Entrepreneur Shares How He Traded Suit & Tie
for Flip-Flops & Cut-Off Jeans

Dreams come true, but not through wishful thinking, says John Berglund, a corporate executive turned "flip-flop perfumer."

After successful careers as an attorney, lobbyist, trade-association executive and bowling industry magnate, Berglund tired of the corporate rat race.  He was also tired of winters bundled in layers of long johns, shoveling snow.

"Everybody has their own version of paradise," says the author of A Beach Less Traveled: From Corporate Chaos to Flip-Flop Perfumer, (www.abeachlesstraveled.com). "Whether it's New York City, the Great Smokey Mountains or my personal favorite, the French-Caribbean island of St. Martin, paradise is within reach - with a little planning."

An essential part of that was deciding what to do for a living once he got there. Berglund would embark on his new career path as a perfumer with his wife of more than 30 years, Cyndi. How did he do it? He shares the strategies that worked - and some that didn't.

• Dream big ... and do it: Berglund remembers sunning on a pristine beach with his wife, listening to the gentle sounds of wind and turquoise seawater lapping on the shore. When Cyndi heard him order an adult beverage in French, she shook his arm to wake him for the morning commute to work ... in the dead of winter in Wisconsin. He was dreaming - literally. "I'd always had a high standard of living, which I've enjoyed, but it was time for me to risk a completely foreign scenario - in terms of business and lifestyle - and follow this dream."

• Business trends: Boutique perfumeries are where boutique wineries were three decades ago - they're personal, fun and interactive, Berglund says. They're not just about walking into a store and choosing a bottle from a shelf. He offers his customers a hands-on experience customizing their scents, and by using local ingredients, he offers visitors a meaningful souvenir of their stay. Berglund envisions his new business as a model at several vacation destinations.

• Fortitude amid real-world challenges: A dream is the spark to the journey, but moving to St. Martin, where the natives speak French and Dutch, and starting a business takes work. The hurdles for Berglund included the search for property, anxiety on closing the property deal, remodeling, acclimating to life there, obtaining a business license, moving and the language barrier. "These problems may be deal-breakers for many people, but part of the excitement of doing anything worthwhile is the fact that it's not easy," he says.

• A history of business sense: Creating an unprecedented cottage industry may seem like a long shot layered in wishful thinking. "But this isn't my first rodeo," Berglund says. "I've made several career moves throughout my life, and no matter how unlikely, I always came out okay." He acknowledges, however, that he was in the right phase of his life to pull off such a change. Plan and prepare so you're ready for change, he says. Risk is involved.

• Loved ones: Even though Berglund's children were grown and he was capable of achieving his dream, he needed to make sure Cyndi was on board. "You can do all the planning and troubleshooting that is necessary for a dream to work, but the one thing that can change the minds of the most passionate is the opposition of a loved one," he says. "It's worth a discussion with your family early in the planning process."

About John Berglund

John Berglund began his career as the chief county prosecutor at age 24 and then transitioned into a lobbyist and trade-association executive. Another career shift led him to being voted the bowling industry's most influential person for a decade. He followed his passion for chemistry, which he studied in college, and left the "rat race" for his Caribbean perfumery in St. Martin. Berglund lives with his wife of more than 30 years, Cyndi, who has significantly contributed to his dream job in paradise. The couple has two grown children.

WASHINGTON -Senator Chuck Grassley is asking the U.S. Department of Agriculture to consider additional remedies to help Iowa farmers withstand one of the worst droughts in years.

"I heard directly from farmers at my town halls, in addition to the people calling my office, about issues that they are encountering, beyond low yields, because of the drought," Grassley said.  "It's a tough situation out there for these folks.  The weather conditions of this growing season have been challenging enough as it is for Iowa farmers without further complications."

In a letter to USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack, Grassley urged the Secretary to extend the emergency haying period to September 30, 2012.  Grassley said that when USDA opened up CRP land for haying and grazing, farmers had a relatively short window to take advantage of the opportunity compared to when farmers harvest hay on CRP land under mid-contract management situations.

