Eastman Kodak, another one bites the dust…

Ok this is purely conjecture but I am starting to hear about push back when proposing Kodak products to high level clients. My local superiors are saying the typical, "business as usual." But we know what that means, "They dont know and they want us to keep marching without missing a step."

The rumors are that at the higher levels they are being told not to go forward with Digimaster and NexPRESS products as they will be going away soon. So I am putting my feelers out to get more feedback from YOU. Many times you know what is happening before the news hits the street. I had heard months ago that Ricoh was looking at Kodak for the high end production black and white and color and so they would not have to develop a strong workflow product.

I was recently in a position to be aware of a huge Federal deal that would involve thousands of machines, the word from the silver hair and black tie side of the business is a "no go" on the Kodak products the word coming down from their superiors in the fancy building with the pearly gates is that HP is making a play for Kodak and that that product line is going away anyway!

Going away anyway? What do you mean says the innocent pirate who sells the big iron? Yes going away says the silver haired man in his late 60's. Could it be that Ricoh the 'new' one world leader is coming forth with its own product to replace it. Replace it wow; that sounds well wow…

Could it be that the great minds that gave us the engine for the IBM infoPRINT have stepped down to create for us "the ants of the 'new' one world leader" a great and ultimately powerful multi-function of destruction?

The great destroyer of all that is Docutech, Varioprint and Digimaster? Wow, (for those of you that don't know better don't hold your breath.) I am very interested to see what we are going to replace these MaMaMaMillions of clicks a month Machines.

What could this new Multi-Function of Destruction look like? What will be its call to arms. Will it cost those that wield it their souls? Will it be like a cyborg and run itself? How far into the future do we have to look to get a small glimpse of what is coming down the pike from our engineering friends across the great oceans from our 'new' one world leader?

I do not know of what could be motivating people to NOT sell the Digimaster products especially since we have always been the largest channel for these products anyway I would rather us buy them than another competitor especially like an HP that already is whooping up on us with their Indigo sheetfed and web products I really do not need them coming down into my small shops and taking away all that which Ricoh has giveneth.

One thing that is very apparent is that Kodak is a bit vulnerable at the moment. After posting a “preliminary Net Loss of $137 million, or $.51 per share.” For the 4th Quarter of 2008 and watching their stock dwindle from a close on April 28th 2008 of $17.89 to $3.95 April 28th 2009 they have seen better days. Watching a company prepare to lay off 4500 people or almost 18% of their workforce could start a few rumors all by itself.

Hey if you have the inside track please feel free to enlighten me as this has become the great soap opera for all things pirate-like.

Pirate Mike…

Global 100; Ricoh makes the list for the 5th year in a row…

In a press release that reads “RICOH MAKES "GLOBAL 100" LIST FOR 5th YEAR IN A ROW “Ricoh touts that they have earned this prestigious award for the fifth time. The Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World is a project initiated by Corporate Knights Inc. (a Canadian magazine focusing on corporate social responsibility) and Innovest Strategic Value Advisors, (research firm that sells information), and is a list of companies that are the world’s most sustainable. A sustainable corporation is defined as a company “that produce an overall positive impact on society and the environment."

“We believe that a company’s ability to manage its extra-financial aspects, such as those related to environmental, labour, and human rights, is a powerful proxy and a leading indicator for its overall management quality. Management quality, in turn, is the single greatest determinant of companies’ financial performance. The aim of this initiative is thus to promote better managed and better performing corporations regarding sustainability issues.” – Selection from the Global 100’s Mission Statement.

