Mt. Juliet Chamber Blogs

I am sure that I am not alone in wondering if it seems like the more I look around, the more change I see happening. Change is not the easiest thing in the world to get used to, no matter what your age or gender.

A number of years ago, Tonya and I decided to paint the front door of our house, and we chose a nice shade of “red” of all colors. When I was telling my then 12 year old daughter we were about to paint the front door and asked her what she thought about it, she said that was fine as long as it was not red! I would imagine that since none of the neighbors had a red front door, she was simply hoping we would not be the first. Too late, we had already bought the paint.

Many of you are also facing changes in your businesses & families that may not be something you are particularly looking forward to; increased competition, an increasingly tighter labor market, potentially higher interest rates, shrinking profit margins, increased governmental regulations, and the list goes on and on. Other changes though may be presenting new opportunities; new places to shop and dine, new customers, new suppliers, new markets, and maybe even more volunteers for our non-profit agencies. As residents of the Mt. Juliet area, we are witnessing changes each and every day. Some are good; new capital investments like office buildings, school additions, road improvements, a more diversified pool of potential customers along with a rapidly rising number of new businesses and many other things. Other changes may not be as exciting; increased traffic, potential loss of our small town culture, an increased need for emergency and public services, or even the risk of rising crime. Whatever your view may be about these changes, one thing is certain; Change is going to happen.

How effective we are at recognizing and preparing for these changes will go a long ways in determining the degree of success for our businesses, our schools, our Chamber of Commerce, our churches and non-profits, as well as our own personal wellbeing. As long as we are green and growing, and as long as we recognize and embrace change, we can all enjoy this exciting time in our community’s evolution. Why not take a step back and look at the many new businesses in our community. The magnitude of this change is significantly affecting us as customers, as employees, and other key stakeholders. When it comes to doing business or deciding where to spend our precious family dollars, we may simply need to make a few minor adjustments here or there. For others, maybe the changes will be more dramatic. Either way, adjusting to change can be a good thing; even if it means painting your front door red.

I’m available 24/7 at www.mtjulietchamber.com. See you right here next week! Follow Mark on Twitter @MJChamber or Email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

A long time ago, I read a story that I have referred to often over the years. I’ve also changed the words a bit to keep it relevant to me personally. Every once in a while something triggers me to read it again.

Last week, our community layed to rest a man that has meant very much to his family, friends, and community. He left us way too early and will be greatly missed. Fond memories of my friend and local businessman (and golfer) Jerry Houston inspired me to share this with you this week. I’m sure others are bearing crosses that we know nothing about and for those who are feeling as though the load is more than you can handle, perhaps this story will help lighten the load a bit. When things in your life seem almost too much to handle; when 24 hours in a day are not enough; remember the mayonnaise jar and 2 cups of coffee; author unknown.

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was. The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was. The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous "yes." The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed. "Now," said the professor, as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things - God, family, children, health, friends, and favorite passions -- things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, house, and car. The sand is everything else -- the small stuff. "If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you. So...Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. "Take care of the golf balls first -- the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand." One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend”.

Remember, the coffee is always on at the Chamber! I’m available 24/7 at www.mtjulietchamber.com. See you right here next week! Follow Mark on Twitter @MJChamber or Email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

L.M. Montgomery, best known as the author of the Anne of Green Gables series said “I wonder what it would be like to live in a world where it was always June.”

June is a wonderful, generous month where the days are sunny and hot, roses are in full bloom, and strawberries are ripe for the picking. School is out, summer camp begins, youth sports are in full swing, and vacation fantasies start flitting around in our heads.

Webster’s Dictionary defines VACATION as a period spent away from home or business in travel or recreation. The idea of travel and recreation was once a luxury of wealthy people alone. In the Puritan culture of early America, taking a break from work for reasons other than weekly observance of the Sabbath was frowned upon. However; when a religious movement began which encouraged spiritual retreat and recreation, the idea of breaking from work periodically took root among the working class and the modern concept of vacation was born.

With the school year drawing to a close, June marks the beginning of vacation season. However, the thought of planning a summer vacation causes many people to break out in a cold sweat. Furiously trying to balance their vacation budget, finding a place to go that offers something for everyone, plus the decision of who to include in their plans can be a pretty daunting task. Not to mention the agony of dealing with the “Are we there yet?” backseat chorus.

