arlington-prospect

APAG 62: Rosetta Metz The Founder Of Lettuce Organize Puts Us On A Path To An Organized Life

On this edition of the Podcast, Rosetta Metz the co-founder of Lettuce Organize is my guest. We all wish to live a decluttered life, don’t we? No matter if our clutter is in our personal or business life, Lettuce Organize is THE solution to our organizational problems.

Rosetta Metz was the youngest of 11 children growing up in the area. Organization was paramount to her mother running an orderly household. Taking in these valuable lessons, passed down from her Mother, Rosetta always had the organizational gene in her body. The journey to start Lettuce Organize is a fascinating story that I suggest you tune in for.

What makes Lettuce Organize and Rosetta’s approach so unique is her ability to work with people. Rosetta sits down with each client to learn about their lives. This enables her to devise a game plan that will fit the individuals specific needs. Other organizational services are one sized fits all. Better said, their way or the highway. No two people are the same, that is why the preparation to make this behavior change is carefully managed by Lettuce Organize. Because getting organized is not just cleaning up “stuff” it’s about changing your lifestyle. The benefits of mind, body, and soul are amazing when you declutter your life.

In the interview we discuss the benefits of acquiring Lettuce Organize’s services. The big three… Time. Money. Less stress. With these huge life changing results we can focus more on the things we love to do.

If you own are in need of a lifestyle change, business or personal, this is a must listen to interview. Lettuce Organize can help provide solutions to all your organization needs for a healthy life.

And for all of you out there who need to declutter, “clutter is a delayed decision” words of wisdom from Rosetta Metz.

Let me know how I am doing. Leave a comment on the website. Or go to iTunes to leave a review. It will be much appreciated.

Ideas and Topics Discussed in This Episode:

The Benefits Of Organizing Our Lives

How The Vision Of Lettuce Organize Happened

Organize In Order To Enjoy Other Things In Life

Rosetta’s Charitable Contributions

It’s A Behavioral Change

Links/Resources/Sponsors Mentioned:

Lettuce Organize Website

Facebook Page

Sponsors:

Novak & Parker Home Appliance. Go to Novak & Parker, Mention You heard About Them On The Arlington-Prospect Advice Givers Show. They Have A Special For All Listeners

Austin-Jarrett Law. If You Are Buying Or Selling A Home And Need Legal Representation Please Contact Shani Jarrett.

Kristy Riedel of US Bank. For all your home mortgage needs and construction loan financing contact Kristy at 847-650-7982

Thanks for Listening!

Thanks for joining me again this week. If you have any tips, suggestions, or comments about this episode, please be sure to leave them in the comment section below.

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the bottom of the post. Thank you!

And finally, please leave an honest review for The Arlington-Prospect Advice Givers Podcast on iTunes! Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show and I read each and every one of them.

APAG 61: Shannon Distel Of The Arlington Heights Library Discusses The Benefits Our Library Offers

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On this 61st edition of the podcast, Shannon Distel of The Arlington Heights Memorial Library is my guest. Shannon is the grants & development administrator at the library. We discuss how the role of the library, within our community, has changed over the years while in many ways has stayed the same. The library isn’t the old library we grew up with. With the integration of technology the organization has become a community center. A gathering place for students, professionals and all Village residents who look to further educate themselves with all of the libraries resources.

The Arlington Heights Memorial Library works everyday to identify opportunities to enhance the users experience. The library acts as a gathering place to learn, create, and inspire all age groups. Filled with a staff of experts in their fields, the library has the tools and resources to create an environment for learning. Shannon Distel describes the role of the library as a place to grow, learn and inspire. “We are more than a brick & mortar store. We are a vital community hub.” As the community and technology changes so does the organization. This is what makes The Arlington Heights Memorial Library a unique and special place to utilize. As a community, we are lucky to have such an innovative staff that recognizes the ever changing world we live in. Their goal as an organization it to be responsive to the communities need in order to add value to the residents.

To those who think the library is just that, a library, you couldn’t be more wrong. In the interview we talk about all the different opportunities the organization offers. The Arlington Heights Memorial Library partners with the Park District, the Village and the Arlington Heights Historical Society to provide a ton of different activities. It’s up to you as the Arlington Heights resident to spread the word about the library.

This is an information packed interview. So be sure to tune in and let everyone know about the Podcast.

