President's Report

Congratulations to Ryan Benzel for winning the Muckleshoot Casino Washington Open.  Ryan’s team also won the pro-am! We raised over $90,000.00 for the Folds of Honor through this pro-am.  I cannot thank the 29 Golf Professionals enough for giving their time to play with the sponsors.  Thank you to Jason Mattaini and the Muckleshoot Casino for their tremendous support of our Section and The Folds of Honor. Each year the donation to the Folds of Honor grows and so does the Championship purse.  Please thank Jason next time you see him and please patronize the Muckleshoot Casino when you are in town!

Good luck to the 7 PNWPGA Section Professionals competing in the PGA Professional Championship held this month at Bayonet Golf Course in Seaside California.  312 PGA Professionals will tee it up in this National Championship.  Good luck to Russell Grove, Brian Thornton, Jerrell Grow, Trevor Fox, Bob Rannow, John Cassidy and Tim Feenstra. These professionals will represent us well and hopefully we will watch some of them at the 100^th PGA Championship in August by finishing in the top 20 at Bayonet.

Finally, I hope you are all enjoying our new Section App.  I have been using it on a regular basis. It is very easy to use and has a ton of information.  Thank you PNWPGA staff for getting this up and running.

Enjoy the busy season, utilize our programs and play in a Section or Chapter event.

Thank you for growing the game,

Greg Manley, PGA
President, PNWPGA
Meridian Valley CC

CEO's Report

I hope you were able to join us for the Muckleshoot Casino Washington Open Invitational at Meridian Valley CC. This event was a huge success on all fronts.  First, thanks to our great sponsors and participation in the auction we raised $91,500 for the Folds of Honor Foundation! Chris Manley deserves high praise for her efforts to raise these important funds and also for putting on a first-class pro-am.  The championship was terrific with the golf course in beautiful shape, cooperative weather and great play by our players.  Congratulations to Ryan Benzel on his victory.  Did you notice the total payout topped $100,000 this year?

Next up on the Tournament front is the Oregon Open Invitational – entries close on June 6 so enter now!  We return to Aspen Lakes and Howie Pruitt will be a great host. Entries are also out for the Assistant Championship, Senior PGA Professional Championship and the PGA Professional Championship. These are your championships, plan on playing.  More information is at pnwpga.com; entry is through National. Also, don't forget to enter the Rosauers Open Invitational by June 27.

Congratulations to our recipients of PGA Financial Assistance Fund Scholarships.  These deserving students receive support thanks to your voluntary contributions to the fund when you pay your dues.

Speaking of dues, you should have received your invoice via EMAIL last month. If you did not, you can log into your PGA.org account and pay your dues or print an invoice for your employer. There is also a “proxy” option where you can give your employer access to your account to pay by credit card.  Dues are due no later than June 30 to avoid a late fee.  One caution, every year we see late fees where the employer thinks they can mail the check on June 30. Walk your bill through accounting to avoid these avoidable fees.

Starting July 1, the PGA will roll out a new member assistance program.  Check this out on PGA.org starting July 1.

We kick off the Drive Chip and Putt season on June 10 at High Cedars. It’s not too late to encourage your juniors and their parents to sign up for this fun and free event. We have 13 local qualifiers throughout the Section.  You just might be starting a golfer on a trip to Augusta…we had six go last year!  Click here for our schedule or visit drivechipandputt.com

It’s time to buckle down and run the golf business… good luck and I hope to see you at one of our events very soon.  If we can ever be of service, please reach out to your terrific Section and Chapter staff.  We are here to help you!

Jeff  Ellison, PGA
CEO, Pacific NW Section PGA

Candidates for Secretary: Howie Pruitt & Marcus King

Howie Pruitt on the Role of the Section Officer

What is the role of a Section officer in the conduct of operations in the Section and as an officer how will you interact with the staff in the Section office?

According to our Section Constitution, the Board of Directors “shall conduct their business and manage the Section.” Our Section Board is made up of the Immediate Past President, President, Vice President, Secretary and Directors, who shall be Presidents and Vice Presidents of several Chapters. In addition to this structure, we also have a structure within the Section Office. The CEO oversees both the Section Staff and Chapter Staff.

While the Constitution is clear, it is also, I believe, purposely vague. I believe we have a very capable and talented Section staff. They are the team that makes our Section one of the best and most respected in the PGA of America. In reviewing the job description of our CEO/Executive Director, he is the focal point of our operations. A Section officer is a part of the Board of Directors and is ultimately responsible for the operation of the Section.