Because of fluctuations in the economy the last few years, we’ve invented a new term called “staycations” wherein we take vacation time from work, but stay at home instead of traveling. Staycations are low cost, relaxing, and can be wonderful bonding time for the family if you structure things correctly.

While recently picnicking with my kids and grandkids at Percy Priest Lake, I looked across the water and announced that instead of going on a family trip to the beach in July as originally planned, we were going to stay at the cabins at Nashville Shores and spend our days at the water park and ropes course. The grandkids jumped up and down with glee and my kids said “Well, that could work.” Unfortunately, I said this as a joke since I had already reserved (and paid for) a beach house. But this did plant a seed that a staycation could actually be a lot of fun and could possibly save a lot of money.  

I googled staycations and came up with the following list titled “How to Know When You Need a Staycation:”

• You and your partner have had at least two arguments about how much your vacation is costing
• You promised you’d help your daughter re-paint her room - two years ago
• You’ve spent so much time on the road, your neighbors call you “the visitor”
• The patio furniture you bought last spring has never been used
• You stay awake at night stressing out about planning your family trip
• Your kids have never seen your own city’s major sights
• The forecast for everywhere affordable is cold and rainy, except for where you live, which is sunny and glorious
• The last time your family spent a Saturday together at home was the day you brought your children home from hospital
• You promised your mother-in-law she’d be invited to the next family vacation

And last but not least:

• You need a vacation to get over your vacation.

Robert Orben, a comedy writer and speechwriter for Gerald R. Ford said “A vacation is having nothing to do and all day to do it in.” I guess the key to a great staycation is not checking chores off your “To Do” list at home, but in making plans to get out and do things. In our area, there is a lot you could do to make a stay at home vacation blissful. For instance, you could ride the train downtown and visit some of the museums, get together with friends or family for a cookout, schedule a massage, go horseback riding, take a family hike or picnic at one of the local state parks, go to a water park, enjoy a yoga class, spend the evening at a Sounds game, or enjoy one of the area’s many art or music festivals.

After all, the point of a vacation is to unplug and spend quality time away from all the daily distractions which typically keep us from truly enjoying each other’s company. With a little bit of advanced planning, and some disciple, a staycation could be the best vacation you’ve ever taken! So, look out kids - in 2014, Nashville Shores, here we come!

Each week I have the opportunity to use a few words to share my thoughts with our community. I hope you enjoy reading this column as much as I enjoy writing it.

As I was thinking about the very important role that each of us play in our Community, I began to liken it to that of a bicycle or other tire with spokes. You may be asking yourself what in the world they have in common, but when you stop to think about it there are many similarities. Obviously the bigger you are the bigger tire you need to get you around. The bigger the tire, the more support you need and the more crucial each spoke becomes. And the more tires used to pull the same load, the easier the load is to carry. Granted, in the Old West a wagon might have only needed a dozen spokes. But, thinking about how large we are getting, how many people now depend upon us, the speed at which we are moving, I would suggest to you that we need really strong and reliable tires.

Our (Chamber) tire is made up of nearly 600 strong and reliable spokes (Member Businesses) and we are all working towards a common and united cause; to make our community a desirable place to live, work, and raise a family. Other tires needed to help us achieve our mission might include such things as; the school system, our youth sports, our Senior Citizen Center, our local governments, our many churches and other places of worship, our neighborhood associations, and the list goes on and on. As like most other tires, we need to keep it filled with air; in our case that is an array of valuable programs and services which help our customers to keep moving forward. As like any other tire, when the air gets low the load seems heavier and in some cases can literally grind to a stop. Looking forward, there are a lot of great folks evaluating our current assets and opportunities in order to be as prepared as possible for the future growth which is sure to follow.

At the Chamber, our leaders, volunteers, members, and staff are also preparing for the future with even more programs and services being put into place for the benefit of the entire community. If you have any thoughts or suggestions, questions or concerns, you are encouraged to share your ideas. Call, email, or even better yet, stop by to let us know what you think we can do to make sure the tire stays full.

