Mel Peterson - The Naked Blogger

Jazzing up the World of Biscotti. It's no secret, my friends know that I'm a chocolate lover. And when one of my friends recently surprised me with a basket full of coffee and chocolate treats, I discovered a new love for biscotti. Can you say Yummy?!

In my basket full of treats was a package of german chocolate biscotti made in Oregon by a company called Be-Bop Biscotti. The company is located in Bend Oregon and they have an eye-catching website with a cool marketing message... 'We're jazzing up the world of biscotti, infusing fresh life into an old standard.' It doesn't take much to engage my taste buds when chocolate is involved. Did I say Yummy?!

Be-Bop Biscotti certainly jazzed up my life today! Have you had your biscotti?

Good Things Happen in the Rain. I've been on the receiving end of giving for many of my childhood years. Having been raised by a disabled single mother with Multiple Sclerosis, it didn't leave us with many options, except that of welfare and church donations. I'll never forget waiting in long lines for government hand-outs of cheese and butter. It left a distinct impression in my mind, and one that I didn't like much.

It wasn't easy being the welfare kid on the block. I hated hand-outs and how they made me feel about myself. Because of that, I was determined to work hard and make enough money so I would never have to rely on public assistance again. Having been there and done that, I knew a little something about charity and how important it is to help those less fortunate.

I've had the wonderful experience in giving to many charitable causes throughout my adult life. Since there are so many worthwhile organizations vying for donations, I established a personal criteria for which charities I would donate to. Any organization that supplied basic human needs (i.e. food, water, clothing, shelter) had the highest priority in my mind. Mostly because it was these items that supplied my greatest need as a child. Once the basic human needs are met, then I look for other opportunities to support children and their emotional well being.

I've always been a huge advocate of sending kids to camp, paying for sports teams equipment and uniforms and also donating funds for the advancement of music and art in schools. I believe these programs are extremely helpful to the psychological development of a child. I have a heart for children and especially those with less fortunate circumstances. Which leads me to a follow-up to one of my previous posts... This Biz is for the Bears.

Two weeks ago, my grand-daughter turned 3 years old. In lieu of birthday gifts, we asked each guest to consider donating to a charity for needy children called, My Stuff Bags. Here's a pic of my sweet grand-daughter Ellie delivering bags full of blankets and stuffed animals collected from her birthday party. While she may not fully understand the value of giving gifts to needy children, she will at least know that she participated in something good. It was a rainy day in LA that day... but it provided a great photo op of my Ellie holding her little umbrella. And it just goes to show ya... Good things happen in the rain!

Cash, Coffee & Chocolate... A Totally Cool Thing! This morning I received a special delivery from one of our local Title Companies. Each time we have a closing, the title company hand delivers our check along with one (and sometimes two) of our favorite chocolate candy bars. It's a special touch that many agents in town look forward to.

I was thinking about the 'extra mile' service they give and how special it makes us feel. It starts from the moment we get into contract, the title company opens escrow and sends us a coupon for a free cup of coffee at one of our local coffee houses in Grants Pass called Dutch Bros. Another special touch!

It occurred to me that this type of service might be unique to our area and not typical in other areas throughout the country. Perhaps it's because we live in a small town where people treasure people, and random acts of kindness are more of the norm and not so random. This Chocolatier appreciates the cash, coffee & chocolate!

Cash, Coffee & Chocolate... A totally cool thing!

If The Shoe Fits... You Damn Better Put It On and Wear It! Twelve years ago, I moved from Southern California to Oregon and tried my hand at a new career in real estate. I didn't know a single soul in Grants Pass except the Realtor who helped me buy my home. After getting my real estate license, I decided to go to work for her as a buyer's agent. I had some doubts about our compatibility (she was an arm-twister and I'm a relationship builder), but I said yes anyway. It took less than a week for me to regret my decision. The next six months felt like Mr. Toad's Tumultuous Wild Ride.

