Table of Contents

• COMMITTEE REPORTS
  • MEMBERSHIP REPORT
  • SOCIAL REPORT
  • SPEAKER COORDINATOR REPORT
  • TREASURER REPORT
• LEADS
• NOTABLE MENTIONS
• MIGHTY MINUTE
• QUESTION OF THE DAY
• MAIN SPEAKER

Committee Reports

Membership Report
(Click here to go to the Membership page)

Recently proposed members:

[membersonly/archives/applications/submitted_applications.htm]

Andy Jensen withdrew his application for David Malkou of Nationwide Services.  There was some potential conflict with other member businesses.

Greg Stewart recommended the owner of Rocker World as a new member candidate.  Greg has know him for 16 years.  He has had his current store (Alma School & Warner) for about 10-12 years and is soon going to open a second location at Baseline & Stapley.  Greg has not yet approached him about joining MABE.  He wanted to first throw out his name and get member feedback.

Lisa Schnaidt is working on an electrician.  He is very interested in joining the group but he has some scheduling conflicts he must try to work out.

Althea Bussert has an interested architect that she actually has "respect for".   He takes an interest in his clients and would make a good addition to the group.  Althea has not known him 2 years so he would have to come in under the new program.

Social Report
(Click here to go to the Social Event page)

Please give Mike Tanner your money if you signed up for the baseball game.  Checks should be made out to MABE.  The price (for a group of 30 or more) is $15 per ticket.  If you don't pay, you don't go. 

Speaker Coordinator Report
(Click here to go to the Speaker Schedule)

• 07/16/04     Panel Discussion "Franchises"
• 07/23/04     Open*
• 07/30/04     David Lathrop
• 08/06/04     Guest Speaker
• 08/13/04     Nomination Speeches

* Wayne Unruh needs speakers.  Please let him know if you are available.

Treasurer Report

We have about half the dues in already.  If you have not paid yours yet, please get them in as soon as possible.

Leads Report

46-28, 46-45, 37-20, 17-42, 32-30, 32-41, 41-24, 41-04, 29-21, 29-45 (x2), 29-28 (x2), 18-40, 18-12, 26-04, 28-45, 24-23, 10-20, 07-23, 07-02, 07-15, 45-32, 45-23, 15-21, 13-28, 13-35, 11-22, 11-25, 11-40, 11-27, 11-35, 06-41, 34-13, 34-35, 22-42, 22-32, 35-13, 03-13, 03-26, 04-27, 04-03, 04-41, 04-32, 14-23, 43-32, 43-41, 43-24, 40-37, 40-28, 40-02, 19-16, 19-04.

Notable Mentions

Dean Synan brought in a guest today...A giant teddy bear.  Apparently the Rotary has stricter rules about attendance than we do.

Chris Curran announced the birth of his daughter Emily on the 24th of June.  All is well and "working".  Mom is doing good.  Dad is just tired.

Sandro Menasci advises people to pull over immediately if their car starts to overheat.  A tow truck is a lot cheaper than a new engine!

Gary Nelson has been guaranteed (for whatever that's worth) an August 16th opening date.

The group followed up on a brief discussion we had  a few weeks ago on credit card and identity theft concerns.  Mike Whalen mentioned that he keeps hard copies with all digits for 4 years before shredding them.  Unfortunately, many businesses probably are not as careful to properly dispose of these documents or the carbons.  Don Ellis keeps the information in his computer.  Roman Okonowski said that most computer thefts are for this data and not the hardware.  Both Don Ellis and Robert Busch keep their records for 7 years.

Roman Okonowski recently attended an ASBA seminar on the Fair Business Standards Act which provided a great deal of information on overtime classifications.  They are getting a lot more strict on the standards for exemption.  Chris Curran is a member but he admitted to only joining because of the healthcare plan.  A representative from this group will be considered for a guest speaker.

The new Buddy Lunch List has finally arrived.  Don't delay.  Schedule your Buddy Lunch today!

There will be a quick board meeting after next week's regular meeting. 

Board nominations will take place the last 2 weeks of July.  Please talk to a member before nominating them to the board.  We need to make sure they understand that they may be asked to step up to the podium immediately if elected. 

Mighty Minute

None.