Grassley also wrote that he was concerned about the logistical difficulties of inspecting corn for aflatoxin as it relates to crop insurance claims.  Grassley said that farmers often are not aware of the presence of aflatoxin, or at least aware of unacceptable levels of aflatoxin, until they are sitting at the grain elevator and the elevator's sample shows levels are too high for the elevator to accept.  At that juncture, the farmer must take his crop back to the farm and find something to do with it in a timely manner so he or she can get back to the next load of corn coming out of the field.  The requirements set forth by the Risk Management Agency state that if the crop is not tested by the crop insurer prior to placing it in the bin then no indemnity can be paid for that portion of the crop loss.

The text of Grassley's letter is below.  A copy of the signed letter can be found here.

 

August 28, 2012

Secretary Tom Vilsack
U.S. Department of Agriculture
1400 Independence Ave., SW
Washington, D.C. 20250

Dear Secretary Vilsack:

During my recent travels around the state of Iowa I have been able to observe the harmful effects of this persistent drought.  My staff and I have heard from numerous farmers dealing with the hardship of this year's extreme conditions.  Even though temperatures have cooled a bit and some parts of the state have finally received some much needed rain, farmers are still dealing with the consequences of this drought.  I appreciate some of the steps the Department of Agriculture (USDA) has taken to assist farmers.  However, there are still actions your department can take to help farmers deal with these difficult circumstances.

First, while I appreciate USDA opening up Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) land for haying and grazing, there is still another step USDA could still take to help farmers wanting to harvest hay on CRP land.  Due to how long it took USDA to finally open up CRP land for haying and grazing, farmers have had a relatively short window to take advantage of this opportunity compared to when farmers harvest hay on CRP land under mid-contract management situations.  Under mid-contract management practices, farmers are able to hay CRP land up to September 30^th.  But under the rules for emergency haying, farmers have to harvest the hay on CRP land by August 31^st.  Under these near historic drought conditions, this shorter period for emergency haying on CRP land simply doesn't make sense.  I urge you to consider extending the emergency haying period to September 30^th of this year.  While much of the grass on CRP land has suffered under the heat, every little bit will help farmers looking for ways to feed their livestock.

Another issue farmers have been contacting me about is the Risk Management Agency's (RMA) and crop insurance companies' handling of aflatoxin contamination in the corn crop.  As reports suggest, the hot dry conditions are exacerbating the aflatoxin issue in many parts of the country.  Under RMA's "Loss Adjustment Procedures for Aflatoxin" (Revised August 2012), RMA states farmers must have their crop tested for aflatoxin prior to putting it in grain bins.  However, farmers are concerned with the logistical challenges this requirement will present them.

Often times, farmers are not aware of the presence of aflatoxin, or at least aware of unacceptable levels of aflatoxin, until they are sitting at the grain elevator and the elevator's sample shows levels are too high for the elevator to accept.  At that juncture, the farmer must take his crop back to the farm and find something to do with it in a timely manner so he or she can get back to the next load of corn coming out of the field.  The requirements set forth by RMA state that if the crop is not tested by the crop insurer prior to placing it in the bin then no indemnity can be paid for that portion of the crop loss.

I am concerned on a couple fronts in this regard.  First, given the large number of claims that are going to be reported to insurers this year based simply on lost yields, will there be enough adjusters to deal with this added challenge of timely serving farmers dealing with aflatoxin contamination claims?  In addition, are RMA and the crop insurance companies doing enough to inform farmers of the requirements when aflatoxin contamination is a concern?  What is RMA doing to help ensure farmers are aware of the requirements for when they have crop damaged by aflatoxin?  Is there any flexibility that RMA can provide so our farmers don't run into a logistical nightmare of having trucks full of corn with no where to put it while they wait who knows how long for an insurance adjuster to come and test the corn?

The weather conditions of this growing season have been challenging enough as it is for Iowa farmers.  I urge USDA to do all it can to assist farmers dealing with the short time frame for harvesting hay on CRP land.  In addition, USDA should do what it can to assist farmers who have aflatoxin contamination claims so farmers aren't caught off guard and end up with the added challenge of potentially losing out on indemnity payments.