After coming to my senses and realizing that it was impossible to fit a square peg in a round hole, I resigned. Unfortunately, I had signed a non-compete, which my Realtor boss (who was also a partner in the brokerage) fully intended on enforcing. Honoring my word, I was forced to hang-up my license for a year while I burned the clock on the non-compete. In the meantime, I was unemployed in a small town, where even the locals were lucky to land a minimum wage job.

Fortunately for me, an opportunity presented itself when Gottschalks opened a store in Grants Pass, and I was offered a job as a Manager of the Shoe Department. After accepting the position, my former Principal Broker made me an offer I couldn't refuse. If I would agree to come back and work as an independent agent for the same brokerage, my former Realtor boss would tear up the non-compete. I was delighted, as my passion had become real estate. I gave notice to Gottschalks, but I agreed to work through the holidays so they wouldn't feel the burden of having to replace me during their busiest retail season. What happened next proved to be one of the best blessings I received in my real estate career.

One day, an older couple stopped by the shoe department to buy some shoes for their honeymoon. They explained that they were both widowers about to be married. I let them know of some special deals the store was having on shoes and luggage and they were very grateful for the extra savings. I helped them carry the luggage to their car, and on the way out, they told me that when they got back from their honeymoon they were going to buy a home. They thanked me for my help and I smiled and wished them both well (I could hardly contain myself).

Later that evening, I went to Hallmark and bought a 'shoe' card (similar to the one in the pic above). I wrote a nice note to the couple and here's what I said... 'Now that I have one foot in the door, I'd love to jump in with both feet and be your Realtor!' Two weeks later, I got a call from Walt & Sue, saying... 'We want you to come over now and list our home.' I was ecstatic!

When I arrived at their home, we filled out the paperwork and I thanked them for putting their trust in me. They said... 'Don't mention it honey... now let's go over to our other home... we want you to list that one too!' I couldn't believe it... another home?! I felt like I had just hit the real estate jackpot. I ended up selling both of their homes and I helped them buy another one together. With three sales under my belt... from just one Hallmark card... my journey to independence continued.

Some might chalk this fortunate experience up to luck. Perhaps. But, I'd like to think that something special happened that day, allowing some very valuable life lessons to come into play. Here are some lessons that I've learned along the way...

Lessons Learned from The Naked Blogger

1. Don't be afraid to be adventurous. Take risks.

2. Listen to your gut and never try to fit a square peg in a round hole. It just doesn't fit.

3. Be open to opportunities from the most unlikely places. Seek and you will find.

4. Be kind to strangers and everyone you meet. Kindness pays.

5. Follow-up is one of the keys to success. People appreciate personal touches.

6. If The Shoe Fits... You Damn Better Put It On and Wear It!

This Biz is For the Bears! Sometimes, it becomes beary essential to take some time off and re-energize your mind, body and soul. I did just that a week ago when I headed to SoCal to attend my grand-daughter's 3rd birthday party... and what a party it was!

My daughter (Rachael) is a very creative gal, who has a wonderful knack for planning social events. Every year, she comes up with a theme for her daughter's birthday, and this year the theme was... 'Ellie Locks and The Three Bears.'

Just to give you an idea of the kind of party I'm talking about, take a look at the pics below (before the bears arrived). Some of the backyard decorations included 3 beds (Mama, Papa & Baby Bear) made into tables with handsewn bed skirts.

This Biz is Definitely for the Bears! All of the decorations and food were made from scratch for 100+ friends and family who joined the celebration (this little girl is beary loved)! Every year my daughter asks each guest to donate to Ellie's charity in lieu of gifts for Ellie. This year, we collected tons of bears and blankets for a special charity called My Stuffed Bags, for needy children.

It takes a lot to plan these parties, but it's worth all the effort when you see the joy and excitement on little Ellie's face and her guests every year. She's 3-yrs old now and way smarter than the average bear. We're already planning next year's party and the theme is going to be... 'Ellie and Her 4-Legged Friends'!

My Ellie Bear's middle name is LOVE ;)