Ideas and Topics Discussed in This Episode:

Upcoming Events

Library Partnerships

The Future For The Library

The Role Of The Library Within The Community

Links/Resources/Sponsors Mentioned:

Library Website

Facebook Page

Sponsors:

Novak & Parker Home Appliance. Go to Novak & Parker, Mention You heard About Them On The Arlington-Prospect Advice Givers Show. They Have A Special For All Listeners

Austin-Jarrett Law. If You Are Buying Or Selling A Home And Need Legal Representation Please Contact Shani Jarrett.

Kristy Riedel of US Bank. For all your home mortgage needs and construction loan financing contact Kristy at 847-650-7982

Thanks for Listening!

Thanks for joining me again this week. If you have any tips, suggestions, or comments about this episode, please be sure to leave them in the comment section below.

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the bottom of the post. Thank you!

APAG 60: Master Gardener Barbara Weirich of Lake Cliff Gardens Gives Us A Preview Of Her Presentation At The Arlington Heights Historical Society House Walk 2017

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On this 60th edition of the podcast, master gardener, Barbara Weirich of Lake Cliff Gardens is my guest. Barbara is giving a feature, power point, presentation at this years 24th annual Arlington Heights Historical Society House Walk ,held Sunday May 21st from 12-5pm. The presentation on Foliage will be filled with breathtaking photographs and helpful tips to all you weekend gardeners. Barbara’s presentation will be held at noon in the Arlington Heights Historical Society.

“A Passion That Consumes”

This is how Barbara Weirich describes her 2o year gardening adventure with her husband Ron. Garden lovers from all over the United States have visited their sanctuary situated on the Lake Michigan shoreline in Benton Harbor Michigan. Lake Cliff Gardens has Hosted garden clubs, charity events, weddings, master gardeners from the National Association of Garden Writers, and has been featured in Fine Gardening Magazine. The hard work and dedication to building this sanctuary has been “A passion that truly consumes”.

To all the aspiring home gardeners listening to this episode, Barbara has some great tips for you. First, be patient, be honest with the amount of time you can dedicate to your garden, test your soil and keep a log of your journey. The ADVICE Barbara gives us in this information packed interview will help you begin your own gardening adventure. You must listen in to hear this artist give her gardening secrets. Barbara’s presentation will take you on her journey of more than 20 years of trial and error. This is a must see presentation for all you out there who need gardening help.

I encourage everyone to come out to this years 24th annual Arlington Heights Historical Society House Walk. The event will be held Sunday May 21st from 12-5pm. Get your tickets here at eventbrite.com.

Love you Mom!!

Ideas and Topics Discussed in This Episode:

24th Annual Arlington Heights Historical Society House Walk

“A Passion That Consumes”

The Benefits To Home Gardening

The Lake Cliff Garden Experience

The Five Things All Gardeners Need To Know

Links/Resources/Sponsors Mentioned:

Purchase Tickets

Arlington Heights Historical Society Website

Lake Cliff Gardens Facebook Page

Sponsors:

Novak & Parker Home Appliance. Go to Novak & Parker, Mention You heard About Them On The Arlington-Prospect Advice Givers Show. They Have A Special For All Listeners

Austin-Jarrett Law. If You Are Buying Or Selling A Home And Need Legal Representation Please Contact Shani Jarrett.

Kristy Riedel of US Bank. For all your home mortgage needs and construction loan financing contact Kristy at 847-650-7982

Thanks for Listening!

Thanks for joining me again this week. If you have any tips, suggestions, or comments about this episode, please be sure to leave them in the comment section below.

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the bottom of the post. Thank you!

APAG 059: Mike Kalway Gives Us A Tour Of This Years 24th Annual Arlington Heights Historical House Walk Held May 21st

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On this 59th edition of the podcast, Mike Kalway, of the Arlington Heights Historical Society and Berkshire Hathaway Home Services is my guest. Mike gives us a tour of this years 24th annual Arlington Heights Historical Society House Walk. The house walk will be held on May 21st from 12-5pm, you can get your tickets here for this years event. It’s THE PERECT Mother’s Day gift.

This years event has five beautiful homes that will be on tour. As Mike Kalway says “we have some real show stoppers this year. All these homes have a story to tell.” He couldn’t say it any better than that. At this years Arlington Heights Historical Society House Walk we have homes that have been rehabbed, loads of history and a local interior designer who opens the doors for us to see her one of a kind design. This is all I can say now… You have to come out to see these amazing homes for yourself.