It would be fool-hearty to assume that Section Officers should play a role in day-to-day operations. I see our roles as three-fold: Champion, Protector, and Trust builder.

I pointed out in last month’s article the importance of having Champions of Change in our Section leadership. Whether it is a change to the “dress-code” or a change to the tournament programs, change must be led. The Section staff, likely will be the implementors of the change, but the Section leaders must be the ones at the end of the pointy spear leading the effort. Any change that is exclusively led at the staff level will ultimately fail.

The Protector role can also be tied to change. Last month I also talked about compliant decision making versus committed decision making. Section leadership must be fully committed to support the staff who are implementing changes.  Without that, the staff can be targeted and besieged with criticism and defiance by members who do not like or support the change.

The last role, the trust-builder, is the most critical role for a Section officer. Trust is the element that holds organization together. It is like glue, but like glue, if it is not used it can dry up. Our Section staff is competent and committed to our success. Section Leadership must trust them to operate the Section daily. Section leadership must acknowledge their successes and encourage them to continue to be successful. I am not suggesting that operations will always be smooth and rosy. There will be times when there are operational missteps. When this happens, it is critical that the Section leadership trusts that the CEO will manage the issues rather than the Section officers dealing directly with the staff member/s.  Respect for the “chain of command” is essential. The CEO reports to, and takes direction from, the Board of Directors; likewise, the Section staff reports to, and takes direction, from the CEO. To maintain a high level of trust, these lines cannot be blurred.

Board membership changes every two years. This change in membership leads to a change in the team dynamics of the Section leadership. In 1965 Dr. Bruce Tuckman developed a model on team dynamics. He outlined the four stages a team goes through to become a high performing team: Forming, Storming, Norming, and Performing. In Forming, teams get clear and aligned on goals and roles and ways of working together. The second stage of Storming is critical to this discussion. In this stage there can be differences, conflicts, and power struggles between members. In other words, TRUST is in jeopardy. Section leaders must understand these dynamics and use clarity of purpose and coaching to resolve the differences to come to optimum decisions to be able to move on be productive in the next two stages of team development. Changes to members of the Section leadership will also cause the same dynamic to occur within the Section Staff. All members of the Section leadership including the CEO must recognize, understand and work through these stages to build strong relationships and a team that works effectively and productively together.

We have a dynamic, successful Section staff. If I am selected to be your Secretary, I will use my expertise in group and team dynamics to keep us on track and ensure there is trust between the Section Staff and the Section Leadership. This will allow all of us to be aligned as we act, and make changes, to “Support the Members and Grow the Game”.

I look forward to seeing many of you at the Oregon Open in late June.

Howie Pruitt, PGA
Director, Player Development/Head Golf Professional
Aspen Lakes Golf Club
Sisters, OR 97759
541-549-4653
Cell-541-390-7875
www.aspenlakes.com
Director, Oregon Chapter, PGA of America
2017 Oregon Chapter, PGA of America, Patriot Award Winner

Marcus King of the Role of the Section Officer

SUPPORT IS THY NAME

I hope your early summer is off to a good start as you read this month’s topic in your “spare time.”

Howie and I were put the question this month, “What is the role of a Section officer in the conduct of operations in the Section and as an officer how will you interact with the staff in the Section Office?” 

The short answer: support.  The role of a Section officer in the conduct of Section operations is purely support, and the best way to interact with the Section office staff—and field staff—is by supporting them in any way we can.  The staff has a job to do and it is our role to support—not direct—the CEO in the execution of Section operations.  The CEO is given the goals by the board and officers, and it’s up to the CEO to figure out the best way to achieve those goals through working with his staff.  Support may come in the form of operational expertise, moral support, drumming up volunteers, spit-balling ideas, participating in Section events, or sometimes the best support is simply staying out of the way.

The long answer?

Our professional, personable, highly-capable Section staff is led by our CEO Jeff Ellison.  His team members include the field staff located in the chapters—such as the Chapter Executive Directors, Pro-Am Administrator, Chapter Director, and Chapter Tournament Director—as well as the Section office staff that includes the Controller, Director of Tournament and Member Programs, Director of Communications, the Executive Assistant, the Tournament and Membership Administrator and Coordinator, our Receptionist, and in most years, a Tournament Intern.