The list has been maintained since 2000 and this is Ricoh’s 5th year to make the grade. At first I was a bit leery about this list but after further review seen that Forbes and others have written about this list and its validity. “The list is not a ranking. It looks only at AAA-rated corporations that can be considered models of sustainability, and they are picked to cover a broad range of industries.” – Forbes Article 100 Corporations That Will Survive 100 Years

In Ricoh’s press release they talk about some of the factors that got Ricoh on the list and the importance that they put on sustainability. “One of the overwhelming factors in Ricoh’s favor was the company’s "Year 2050 Extra-Long-Term Environmental Vision," and how its current management strategies all support this initiative. Ricoh’s strong performance in the other three key indicators also contributed to its inclusion in this year’s list.” – Ricoh’s website

In a world where almost all competitive companies have an environmental policy, social responsibility policy it only makes sense that they parley this “mission statement” into a forward thinking sustainability movement. It is top of mind as workers that we seek employment from someone that is “sustainable.” Now more than ever newly unemployed are looking for somewhere to hang their hat that they can feel comfortable that they will not have to pick it up at the end of the day. Not only do workers want a safe place to work, they are also the same consumers that speak with their pocket books.

The sad thing is as applaud-able as a “Global 100” is it is very subjective and the organizations that put the list together didn’t give a methodology that is beyond reproach in fact it is a bit vague. The entire list could be pure hyperbole and an elaborate marketing scheme to help promote more products/services via advertising and elaborate analysis reports. One would hope that we would have enough real motivators to promote companies that can produce for the long haul but in a world of “quick thinking,” everything is suspect.

Ricoh on the other hand has had a long standing environmental policy and has actively been a forward thinking corporation that strongly thinks “green.” It will be interesting to see how this list produces against the Dow Jones industrial average and MSCI World Index over time. It is interesting to note that this list changes dramatically from year to year so one would wonder how sustainable the “lost companies” were. Although this list is more art than science there is a lot of “witchcraft” involved as everyone is being graded on a curve and not truly compared to each other and with no true standard set as a goal or “perfectly sustainable company.”

As companies look to “make a difference,” and to “make headlines” more and more we will hear of their efforts. As important as they are to the overall impact that a company has both good and bad to our environment they also impact the bottom line and affect their investors. Let’s hope this list helps to motivate corporations in the right direction and not just to spend more in “disinformation advertising.”

Pirate Mike

For more information on Ricoh’s sustainability efforts one can look to: http://www.ricoh-eco.com/

So who do we blame for this?

After another tough week scrapping it out in the Dallas marketplace I thought to myself, "So who do I blame for this?" I find myself writing late and night and doing research at odd hours just to wake up at 6:00am to begin the war all over again. The battles rage on as the economy hits all time lows, and unemployment skyrockets. With the financial climate so hostile it is amazing that anyone is thinking about anything other than packing up and heading for the hills. Instead I look for the "new angle" on positioning people, processes and technology to help my prospects make more money! In the heat of the battle we cannot forget to continue to make and spend our money it is our duty. So who was it that stayed up long hours and late nights so that I could have something to write about?

Chester Carlson of course! Now you may be asking yourself who is Chester Carlson? Why he is the inventor of Xerography. If it weren't for his desire to copy patent papers quicker by having a piece of equipment that could make "instant copies" we would not have the luxury of selling imaging equipment. And what is interesting is how his patent ended up in the hands of a small company then known as Haloid. Haloid started in April of 1906 to manufacture and sell photographic paper. Now of course this small company is known as Xerox the grandfather of copiers.

So for those of you that didn't know or realize that you cared, In 1959 the Xerox 914 was introduced based on the innovations that were discovered by Chester. Fifty years later 2009, Pirate Mike tries to figure out how did I get here and whom can I blame for it? Well it is Chester's fault for sure. In a world that is accelerating and producing new ideas and technology faster than any other time in history I chose to get involved with the printing industry at the beginning of the personal computer boom. What is funny is that my grandmother felt so strongly about computers and my need to learn them that I can for as long as I can remember had a computer of my own. I have had every game console and personal computer as soon as they became available. From the Commodore 64 to the Coleco Adam computer I was prepared for the "Desktop Publishing Revolution" and the advent of digital printing technologies. So why you ask?

