Lessons Learned

by Ron Lloyd, President

Well, it’s a new year again and time for the yearly resolutions…no way! I am tired of making resolutions and promises to myself that never get kept anyway. Instead, I have chosen to reflect on some of the things that I have learned and things that I am thankful for.

Having 4 grandkids has taught me some crazy things…things that perhaps I had learned from my own children and had forgotten over the years, such as:

No matter how hard you try, you can’t baptize cars.
When your mom is mad at your dad, don’t let her brush your hair.
You can’t trust dogs to watch your food.
You can’t hide a piece of broccoli in a glass of milk.
Puppies still have bad breath, even after eating a breath mint.

Then there are the “adult” lessons that I have been taught:

Raising teenagers is like trying to nail Jell-O to a tree.
Middle age is when you choose cereal for the fiber, not the toy.
If you remain calm, you don’t have all the facts.
You’re getting old when you stoop to tie your shoes and wonder what else you can do while you’re down there.
You appreciate the fact that wrinkles don’t hurt.

And finally, the lessons learned on the job:

Arguing with an inspector is like wrestling with a pig in the mud…soon you realize that the pig is enjoying himself.
Running a construction company is as easy as herding cats.

HERE’S TO A PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR WITH LOTS OF SMILES, LESSONS, AND LAUGHTER!!

Feeling Lucky in Tough Times

by Max Kerr

I am privileged in so many ways. My career has let me meet and build relationships with people throughout the United States while working in a great industry. We should all feel lucky to live in America and be part of an industry such as ours.

Yet the reports about our industry and the economy make it difficult to find solace. Conversations in too many companies focus on cutbacks, layoffs and pessimism.

During these times, true leadership requires us to be optimistic and share good thoughts with others in our industry. If the news has you down, turn it off. If you are pessimistic about the economy, focus instead on the numerous opportunities around you. If you find conversations dwelling on the negatives, change the conversations.

What the world needs now are fewer pessimists and more attackers of opportunity. Become a person who strives to grow personally and help others through these times.

Assess the market: Try and see the entire landscape of your market. Rather than look at lost sales or downturns, focus on the abundance of sales opportunities to explore.
Shake everybody's hand: Go meet everyone in your market---everyone. Get to know everyone, and let them know you are there to help.
Play for the long term: Stop obsessing about weekly or monthly sales quotas. Keep your mind on maximizing market share over the long term.
Consider yourself lucky: We work in a great industry, live in a great country and the world is a beautiful place. Actions change our thoughts and brain patterns. It is virtually impossible to feel bad if you have a real smile on your face. So offer words of optimism to others, and you will feel them yourself.

I wish you all a successful year in these challenging yet exciting times!!!

Spotlight: Getting to Know Randy Botti

Randy We at RR Roofing Hawaii want to take a minute and highlight someone we believe is both a critical part of our success, and an integral part of our community. Randy Botti is tireless in his commitment and contributions to this Big Island Community from Hilo to Kona.

As sales Manager for KWXX and B97 & B93, he helps many of us reach our customers in a way that is effective and provocative. When you call Randy with an idea, he turns it into something that works. He knows the companies he represents and figures out the best way each individual company to accomplish their goals.

As a community volunteer, Randy’s first passion is the Hawaii Island Paddling Association. As president for the last 12 years, Randy is a fixture in the paddling community. His phone rings all day long with questions from paddlers local and international. And he always answers his phone.

When the American Cancer Society needed someone to improve its event marketing, Randy took a leadership role and helped grow all the events. For the last several years he has participated in every Relay For Life, often as the MC all night long. Randy stepped up to a national leadership role educating all event chairs on engaging media.

Add to the above list, leadership roles in the American Culinary association, Kona Executives Association, Chamber of Commerce and the Hawaii Restaurant Association. When does he sleep?

Born and raised in Honolulu, Randy is a local boy with a heart for his community. Randy attended UH Manoa / Kapiolani Community College and California Culinary Academy. Early in his career he worked as a manager, then regional manager for TGI Fridays in California. When he came to the big Island he opened and ran the Canoes Cafe in Hilo for 8 years.

Hats off to Randy for all he does.

Sponsoring Hawai'i Island Paddlesports Association

RR Roofing Sponsors 2009 Season

You don’t have to be a paddler to appreciate the sport, and Ron is a true fan. Living in Hawaii, we all have friends who are paddlers. So it wasn’t a tough decision when Randy Botti asked if RR Roofing would sponsor the paddling association. We have been sponsoring the Paddling Report on KWXX for several years now. It was a natural progression to season sponsor.

"I am proud that the Hawaii Island paddlers will be wearing the RR Roofing Logo on their t-shirts this year." Ron said, “It’s an honor to support athletes of this caliber with a passion for paddling."

The Hawaiian paddling tradition has a long history going back to its roots in Polynesia. By developing new paddlers of all ages, the association not only supports the continuation of that long traditions, but provides an opportunity for members to get out on the water and exercise.

HIPA has over 200 active members from youth to seniors. One of the goals of HIPA is to prevent the sport from becoming elitist by recognizing athletes at all levels. Keeping the excitement for all of the paddlers helps keep the sport and the association strong.

Hawai'i Island Paddlesports Association (H.I.P.A.) is the solo and duo Paddlesports Association for the Island of Hawai'i. This, their 11th season, runs January thru May, with 10 regular season races and a championship race, as well as various off-season and pre-season events. The schedule is on the HIPA website (www.hawaiipaddling.com), so check the schedule and come out and support the paddlers.

(Photos courtesy of Margie Kahookele.)

Sales Tip

By Liz Heiman Zagorodney

When the going gets tough, the tough get SELLING.

The last few years while the orders rolled in without much effort, salespeople didn’t have to be focused or efficient. Now, if your sales people are not spending 100% of their time selling, you are selling yourself short. Look at the work that yours sales staff is doing (filling out paper work, expenses, research, etc).

See if someone else can do that, so your sales can focus on spending time with your customers.

New Staff: Liz Heiman Zagorodney

Liz We have just added Liz Heiman Zagorodney to the RR Roofing Hawaii team. Liz is a seasoned sales and marketing professional who started her career working for one of the premier sales consulting companies in the world, selling and teaching programs like Strategic Selling and Conceptual Selling.

In addition to her sales and marketing background, Liz has graduate degrees in international political economy and US Japanese Trade. Liz lived and studied in Japan for 6 years.

Most recently Liz was the Executive Director for American Cancer Society West Hawaii Office.

Liz has been a sales consultant for 10 years and is now using her sales and marketing experience to help RR Roofing.