillard Local Branding merged with Global IMB.. I'm an Author - The Cow, The Buick & The Taxi - A Book About Nothing... The story of the failure in all of us.  Available at Barnes & Noble and Amazon.  I've won dozens of awards for creativity and advertising. Our Unknown Ad Guys brand  was featured in Entrepreneur Magazine and on CNN.  I've created brands that ran in regional editions of Oprah, Time, This Old House and many more. I've owned 3 radio shows plus I'm a great speller who can juggle 9 tennis balls at once.  My list of failures is much longer.

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That's a bit harsh...  You don't have to be that skeptical, do you?
    I'm the worst person on earth at following processes.  As a result I'm one of the best at creating systems using a wide variety of project management software options - because if you solve the process based on the lowest common denominator's understanding, you usually win.  I'm the lowest common denominator. I'm great at adding automation. Many times the processes are screwed up. Usually, the automation of the broken parts is simple. John Maxwell taught me that a business is a system of processes + people.  Peter Drucker taught me that management's number one job is to make things predictable.  Steven Covey taught me about the 7 habits, but really, the 7th habit is the most powerful - sharpen the saw.  Edward Demmings taught me that change is the one constant. Tony Curtis, in Operation Petticoat, taught me, "In chaos there is opportunity." (There are millionaires in Haiti). Joel Osteen taught me that, "Everything is going to be just fine."  Dale Carnegie taught me how to win friends and influence people.  Bud Grant, my late, ex-father-in-law is one of the greatest men I ever knew. He taught me what it means to be a great father, husband and leader... And I've only been able to apply about 1% of what he taught me and showed me.  The Bible teaches me how to be a better servant. And life teaches me something new every day - sometimes because of my ignorance and sometimes because that's just life.

I studied creativity and communications from David Ogilvie, Bill Bernbach, Lee Clow and Joe Sedelmaier.  I studied positioning from Ries & Trout. 

I had a great life full of so much mischief and joy. But it seems that the most appropriate final commentary I could give is in this video clip from a Seinfeld episode:
https://youtu.be/qw2bAJhd8DE?si=7ulY5x3mgmaZGnrU&t=132

Love you much. Hope to see you in eternity with Jesus and our Father.

MY "REEL" !! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0V0qpvMJDk

Pat Woodall Deposition: https://youtu.be/Groz9CFoKzQ