Question of the Day

Roman Okonowski brought up a recent article in the paper about a man who is sitting in a Mexican jail for trying to get his wife's prescription filled down there.  How many of you get your prescriptions filled in Mexico?

Bob Busch - Not prescription.

Chris Curran - If your prescription is not available over-the-counter here and you buy it in Mexico, it is highly illegal to bring it back.

Jim Crosman - My mother lives in a small retirement community back east.  There is a man that gets their medications for them in Mexico and saves them tons of money.  How does he get away with it?

Have you done anything to help prevent electrical blackouts?

Roman Okonowski said they turned some lights off at the office.

Althea Bussert noticed that Macy's had 3/4 of their lights off but the rest of the Mall did not.

Lisa Schnaidt joked that should used a slower drill.  And Ralph Cunningham said he turned the air off in his car.

Amy Ahrensdorf
Love At First Bite, PCS

Amy Ahrensdorf gave her first speech as a MABE member today.  She even came in her chef "duds" and passed around a low fat blueberry pan cake for members to sample.

When she started her business, Amy came up with her slogan first,  "Love at First Bite."  The idea was for people to taste her food and love it so much they would have to come back for more.  For her logo she told the graphic artist she wanted something humorous...you have to be this way to run your own business.  They came up with the Eve & apple concept.

In October 1997, Amy became a certified personal chef.  She also wears many other hats including that of a consultant, instructor and, soon, a TV personality. 

SunWest Appliance, a distributor of Viking appliances, approached Amy to do cooking demonstrations.  She in turn suggested that they provide cooking classes for their clients which led to Ignite your culinary passion with cookin class adventures.

She received a great deal of publicity from the cooking classes.  At one point she was asked to boil water and fry some peppers for a website featuring personal chef services.  She decided to jazz up the menu somewhat.  Apparently it worked because they asked her to do a DVD series which begins shooting in August.  She doesn't know where this will lead but there are some interesting possibilities.

Amy's main business is that of a personal chef.  She prepares custom cuisine in the client's home.  She prepares the menus, does the shopping and prepares the food using her own equipment.  She stores the food in disposable containers that are either put in the freezer or refrigerator.  Each container includes cooking instructions.  The clients are free to choose which meal they would like and it is ready in 30 minutes.  There is no cleanup.  It couldn't be easier!  In one day she will have prepared 10 meals for a family to enjoy of the next few weeks.

Amy chose this type of work because it is very lucrative and she doesn't have to work evenings, weekends or holidays.  She would rather be home with her family during those times.  She can usually time it just right so they she is already packed and ready to go once her boys get on the school bus and back home when they get dropped off.

It was quite a journey getting to this point in her life.  Amy reinvented herself many times.  She never applied for an existing job.  She would go in with an idea of what she could do to make a difference or fill a need.  For example, when she was a junior in college and close to obtaining her major in recreation and minor in business, she could not accept that her only option after graduating was to go to work for the low paying and very political public recreation system.  She watched an episode of "The Love Boat" and decided she wanted to be Julie.  She applied to a cruise line, telling them she wanted to fill a need as Youth Director, but was turned downed...numerous times.  But she persisted and they gave her a chance.   Failure does not scare her.  She just presents herself and waits to see what can happen.

Amy first came to Arizona on vacation in 1991.  Her and her husband loved it.  Five years later he was recruited for a job here and they moved to South Tempe.  Amy then began planting seeds.  She overheard one lady telling another about her husbands recent heart attack and need for healthier food.  Not one to pass up an opportunity, Amy jumped right in and "presented herself."  This lead to 4 more clients and before she knew it she was illegally running a business from her residential kitchen.  Her husband came across an ad for an organization that instructed personal chefs on how to run their service.  He bought the manual and kicked the business out of their house.

It was during all of this that Amy decided to enroll at the Art Institute where she graduated with honors in 2001.  She was the only personal chef in the school which caused a lot of friction with her instructor.  He did not like her freezing food.  Now, ironically, he refers students to her and tells them how lucrative being a personal chef can be.

What separates Amy from the rest is that she is willing to step out of the box.  To get to the fruit, she is willing to step out on a limb.   Even if she gets cut down, she doesn't see it as a failure.  She is amazed at how easily others give up.  She hates selling but she can do it well.  If she really believes in something, she can "sell ice to Eskimos."  As a business owner, you have to believe in what you are selling or no one else will.

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