Good governance defines the board’s and officers’ collective role as debating and creating policies, and it is the role of the CEO and the Section staff to provide information for the debate and to carry out the resultant policies through Section operations.  Jeff directs the workflows and operations of his field staff and office staff, and in turn he reports to the Board and Officers of the Section.  This system has evolved over the years:  it is efficient, enjoys a high degree of accountability and harmony, and produces an information flow that is clean, tight and consistent.  The last thing we want from the officers is to go rogue, peeling off on their personal tangents and agendas, and dragging staff through confusion, mayhem, conflicting and inefficient priorities, and wasted work.  However, it is important to note that Jeff—depending on the occasion—may authorize the board and officers to speak directly with staff members on operational matters that directly relate to their role, and simply be kept in the loop with a cc or follow up communication.

As an officer, how will I interact with the staff in the Section office?  Just like I do at Overlake Golf & Country Club in my role as General Manager, interacting with staff is the most important function I have.

What will I do?

• Bring chocolate and Scotch whenever I visit the Section office
• Walk the walk
• Lead by example
• Provide support and expertise when called upon
• Be a cheerleader!
• Get my Board work done on time
• Celebrate the successes and achievements of our staff
• Be an efficient and timely communicator
• Work with the CEO to ensure a harmonious and happy workplace

Ultimately, interacting with the Section staff comes down to “support” and recognizing, honoring, and respecting the roles that each staff member plays.

Thank you for your indulgence!

Marcus King, PGA, CCM, CCE
General Manager
Overlake Golf & Country Club

Benzel Wins Fourth Major in the 2018 Muckleshoot Casino Washington Open Invitational

By Nathan Pajutee, Tournament Intern

The 92^nd Muckleshoot Casino Washington Open Invitational was held at the beautiful Meridian Valley Country Club in Kent on May 21-23, sporting a full field of PGA Professionals and amateurs. While the tournament was hotly contested, Ryan Benzel of Sahalee CC came back from a two-stroke deficit in the final round to emerge victorious and claim his fourth Pacific Northwest Section major.

Preceding the tournament was the Pro-Am, held on May 19-20, which benefitted the Folds of Honor Foundation, a charity that awards academic scholarships to the families of injured or fallen American soldiers. 29 sponsored teams of four competed, featuring a PGA professional as the fifth player. The format of the pro-am was a two-day net, best 2-of-5 shamble. Amazingly, Ryan Benzel and the Taylormade/adidas team edged out a victory by one shot. While the competition of the pro-am was certainly a big draw, the event raised a total of $91,500 for the Folds of Honor Foundation. This remarkable figure is over $30,000 more than last year. Next year, the hope is to reach a six-figure milestone.

After the festivities of the pro-am, it was time to begin the 2018 Muckleshoot Casino Washington Open Invitational. Boasting a field of 168 PGA Professionals and amateurs, the stage was set for a fantastic competition. Following two rounds, Ryan Benzel was three-under par, trailing leader Derek Berg, also of Sahalee CC, by two shots.

Going into the final round, Benzel realized, “Anytime you start a final round behind the leader, you need help.  I felt like I would need to shoot 4 under par to win, so I knew I needed to stick to my plan and keep the ball in play, make smart shot decisions, and get a couple putts to go in.  That's what I tried to do.”

The last few holes of the final round were filled with drama, with multiple shot swings from each of the players among the top five of the leaderboard. Triumphantly, Benzel finished the tournament at 3-under par and beat out the competition by a single shot. This major makes it four for Benzel, who is only a win at the Northwest Open away from completing a PNW PGA grand slam.

On his victory, Benzel responded, “Winning the Washington Open is one of those moments I'll remember forever.  The scoring was close all day between many people and to be able to play my game, stick to my plan, and finish at the top of the leaderboard feels fantastic!  This continues to validate the hard work and practice that I put in is beneficial.”

We’d like to thank Meridian Valley CC, Muckleshoot Casino, all of our great sponsors and the players for making the 2018 Washington Open Invitational and Pro-Am such a special occasion. We thank the Folds of Honor Foundation and we celebrate the achievement of raising $91,500 for their cause. Host PGA professionals Greg Manley, Tyler Clavin, Carissa Simmons, Brian Thornton and Matt Herman did an excellent job along with Superintendent Craig Benson and his grounds crew staff. We look forward to returning to Meridian Valley CC in 2019 for the 93^rd edition of the Washington Open Invitational.

Gailey and Siebers Win PNW PGA Junior Championships

By Molly Cooper, PGA

The 2018 Pacific Northwest Section Girls Junior PGA Championship and the 2018 Pacific Northwest Section Boys Junior PGA Championship took place this weekend at the OGA Course.