I appreciate your consideration of my questions and requests.  If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me or my staff.

Sincerely,

Charles E. Grassley
United States Senate

2012 MVBS Fun Run Wraps Up East West Riverfest by Presenting Studebaker John and the Hawks–Sunday, September 16

As part of the East West Riverfest, the Mississippi Valley presents Studebaker John and the Hawks on Sunday, September 16, at 5:30 at Martinis on the Rock (34th Street and Blackhawk Road, Rock Island).  Studebaker John played on the Bandshell stage at the 2011 Mississippi Valley Blues Festival , and now comes the opportunity to see him and his band, the Hawks, at Martini's on the Rock  September 16.   Admission is $5 for members of the Mississippi Valley Blues Society or $8 for non-members (membership applications will be available at the door), or FREE for all participants in the September 16 Bikes and Blues Fun Run.

September 16 is the last chance to participate in the 2012 Bikes and Blues Fun Run presented by the Mississippi Valley Blues Society. The Fun Run will start at Ducky's Lagoon (Andalusia, IL) and wrap up at Martini's on the Rock (Rock Island, IL) with stops at Buelahs (New Boston, IL), The Pub (Oquawka, IL), and Beer Belly's (Aledo, IL) in between.  Cost is $5 per rider entry and will include admission to see Studebaker John and the Hawks at Martinis.   All entrants will get a chance to win $100 with winning poker hand and door prizes.   Entry to Fun Run starts with check-in between 10:30 am - noon (last bike out at noon) at Ducky's Lagoon in Andalusia, IL.  Last bike must be in at 5:00 p.m. at Martini's on the Rock in Rock Island, IL to be eligible for card drawings and door prizes.  All vehicles welcome!

Studebaker John Grimaldi was born in an Italian-American section of Chicago and started playing harmonica at age 7. Under the spell of music he heard on Maxwell Street, Chicago's famed blues melting pot, Grimaldi began performing as Studebaker John and the Hawks in the '70s.

John began playing guitar after a life-changing experience of seeing Hound Dog Taylor and the Houserockers perform. "Hound Dog started playing, hitting notes that sent chills up and down my spine. He was versatile and powerful and would play rhythm as well as leads. I left there knowing what I wanted to do. I had to play slide guitar."

Although John has clearly absorbed the many blues influences his native Chicago has to offer, he is no imitator. With his fat, ringing guitar tone and full, snake-like harp runs, he has managed to forge his own distinct sound while remaining true to the spirit of the Chicago blues giants.

"A triple threat on slide guitar, harp and vocals, Studebaker John clearly has what it takes to get a barroom jumping. This is hard-partying, tough, working-man's blues," Blues Revue Magazine.

Author Wallace Evenson announces the release of Adam to Christ

CAMBRIDGE, Minn. - In his book Adam to Christ: An Accurate Account of Old Testament Chronology: The Lineage of Jesus from the Beginning of Creation (published by AuthorHouse), author Wallace Evenson delves into the Bible and uncovers clues which he uses to propose a possible chronology of the major events of the Bible.

Evenson calls Adam to Christ "... the truth in dating the 60 generations from Adam to Christ." He looks at lineages, clues about settings, and literal interpretations of the Bible to put dates to the most known - and most commonly questioned - events of the Bible.

An excerpt from Adam to Christ:

The first day is the beginning of Biblical dating. Six full creative days were to make phenomenal changes in this dark chaotic waste. Are the six days literal days? Can anyone know? This is where faith in the word has an advantage; we can believe that the six days are literal because He said it! If we can't trust Genesis to be literally true and understandable, how can we trust the rest of the Bible? The literal meaning of a day is then strengthened by the next verse.

"So the evening and the morning were one day." (Gen 1:5)

Evenson confidently refers to Adam to Christ as accurate and the truth because he relies so heavily on analyzing Scripture. As he says, "All Scripture is inspired by God."

About the Author

Wallace Evenson lives and writes in Cambridge, Minn.

For the latest, follow @authorhouse on Twitter.

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