46-29, 46-06, 16-19, 16-27, 16-32, 08-20, 08-38,
08-46, 20-28, 20-27, 20-45, 23-17, 42-35, 42-17, 41-13, 41-24,
48-34, 48-12, 12-13, 05-35, 07-14, 07-02, 45-13, 21-42, 21-18,
13-35, 13-33, 34-45, 38-20, 38-06, 22-19, 04-27 (x2), 04-32,
31-34, 43-15, 40-19, 40-41, 09-17.
We have a correction. Gary Nelson's bash
is on the 28th! And his retail location should open med-
to end-July...maybe.
There will be no meetings next week on May 28th (Memorial
Day weekend) or July 2nd (Fourth of July weekend).
Greg Stewart found the scam artist that took him
for $400 on a direct mail scam. He asked the group if he
should approach this person at his new job. Bob Busch, who
had a similar problem, told him not to do it or he could be
charged with stalking. Other members suggested that he
take it to small claims.
Chris Curran, twin brother of Adam Dekavallas,
told members about a book he recently read. It is
Bankable Business Plans by Edward G. Rogoff. It is a
quick read with excellent information for both new and existing
businesses.
Gus Dekavallas -
Opportunities
AnDek Financial/MetLife® Securities
There are a few people in this group born in different countries.
Gus Dekavallas is one of them. He has heard a lot of negative
talk about the U.S. but when he thinks about all the opportunities
here, he believes it is the best country in the world.
Gus's father was a famous artist and sculpture in Greece.
The family moved to the the U.S. when Gus was eight. But when
you are born in Greece you are always a citizen. And like many
countries, once you reach a certain age you must serve in the
military. Gus's father helped him and his brother to avoid
this fate. But when his brother returned at the age of 36, he
had to pay to stay out of the army. Gus was allowed an
exemption because he had served for the U.S. and did a tour in
Vietnam.
Gus's family moved to Detroit where an uncle owned a restaurant.
They lived there for two years and had a great time. The first
thing Gus did when he got there was find a $100 bill. Then he
discovered baseball. The first time he hit the ball he ran
right down the 3rd base line. He has been hooked on the game
ever since.
Gus has been in Arizona for 46 years. He has had many
opportunities to move but turned them down. He thinks this is
the greatest place to live. He went to high school here where
he was involved in all three sports. He was even an all-star
in baseball (guess he figured out the right direction to run).
Gus had an opportunity to play in the pros for the San Francisco
Giants. But his coach talked him into going to junior college
first and waiting for a better offer. But while in college he
was drafted into the Army. This is where he, and many others,
went from being a boy to being a man. His baseball days were
over.
Computers were the hot thing so Gus went back to school and got
his degree at the Durham Business college. Then he went to
work at American Express. They used the punch card system and
had a computer room the size of a football field. Gus worked
there as the night shift manager for 10 years.
Gus started his own business cleaning disk pads on the side.
He started to make more money than he was at American Express so he
left. Then he bought a bankrupt company for $7500 and got into
the modular work station business. He took classes, hired well
and began building his new business into a successful company with
60 employees.
Gus sold this company and played golf everyday for a year.
But he soon realized he was too young to retire. An agent for
New York Life kept after him about joining their team. Gus
gave in. The selling point...no employees.
Gus went to work for New York Life and stayed with them for
12-1/2 years. They were a great company and Gus gained a lot
of experience working there. So much, in fact, that head
hunters began calling him trying to convince him to move over to
MetLife. After 6 months, Gus made the move.
To back track for a moment...While at New York Life, Gus started
AnDek Financial which provided everything New York Life didn't.
MetLife is also a great company with over 40 million clients and
benefits available in all areas. MetLife bought out a lot of
their competition and now they are a powerhouse in employee
benefits. Gus is now specializing in their 401k plans.
He helps people plan for their future using a combination of
insurance and investments. He is knowledgeable in all the
available tax breaks and advantages to small business owners.
One thing that Gus recommends is honesty. When an agent
asks for your history, don't hold back. Doctors must report
all procedures done. The insurance company will match your
responses to the information reported. Rates will be based on
how well the information merges. If you are honest, he will
get you taken care of.
There have been a lot of changes in insurance since 9-11.
But Gus can help your business stay on top of the changes.
Health insurance is particularly tough these days. It is one
of those things that can wipe you out if you don't have it.
You want to make sure you are setup properly. If you have any
questions just call him. He will let you know what the best
fit is for your company.