I was born and raised in and around a small friendly town, Molalla, Oregon.  After high school I chose to join the Army and ended up serving a tour in Vietnam.  After the military I worked for several years and then decided I'd give college a try.  I graduated from Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon in 1977 and immediately entered the worforce as an accountant at a CPA firm in the state's capitol, Salem, Oregon.  Two years later I was tired of public accounting and got a job in the retail accounting department at a major grocery wholesaler in Portland, Oregon.  I worked there for 17 years until the company went through financial woes.  I became a victim of massive cost cutting and was downsized out of the company to save money.  I then purchased a small shipping business in Southwest Portland and along with my wife built it into the number one store in sales in the country for that brand.  We did, however, suffer major burnout from the long hours and the stress from having our own business.  I gained firsthand a deeper appreciation and envy of small business owners.  We sold the store in 2004 with the idea in mind to work as consultants and independent contractors for stores in the mailbox/shipping business.

    I always wanted to try writing and have for years written down notes and ideas for a future book.  When I sold my business I finally had the time so I pulled out the old, ragged folder and reviewed the years worth of scribbling on the many different sized pieces of paper.  This book took me one year to write and was a great experience.  I've never had so much fun in my life.  I hope you enjoy it.