Tag: integrity

Posted on

Daddy Brain Speaks

When I began blogging in 2007, I had no idea that it would affect my life in so many positive ways. It is an honor to have had the opportunity to speak about modern-day dad issues on the radio, at conferences and in print. The greatest honor of all has been helping dads.

Somewhere along the way, I discovered my goal of becoming a speaker. I am happy to say that this dream has come true.

Through research, ongoing studies, personal experience and partnering with experts, I have developed workshops and seminars that help dads, students and professionals lead happier, more fulfilling lives.

If you’d like learn more about what I do, please visit Joey Guido Speaks, or give me a call @ 608-216-6760.

And remember, you are not alone …


Posted on

Businessmen with Integrity, Part 1: The Asphalt Man

In this series, I’ll be sharing stories about local business men and business women who possess rich amounts of integrity.

It’s a trait I like to cultivate in my children and myself. I also look for it in the businesses I work with and make purchases from.

Problem is, quite often the businesses I have frequented or hired for services have fallen short of my expectations. So when a company or professional exceeds them, I like to tell everybody I know about them.

This summer we decided to have our driveway repaved. After four years of Wisconsin winters it was overdue.

I hired a man named Steve Smith of Badger Asphalt to do the work. He gave me a fair price, did an excellent job, and took some time to educate me about asphalt (this was actually more interesting than it sounds).

When a couple of the cracks Steve filled re-cracked, I gave him a call. He came back to my home with a smile on his face and retouched them all. When I called him back two weeks later to tell him the retouch wasn’t matching the rest of the driveway, he arrived at my home within the hour and fixed the problem. (Note: traditionally the crack filler goes on first because it’s shiny. Then the flat black liquid asphalt goes on top).

Again, Steve had a smile on his face, and was glad to do the work. He never complained, or asked me for more money. Steve did his job well, and he did it with integrity. I admire him for that.

If you happen to live in or around Madison, WI, and need your driveway repaved, I think you’ll be happy with Steve Smith of Badger Asphalt. Tell him Daddy Brain recommended you.

You can reach him at: 608-242-4089.

And remember, you are not alone …

Posted on

Do You Suffer from “Convenience Integrity?”

One Saturday morning, I was running errands with my son, Joss, when a strange thing happened.

I found integrity at Home Depot.

No, it wasn’t in one of the employees (who are surprisingly helpful at my local store), nor was it in the store itself.

On our quest for flowers for mommy and some water-softener, I found integrity in myself.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with water-softener salt, it’s something that helps keep your water softener cleaned out and working well so your water isn’t “hard.” Hard water is akin to taking a shower in liquid sandpaper – which is perfect if you’re trying to exfoliate.

When you buy the 40 lb. bag (geez!) of salt, you need to tell the cashier to ring it up, then load it into your cart on your way out (large piles of it sit conveniently by the exit). I asked for two bags, swiped my debit card, and got the salt.

When I got home I looked at the receipt. The cashier had not rung up the salt, which cost about $16.

I was faced with a decision. Nobody knew but me. I could have the salt free of charge. But just because nobody knew, didn’t make it right. Even though it was not intentional, and the huge corporation that is Home Depot would never miss my $16, it still felt wrong in my gut.

Then I realized, this situation had the potential to build up my integrity, or chip away at it.

Here’s the thing: (1) the nagging feeling in my gut wasn’t going to go away; (2) and not paying could cost me far more than $16, because it would have undermined how I felt about myself. Not a good recipe for success.

What kind of man was I?

I had to choose whether I was the guy who did the right thing, or the guy who ignored my integrity to save a few bucks. So I went back and paid for the salt (it did take me a few days to get back to the store).

This experience also gave me an opportunity to set a good example for my son, Max, who was with me this time. I explained to him what had happened and why I made the decision I made. This made the cost of those two 40 lb. bags worth their weight in gold.

But wait.
Before you start thinking I’m acting all high and mighty about this, I’ll admit there have been times where my integrity has wavered. And although it’s always over small stuff, I find myself wondering – how much integrity is enough?

