Off the Beaten Path in Jacksonville

e of the trails at U.N.F.

One of the keys to success in any business endeavor is making good decisions. Making good decisions requires clear thinking. One of the things that helps me to keep my thinking clear is taking long walks in the woods. Long walks are one of the best things I do for myself. I believe that long peaceful walks are good for anyone who is able to take them.  

When people visit Jacksonville for the 2020 Republican National Convention or other events, some may want to stray off the paved and beaten paths. There are several excellent places for a nice hike that are just a short ride from downtown Jacksonville.

Note: If you go out walking in Jacksonville in August, it will probably be hot, even in the morning and early evening. The heat can cause people to sweat profusely, and it doesn’t take long at all to become dehydrated. Believe me, you don’t want to be a mile from your parking spot when you start to feel overheated. Bring a bottle of water.

Also, there are lots of insects in Florida and many of them bite. That’s especially true at the Timucuan Preserve. For that reason, it’s a good idea to either apply some insect repellant before starting a walk.

Jacksonville Arboretum

The Arboretum is operated by a non-profit 501c3 charitable organization. It’s a nice example of what a group can do when they pool their efforts. It’s only a ten-minute drive from downtown. There’s a paved walkway around a lake and several miles of unpaved trails through the woods. There’s also an award-winning Loblolly Bay Tree.

Nature Trails at University of North Florida. 

The trails go around a lake, through woods, and through a swamp. There’s a lot to see, including gopher tortoises grazing on the vegetation at times. There are also exercise stations for sit-ups, pullups, and walking on a balance beam a few feet off the ground.

Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve. 

The Timucuan Preserve is part of the National Park Service. There are two entrances to miles of excellent hiking trails.

Theodore Roosevelt Area, 13165 Mt. Pleasant Road. 

The Theodore Roosevelt Area is one part of the preserve that has several miles of unpaved trails through the woods. One trail leads to an observation tower looking out over a salt marsh. And unlike most other parks in Jacksonville, the Timucuan preserve has one trail that’s a bit steep and moderately challenging. There’s not a lot of parking space, but there is a bathroom near the parking lot.

Fort Caroline Visitor Center, 12713 Fort Caroline Road. 

Another entrance to the same trails is across the street from the Fort Caroline National Memorial. There are more parking spaces than there are at the Theodore Roosevelt Area, but there’s no bathroom. There are facilities at the Fort Caroline National Memorial, but you may need to plan ahead if that isn’t going to be open when you visit.

To reiterate a very important point, bring some water for your hike and some insect repellant.

Right Place, Right Time, 2020

The key to getting a good shot of a rainbow is being in the right place at the right time. Generally, the sun is somewhere behind you and the rainy weather is in front of you. The conditions for rainbows change from moment to moment because the sun is always moving and the weather is usually moving and changing as well. When you are stationary, rainbows may fade in and out while you’re watching but they usually don’t last very long.

My wife and I recently travelled to Titusville to watch a rocket launch. It went off on schedule without a hitch before sunrise on the morning that we were there. That doesn’t always happen. In fact, that launch had already been rescheduled twice. To view a launch from Titusville, you look to the east over the Indian River. It was nice that the launch wasn’t delayed because if it had been, the sun would have come up and we just wouldn’t have seen much. We were in the right place at the right time.

Afterwards, we drove out to Canaveral National Seashore. It was beautiful! However, on my way out of there I got stopped for speeding! The speed limits on that road are tricky if you’re not paying close attention. Anyways, the last time I got stopped for speeding was toward the end of December 1999, twenty years prior, probably to the week and possibly to the day. I quit speeding after that last ticket because I had used up my lifetime supply of driving safety school to keep the points off my record. In Florida you can only go to driving school five times! In any case, I was very polite to the police officer and he let me off the hook. Apparently, there are no active warrants for my arrest.

I was feeling very merry on the ride back to Jacksonville! There was some light rain. When we got onto the East Beltway from I-95, there was a full double rainbow right in front of us over South Jacksonville. As I mentioned above, due to the movement of the sun and the rain, rainbows generally don’t last for long. On this occasion, we were moving in the same direction as the weather and that rainbow was right in front of us for a good ten minutes. I keep an eye out for rainbows, and I’ve seen lots of them and photographed many. They’re always great to look at, but this was an extraordinary experience.

Being in the right place at the right time is the key not only to viewing rainbows, but to seizing opportunities throughout our lives. The good news is that we frequently have the power to put ourselves in the right places at the right times. Here’s to being in the right place at the right time throughout 2020.