Winning the 16-18 girls division was Victoria Gailey.  She and Lauryn Nguyen will represent our Section at the National event they qualified for this July. They head to the 43rd Girls Junior PGA Championship, hosted at Kearney Hill Golf Links in Lexington, Kentucky.

Ian Siebers won the boys 16-18 age division. He will be joined by Preston Bebich and head to represent us 43rd Boys Junior PGA Championship, hosted at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky.

Suzie Tran of Poulsbo, WA won the girls 13-15 age division while Brandon Eyre of Salem, OR.

Nichole Koong of Sammamish, WA won the girls 12 & under while Drew Woolworth of Lake Oswego, OR.

Champion Victoria Gailey of Tigard, OR and Lauryn Nguyen of Seattle, WA are going to join 144 of the nation’s top female junior golfers in the PGA of America’s premium junior event, the 43^rd Girls Junior PGA Championship, hosted at Kearney Hill Golf Links in Lexington, Kentucky. Kearney Hill Golf Links played host to the 2007 Women’s Amateur Public Links Championship and has been ranked in the Top 10 courses in the state of Kentucky by Golf Digest. The 43^rd Girls Junior PGA Championship will be held from July 9-12, 2018.

Champion Ian Siebers of Bellevue, WA and Preston Bebich of Gig Harbor, WA are joining the 144 of the nation’s top male junior golfers in the PGA of America’s premium junior event, the 43^rd Boys Junior PGA Championship, hosted at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky. Valhalla Golf Club played host to the 1996, 2000 and 2014 PGA Championships, as well as the 2008 Ryder Cup. The 106^th PGA Championship will also be contested at Valhalla Golf Club in 2024. The 43^rd Boys Junior PGA Championship will be held from July 31-August 3, 2018.

Each of the 41 PGA of America Sections will receive two invitations for both events. One for the Pacific Northwest Section Junior Champion and the other a Pacific Northwest Section At-Large Bid.

Junior girls must be no older than 18 years of age on July 12, 2018.  Junior boys must be no older than 18 years of age on August 3, 2018.

The Girls Junior PGA Championship is where some of the best in the world get their start. Many of today’s LPGA Tour professionals made their debut at the Championship. Notable past participants include: Inbee Park, Lexi Thompson, Cristie Kerr, Grace Park, Michelle Wie, and Dottie Pepper.

The Boys Junior PGA Championship is where some of the best in the world get their start. Many of today’s PGA Tour professionals made their debut at the Championship. Notable past participants Include: Tiger Woods, Justin Thomas, Jordan Spieth, Stewart Cink and Phil Mickelson.

OMEGA Player of the Year Points

1. Benzel, Ryan 150.00

2. Inglis, Colin 137.50

3. Cassidy, John 132.50

OMEGA Senior Player of the Year Points

1. Coston, Jeff 150.00

2. Gove, Mike 95.00

3. Pike, Jim 85.00
    Keating, Mark 85.00
    DeShaw, Kelly 85.00

Assistant Player of the Year Points

1. Inglis, Colin 160.00

2. Cassidy, John 147.50

3. Prante, Shane 135.00

Hudson Cup Points

1. Benzel, Ryan 150.00

2. Cassidy, John 95.00

3. Black, Darren 90.00

Senior Hudson Cup Points

1. Coston, Jeff 267.50

2. Bomar, Billy 190.00

3. Marsh, Jeff 162.50

Senior Oregon Open Invitational Entries Available

Team entries are now out for the Senior Oregon Open Invitational at Wildhorse Resort and Casino on July 31 - August 2.  Head PGA Professional Michael Hegarty is excited to host again this year for the 16th straight year!

Since its induction in 1996, the Senior Oregon Open has grown to be the premier senior golf tournament in the Northwest.  This event draws the best players ages 50 and over from all over the Pacific Northwest Section.

We expect a strong field of competitors for the Senior Oregon Open Invitational this year as we return to the Wildhorse Resort & Casino. We will have a full field of 56 teams (224 PGA Professionals and amateurs). This event fills every year and usually has a large waiting list. Please make sure you are aware of the entry priority processing procedure to see what category you fall under. You must sign up as a team, one PNW PGA Professional and three amateurs.