Why do I care? Well the interesting thing is that since I sell the big iron, I have always had a bit of disdain for Xerox, they after all were my primary competition and in fact many times the incumbent and the overall winner of many of the deals that I was in at the beginning of my career. I also was never really impressed with the docucolor 5000AP or its predecessor the docucolor 5000 they seemed clunky very inconsistent for color critical jobs and had an odd "image appearance" as Xerox calls it. I come from high end offset printing and no one wants the "greasy glossy" look or the "3d or layered look" and that is the sure signs you're looking at a CLC or docucolor print. The 5000, 7000 and 8000 do not seem to have much differences other than speed so if you are having issues with your 5000 at a particular volume then you don't have much choice but to look beyond the docucolor series and Xerox doesn't have a step between mid level production systems and their very high end the iGen.

I was just in a deal where the customer had a Xerox 5000 doing about 150k and were having lots of service issues, team Xerox rolled in and pitched an iGen. Now I'm sure the ones of you that know are laughing. You really cannot justify an iGen till you get over 250k and really it doesn't make good sense till 400k. Now this particular customer was a national account for both IKON and Xerox so we are obviously both supposed to be on our best behavior. So to be honest I was quite surprised that they went to the iGen at all. I think it was bad strategy as I of course came out with the Ricoh Pro C900 which can take them to 400k a month without any increase on capital investment. The 5000 maybe is 25 ppm on the thicker stocks and I am still at rated speed 90 ppm I can using 80# Cover settings duplex 100 and 110# Cover without loss of productivity in the turn like the Xerox. Plus really the docucolor is terrible both in color consistency, accuracy and in front to back registration. Those are not my issues at all. I do have a smaller color gamut, the C900 is almost exactly the same gamut as SWOP but if you're an offset house SWOP is good enough.

Also I had to fight the "image appearance" as my image is not the "greasy glossy" look but my sheet can be UV or Aqueous coated so you can still have the look and the abrasion resistance. So over the last couple years I got very comfortable beating Xerox with both the Konica Minolta in the light production (Although the doc 250 series is much tougher competition in my opinion) and then in the mid range beating Xerox with the imagePRESS and now the Ricoh Pro C900. So as I think about them I just don't get the feeling that I am dealing with a deadly foe. In fact if I didn't know the men that I compete against and have great respect for them I would really think they are clowns.

So where does that bring me? It brings me to the other day when I read about Xerox's 600 new patents (1000 in all if you add Fuji Xerox) and the feeling that they will not live long enough to see their new inventions come to fruition. And the thought that came to me about who is to blame for this. Then I start to do a deep dive into the history of my product and the legacy that Xerox has had over the last 50 years. Which in all honesty after learning about Xerox's past successes just makes me sad. How can a company with so much fail so miserably? Where do they go from here? All I can say is please do not unleash any of those new patents any time soon, as I am enjoying giving you the whooping that I am with my Ricoh Pro C900 and on the high end the Kodak NexPRESS. Please leave my real battles with HP's Indigo and beating the Kodak rep to the account first, that way I don't have to worry about what Xerox is going to do. Right now Konica Minolta cannot play in my realm and they are very late to market with their 90 ppm color system. By the time they bring theirs to market Ricoh will have released Version 2 of the C900 which will use a new toner system (Polymerized Toner) without fuser oil and will have the 120 ppm version using this new toner as well. (shhh its about a year away now)

In all seriousness, if you are reading this blog then you are "in the biz" and I hope that you take a moment whether you are brand new or a seasoned vet to look back and learn the history of our industry and how your company fits into it. We are all a part of making the digital printing revolution what it is and with all of its advances and trials we are in the midst of history in the making. I for one love it and hope that I can live long enough to see Xerox rise again and come to market with something that they can be proud of. Because I know they do not like losing to Canon and I KNOW they hate losing to me!