Is burning an occasional CD from the library really “small stuff,” in the cosmic scheme of things? When compared to murder, stealing and infidelity, I’d have to say yes. Does that make it right, acceptable, or just plain rationalized? I think we all have a sliding scale of what seems like a breech of integrity and what does not. But where do we draw the line?

And remember you are not alone…

Posted on

The Speeding Ticket

A few weeks ago, I received a speeding ticket while traveling to work. 

Picture from http://www.herbiemania.com/

I was running late because one of my boys was up all night, so I was severely dragging my butt.

I had no intention of speeding. But my fatigue, coupled with listening to a Zig Ziglar audio book, created less than optimal conditions for me to pay attention to the speedometer.

I was clocked at 71 mph in a 55 mph zone. Doh!

You might be wondering, “What’s your point, Joey? People get speeding tickets every day.” Which is true, but the incident became a milestone moment for me — it became a lesson in integrity. Both seeing it in someone else, as well as showing some of my own.

When the policeman gave me my ticket, he did a great job. He was courteous, informative, knowledgeable and professional. He made the experience almost pleasant (except for the hefty fine and license points). Not what I expected.

As he handed me a ticket, I decided to thank him for his kindness. This was not a tactic to have him rip up the ticket; I knew that wasn’t happening. I was sincere. I wanted to give this man, who could have easily been a rude turd, some positive feedback on a job well done.

After I drove away, at a legal speed on cruise control, I realized the import of what had just happened.

I had made no excuses. The incident was my fault and I took full responsibility for my actions. I didn’t blame my son for his sleepless night. I held myself accountable and exercised some integrity (in a surprising way). Since the ticket, not once have I thought (or said), “that jerk, why’d he give me a ticket? Moron!” No, he was doing his job and holding me accountable for my actions.

The real point of the story has nothing to do with me. It’s about all of us. It’s about the choices we make, how they shape us and what kind of example we set for our kids.

If we can turn a speeding ticket into a positive experience, brimming with integrity, imagine what we can do with the rest of our lives. Whether you know it or not, your integrity is there. It’s just a question of if you’re listening when it speaks.

And remember, you are not alone…

If you like this post, Stumble It!

Posted on

How You Pack a Grocery Bag is a Reflection of Who You Are

Grocery%20Bag-2How someone packs your groceries says a lot about who they are.

One day on the way home from work, I stopped at Super Target for some food. My check out experience was surprising for two reasons. (1) My bags were incredibly well packed; (2) I realized something insightful about people.

Before I go any further, I have to confess that I am a real stickler about how my bags are packed. I am very much like Mr. Monk about the whole thing (meats separate, frozen & cold stuff all together, etc). If you want to live, NEVER put Comet in with my milk, or a half-gallon of juice in the same bag as my eggs.

So, it’s no small feat that I was greatly pleased with how my cashier packed my bags. The most surprising thing of all was that I didn’t have to say a word. She just did it well.

I thanked her. Then I said, “you can tell a lot about a person by how they pack your groceries.”

Her response to my compliment was, “well, I just try to treat it like it were my own groceries, how I’d like them packed.”

What kind of a world would we live in if everybody was this conscientious about one another? If everybody were aware and thoughtful, even in situations that did not require it. My point is, this woman had integrity. It was part of who she was, and in my opinion her attitude could empower her to accomplish just about anything in life.

In my experience, many, many people (especially male grocery packers) do not take the time to put such care into what appears, at least on the surface, to be a mundane task.

How you pack a grocery bag is a reflection of who you are. It may sound ridiculous, but you either care or you don’t. You’re either mindful or you’re not. You either strive for greatness, or settle for mediocrity.

The good news is, no matter where you are on the “integrity scale,” you can improve.

This reminds me of the saying: treat others as you would like to be treated. It’s a simple, age-old concept, one that’s worth its weight in gold (just don’t pack it on top of my veggies).

And remember, you are not alone…