While I’m out here at Facebook this week doing my best to increase brand awareness, show off that super popular Survival Belt and break records with this pop-up store venue, I am also very excited to be rooting on someone very close in his largest athletic accomplishment yet. 

From yesterday through this weekend, my younger brother, Corey Schmidt, is a member of the 6 person Crossfit Davis team that is among the top 30 teams in the world competing to be the “World’s Fittest Athletes” at the 2016 Crossfit Games. I’ve loyally watched and supported as he has steadily progressed in these competitions over the years and has now reached this peak moment of his…really fast worker-outer career!

While I am not a Crossfitter, I definitely admire the heart, perseverance, Key #6, dedication, and grit that these athletes display in competition. When teams like this get together and work in unison towards a goal, they can do some amazing things. Does this sound familiar to anyone? I definitely hope so because we Crusaders are all working hard as well and gaining some serious momentum.

Thank you for humoring me with your time today and just as I hope my brother does all weekend…Key #7!!!!

"I don't think you'll ever have a perfect world because we humans are prone to error, and so we're always in search of an upgrade."
-Henry Rollins

Personally I don’t think that perfection is something that we as humans can achieve. What a disheartening idea, if we can’t become perfect why even try?  We are intrinsically flawed, we can be selfish, inconsiderate, and plain ‘ol mean.  However, just because we can’t reach perfection doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t try, in fact I think that it’s the exact reason we should try.  Some may say that not having a clearly defined, finite, quantifiable end goal is futile, but I think the contrary.  If there was a finish line of “perfect” to cross, that means the race is over, it means that there is no point in trying anymore, nothing left to do.  Having a goal that can be potentially limitless is the perfect reason to keep going, as long as you continue to improve yourself, at any given moment you’ll be the most perfect you that’s ever existed. 

"You can dream, create, design and build the most wonderful place in the world.....but it requires people to make the dream a reality."

                                                                       -Walt Disney

In this increasingly digital world where we live more and more through our screens, it is important to take the time to look up and see the real world around you. To see that there are real people around you and that it is okay to put the device in your hand away for a while, look someone in the eye and, with your undivided attention, have a real conversation. To occasionally pick up the phone and call someone instead of sending a text and to realize that posting a Happy Birthday on their Facebook page is not the same thing as telling them in person.

We are fortunate to come to work every day to an awesome company with awesome people, and in this increasingly divided and difficult world that is a rare and beautiful thing. It is natural when the news is so awful and the stories are so hard to digest, to escape into another place, but resist that urge, look up and smile at the person next to you and I bet they will likely smile back..........

Remember that while we have an incredible product, YOU are the fuel in the tank that powers this machine. Every interaction with one of our guests is an opportunity to create a customer for life, so make the most of every one.