Happy Selling,

Pirate Mike…

Activity begets opportunity and opportunity begets success! Having a great product only makes it easier… - Pirate Mike…

Amidst the slaughter rises Xerox Technology

Xerox has been considered a leader in document imaging equipment and software for many years. In a press release on Xerox's website claims that they earned "600 new patents in the year of 2008." Xerox Chief Technology Officer and president of the Xerox Innovation Group, Sophie Vandebroek says companies must keep the innovation pipeline flowing even in a lean economic climate or they will face huge product gaps in future years. In her quote, "You cannot sacrifice tomorrow to save today. Our investment in innovation guarantees Xerox leadership in our core business and creates opportunity to grow in new markets," said Vandebroek. "It's also a source of pride for us. More than 2,300 employees, past and present, have been granted five or more patents – an extraordinary accomplishment." Xerox has been issued over 55,000 patents worldwide since it was founded. They mentioned that 18 scientists have earned the 100 patent mark. That is a tremendous feat. In our economic environment technology companies live and die by their research and development. Those that quit developing and forging on quickly go by the wayside.

I am always amazed at Xerox's tenacity and sheer bulletproof-ness. The old saying, "no one ever got fired for buying a Xerox," is one of those phrases that I have actually had someone say when they were not going to buy from me and didn't know why. It is a fallback statement your prospect uses when you didn't do a good enough job building your "Value Proposition."

As the economy tightens up and the financial markets "right size" themselves we will see true competitive natures come out. The only people that can survive such environments are true warriors. Many will be sacrificed over the next few years as the "great consolidation" occurs. With so much talent on the street jobs will go to the "lowest bidder." Companies are looking to "upgrade" their talent and cut costs while doing it. I have seen jobs offered at 30-40% of what they were just a few years ago.

As the number of competitors decreases the quality of our competitors gets more intense. It seems like I get closer to all of my enemies every day. Over the next year I am sure I will meet the rest of them face to face as I dig my feet deeper into the sand and prepare to get down and dirty with them.

All the while I am also meeting people that I admire and can learn from. As I get closer to the sources of information I am learning much more about the business that I could ever imagine. Innovation and the ability of a company to package that innovation and convince others of how it can benefit them is the key measure of their potential of success. Xerox is no stranger to a "good package." I have always been amazed at "team Xerox's" ability to sell iGen's. Almost everyone that I run into is grossly underutilized. And not only did they up sell the customer they got their asking price in many of the older examples. Canon, Ricoh, HP, and Konica Minolta are making them think twice about their pricing strategy and how they "brainwash" their new and current customers.

They must have a good training program, I have not had the benefit of such training other then the down the street training I received at Minolta. I am ready to put my thinking cap on and become a student of the business again. I am interested to what mother Xerox does in such trying times. After Xerox lowers their profit forecast by 80% and cuts 3000 jobs in 6 months worldwide in an attempt to get things under control. Even the company's executives are starting to "right size" along with the markets. Top level executives including Chief Executive Anne Mulcahy's have come down considerably, Anne's 2008 total pay fell to $10.9 million from $13.5 million a year ago.

So what does that mean for the global giant? Can Xerox live long enough to bring their new ideas to fruition? Or will the ideas die along with the inventors as they enter the market as over qualified Walmart greeters? As one of their competitors I have mixed emotions. Just as bad as I would like to be the one to slay goliath, it will be a sad day in history as well. Will the reorganization make Xerox leaner and meaner? Will they bring these new innovations to market instead of hide them in research journals and patent office's?

Only time will tell if they have what it takes to rise from the fire once again. As a warrior I love a good competitor. Just a few thoughts from your favorite copier pirate…

Pirate Mike

Leading Pirate Style...

Leaders are created and not born just like salesman. Some have more of a propensity for greatness than others. Good leaders have many traits that we can admire and adopt for ourselves. I have had some awesome examples of leaders. I feel like I am very fortunate to have had and still have some great mentors at many different levels.

I believe that leadership can come in many forms, and can be very personal. I take leadership very seriously. I have a tendency to exhibit my individuality in my leadership style. I like to let others know that I am unique and enjoy sharing my passion. I like others to see this through my lifestyle and by the way that I act and react.

I like to extend my hand to those around me to identify myself as one that embraces their humanity. I like to celebrate people’s diversity and be a guiding factor to their success in the endeavors we engage in. I like to lead in little ways. I enjoy being the odd duck and am not afraid to be counted when there is a confrontation. I encourage disagreement and discussion. I do not want anyone to give me a pat answer, when I ask for their opinion I want it as honestly as they can deliver it.