At this years event we have a featured presentation being given by Barbara Weirich of Lake Cliff Gardens. Barbara is a Master Gardner from SW Michigan who will be putting on a Power Point presentation titled: ‘Putting Foliage First’. Speaking to many botanical gardener organizations, garden clubs and the bus loads of people that tour her garden each summer, Barbara is excited to expand her audience to the Arlington Heights community. For all you aspiring home gardeners out there, Barbara is going to have many helpful tips to make your gardening experience more pleasurable this coming year and beyond.

As a board of director myself, we at the Historical Society thank all of these gracious home owners for letting us into their homes. Keeping this tradition alive supports the preservation of our great history here in Arlington Heights. The Arlington Heights Historical Society runs on contributions, special events, the Arlington Heights Farmers Market and many other fundraisers throughout the year.

Why is history important? “Understanding our history is a great predictor as what’s going to come” Mike Kalway says. The preservation of our great community passed down from one generation to another is crucial to our continued success. There is a special sense of community that lies within Arlington Heights. It’s up to us, as residents, to keep our history alive and our community vibrant.

For tickets to this years event on May 21st from 12-5pm go to eventbrite.com here

Ideas and Topics Discussed in This Episode:

24th Annual Arlington Heights Historical Society House Walk

Five Show Stopper Homes On This Years Tour

Volunteering At The Society

Featured Speaker Barbara Weirich ‘Putting Foliage First’

Why Preserving The Historical Society Is So Important To Our Community

Links/Resources/Sponsors Mentioned:

Purchase Tickets

Arlington Heights Historical Society Website

Facebook Page

Sponsors:

Novak & Parker Home Appliance. Go to Novak & Parker, Mention You heard About Them On The Arlington-Prospect Advice Givers Show. They Have A Special For All Listeners

Austin-Jarrett Law. If You Are Buying Or Selling A Home And Need Legal Representation Please Contact Shani Jarrett.

Kristy Riedel of US Bank. For all your home mortgage needs and construction loan financing contact Kristy at 847-650-7982

Thanks for Listening!

Thanks for joining me again this week. If you have any tips, suggestions, or comments about this episode, please be sure to leave them in the comment section below.

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the bottom of the post. Thank you!

Who is Your Competition? The Best Fruit Theory…

Have you ever noticed how people shop for fruit?

This is something that I have been thinking about for a while, but haven’t found the right ‘story’ to wrap into our ‘Best Fruit Theory’. Have you ever noticed the meticulous effort that people take when picking out fruit at the grocery store?

They look with their eyes; they evaluate ever angle of the fruit to make sure it is just right. Some people, they smell fruit. Some, I see knocking on fruit to listen to determine which is the best. Others, they like to feel and squeeze the fruit. It is amazing the meticulous effort by which people take in picking out fruit at the grocery store.

I do the same thing at the store, but then each morning when making breakfast I almost always have strawberries. Each morning I look at the strawberries and pick out the best 3-4. Then the next morning, same thing. Pick out the best 3-4. I repeat this process until there are no good strawberries left.

Think about this… The strawberries that are not good enough one day to get chosen as ‘the ones’ are good enough the next day to get chosen.

Why? Because of their competition.

This makes me think of our recent client Mr. Bhatti. I started a relationship with Mr. Bhatti over the phone when he reached out to me. He expressed his displeasure with the agent he was working with. No offers, very little activity and no feedback. (Mr. Bhatti was smart enough to now know that he had to make his fruit… I mean his house… look appealing to others on the market). I set up a meeting with Theresa, my interior designer, to go over why the home needed to be scientifically staged. Setting him apart from their competition is a crucial process to getting maximum value. Mr. Bhatti’s previous realtor didn’t see the value in having an interior designer, she didn’t have a documented Approach, she didn’t have a game-plan for success.

Mr. Bhatti had his property listed for $415,000. They had a few showings but no offers. The agent was not proactive in getting feedback and keeping in contact with them. That is the NUMBER 1 issue that I hear from clients and potential clients is lack of communication. After six months on the market they became frustrated as to why no one liked their home.

