Twenty Years Of Learning

President's Message By
Frank L. VanderSloot
President/CEO

January 2005

As we enter our 20th year as a business, I look back with pride at our journey over the past two decades. Sometimes we learn things on our journey through life that are not necessarily profound, but enlightening, nonetheless. Here are a few of the things that I have learned in the last 20 years:

About Business and Other Stuff:

The truth is always good enough.

Every problem is an opportunity.

People will allow your mistakes if you own up to them.

Trust is our most important asset.

Our focus determines our future.

Discouragement can defeat the most powerful army.

It is rare for people to place long-term objectives in front of short-term needs.

Faith and hope can empower the masses.

Things my dad taught me are as important in business as they are in life itself.

Quality pays dividends.

Partnering with others and win/win relationships can propel you far past your competitors.

A simple story told from the heart is more powerful in selling the product than the 10 years of science behind the product -- but never leave out the science.

Sometimes the weirdest people have the most potential.

Heart outperforms brilliance.

Once you understand someone, you learn to love them.

No one is more powerful than a great leader.

Great leaders put the welfare of their people as their highest priority.

Leadership is not asking, "Which way are you going? Can I be in front?" (That's politics.)

Great leaders teach not only Where, and How, but also, Why.

Shortcuts never take you to where the guy said.

You cannot motivate someone else, you can only create an environment where people will decide to motivate themselves.

If your headlights don't allow you to see far enough ahead, move forward.

Those who prove it can be done are precious to any organization. They make the most powerful impact!

A 26-year-old kid can prove to thousands of "older and wiser" folks it really can be done.

As soon as the 26-year-old kid proves it can be done, others will soon be doing it.

Many people can make you laugh but few can make you laugh harder, or more often, than Eddie Bestoso.

About Family:

The sustaining support of a good wife is a man's most powerful motivation.

A peaceful home is like a fine garden. Those who live there can experience phenomenal growth.

No one tends the garden better than Belinda.

Kids grow up fast — too fast!

But they will always be your kids.

Grandkids can be more fun than your own children because you are not responsible for how they behave.

Happiness comes not from having things, but from relationships, building together, learning together, and from doing good.

Forgiveness, tolerance, and understanding create healing and peace of mind.

Sustaining one another creates a tremendous desire for personal growth.

The one who holds the remote-control wins.

The number of shoes necessary in a wardrobe is in direct proportion to the number of purses within that same wardrobe.

Over time, a man's space in the bathroom diminishes in direct proportion to the number of years married.

International:

When it comes to humor, determination, and accomplishment, Canadians are no different from Americans.

Canadian women write things on their underwear and let people read what they wrote at hockey games.

You can't hold your breath long enough to use the latrines in China.

As well as build watches, the Swiss can stack wood more flawlessly than any other people.

Parasailing in the Alps beats snorkeling in the Cayman Islands.

Japan has the cleanest taxis.

Life:

Love is life's most precious commodity.

Once you have seen the whales in the Pacific, experienced the lions in the Masai Mara, watched the hippos swim the Mara River, or held a baby in your arms, you realize the evidence of the Creator is overwhelming.

Sincerely,
Frank

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