I try to play devil’s advocate in most of my thought processes so allow myself to see both sides of an issue. I am very opinionated, but open minded enough to change my opinion when new facts are evident. I try to participate in the lives of those around me; I do not want to be seen lying around and failing to act. I make decisions quickly and react to my environment as thoughtfully as I can.

I lead by doing; when those that see me respect my thoughts and actions they have given me the greatest gift. I thrive on excellence and cannot stand it when I allow myself to settle. I make plans, plot my actions, hold myself accountable, measure my progress and reassess the situation as often as I can when in a project.

I will do what others will not. This is the key to my success. I will do want YOU will not, this is my advice to you. Look around and see what the masses are doing, then turn about face and go the other direction. As a pirate I tend to be a bit aggressive in my actions at times. Sometimes I do not ask permission. There are many days that I would rather draw a sword than a pen. Not that I forsake the pen, as that would be grossly inaccurate as well. But rather I am not shy to embrace the rule of the sword and understand and comfortable with the eventuality of my fate.

I put the war pain on every day and am grateful for my time that I have to sail and fight. I work in an environment where only the strong survive and where many a want a be warrior gets sacrificed. Over the last 4-5 years I have seen many a college graduate fail do to lack of leadership and lack of passion. You must live with passion and let it fill every area of your life.

Struggle as I may, I enjoy the fight and the feeling of victory. I am no stranger to tragedy and can cope with an emergency with the best of them. I am strong when I need to be and soft as I really am. I do not see the benefit to living as a rogue with no emotions. But yet I love to hold a lady bug as she forages along my hand. I like to watch the sun rise and fall into the water. I am not a stranger to the darkness as it shields my progress toward a common goal of overtaking my enemy.

I never let my goals or enemies out of sight or mind. I keep them close to my heart. I love a good battle and encourage competition from a formidable foe. I will take my steps without looking and draw my arm with passion. I love to put a face with my battles and a name to my failures.

I allow passion to carry me like the winds of the ocean as they sweep me off to my destination. I let emotion riddle me with fleeting thoughts. I like to sit on the bank and think great thoughts. I love to discus great mysteries and allow my mind to discover new avenues of contemplation. A great debate is a treasure. To live with passion is to be an addict to the one of the most powerful drugs of all. To let adrenaline set in is to feed the monster like a junkie.

I am quick to draw a sword and just as quick to lay it aside to embrace friend or foe. I do not take advantage but yet do not allow for mistakes from my competitors. I celebrate a victory and morn a great defeat. I allow myself to make mistakes and support others in their endeavors. I believe in the team concept and am not unfamiliar with taking the bull by the horns and wrestling him to the ground.

I have starred a tiger down and out struck a viper. I have out run a lion and rode an ostrich. I have walked and talked with the animals, and have waited quietly for their responses. I commune with nature and love to teach another my secrets. I do not cast my pearls before swine but am not stingy with the truths that have been revealed to me. My mouth carries my voice loudly but my heart quietly waits the responses of others. I listen as intently as my emotions show my intensity.

I like to lead in the small things and let the large things take care of themselves. I like to be first, and charge the door of uncertainty with the vigor of a dea agent. I believe in others and only seek their respect in return. I like to be the first into battle, and will stay until it is over. I go out in the face of a storm and take off the raingear to be one with my fears. I love to lay by the shore and watch the clouds drift by in mindless shapes.

I love to lead pirate style.

Konica Minolta Imaging the end of the Danka Legacy

After receiving about 15 calls from fellow Konica Minolta-ians and Danka-ites it became evident that a mass slaughter had occurred just a few weeks ago on a Friday at 4pm about 500 people from sales and service were walked to the door and said "don't let the door hit you …" Konica Minolta service managers with 15-20 years of tenure and all of the Konica Minolta National Account Sales Managers, "You job has been eliminated." Thank you for your service but we don't need you anymore. You will get a severance package "if I fill out the paperwork properly" have a nice day!