Meeting Is Scheduled

I met with Mr. Bhatti on a Tuesday evening. There was an immediate bond and understanding towards one another. He is a GREAT guy who had been given bad information. He was open to ideas… to our Documented Approach… I gave him a copy of our book before meeting with him, he LOVED how the process was laid out.

However, his agent wouldn’t let them out of his contract even though he was extremely unhappy. This is what ‘other’ agents do. They get their claws in you and let you go, you are taken hostage. Agents don’t care about their clients best interest…ONLY theirs. Finally, they received an offer SIGNIFICANTLY lower than their list price of $415,000.

So Mr. Bhatti let their listing expire and took it off for the winter. When we met in February, to discuss selling I’m thinking about our ‘Best Fruit Theory’. At $415k and then a price drop to $395k their buyer are one’s that probably only have a budget of $400k and their house is at the top of the market, so yes, they are being compared to lower priced homes, but at the TOP of someone’s budget they go through the house and nitpick everything.

After looking at their entire picture. We bring Theresa back in to Scientifically Stage. We give Mr. Bhatti a checklist to properly prepare their home (each client gets a customized game plan). Then we start thinking about pricing. We suggest starting above $400k. The reason ‘Best Fruit Theory.’ If we get them over $400k, then their buyer is probably looking $400-$450k. And being at the lower end of that market, they will stand out as GOOD VALUE. They will be the best fruit in their new price range.

Guess what? It worked. We secured a GREAT contract. $30,000 higher than they were previously offered… and in just 7 days!

So… Option A– No game plan. No Documented Approach. No Communication. 145 days on the market and 1 low ball offer

Option B– Documented Approach. Customized Game plan. Constant Communication. Unique – ‘Best Fruit Available Theory.’ 15 days on the market. GREAT Offer.

Choosing a Company to work with YOU could also use the Best Fruit Theory. Do your research. Touch. Feel. Smell. Do they have a ‘Documented Approach’ ie: a book like C. Steven Weirich’s The Value Driven Approach to Sell Real Estate to which they live by? If not, you get Option A.

Choose wisely my friends.

APAG 058: Brian Roginski of Cortlands Garage Shares The Story of Moving His Garage From the City to Arlington Heights

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On this 58th edition of the podcast, Brian Roginski, owner of Cortlands Garage located in downtown Arlington Heights is my guest. Brian and his wife Danielle, packed up their life in the city, to move out the suburbs. Arlington Heights being their first choice to call home, they decided the Cortlands Garage concept would be coming with them. A perfect fit for the Village of Arlington Heights, Cortlands Garage has been a hit with our residents.

Brian brings us on his journey from a college kid working in the industry to the successful entrepreneur he now is. The long nights of managing restaurants and bars has turned into a truly great success story. Cortlands Garage has a little something for everyone. Great food, atmosphere, specialty drinks and TV’s to view the next sporting event. As Brian Roginski describes the restaurant as the perfect combination of sports bar, neighborhood bar, accompanied by a building that was built in 1893 to add a little charm. If you haven’t been to Cortlands in Arlington Heights it’s a must stop. The build out of the space is just incredible. The vintage charm of the building is definitely worth the visit alone. As summer approaches the outdoor patio is one of the best you will find in the area to enjoy dinner and some drinks. A new edition will be apart of the Cortlands Garage line up this spring… The sidewalk patio will have five tables set up to view music in the park. Can’t wait for that.

For those of us who have to stay in for the night, Brian Roginski shares with us a few things that make a great cocktail. True to the theme of Cortlands, fresh ingredients are a MUST! Be sure to tune in for this.

The daily challenges of owning his own business has Brian motivated every day to bring his customers nothing but the best service and experience. This attitude is why Cortlands Garage in Bucktown and Arlington Heights are so prosperous. It’s the love he puts into his establishment that keeps people coming back. You can feel it in the building and within the staff each time you visit.

I love to mention on the show each week the business owners willingness to give back to the community. Brian Roginski is no different. His involvement with Misericordia is awesome each and every year. Small business owners are the first to give back. This is why we need to support them.