Entry Priority in 2018

a. Exempt players*
b. The balance of the field will be filled by remaining professionals using following ranking priority**:

1. Number of events (Sr. WA Open, Sr. Players’, Sr. OR Open, Sr. PGA***, WA Open, OR Open, Rosauers Open, NW Open, PPC) played in prior calendar year, January to December.
2. Professionals with the same priority in “1”, by number of tournament rounds posted in the PNWPGA Handicap System.
3. Professionals with the same priority after “1” and “2”, by date of the latest prior year score in PNW Section Handicap System.

* The early deadline for category A is three weeks after entries have opened at 5:00 PM.
** All entrants will be on waiting list until the close of entries to ensure correct ranking, then confirmed according to priority.
*** Sr. PGA will count twice in this ranking list.

No category has a priority based on receipt of entry, just meet the deadlines for your category.

Don't Miss Out on the Oregon Open Invitational

Team entries are still available for the Oregon Open Invitational, but hurry and get your team entry in! Entries close on June 6. Howie Pruitt welcomes us as host.

We are excited to play Aspen Lakes GC. Aspen Lakes is a privately owned, public golf course in Sisters, OR. The signature red sand for the bunkers occur naturally and originated on the Cyrus property. The deep red sand creates a visual delight as it contrasts with the green grass, blue skies and white, snow covered mountains that are the Aspen Lakes Golf Course signature.

“I enjoy and love playing in all of the Section’s majors, but what obviously separates the Oregon Open from the others is the pro-am format the first two days.  It is always fun to play with your friends and it makes it a very comfortable atmosphere…” – Russell Grove, 2017 Champion

Join Us for the Rosauers Open Invitational

The Rosauers Open Invitational is set to return July 13-15 to Indian Canyon GC. Our host, head PGA Professional Doug Phares, welcomes you to a great competition in almost certainly great weather. Get your entries in by Wednesday, June 27 to this fantastic event in Spokane, WA.

This is our biggest Section purse, at $135,000 total with an $11,000 first place check. It is also one of the largest purses in the country! The Rosauers Open Invitational has been a part of the PNW PGA tournament program since 1988. Indian Canyon GC has hosted all but three years of this event.

The Rosauers Open is my favorite event of the year.  From the big scoreboards on the 18th green, to the always warm and sunny weather that we get that time of year and the fact that we play such a cool historic golf course in Indian Canyon.  It is an event that you should not miss.  – Corey Prugh, PGA

National Car Rental PNW Assistant PGA Professional Championship

DuPont, WA – The Home Course
August 6, 2018

PNW Senior PGA Professional Championship

Molalla, OR – Arrowhead GC
September 6-7, 2018

Holk's Highlights: Casey Moen

Pros on the Move

by Michelle Parish, Tournament & Membership Coordinator

Employment Changes

• Keith W. Bennett, PGA (A-14) - from Unaffliated to Glen Acres G&CC
• Steven W. Borror, PGA (A-4) - from Old MacDonald to Bandon Dunes Golf Resort
• Eric D. Briggs, PGA (A-6) - from Druids Glen GC to GOLFTEC - Southcenter
• John Buck, PGA (A-4) - from Royal Oaks CC to The Retreat & Links at Silvies Valley Ranch
• Kevin Coombs, PGA (A-13) - from Unaffliated to Riverside GC
• Jordan R. Cooper, PGA (A-23) - from GOLFTEC - Southcenter to Club Champion - Seattle
• Connie K. Gregor, PGA (A-1) - from Bellingham G&CC to San Juan Golf & Tennis Club
• Brady B Humpherys (B-8) - from Unaffliated to The Links GC
• Gregory J. Morris, PGA (A-8) - from Walter E. Hall GC to The GC at Echo Falls
• Christopher B. Neef (B-8) - from Sunriver Resort-Woodlands Course to Royal Oaks CC
• James K. Reid, PGA (A-1) - from Bandon Dunes Golf Resort to Old MacDonald
• Eric J. Sjogren, PGA (A-8) - from Bend GC to Royal Oaks CC
• Quincy B. Smith, PGA (A-1) - from Unaffliated to Washington National GC
• Sean R. Stewart, PGA (A-6) - from Royal Oaks CC to GOLFTEC - Cascade Station
• Scott S. Thompson, PGA (A-1) - from Skagit G&CC to Sudden Valley GC
• Devin J Winther (B-8) - from Whitetail GC to Rock Creek Cattle Company

Class Changes

• Ryan C. Moss, PGA (Corvallis CC) - from A-8 to A-1
• Jeff Simonds, PGA (Bandon Dunes Resort) - from A-4 to A-13