This is part of the bloodletting that I referred to in a blog or two ago. We are at the beginning of a new age. Konica Minolta has shown that due to the inflation of the Yen that they are 50% or worse off from last year. Yasuo Matsumoto the Chief Executive Officer reported in the 3 Quarter Earnings report that their net income was done over the last nine months by -51%. That is a substantial amount for a company that had a very aggressive go to market strategy. But even Konica Minolta was not unscathed by the Ricoh acquisition of IKON. The new RiKON accounted for 100 million dollars of high end Konica Minolta production gear per year. That was more than all their other channels together including their Konica Minolta Business Solutions. Now that IKON has a full on Rioch and Kodak strategy Konica Minolta will have to rely on their direct and dealer channels to push the gear.

Now the new group minus the chaff that they separated from the wheat just a short time ago is now the go forward group that still has very little direction. Local reps are not 100% of their roles and even where to show up for work. What is in store for the band of merry men? They seem to have divided the responsibility of the high end production to Danka folk and have let the down the street business to the Minolta folk sorry Konica Minolta folk. Does that give my heritage away? Well what I can say is that a lot of really very dedicated and very talented service professionals were sacrificed the other day and to what end? What can be gained by separating the worker bees from the hive?

I am always curious to watch and see what Konica Minolta does. Rumors had it that they were buying Oce. But that now doesn't seem to be much of a reality. What does seem to be happening is that they have taken all that was left of Konica and put them on the front lines as "down the street" salesman even if they were major account or national account reps. Equalizing everyone to the same task, "transactional business." Konica Minolta, both sides and the new company was never good at project management and large deals, and always reverted to transactional business as they cannot see past a 30 day or better yet a weekly forecast. They have little or no analyst support, no presales support and very little if any understanding of the "solution sale."

This has to be hurting them in a world that is very "solutions oriented." In a world that is looking for "turn key" solutions, and printer fleet management, and managed print services. The days of walking in and asking if they needed a fax machine or a copier are over and they have not quite adjusted to that yet.

Watch for some interesting turn abouts if they ever get their patented inkjet technology to work in mainstream production environments. After introducing a new textile inkjet printer look to see them get in with the craze of manufacturers that are working on high speed inkjet printers that had Drupa filled with new vendors and exhibits.

To all of you that were sacrificed I am sorry that you paid the ultimate price to help them make up for the appreciation of the Yen over the dollar and Euro which accounted for -31.8 Billion yen. We know that you are the reason that they were successful and hope that you find yourself a home in the companies that are expanding and increasing their market share like the new Rikon.

Pirate Mike

Embracing the winds of change… the evolution of a pirate

As we live we have endless opportunities to make choices that vastly impact ourselves and those around us. These ripples that we cause span out and become the waves that change the direction of huge ships and alter the lives of others. And what is exciting is that at different times in our lives we can look back and see the effect we had on other lives and see the course that they charted because of our influence. What is sad is that we may never really fully understand how great of an impact we really had on each other and how interrelated we really are/were.

I have gone through so much in the last decade of my life from my younger brother, my mother and grandmother passing away to the loss of a great marriage that I thought would never end. I had someone comment that I have packed a lot of life experience in the short 39 years of life that I have lived. It appears that I must be related to a cat as I seem to have 9 lives and each one starts off quite differently. I am not sure but I think I am on 4 or 5 now. This newest adventure, the adventure of exploring the sea and racing is quite intriguing to me personally. It seems as others have embraced my adventure of the sea and feel akin to it. I think that deep down most people have a spirit of exploration and adventure. I think that is how we came to America and developed such a great nation. In my other lives people used to look at me like I was an alien and could not related to my dreams. Now don't get me wrong I still get a blank stare and once in a while someone just cannot understand it, but for the most part people can related to the adventure that the world's bodies of water provide. My work has always been a function of furthering the dream at hand. The creative side of me has always enjoyed the printing and publishing industry as it has so many creative outlets in it.