Ideas and Topics Discussed in This Episode:

Secrets To Making A Great Cocktail

Construction Of Cortlands Arlington Heights

Cortlands NEW Street Cafe Opening This Spring

The Business Journey

Charitable Involvement

Links/Resources/Sponsors Mentioned:

Cortlands Garage Website

Facebook Page

Sponsors:

Novak & Parker Home Appliance. Go to Novak & Parker, Mention You heard About Them On The Arlington-Prospect Advice Givers Show. They Have A Special For All Listeners

Austin-Jarrett Law. If You Are Buying Or Selling A Home And Need Legal Representation Please Contact Shani Jarrett.

Kristy Riedel of US Bank. For all your home mortgage needs and construction loan financing contact Kristy at 847-650-7982

Thanks for Listening!

Thanks for joining me again this week. If you have any tips, suggestions, or comments about this episode, please be sure to leave them in the comment section below.

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the bottom of the post. Thank you!

APAG 57: Travis Heberling of Travis Heberling Video-Photo Productions Shares His Secrets To Taking Great Photography

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On this 57th edition of the podcast, Travis Heberling of Travis Heberling Productions is my guest. Travis shares some of his secrets on how to take great pictures and video that will last forever. Capturing that special moment in time is a unique talent. A talent we not only desire, we require for our special events.

Travis Heberling was born in central Illinois loving the arts. Growing up, Travis had always been intrigued with video production. As a kid, his love of animation and video was the natural fit for his career. Having the privilage to work with Travis, on a weekly basis in my real estate business, has taught me a lot about the intricacies photography. There are so many little nuances to taking a great photo, from the angles, lighting, lenses and the list goes on… He really has the ability to tell a story with his camera. Travis has a special talent to put you in that moment in time, you never want to forget.

Travis Herberling Productions came about from Travis’s unwillingness to accept the status quo 9 to 5 job. His creativity needed to be put to use. Starting his business as a free lance photographer has blossomed into a video & photography company. Building his business one client at a time has been Travis’s recipe for success. The referrals keep coming in because of his service and his talent. You have to check out Travis Herberling’s website here. Shooting weddings, parties, business marketing pieces and so much more Travis has something for anyone if they are in need. His video production is not only unique, but amazing, I think everyone should check it out for yourselves.

For all of us amateur photographers and videographers out there… Travis shares some useful ADVICE on how to capture our special moments. You won’t want to miss this.

Ideas and Topics Discussed in This Episode:

Advice On How Amateurs Can Take Better Photos

Video Production, Photography, Motion Graphics, Graphics Design

Creating Video Content For Businesses

Bella Productions

Links/Resources/Sponsors Mentioned:

http://trheberlingproductions.com/

Sponsors:

Novak & Parker Home Appliance. Go to Novak & Parker, Mention You heard About Them On The Arlington-Prospect Advice Givers Show. They Have A Special For All Listeners

Austin-Jarrett Law. If You Are Buying Or Selling A Home And Need Legal Representation Please Contact Shani Jarrett.

Kristy Riedel of US Bank. For all your home mortgage needs and construction loan financing contact Kristy at 847-650-7982

Thanks for Listening!

Thanks for joining me again this week. If you have any tips, suggestions, or comments about this episode, please be sure to leave them in the comment section below.

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the bottom of the post. Thank you!

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS: REAL ESTATE MAXIMUM PROFITS

The Aggregation of Marginal Gains: How “The Value-Driven Approach To Sell Real Estate” Creates Max Profit For Home sellers!

I read an incredible article the other day about Tour de France cyclist coach, Dave Brailsford.

From the article, “In 2010, Dave Brailsford faced a tough job. No British cyclist had ever won the Tour de France, but as the new General Manager and Performance Director for Team Sky (Great Britain’s professional cycling team), Brailsford was asked to change that.

His approach was simple Brailsford believed in a concept that he referred to as the “aggregation of marginal gains.” He explained it as “the 1 percent margin for improvement in everything you do.” His belief was that if you improved every area related to cycling by just 1 percent, then those small gains would add up to remarkable improvement.

They started by optimizing the things you might expect: the nutrition of riders, their weekly training program, the ergonomics of the bike seat, and the weight of the tires.

But Brailsford and his team didn’t stop there. They searched for 1 percent improvements in tiny areas that were overlooked by almost everyone else: discovering the pillow that offered the best sleep and taking it with them to hotels, testing for the most effective type of massage gel, and teaching riders the best way to wash their hands to avoid infection. They searched for 1 percent improvements everywhere.

Brailsford believed that if they could successfully execute this strategy, then Team Sky would be in a position to win the Tour de France in five years’ time.

