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.

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 partners with Des Moines Young Variety

New View Event – Benefitting Young Variety
Thursday, October 6^th

Cabaret West Glen
5-8pm

Young Variety is thrilled to partner with New View for this great event!

Not only because we really like the people.....but even more, we like what they stand for.  It’s a natural fit for us, as both groups are made up of motivated young professionals who are philanthropic-minded.  We’re all working to better the lives of community members and children in Iowa, and we have fun doing it!

It’s a true win-win.

From all of us at YV, we appreciate the opportunity to be a part of this event, and look forward to working hand-in-hand with New View members to raise big bucks for Iowa’s children in need. We hope anyone and everyone can join us on Thursday, October 6th for cocktails, raffle items, and more!

Learn More About Des Moines Young Variety. (LINK: www.yviowa.org)

Susan R. Hatten
Young Variety President, 2011/2012Senior Business Development Executive
Sigler Companies | Innova :: Sigler :: Signify
A Global Approach to Marketing Communicationssusan.hatten@sigler.com

Do desk jobs equal weight gain?

Remember freshman year of college and the freshman-15?  We have a joke around my office about gaining 15 pounds after starting work here.  It’s a disastrous (yet delicious) combination of sitting at your desk the majority of the day and the enormous amounts of food we have catered on a regular basis.

I definitely wasn’t above it over 3 ½ years ago when I started and I gained immediately.  I don’t have a huge sweet tooth, but brownies will be death of me.  (I suppose there are worse ways to go).  Then, 2 years ago, I got myself in check and lost the 20 pounds I’d gained.  Annnnd now those pounds are back…and then some.

I’m not one to work out.  I’ve always been better at managing what I eat more so than making time to work out.  It’s definitely something I’d like to get a handle on now, though.  I hear it only gets harder as you get older to shed pounds and get in shape.

Personally, for now, I just want my pants to fit better.  Is that so much to ask!?

Whatever you’re desk-job situation may be, I found the following articles on how to avoid the desk-job weight gain.  As young professionals, we should watch out for this now!

How to Avoid On-The-Job Weight Gain

Is Work Making You Fat?

Diet Solutions:  Desk Job

5 Ways to Prevent Weight Gain at Work

Lindsey Mathews
New View Board Member & Outreach Committee Chair
Project Delivery Coordinator
Shive-Hattery Inc.



What is New View? Let me explain...

I hope that most of you have now heard of New View, West Des Moines' young professionals group. Over the last year and a half we have been working to provide young professionals in and around West Des Moines with opportunities for professional development, networking and outreach.

I will give you a little background for those of you who are thinking, “I had no idea West Des Moines had a young professionals group!”
In January 2010 (what now seems like so long ago), a committee was started to explore the idea of a young professionals group in West Des Moines. The group held nine events last year and came into 2011 with a mission statement, a highly motivated group of people, and huge dreams for the next twelve months. We have formed committees including an outreach committee that would love to talk to the YPs in your office about getting involved, a communications committee that excels in social media, and an events committee that has planned six successful events this year.

We plan on having one event per month this year.  Our next gathering is at Saints on Thursday, July 7th from 5-7 pm.
I would like to thank everyone involved with New View over the past two years for their time, energy and efforts in getting us where we are today. I would also like to put a challenge out there for you. For those of you who are still sitting there thinking, “I had no idea West Des Moines had a young professionals group”, I challenge you to get involved!

Whether it's passing the word on to some young professionals in your office, emailing Casady at the chamber to get on our events list, or letting me know that you're interested in getting more involved, we would love to hear from you!

You can also learn more on our web site, http://www.wdmnewview.org/.

Plan to stop by the patio at Saints, 265 50th Street, on Thursday night from 5-7 pm to see what we're all about!

Erica Andersen
Chair, New View
Business Relationship Officer, Veridian Credit Union
(515) 289-5511
EricaAA@veridiancu.org