Pizza For A Dream

Why Pizza For A Dream?

The title, "Pizza For A Dream," is symbolic of the price that we all must be willing to pay to achieve our dreams in life.  For years I've said that I would be willing to "flip burgers" to achieve my dream. 

Pizza Delivery Status and American Dream Update

It's been just over a year since I started delivering pizzas part-time as described in Why Pizza For A Dream? Lots has changed since then, so I thought I'd send out a quick update.

From CEO to Pizza Delivery

A Letter From The Boss

My brother sent me this "letter" the other day and I thought I'd pass it along.  It speaks for itself...

To All My Valued Employees,

There have been some rumblings around the office about the future of this company, and more specifically, your job. As you know, the economy has changed for the worse and presents many challenges. However, the good news is this: The economy doesn't pose a threat to your job. What does threaten your job however, is the changing political landscape in this country.

WE Surround Them - Make Your Voice Be Heard

I'm a big talk radio listener.  Of all the talk radio hosts I've listened to, there's none like Glenn Beck.  Glenn's a down-to-earth guy that can laugh at himself and truly relate to what you and I are going through day after day.  Just 8 years ago, he couldn't even pay the rent for his apartment.  Today, he's the 3rd most listened to radio talk show host in America and has a new show called Beck on Fox News.

A week or so ago, a caller on his show called in distraught due to the fact that it didn't appear that anyone was listening to regular people like him.  This call spurred the beginnings of We Surround Them.  Check out the video clip and explanation of the principles we all hold dear.  This is our chance to be heard and to connect with others who believe like we do.  A chance to connect with others who are "following the rules" but are frustrated why everyone who's not follow the rules is getting bailed out.

Stumble It!

Leadership By Example and The Young Entrepreneur

I'm a serial entrepreneur and have had several businesses that I've run over the years.  It's neat to see that one's example can have a big impact on others, especially future generations.  The post Entrepreneurship: A Narrative shows the impact my example has had on one of my nephews.  What example are you setting for those around you?  People are watching!! Stumble It!

Good Debt vs. Bad Debt

I just read a great post from Financial Jesus titled The Difference Between Good Debt and Bad Debt.  This post is a great synopsis the concepts of Robert Kiyosaki's, Rich Dad, Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money--That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not!   Change your thought process on debt and you'll change your future.  Applying these concepts have made a huge difference in our family!  Our kids will benefit big time from learning this at such and early age!
Stumble It!

You Can Make A HUGE Difference In The Lives of Those Around You

Here's a note I sent this morning to a friend that Facebook has allowed me to get back in touch with.  I thought I would share it to illustrate how big an impact his thoughts have had on my family.  You never, ever know what impact you will have on others around you.  All this happened due to a short 2 minute conversation he and I had one day several years ago.

The End of the Book Culture??

The Houston Chronicle ran a concerning article this past weekend titled, The End of The Book Culture.  The article is based around an interview with author, Larry McMurtry who was making a public appearance in Houston.  In the article Mr. McMurtry states

"...I don’t see kids reading. I think little kids love to have stories read to them, but when they get to 10 or 11 or 12, they run into this tsunami of technology: iPod, iPhone, Blackberries."

The article goes on to discuss how this lack of reading doesn't bode well for the future of our country.

Cause for Concern

We have 3 kids of our own and with regular interaction with their peers, I've observed how over-the-top many families have gotten as they embrace new technologies. Drive down the streets of any town in the evening and notice all the DVD players running as families drive from place to place. Listen to the kids talk with each other and realize how many of families keep gaming consoles in just about every room of their homes.  Kids are immersed in technology from sunup to sundown.  What I struggle to understand is why parents are encouraging this? What redeeming value does playing Super Smash Brothers or Halo for the 1000th time have?  

I Wear Your Shirt

I recently came across a unique business venture that has now caught the attention of the New York Times.  The business is called, I Wear Your Shirt.  The entire concept is that Jason will advertise for one company a day for an entire year by wearing their company shirt.  He also does a webinar and advertises these companies on his website.  Talk about ingenious!!

A common theme of PizzaForADream is business ownership and the power each individual has to take control of their own destiny.  Jason has done this with such a simple idea.  How about you?  What steps are you taking to create a business that's yours instead of counting on the company you work for to keep you around?  You can do it!

Other Related Posts:

• The Chinese Bamboo Tree
• Taxes: Why You Should Own A Business 
• 7 Steps to Eating and Elephant (7 Steps to Starting a Business) 
• Dig Your Well Before You Get Thirsty   
• Are You an Apple or Potato Farmer? 

Stumble It!

¿uʍop ǝpısdn sǝɔuɐuıɟ ɹnoʎ ǝɹɐ

Nearly 7 years ago our finances were totally out of whack!  I had gotten out of the Air Force and had taken a big pay cut while making the transition.  I also had a huge quota increase (98%) in my second full year of the new job.  All of this equated to a $60,000 pay cut that year.  Overnight our finances were upside down!  Since then, we've slowly but surely worked our way back to where we are a month away from being out of debt.  Today we have multiple streams of income with several thriving businesses on top of a full-time paycheck.  While much of the beginnings of this "upside down time" in our life were caused by outside factors, it was our thought process that kept us in this situation much longer than necessary.  Dave Ramsey's 7 Baby Steps gave us a step-by-step plan to follow in order to get us on track.  His books Financial Peace Revisited and The Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness helped us completely change our thought process and set us up to win for the long term!