He was wrong. They won it in three years.

In 2012, Team Sky rider Sir Bradley Wiggins became the first British cyclist to win the Tour de France. That same year, Brailsford coached the British cycling team at the 2012 Olympic Games and dominated the competition by winning 70 percent of the gold medals available.

In 2013, Team Sky repeated their feat by winning the Tour de France again, this time with rider Chris Froome. Many have referred to the British cycling feats in the Olympics and the Tour de France over the past 10 years as the most successful run in modern cycling history.”

The article then asks, “What can we learn from Brailsford’s approach?”

The answer is obvious, isn’t it? The coach’s concept, “The aggregation of marginal gains.” As the author points out, “It’s easy to overestimate the importance of one defining moment and underestimate the value of making better decisions on a daily basis. And, also states, “Almost every habit that you have—good or bad—is the result of many small decisions over time. And yet, how easily we forget this when we want to make a change. So often we convince ourselves that change is only meaningful if there is some large, visible outcome associated with it. Whether it is losing weight, building a business, traveling the world or an other goal, we often put pressure on ourselves to make some earth-shattering improvement that everyone will talk about.

Meanwhile, improving by just 1% isn’t notable (and sometimes it isn’t even noticeable). But it can be just as meaningful, especially in the long run.”

After all, isn’t that how Warren Buffett became one of the world’s richest people? Not overnight. But through the power of compound interest. Small regular improvement. Aggregated together. Compounded over time.

Again, it didn’t happen overnight. But that “Value-Driven Approach,” as Warren Buffett is a value-driven investor, is what turned Buffett’s portfolio from 3 shares of Cities Service, an oil service company, at the ripe age of 11—into, 75 years later, a personal fortune of $72.5 billion. Or, purely for effect, to truly understand the size of that number: 72,500 million.

Well, when selling real estate. The path to maximum profit, no different than winning the Tour de France or engineering a massive portfolio, isn’t done with one epic, noticeable decision. It is, instead, the aggregation of many small decisions that serve to eliminate fundamental mistakes.

Now imagine the negative impact of just a 5% decline in decision-making effectiveness over the course of 100 decisions. At first, it’s not noticeable. But quickly, those inferior decisions begin to compound, derailing the entire train. The opposite is true for highly-effective decisions. They too, over the course of 100 decisions, quickly compound to lead to a result that maximizes profits.

This is why, when it comes to our approach to sell real estate, we documented it, to be sure we consistently made more effective decisions. End result? Happy clients. Higher profits.

C. Steven Weirich is the co-author of ‘The Value-Driven Approach: A practical guide to protect yourself from REAL ESTATE GREED & bank and extra $30,000 by THINKING like the great Warren Buffett.’ He is a licensed agent with @properties and a local entrepreneur as well. For a free copy of his book visit: www.literature4charity.com

APAG 056: Rich & Chris Rice of Rice Custom Guitars Shares Their Secrets to What Makes a Great Instrument

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On this 56th edition of the podcast, Rich & Chris Rice of Rice Custom Guitars are my guest. What started as an obsession in 1998, building custom guitars, has now turned into an amazing father and son duo. It wasn’t until 2006 that Rice Custom Guitars started their business journey. This endeavor started in the backyard while taking pictures in their moms garden of a guitar they made. Rich & Chris had built up a pretty massive inventory of instruments so they thought, we should have a go at this. Since then, Rich & Chris Rice have never looked back.

The obsession to build hand crafted guitars that feel good in musicians hands has been achieved with endless hours of work. Music is truly an art form. Not only is the music composed art, but the instruments they play with are pieces of art as well. These two experts, Rich & Chris Rice, hand craft guitars that are played all over the world. Building instruments that capture that sound every musician chases when they plug into the amp. Chris explains how important not only sound is but the feel of the guitar in a players hands. “Instruments become a part of the musicians body. They become one with their guitar.” Chris Rice says. Rice Custom Guitars mission is being captured with every instrument the build right here in Arlington Heights. All you musicians out there and fans of music you have to check out their work.