The Chamber of Commerce is working hard to make sure that all of the tires in the community are working together and pulling the load in the same direction. We have to help insure that there are enough people pulling the wagon in the desired direction in order to make it as smooth of a ride as possible. Each of you is making a huge difference in your community by supporting the Chamber of Commerce and our member businesses. Your past, present, and continued support are crucial. Together we are going places that none of us could go alone. And as for the Chamber Tire; well, we are really on a roll…I’m available 24/7 at www.mtjulietchamber.com. See you right here next week! Follow Mark on Twitter @MJChamber or Email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

I had an awesome Mother’s Day sitting in my porch swing talking to my youngest daughter for about three hours in the morning and then meeting up with my youngest son and my oldest daughter and grandkids for a picnic at the lake that afternoon. We had a great day of fresh air, sunshine, laughter and stories.

At the end of the day, I was extremely happy, but terribly exhausted. I also had a horrible case of sunburn on my face, which looked as red and tight as a juicy, ripe tomato. Plus, it was painful! I felt feverish and just plain “blah.” And you know what? Several days later, my nose peeled! I don’t remember peeling from sunburn since I was about 12 years old. Remember those old Coppertone billboards - the one with the little girl on the beach with her dog? Those were promoting suntan oil/lotion, not sunscreen. And as a kid at the beach, I remember many summers where my shoulders would literally blister and then those blisters would ooze and pop. It’s horrifying to think about that now!

I’ve been much more careful in my adult years about applying sunscreen. I’m not sure what happened on Mother’s Day except maybe I just didn’t realize how fragile my winter skin was or how strong the sun was on that particular day. We’ve had so much rain this spring that it was glorious to spend the day in the sun. But, I felt totally convicted when I read an article a few days later stating that May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month. This was like a kick in the pants!

According to the article, one in five Americans will develop skin cancer in the course of their lifetime, even though this lifestyle disease is highly preventable. What preventive measures can we take? Seek the shade during mid-day hours when the sun is strongest; don’t burn in the first place since a person’s risk for melanoma doubles if he has five sunburns at any point in life; avoid tanning beds since UV radiation from tanning machines is known to cause cancer and the more you tan indoors, the higher the risk; cover up with clothing, which can be your most effective form of sun protection - the more skin you cover, the better; use UVA/UVB sunscreen with an SPF of 15 every day, higher for extended outdoor activity and remember to reapply if swimming or sweating; and last but not least, examine your skin periodically to check for suspicious moles.

Sunburn looks bad, hurts, peels and inflicts wrinkle-inducing damage, which I certainly don’t need at my age! But mistakes happen, just as it did to me on Mother’s Day! The best defense once this happens? Get out of the sun! Sunburn tends to sneak up on us and can take a few hours for symptoms to develop - a touch of pink now may turn into a big problem later. Slather on a moisturizing lotion to soothe the skin after a cool shower. Drink extra fluids and take ibuprofen for a couple of days. Lastly, vow to do better and be more careful.

Ken Powers recently revealed plans for the next phase of the Providence West Development. This is located on the SW corner of SMJ Road and Adams Lane Plaza. The cornerstone of the next phase is set to be completed in the next few months.

Want to give you a bit of a recap from a recent ECD Committee Meeting that I am sure will be of interest to almost everyone with an interest in our community. There are a lot of exciting things happening in our community from those areas in the north on Lebanon Road, all the way thru town, and out to the areas even South of the Holiday Inn Express on S MJ Road.

The Mt. Juliet Chamber of Commerce recently organized our first “Sports Council.” This is a very exciting initiative and promises to help connect the local businesses with the many opportunities associated with the strong community support of youth and amateur sports. A steering committee was formed and has been meeting regularly for the last few months. We have already held two community wide meetings where anyone in the community was invited to attend and participate. 

Shortly after the horrific events of 9/11, a team of scientists, academia, business leaders, and professionals from Oak Ridge National Laboratory began studying various communities across the country. This program is what we now know of as CARRI, Community And Regional Resilience Institute. Their focus was trying to find the reasons behind how and why some communities rebound from adversity while others do not. They looked at communities that had suffered not only man made disasters such as 9/11, but also communities devastated by natural disasters and economic events (such as the loss of a major employer, closing of a military base, etc.).