Finding a Plumber...

Mike Draper- RAYGUN owner

When I started RAYGUN, the whole venture seemed a little uncertain. I had never screenprinted, I had never used design software, I had never worked in retail, I had never used a cash register, and I didn’t know anyone with similar businesses. I was a 21-year-old history student at the University of Pennsylvania and only knew that I wasn’t cut out for a regular job.

Now when I look back at the trajectory of the company, since it all really started in 2004, I realize that you may need artistic talent to be a great artist. But if you’re looking to build an artistic company, being a great artist isn’t even in the top three things you need.

Number one above all else: reply to all your e-mails as soon as you can.

This really applies to any field. And if you can do that, your odds of success sky-rocket. Replying to all e-mails as soon as possible will help establish some personal discipline, which lets you slog through the endless bullshit that small businesses really face (finding a plumber, fixing a messed-up order from a supplier, find the right kind of track-light bulb). It’s a simple base of your daily routine.

Replying to all e-mails also establishes an aura of dependability with those you’re corresponding with. And dependability is the top thing  you need to run a successful artistic, or non-artistic company. Because at the end of the day, a customer doesn’t necessarily know amazing art from great art, but they do know if it’s a month late. They do know if they’ve been disrespected or not appreciated.

In the beginning, I used to do custom printing and design for other people (that side was sold in 2010), and dependability was my main business edge.

Say you’re a potential screenprinting customer, and your boss has given you a job: have 500 purple t-shirts with a log on them by Friday or you’re fired.

Now, say you have two friends: one is the Picasso + Michelangelo +  Da Vinci of screenprinting, but he only gets stuff done on time 50% of the time, the other friend is me, owner of RAYGUN, who does fine work, but has it done 100% of the time.

You’d have to be high on mescaline to choose the non-dependably guy. Your assignment is not to get great on a t-shirt no matter how long it takes, your assignment is just to have t-shirts by Friday.

There’s an upside and a downside to this business advice.

The upside is that anyone has the potential to do it. Any able bodied person can be dependable, just like any able bodied person can lose weight or control their diet.

The downside is that barely anyone can really accomplish it. Being dependable involves showing up every day. Working hard. Just like losing weight requires eating right and exercising.

The steps are simple, the implementation is hard.

But like losing weight, most people will tell you that there was one small, turning point when they knew they had to do it. For me, the most important thing was my decision that I knew I didn’t want a regular job after college. I wanted to do something creative, and I’d do whatever it took to realize that. Only then, when I was pointed in the right direction, in the direction that I cared about, was I able to muster the discipline to keep my dependability up every day for years on end.

Not So Boring...



Leslie Jasper
Group Sales Manager
Des Moines Performing Arts

I still remember the final drive of my move, from Minneapolis to Des Moines, like it was yesterday.  I was literally giving myself a pep talk as I crossed the Minnesota/Iowa border, reminding myself I can take as many weekend trips to the cities as I want and I’d see all my friends “at least once a month.”  I remember how I wanted to leave some of my things in Minnesota, in storage, just to have some sort of roots still there; to have some of my identity still within a mile of the places I once called my home.

Well, that was just over two years ago and it’s bittersweet to admit, those trips to Minneapolis have never exceeded once every three, to six, months.  I didn’t leave any belongings there (thanks to everyone who convinced me not to) and every day since that drive, I’m grateful I brought with me here, every bit of my identity that I possibly could.  It’s not that I don’t love my friends up North, it’s not that I don’t miss my Mall of America shopping trips, and not like it doesn’t cross my mind to head-up for a random day in the summer, just to lay in my favorite spot by the lakes.  It’s just that I’m busy here!  Almost immediately I was able to find new places every bit of my identity could connect with in this wonderful city, within this wonderful state, that’s become my wonderful home.  Even two years later, I feel so lucky to tell my Minneapolis friends when they ask where I’ve been, “Guess what, they weren’t joking – Des Moines is NOT boring!”

Since the early days of my move, I’ve been lucky enough to meet some wonderfully-connected (and social) people, build a career which has me exploring this city’s dynamic arts and culture scene daily, and be heavily involved on several committees that work with local businesses and entertainment venues.  All of those things combined, in addition to being a frequent user of social media, a reader of the various city guides, and a member of Iowa tourism networks, is why I couldn’t be happier writing this today. I want to remind us of – or introduce to us to – some of what’s going on, what’s worth checking out, and what activities you can fill your calendar with, so you too will find yourself one day saying (if you haven’t already), “Guess what, they weren’t joking, Des Moines is NOT boring!”

“Not so Boring” Happenings:
Because we all could use some fun activities to get us through the final days of winter!