New Associates

• John L. Eisentrout (B-1) - Eagles Pride GC @ Ft. Lewis
• Austin T. Landis (B-6) - Trails End Golf Center
• Kurt L. Valley (B-6) - The GC @ Redmond Ridge
• Hunter D. Vance (B-8) - Everett G&CC
• Jack C. Whealdon (B-8) Tacoma Country and GC

Newly Elected Members

• Allan K. Elliott, PGA (A-8) - Bandon Dunes Golf Resort
• Trevor S. Jensen, PGA (A-8) - Hangman Valley GC
• Andrew J. Lettrich, PGA (A-1) - Glacier View GC
• Cody W. Pitz, PGA (A-8) - The Reserve Vineyards & GC
• Adam J. Ullman, PGA (A-8) - Crosswater Club At Sunriver
• Mark J. Wilkins, PGA (A-8) - Manito G&CC

Transfers INTO the Section

• James C. Contreras, PGA (A-1) to Fairbanks GC from Southwest
• Michael Fields, PGA (A-6) to Bellevue GC from Southern California
• Christopher J. Kelley, PGA (A-8) to Unaffliated from Philadelphia
• Kyle W. Kuchs, PGA (A-8) to Riverside G&CC from Aloha
• Ryan P. Martin, PGA (A-1) to Pumpkin Ridge GC from S. California
• Evan J. Mitchell, PGA (A-1) to Rock Creek Cattle Company from S. California
• Jarrett D Retz (B-8) to Manito G&CC from S. California

Transfers OUT of the Section

• Robert W. Lane Jr., PGA - from Unaffliated to Aloha Section

PGA Junior League Season Update

Branden Thompson – Regional League Manager

The 2018 PGA Jr. League season is ramping up.  All of the leagues are either playing or about to start.  We’d love to help spread the word among our social media channels and get you program some more exposure.  Use @PGAJrLeague in your posts to get them noticed.  The hashtag this year is #gamechanger, so use that as much as possible.  If you aren’t active in the social media sphere, email photos and stories to me and I’ll pass them along.

Each eligible league may send one All Star team to post season play.  All Star rosters consist of 10 players, representing all the teams in the league.  More information can be found in the Captain’s Guide regarding All Star team make up.  Rosters are due to your Regional League Manager by July 31^st.

All Star teams representing their league will play in one of the local qualifiers.  The qualifiers will be assigned base on geographic location, while trying to balance the number of teams at each one.  Qualifier location will be assigned by July 1^st.

Tapping Into the Power of Lifelong Learning

Monte Koch, PGA of America Employment Consultant

I asked you to consider this in the last article, but it seems appropriate to ask it again. How is your career doing? (Honestly, ask yourself again.) Are you progressing along the career pathway you saw for yourself five (or maybe ten) years ago? Do you feel like you’re in a “career prison cell,” just getting by on your “three squares a day?” I’m reminded of a movie many of us love, Shawshank Redemption. In it, the hero, Andy Dufresne (played by Tim Robbins) as he’s faced with accepting life in prison or trying to escape says, “I guess it comes down to a simple choice, really. Get busy living or get busy dying.”

If you want to choose to “get busy living” and proceeding more intentionally along your career pathway, I am here to help you. Each step along it will require learning, or better yet a “posture of learning” as John Maxwell puts it. With a posture of learning  (I picture leaning forward), we can create momentum to move up the career pathway.  Maxwell further states that we need to be, “Passionate about learning, and about leading (the two are inseparable.)”

So, how can each of us ensure we’ve got a “posture of learning?” Here are some of my takeaways from  Chapter 14 the book, Leadership Gold by John Maxwell (famed leadership expert and author)...

Blake Parrish article

Blake Parrish, CFP®

Most of us spend too much time trying to outguess the market and not enough thinking about our long-term financial future. This tendency by investors is referred to as “inverse law of attention”. The less important something is to their long-term financial results, the more attention they pay to it. And the more important it is, the less care they give it. I can’t tell you how many times a casual conversation leads to: “Blake, what do you think about Bitcoin? Legalized Marijuana stocks are presenting me the chance of a lifetime, right? What do you think about investing in Tesla?” My response is always the same, “the investments are the easy part to creating and growing wealth”.

"Certified Financial Planner Boardof Standards Inc. owns the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, CFP® (with plaque design) and CFP® (with flame design) in the U.S., which it awards to individuals who successfully complete CFP Board’s initial and ongoing certification requirements."