Rich shares a story about the resurrection of a Gibson ES 35 that was ruined in hurricane Katrina back in 2005. This instrument was sent to Gibson asking them to bring it back to life. As Rich said “Gibson told them to put it in the fireplace, it can’t be fixed.” The guitar was also sent to a world class guitar guy to have it revamped. After 10 years of tweaking it was still not back to it’s old self. After a chance encounter, in New Orleans, with the owner of the Gibson ES 35, Rich had him ship the guitar up to the shop in pieces. It took all of about two months for Rice Custom Guitars to get this gem singing the blues again. When your craft becomes an obsession these are the types of things that can happen.

Rich & Chris Rice are the perfect father and son duo. Doing what they love, crafting beautiful hand crafted instruments everyday at Rice Custom Guitars. Rich says “If it feels good, looks nice in your hands and it sounds great, the guitar will find you” Spoken like a true master of their craft.

Ideas and Topics Discussed in This Episode:

What To Look For When Purchasing A Guitar

The Importance Of Sound & Feel

Rice Custom Guitars Fix Ann Instruments With Strings

The Story of The Gibson ES 35

Our Top Five Favorite Guitar Players

Links/Resources/Sponsors Mentioned:

http://ricecustomguitars.com

Rice Custom Guitars Facebook Page

Sponsors:

Novak & Parker Home Appliance. Go to Novak & Parker, Mention You heard About Them On The Arlington-Prospect Advice Givers Show. They Have A Special For All Listeners

Austin-Jarrett Law. If You Are Buying Or Selling A Home And Need Legal Representation Please Contact Shani Jarrett.

Kristy Riedel of US Bank. For all your home mortgage needs and construction loan financing contact Kristy at 847-650-7982

Thanks for Listening!

Thanks for joining me again this week. If you have any tips, suggestions, or comments about this episode, please be sure to leave them in the comment section below.

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the bottom of the post. Thank you!

APAG 055: Brandon Burns of Weedman Lawncare Services Gives Us the Secrets to Growing & Maintaining Our Lawns

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On this 55th edition of the podcast, Brandon Burns of Weed Man Lawn Care Services is my guest. Brandon is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin where he has a degree in soil science and environmental studies. Working as a golf course superintendent, out of school, Brandon learned just about everything possible there is to know about maintaining grass. By 2006, working 80 hours a week, Brandon Burns entrepreneurial spirit started creeping into his head. By 2008 he started Weed Man Lawn Care Service. With no clients and a wealth of expertise, Brandon knew this was his path to fulfillment . Now with over 4,000 customers, he is taking pride in making an impact within our community.

In this information packed interview Brandon talks about how we can get our lawns looking pristine. I will guarantee you this, your neighbor will be asking you how you get your grass looking like that. As Brandon says “It takes premium products, a partnership between Weed Man & homeowner and of course the dreaded mother nature to achieve premium results.” With the premium products Weed Man Lawn Care Services uses the results you are looking for are coming this spring.

Brandon also discusses the dreaded issues of maintaining our lawns. He gives us his expert advice on what we can do to fight off grubs, diseases, hard to kill weeds and proper watering schedules. One piece of expert advice to listeners who are thinking of selling their homes, Brandon says you can add up to 15% to your properties value by having a well manicured yard. So true!!

As the business has grown, Brandon Burns has started to give back to the community. As many of our small businesses in our communities do. A couple of years ago Weed Man Lawn Care Services started the ‘First Responders Program’. The program gives free services to local police and firemen. I love this concept, keep it up Brandon.

Let’s face it, we all envy the family on the block that has the thick lush green grass. Quit asking your self… Why don’t I have grass like theirs? You can… Just contact Weed Man Lawn Care Services for a free consultation. You will be glad you did.

Ideas and Topics Discussed in This Episode:

A Few Tips On How We Can Maintain Our Grass

Weed Man’s First Responders Program

The Weed Man Basis Program For Customers

Brandon’s Background In Soil Science

The Benefits To Working With Weed Man Lawn Care Services

Links/Resources/Sponsors Mentioned:

http://www.weedmanusa.com

Weed Man’s Facebook Page

Sponsors:

Novak & Parker Home Appliance. Go to Novak & Parker, Mention You heard About Them On The Arlington-Prospect Advice Givers Show. They Have A Special For All Listeners

Austin-Jarrett Law. If You Are Buying Or Selling A Home And Need Legal Representation Please Contact Shani Jarrett.

Kristy Riedel of US Bank. For all your home mortgage needs and construction loan financing contact Kristy at 847-650-7982

Thanks for Listening!

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