Science Center of Iowa
A T. Rex Named Sue, through May
Mixology Night March 1st, for the 21+ crowd
www.sciowa.org

Wells Fargo Arena/Iowa Events Center
Iowa Energy and Barnstormers, Ongoing
Harlem Globetrotters, April 7
Bon Jovi, April 14
www.iowaeventscenter.com

Hoyt Sherman Place
Tracy Sherman, March 15
www.hoyshermanplace.org

Jasper Winery
Fun events weekly, check website for updates
www.jasperwinery.com

Funny Bone Comedy Club
Ongoing shows
www.funnybonecentral.com

Brenton Skating Plaza
Hurry, season ends in March!
www.brentonplaza.com

The Social Canvas
Ongoing “Paint and Drink” Classes, no experience required!
www.thesocialcanvas.com

Skyzone
Indoor Trampoline Park, Fitness Classes and Open Jump for all ages!
www.skyzone.com/DesMoines

Des Moines Art Center
Transparencies, February 22 – May 22
www.desmoinesartcenter.org

Temple Theater
The Second City, February 20 – March 3
Broadway’s Next Hit Musical, May 1 – 12
www.DesMoinesPerformingArts.org

Living History Farms
Sample over 20 different kinds of micro-brewed beer at Beer ‘n’ Bread, March 9
www.lhf.org

Summerset Winery
Monthly events, including “Scrapbook and Vino” and “Sunday Tunes”
www.summersetwine.com

Val Air Ballroom
Kick-Off Colon Cancer Awareness Month with “Bottoms-Up Blues Fest”, March 2
www.valairballroom.com

Climb Iowa
Indoor rock climbing for all skill levels
www.climbiowa.com

Des Moines Playhouse
9 To 5: The Musical, March 22 – April 21
www.dmplayhouse.com

Des Moines Social Club
Always something fun going on for everyone!
www.desmoinessocialclub.org

 Des Moines Performing Arts
Jekyll and Hyde the Musical, March 5 – 10
Million Dollar Quartet, March 19 – 24
www.DesMoinesPerformingArts.org

Need to know where to find all the local “happenings”?

www.CatchDesMoines.com
www.DesMoinesMetroMix.com
www.DMJuice.com
www.DesMoinesIsNotBoring.com
www.BusinessRecord.com

And, of course, all your favorite social media pages, friends, and event listings!

Do For Two Years...



Adam Carroll
Author, Financial Educator,
Business Owner


One of the pieces of advice I’m fond of giving is do for two years what most people won’t do, and you’ll be able to do for the rest of your life what most people can’t do. 

It sort of begs two questions:

        1.  What won’t most people do?

        2.  What can’t most people do?

Answering the first question takes a little more explanation than the second, so I’m going to take them out of order.  It doesn’t take much brainstorming to make a detailed list of the things that most people can’t do.

They can’t --

take extended vacations, take lots of time off, spend serious quality time without being distracted by money, work, the to-do list, etc., do everything they want in life while they’re still young enough to enjoy it, drive their dream vehicle, invest for the future, own their home outright, own vacation homes, get to visit vacation homes, start a business, financially help their neighbors, church, or family.  The list could go on and on...

The bottom line is that the majority of things that people can’t do are almost entirely related to their ability to pay for these “luxuries” without it seriously affecting their lifestyle.  However, by answering the first question -- “what won’t most people do?” we can uncover what it takes to make nearly all of the items on the above list possible.

So, what won’t most people do?

To put it simply, they won’t live on less.  Parkinsons Law states that our expenses will generally rise to meet income.  For most Americans, this is true.  If we made $50,000 last year and will make $60,000 this year, our expenses will somehow work their way up to the $60,000 mark (if not higher). 

Living on less requires working with a spending plan and sticking to it.  It requires one of those things that everyone struggles with -- delayed gratification.  I often tell people in my programs -- “you can have everything you want in life, you just can’t have it right now.”

People won’t drive a less-than brand new car when it makes little financial sense to finance a vehicle for 7 years that depreciates 30% when you drive it off the lot.

People won’t save first and spend last.  They do the exact opposite and then wonder why they have no money in the bank when they need it.

Listen, I’m a huge fan of living the lifestyle you were meant to live.  I believe it wholeheartedly.  That being said, I’m not a fan of living that lifestyle for a year and then being so completely upside down with your finances that everyday is a struggle.

Just think about what you’re willing to do for two years, and then knock it out.  You’ll be amazed what most people can’t do, all the while you’re doing it.

Other things you can do for two years:

1.  Live with a roommate (or multiple roommates) to save money on expenses to pay down debt. 

2.  Drive the same car you’ve been driving for the past several years.  Trust me, the new car smell smells all the sweeter when there’s no payments.

