Non-sexual crush alert!!!

I have to say ladies and Gentlemen, I have developed a non-sexual crush (ode to Seinfield as I think it's the first place I heard the term) on Timothy Ferriss author of 'The Four-Hour Work Week'. I have read the book thanks to my good pal Moe who first suggested it, and it has truly changed my life. It is further changing it as I implement it's tenants. Now the book aside I have been watching videos about Tim and all of his accomplishments and it truly is amazing! My man has accomplished something that I have always dreamed of. When asked the question 'What would you do if money weren't an issue and you could do anything what would you do?' I can finally answer it! I would like to do whatever the hell I want to do! If i feel like going to Paris for breakfast, and then for dinner going to Italy then that's what I'll do. If I want to go help tribal folks in the amazon I can. If I want to learn to play the cello I can do that too. It is amazing to me that this normal guy who is my age speaks several languages, tangos, fights MMA, while running a multinational corporation! I love this guy. Tim I've selected you as my brother from another mother and I humbly thank you! Here's a video of Tim talking about his book enjoy.

Thanks for your support.

Ray Wilburn
MBA, CPA

Uh Oh now I'm in trouble

After obtaining my CPA license I had to find a new dragon to slay. Let's back up. The CPA was a big impossible goal for me. I began my quest to become a CPA back in 2004. I really didn't know a lot about accounting at that point. In fact I stumbled onto it quite accidentally. I was in the military and I was put in charge of bringing our shipboard personnel files up to code. I didn't realize it but that was my first foray into accounting...compliance auditing. When I was done with my tour I had just finished my B.S. in General Business. So what now? I decided I would become a big-time accountant and make lots of money. Interviewers had quite a time with me and it seemed impossible that I'd ever be here, but four years later I have obtained an MBA, and a CPA designation. Well upon receiving my license I felt a hole. Where I used to have a challenge a drive now I've got all this time and no impossible dragon to slay (that's what I call goals...because it's cool!).

I got to thinking and as a 300 pound desk bound worker I wondered what could be the most challenging, impossible thing I could aim for? Well ladies and gentleman I've decided. I WILL RUN A MARATHON! Uh oh! The thing about me is that I am stubborn. Once I get something in my head I won't stop. I'm a dragon slayer. The problem is...I can't even run a mile...YET. Any marathoners have any advice for me? I'm going to take it slow and I would like to run 1 year from today in a marathon. For now I'll set my next goal at running a mile, then two, then entering a 5k race, then a half marathon, and then another, and then slay the dragon. Well that's all for Raymond, for now.

Thanks for your support.

Ray Wilburn
CPA, MBA

Milkshakes make you feel good and so should your realtor.

Milk Shakes. I love them! I have had many a milkshake and one of my favorite milkshake flavors is chocolate. Many places make them, but a certain fast food chain with Golden arches makes one of my favorites. I mean if you order their thick chocolaty milkshake you are transported away from your troubles and taken to a magic milkshake land-o-fun! I mean I think they must have a container of magical goodness back in the kitchen that they add to the milk and chocolate and who knows what other stuff they put in those things. The truth is that the milkshake itself has no power. It's the build up that I create in my head about the milkshake that gives the milkshake it's magic.
Feelings ladies and gentlemen feelings make the difference between my magical milkshake experience, and just sipping melted ice cream through a straw. It is important that patrons of your business feel as though they are receiving magic. It is important that you go the extra mile for them and make a stressful time as magically stress-free as possible.
How do you do that? How do you add the magic to the milkshakes? Well as a Realtor I add magic to the milkshake by staying engaged. Many of my clients come into contact with Realtors, mortgage brokers, banks, title reps...etc that simply do not stay engaged. They are in the midst of a major deal and suddenly after mutual acceptance they lose track of all of the resources. No Realtor to be heard from, no mortgage broker to answer questions. I add magic to my milkshake by staying engaged. Keeping my clients informed. Staying in touch with all of the points of the transaction, the title rep, escrow, the mortgage broker, and the other agent. That's really a big part of our job as Realtors. We manage the project. We also bring our knowledge to the table so that the client feels at home. The client feels secure, the client...feels...the magic!
Realtors just make you feel good! It should be the same with your milkshakes.

Side effects of giving up television

I was sitting here on the old computer (I call mine Suzy, which coincidentally has been the name I've assigned to cars, weapons, or any other type of machinery that I spend a lot of time with) watching an episode of 'Scrubs' on ABC.com when it dawned on me how estranged I am from 'television'. The new shows almost seem like a Saturday Night Live Skit. Like this crap can not be real. But it's real! The shows I used to enjoy before I gave up the television machine I still watch via DVD, or I catch shows online, but there is not an ounce of cable invading my home...not a drop. Why? At first it was because I was studying for my CPA and I didn't like how much time I was spending watching crappy shows...but after the first month cold turkey when I started not to miss it, it became a weird point of difference. Something that I did that no one else seemed to do. Everyone always says things like...'that commercial with the thing, and that guy...hilarious!'. I then say...I have no idea what you are talking about...wanna use the English language to convey your thoughts to me? LOL, but I ain't laughing. I'm not holier than though, I watch YouTube, and I certainly watch the television shows I watched before I left the matrix, but it is nice to be free. Plus I am able to unabashedly make fun of how horrible the premise for certain shows are. So for example, I never watched 'LOST' before so I don't watch it now...not an episode NOT ONE episode. But when I see the advertisement for it I can't help but notice these manicured people being lost on an island, and i mean they have been lost for YEARS! Plus there is an obese dude on that show...how are you lost on an island and obese? How are you lost on an island and you are able to have cute looking hair, untattered clothing...and no one has horrible teeth. The chops would've been discolored by now without fluoride, and regular checkups. Gilligan's island had the same ludicrous premise, but it was okay cause it was a comedy...this show is serious...lol. I understand though...when you are into a show you can forget about these tiny holes in the premise...because it just feels good...it's icing, but no cake...I can dig it. It's fun as heck though being able to see through that crap...now that I've given up television I do notice that I spend an unGodly amount of time on the net. Ahh well six of one, half dozen of the other.

Thanks for your support

Handsome Raymond