Weight Lifting


Virgil Winston:
Marketing Guru

Mrs. Winston came barreling in to my office this morning to announce that her diet was working—she had lost two pounds in two days and was going to have a piece of French toast to celebrate her success. I didn’t have the heart to tell her that, due to gravitational effects, you weigh slightly less when the moon is directly overhead. The truth is, my wife looks great no matter what her weight so I kept my mouth shut and joined her for French toast. It was delicious and reminded me of when we were first married. Mrs. Winston used to make me breakfast every morning—usually it was eggs, but Sundays were French toast days. We’d sleep in late, read the paper in bed and then she’d get up and make breakfast while I finished the crossword puzzle. There were no kids to feed, dress or yell at and we were free to do anything we pleased. Don’t get me wrong, I love my kids and we have a great family life, but I sometimes long for the good old days when it was just the two of us. I told her as much over breakfast and we decided it would be fun to play hooky for a day or two.
So next weekend, my in-laws are coming to pick up the kids and my wife and I are going to enjoy a little stay-cation in our own home. We can’t wait to not clean the house, mow the lawn, cook for three picky eaters or fight for the remote. It will be just the two of us, lying in bed, doing the crossword and eating a late, leisurely breakfast. My wife has already informed me that this time I will be the one cooking—which is fine by me. After breakfast we are going to “take a nap” or two (a man can dream) and then go out for dinner to a place that does not have a children’s menu. We may even get crazy and go to a movie or pop in somewhere for a nightcap. I am very much looking forward to the weekend…especially since Mrs. Winston came home with a Victoria’s Secret shopping bag. The point is, it’s important to remember how you got to the place you are now and bring some of the romance back into your relationship. We didn’t start out with three kids, a house, two cars, a cat, two birds and four goldfish—it used to be just the two of us. The same principle applies to your business. Take a moment and ask your self how you got to where you are now. Chances are it started with a great product or service and a willingness to work hard to gain a client base. So, when you are thinking about your promotional marketing campaign, go back to the basics and give your customers something they can really use…like a little of your time. The At Clock is a whimsical timepiece and a guaranteed attention grabber. The clock’s sleek design gives it a modern flair while the @-shaped face will remind your clients that you are just an e-mail away. This portable analog clock makes an attractive gift for anyone doing business in the virtual world.

I’m off to the flower shop to order a bouquet of roses to kick off the big weekend. Until next time, remember, “ Marriage is forever but you’ll be happier if you act like it’s just for today.”