Happy New Year!

How To Start Writing Your Great American Success Story in 2020

“I have written this book because 100 years from now, there probably will be no other trace that I have lived on earth. Our great grandchildren will most likely not know our names, they will have minimal interest in our having lived, or in what we did during our stay on this earth.” Herb Peyton, Founder of Gate Petroleum and author of New Boy, his autobiography.

The United States is full of great American success stories. From native sons who grew up in poverty to immigrants who came here with very little, they have built businesses that have provided them with livelihoods and enriched their communities. Unfortunately, many of their inspiring stories will be forgotten because they have never been written down.

2020 is upon us. Many people have resolved to lose weight, get in shape, and take better care of themselves. Some have resolved to write the books they have been thinking about for years. Lots of great businessmen and businesswomen would like to leave their marks in the form of books and literature, but they don’t know how to go about it. There are several ways to organize a business-oriented autobiography. Here are three straightforward ways to do it.

Mr. Rogers, Thanksgiving, and Habitual Gratitude

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On the morning of Thanksgiving in 2019, my family and I watched “Won’t you be my neighbor?” It’s a documentary about Fred Rogers, the creator and star of Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood on PBS. On Thanksgiving afternoon, I went to the movie “It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood.” Tom Hanks plays the part of Fred Rogers.

Both movies were very good. One of the most powerful scenes in the feature film has Mr. Rogers in a restaurant with a writer named Lloyd Vogel. (In real life, the name of the journalist was Tom Junod, who wrote an article about Mr. Rogers for Esquire.) In that scene, Mr. Rogers asks Mr. Vogel to think about all the people who helped to make him what he was.

As the camera pans around the restaurant, some of the faces are familiar. In fact, several of the people who were interviewed for the documentary appeared in the restaurant scene. For example, Mrs. Rogers and the actor who played Mr. McFeely on the television show were in that scene.

Whenever a film is made about a real person or about something that actually happened, one has to wonder how accurate the movie was. Parts of the feature film about Mr. Rogers are made up, including the restaurant scene. However, in real life there was an event where Mr. Rogers very publicly encouraged people to be thankful for the people who had helped them in their lives.

In 1997, Mr. Rogers was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award at The Academy Awards. In his short speech, he asked members of the audience to think for ten seconds about all the people in their lives who had helped them in some way. As the camera panned around the room, some audience members wept.  Ten seconds of sincere gratitude can affect a person that way.

This is the time of year when people make plans for the coming year and formulate their New Year’s Resolutions. Giving thanks can be just as powerful as making a New Year’s resolution. Naturally, the list of people to be thankful for includes friends and family members. For people in business, it can also include the clients and customers who have contributed to one’s success. Thanks can also be given for the mentors and advisors who have been helpful.

Like Mr. Rogers, I believe there’s something very powerful about being thankful. Being habitually and intentionally thankful can have a very positive impact on one’s life and on one's business. My morning routine includes making a list of three things I am thankful for. I encourage others to make thankfulness part of their routines as well.

Are you ready to get started on your Great American Success Story?

I’m Danny Murphy, but not Danny Murphy the famous baseball player. Or the famous soccer player. Also, I’m not the Dan Murphy who owns most of the liquor stores in Australia. I’m Danny Murphy, the writer. Actually, there are over a dozen Danny Murphys who are writers.

I’m the one who works with clients like Dick Erickson, Founder of Sun Tire, to document their Great American Success Stories. Then I help them to present their stories in the form of books, videos, and through social media. For example, Dick’s forthcoming book is titled Rubber Meets Road: Business Isn’t Rocket Science. 

Super Bowl Commercials and the Power of Business Humor

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Super Bowl commercials are a very big deal. There’s even a show about Super Bowl commercials. There are  also commercials about the show about the commercials. Some of the commercials on the show about the commercials are about the Super Bowl.

Business humor is the common element in most of the commercials. The businesses that are spending big bucks on Super Bowl ads understand that good business jokes get people’s attention and thus help to sell products and services.

Now the companies that are paying the big bucks to get their commercials aired during the Super Bowl are putting out million dollar ad and P.R. campaigns to generate buzz for the commercials. Does that not seem a bit crazy?

Soon people are going to begin to realize that football is what happens between the commercials for the Super Bowl.

Suggested Slogans for Howard Schultz’s Campaign

Ask not what your country can brew for you…

Life, lattes, and the pursuit of happiness.

Four score and seven mochaccinos ago…

Give me free lattes, or give me death!

We, the baristas…

United, we brew.

The brew stops here!

Home of the Brew!