Over the years I look back and see how as a pirate I have evolved. Pirates often looked at as criminals were often times simply the rebels of their time. They had resources, education, and a desire to live on their own terms. They were not afraid of the ramifications of sailing off into the unknown. In fact they embraced it, and went out looking for "new worlds." If you can imagine it was not a simple task to sail the oceans with the technology that existed during those beginning years. Now sailing is very much a well oiled science.

I look back and see the rough sketch of a man that embraced his fears. What is funny is that one of my greatest fears was of success. And somehow that fear kept me from my originally ordained destiny. I believe that we have a progressive destiny and that as we make choices and close doors that new destinies now become available. I do not know that there is just "one" destiny and that it is impervious to deviation. I do not believe in predestination. I believe that we have choices and that we make them of our own will. So we can disrupt or even derail our destiny or short circuit it if we want to either by things that we intentionally or unintentionally do or say.

I look at myself now and I have a very open minded approach to learning, living and loving. I am very quick to forgive and forget. I am very slow to anger, and even slower to rage or hate. I rarely even have ill thoughts for someone. I am a seeker of knowledge and love to learn new things. I find myself now being much more introspective of my actions and how they affect others. I desire to leave a mark, and make an impact.

Also I am much more confident and secure about myself as a valuable human being. I believe in myself and want to naturally believe in others. I am trusting, I am loyal. I have progressed my understanding of people and nature and enjoy even the simplest of things. I have overcome many obstacles over the years, most of them self induced. I have endured many tragedies that were personally very taxing to my emotions. The most recent the separation and divorce to a lady that I had invested my heart into over almost a decade of concern.

I am now free in my mind, soul & spirit to take on these new directions. I am learning about the sea, weather, and stars. I am learning about new peoples and new languages. I am getting ready to embark on a great quest for my destiny. I am not sure how long I will be gone or how long it will take to prepare, but I know it will take a lifetime to experience.

I have along the way softened and slowed down. I am not longer as brash and brassy as I was in my 20's. Now I look at people with a kinder heart and have much more understanding and compassion for them. I offer more leniency and do not hold people to unreasonable requests and beliefs. I try to be understanding and compassionate to other people's plights.

All of this has brought me to the place in my personal and professional life that I am at now. Past successes cannot help me, now I must gather up the strength to do it again. Confronted by yet another merger in the second wind of my career selling printing equipment I look around for the answer. It seems much of the solid ground that I once was on has eroded and is no longer very stable. Everyone around me is either clinging on for dear life or just jumping over the rails into the cold blackish water below. I cannot just cling on without reason, and nor can I just jump ship because I am frightened. I have been told many times "it is not fear of the ocean that will kill you, it is the lack thereof." I understand that times are a bit unnerving. I am grateful for a place to claim a watch, but I need more than just existence to be happy. I need to be fruitful and see that my efforts are making a difference. I am not sure that the later is true.

I fear that the unknown holds many more rip currents and great tidal exchanges. So with that I also prepare my rations, and look to the sky for clear direction. With my industry in up evil and no clear direction to go I continue on in the way that I was at the last point when I could see the North Star. Allowing for deviation, current, and tidal exchanges I plot my course as I once knew it. Praying that as I continue on the fog will again lift and land will soon be in sight.

I do not know the future, nor do I speak that I understand my destiny, but what I do know is that I will sail until I can go no farther. I will not leave my watch and in time I hope to know why I sailed this way; and hopefully will get the change to look back and see how I impacted people for the good. I hope that as I sail through life that I leave an ineligible mark on people's souls and paths. As a pirate I hope to maintain the courage to forge forward in the darkness of the sea to my destination.

I pray for soft light, gracious wind, a glass of fine rum and a kind hearted woman. Is that asking for too much?

Pirate Mike…

"Skillful sailors are not created by good weather. For only a storm of great magnitude can teach you how to survive. Without the winds we would all be drunks, fill the sails with wind and the cups all become empty, empty the sails and the cups fill up again with rum. Idle hands become soft; storms strengthen the hands and create calluses. It is through strong hands that we accomplish great things. Soft hands are for the weak, and idle minded. "

Another Personal Thought from Pirate Mike…