3.  Work a second job somewhere that’s fun and rewarding.  Use that money to payoff/paydown debt faster. 

4.  Make taking your lunch a habit and going out for lunch a treat.  OR, eat lunch at home everyday and spend your lunch hour imagining what it will be like to be completely debt free.

5.  No movie buying -- only renting from redbox or netflix.

6.  See if you can buy almost everything you need (outside of food and clothing) from Craigslist.  Slightly used!

7.  When you eat out, eat with a coupon -- You’ll easily save $15 with buy one get one offers.  Put that money towards your debt load.

The reason most recent graduates are broke from go is they are over leveraged on the debt side.  They borrow money at a break-neck speed for four years (or more) and then sit back and accept the fact that they have 10-15 years to pay them back.  Instead, be the person that “does for two years what no one else will do” and live the life you’ve imagined!

New View February After Hours

 Our mission at Glen Oaks is to create an exceptional experience for our members and guests by continuing our tradition as the finest country club in Iowa; providing an outstanding golf course/experience, preeminent dining and social activities, strong focus on families, premier venue for event and unparalleled service that is experienced daily.  Glen Oaks’ championship golf course was designed by Tom Fazio and opened in 1994.  Glen Oaks hosted the Principal Charity Classic, a Champions Tour event, for 11 years ending in 2012.  Our Junior Olympic pool and tennis courts complete our sporting activity facilities.  Glen Oaks offers four dining experiences to fit our members needs and the Glen Oaks culinary team has won numerous awards over the years.  Over the past two years we have completely renovated our 45,000 square foot clubhouse to assure we have best of class facilities for our members.  

Glen Oaks Country Club had an exciting 2012! We completed the clubhouse renovation, continued improvements to our outstanding golf course, while maintaining a strong focus on families, and improving our youth and social events. All of which have contributed to a 10% increase in membership, while the club industry as a whole grew on average of 1% to 2% in 2012.  We strongly believe we will reach our planned golf roster cap of 425 members by early spring! We believe this is due to not only to our outstanding golf course and golf experience, but also to the announcement of our scheduled pool renovations to begin fall of 2013 and completion for the 2014 season!

Along with our custom designed member facilities, Glen Oaks offers a unique venue for all of your private event needs. Our newly renovated banquet space offers gorgeous views, atmosphere and the amenities to accommodate any meeting or event. Our first-class culinary staff can offer meal options for every occasion and our event team can take care of all the “extras” to make your event a success!

The strength of a club is its membership and over the past two years Glen Oaks has added 118 new members.  We would like very much to introduce ourselves and provide you with a tour of the club with the hopes that you will become the newest member of our growing Glen Oaks family. We are excited to announce our 2013 Young Professional Membership Promotion and would love to tell you more about it!

Social Media....Fall in Love & Boost Sales

Raylee Melton
Owner - Moth Media

I believe that a hand shake and a smile will always be necessary. I also believe that social media is a powerful force today.  But how do you do business with Facebook feeds?

Social media is changing everyday! Countless books, podcasts, companies and blogs have announced self-proclaimed titles like “Social Media Guru”.  My point? No one really knows where Social Media is headed.

Here at Moth Media we offer a navigation strategy instead of an all knowing claim: We like to call it Moth Navigation.

Here are a few steps to help get started.

Step 1 Find Someone from your past

How fun is that! Whether you’re a seasoned pro or a newbie with social media, take the time to reconnect with someone. There is a strong sense of comfort knowing that they are doing well.  

Tip:  1 in 5 divorces are linked to Facebook. So, please be careful who you contact.  

Step 2 Automate your campaigns

This is so easy! Sit down once a month and plan out your posts. There are several service providers that will help you automate your page. I like Hootsuite. It provides a huge value as well as a sense of relief that your posts are consistent and manageable.  

Tip:  Be sure to mix in a few live posts from time to time to keep your stats up.

Step 3 Engage

These are your customers, so you must have something to talk about.  How can you help improve their life? What can you tell them to make things easier or better? Always direct your posts towards your ideal client. Keep a focus on that aspect and you will attract the right clients.

Tip: Quality client care is all about added value…show them you care.

Step 4 Create an editorial calendar

When you’re planning out your posts for the month, I recommend the following:
Start with your calendar events

1. Add in quotes
2. Be sure to ask questions
3. Provide “how to” information
4. Sprinkle in a few product spotlights

Tip: It’s the destination, not the plane!  Please, Do NOT spam your followers with product information. Create a conversation…be cool!

Step 5 Have Fun with it

Social Media is about having fun & being social. When you post information that is interesting and informative you’ll see your page come to life.

Before long you’ll not only boost your bottom line but just as importantly, you’ll be falling in love with Social Media and having fun!