Last week, those of you in the Northeast had your share of snowballs, but since the New Year, I’ve been focused on a snowball of a different kind. You see, this year, I vowed that 2015 would be the year I paid off all my credit cards. I’m embarrassed to admit that in the past I’ve been one of those people who gets suckered into that in-store marketing when the sales associates asks: “Would you like to save 20% on your purchase?” I open a store card and the next thing you know: “Mary
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As you dust off your team jersey, stock the fridge with your favorite beers, and perfect your nacho recipe for this Sunday’s Super Bowl, I’d like to take to take a moment to remember the best Super Bowl of all time. The year was 1991. The Buffalo Bills were playing my favorite team, the New York Giants. The game was held in sunny Tampa, Florida. None other than Whitney Houston kicked things off with her famous rendition of “The Star Spangled Banner.” And while all those details are pretty great, they aren’t the reason
Read more →As we compared notes about our four-legged family members in an office meeting, inspiration struck. Wouldn’t it be fun to meet the pets of our shippers and carriers too? Last week, we had a blast exchanging adorable photos of our furry friends. (You can see them all on our Facebook page.) We’re a company – and a nation – obsessed with our pets. For example, according to the American Pet Products Association, we spent $58 billion dollars on our animals in 2014. I’d like to say I’m shocked and appalled, but the truth is
Read more →Last Friday, I wrote about our Driver of the Month program, and how we’ll continue honoring the superheroes of our industry in 2015. Before we move forward, however, we need to give out one last honor. So, without further ado, I’d like to introduce Ralph Coats, our 2014 Driver of the Year! During the interview that followed his win, we learned that Ralph’s road to the shipping industry has been filled with twists and turns. A native of Dunn, NC, he earned a business degree from Campbell University, an excellent choice, especially considering
Read more →My husband and I decided that it would be a good idea to kick off the New Year with a few home improvement projects, beginning with the bathroom. Water damage from a storm meant it was high time to make some repairs, remove the wallpaper that had been there since we moved in, and add a fresh coat of paint. Since it was a small room, we figured it would be a fast, easy project; we could tackle it in a weekend. Talk about famous last words. We invited two friends over to help.
Read more →As you’ve probably noticed, the Matchmaker team has been focused on superheroes for over a year now. And why not? Their stories entertain us in theaters and comic books, and their adventures inspire us to live bigger, braver lives. In 2014, we learned a lot of lessons from our study of superheroes. The best one, however, was that you don’t need special powers to be a hero. All you need is a good heart, an honest soul, and a willingness to step up to the plate when duty calls. This important lesson didn’t come
Read more →It’s only the second week of January and already my beloved football season is a bust. As I mentioned last week, the University of Alabama lost the Sugar Bowl on January 1st. Naturally I was upset (I bleed crimson, after all), but I did my best to stay strong and solider on. College football might be kaput, but at least I could still root for my favorite professional team, the Pittsburgh Steelers, right? WRONG! Just two short days later, the Steelers lost their first game, shattering all my hopes and dreams. Since football in
Read more →One of the parents at my daughter’s school was having some trouble with her daughter. “She keeps using my iPhone to download apps,” explained the distraught mom. “And not the free ones, either! Last month I owed iTunes over $100.” Maybe you’re wondering how a five-year-old could pull off such a heist. I wondered the same thing until I realized that she, and children like her, have grown up in a smartphone world. In fact, it was exactly eight years ago today (January 9, 2007) that Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveiled the first iPhone.
Read more →Some people spend the first day of the year nursing hangovers. Others spend it eating collard greens and black-eyed peas. As for me and thousands of others, January 1st means one thing-the Sugar Bowl, AKA college football playoffs! While the Sugar Bowl is a time-honored tradition and a national holiday (at least as far as football fans are concerned!) I noticed something a bit different during this year’s games. It appeared that the players – including my beloved Crimson Tide – had received a makeover. In place of their usual uniforms, Nike seized the
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Here in Wilmington, NC, the Sunday after Christmas was one for the books. Sunny with a high of 75, it was hard to believe it was the end of December. Since it was such a beautiful day, my wife and I decided to help our five-year-old daughter conquer an important milestone. That’s right-Chloe was finally going to learn how to ride a bike. Our plan? Stick with a tried and true method: Chloe sat on the bike, pedaling. I held the back of the seat, holding her steady. And her mother stood in the
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