text:
How a Manufacturer Adapted Relationship Selling for Virtual Environments
Episode 128 How a Manufacturer Adapted Relationship Selling for Virtual Environments
Posted on March 30, 2021 Topics: Customer Experience, Digital Transformation, Trade Shows
As trade shows and conferences continue in virtual forms for the foreseeable future, manufacturers must identify ways to optimize relationship selling. In this week's episode of The Kula Ring, Ryan Carley, Vice President of Sales & Marketing for Mason Controls, talks about how relationship selling has changed for his team during the pandemic, how they are adapting the sales process with new remote tactics, and where he thinks relationship selling is going as virtual connections continue to be the norm.
How a Manufacturer Adapted Relationship Selling for Virtual Environments Transcript:
Jeff White: Welcome to The Kula Ring, a podcast for manufacturing marketers brought to you by Kula Partners. My name is Jeff White and joining me today is Carman Pirie. Carman, how you doing, sir?
Carman Pirie: I'm doing well, Jeff, and look, we're recording this, and I think all of North America practically is under a deep freeze of sorts.
Jeff White: Yeah, it's true.
Carman Pirie: So, just hope everybody's staying warm out there.
Jeff White: Indeed. Yeah. No, we're lucky to be indoors in a place that often is without power in the winter.
Carman Pirie: Exactly, exactly.
Jeff White: For days on end sometimes.
Carman Pirie: It's not often that the entirety of North America is… I shouldn't say North America. I should say the U.S. and Canada. With the exception of maybe Florida, it is kind of just all… We're all now enjoying winter together.
Jeff White: Yeah. Yeah. I saw a stat yesterday that said something like 78% of the lower 48 is under a blanket of snow right now, which is…
Carman Pirie: Look at you with the stats.
Jeff White: I know. I know.
Carman Pirie: That might be the most… This brings our how preshow banter to a different level. I mean, if we're gonna start throwing out-
Jeff White: I have to do research.
Carman Pirie: … meteorological stats.
Jeff White: Well, we are Canadian. We do have to talk about the weather.
Carman Pirie: It's impressive.
Carman Pirie: Color me impressed. Well, I'm excited about today's show.
Jeff White: Me as well. We've done a fair amount of discussion about what life may look like in marketing and sales post-COVID, and our next guest is going to give us some of his thoughts about where he thinks relationship selling is going to go in a post-COVID era.
Carman Pirie: Yeah. What I like about this type of episode, or I'm hoping, is that it's more just almost a thought experiment. Right? It's like hey, what could be? And so, we'll try to predict the future and just be assured that we're wrong.
Jeff White: Well, I mean, at least we're basing it on what people are experiencing now, where they've come from, and maybe where they hope to go or where they expect to go.
Carman Pirie: It'll be fun.
Jeff White: Yeah, so joining us today is Ryan Carley. Ryan is the VP of Sales and Marketing at Mason Controls. Welcome to The Kula Ring, Ryan.
Ryan Carley: Thank you both. Glad to be here with my hands wrapped around a mug of tea trying to stay warm.
Carman Pirie: Nice. Ryan, great to be chatting with you. I gotta say, I'm keen for you to give our listeners a bit of background about yourself and then dive into Mason Controls a little bit, because they do some pretty cool stuff.
Jeff White: Yeah. Certainly, something, especially like pre-teen me would have really loved to see. Along with all those models of F-14s hanging from my ceiling in the bedroom.
Carman Pirie: Yeah, so Ryan, tell us a bit about yourself.
Ryan Carley: Sure. Yeah, so Ryan Carley, VP, Sales and Marketing, Mason Controls. I've been working in aerospace for about 15 years. From the East Coast, originally, I grew up with a little bit of snow. Now living in Southern California. My blood is totally thin, so I think it's 50 today and I had to wear a scarf and gloves almost on my way to work. Really enjoyed working in aerospace for a long time, because the 14-year-old me is still very much alive and kicking, so very excited about the products Mason Controls makes. We make anything that pilots use to fly airplanes or helicopters. We also make grips that control tanks. We have naval applications. It's kind of like that human-machine interface, and our sweet spot is taking the input from a pilot or user of a vehicle and crafting a product that really is comfortable, lasts a long time, and innovating different and new ways to do that.
Jeff White: Very cool.
Carman Pirie: It is very cool.
Jeff White: Yeah. No, absolutely 14-year-old me would be all over that, for sure. Yeah.
Carman Pirie: Yeah. No, I find it pretty awesome and I'm well north of 14.
Jeff White: Yes. Yeah. So, say we all.
Carman Pirie: I mean, and I think the wannabe interface designer in me I think kind of… You know, there's that-
Jeff White: True human interface, but not with a screen.
Carman Pirie: Right.
Jeff White: Yeah. Yeah. That's what makes it so interesting.
Carman Pirie: Ryan, our conversation in the lead up to this show, we chatted a lot about how sales happen at Mason Controls, or at least how they used to happen pre-COVID, so can you give us, at least begin to paint a bit of a picture of how that process worked when we could actually be face to face?
Ryan Carley: Aerospace sales is something that is a very long cycle. As a salesperson, you might work on a project or a bid for three, four, maybe even five years before it comes to fruition, and after that it may not be another three, four, five years until you're delivering product at full rate because of the development time scales involved. And a lot of it as well has to do with funding of governments who want to buy different aircraft or different products, and in the commercial space there's a lot of R that goes into the R&D before a new aircraft platform is launched.
Prior to COVID, we had a few sales folks. We prefer here at least to have sales folks directly as part of the business, so we have two guys here and one person on the East Coast, but they spend a lot of time on the road, and they spend a lot of time out in front of customers and visiting customers. Probably two and a half, on average, or maybe three weeks on average a year, including visits to trade shows, and in the past it's all been about that kind of accidental… Well, I don't want to say accidental, but we get a lot of accidental conversation, let's say hallway conversations if you will, that occur. And you develop relationships that can span different customers as people move around in the business. It spans different programs, and we have sales by territory, and so folks are in the territory, they know our customers, they know the people themselves, and they live and they travel in the same area.
It was very much about face-to-face relationship selling. Not over the phone. Not over video. So, COVID has really thrown us for a wrench into our normal sales tactics in the past year.
Carman Pirie: I remember you mentioning it was almost the… just start wandering through the hallways and have conversation, and you kind of almost pick up business along the way. And it just struck me in that moment that there's no hallway roaming, you know?
Jeff White: Yeah. A total lack of hallway roaming. Where are most of your sales team coming from? Are they previously in defense, or aerospace, or the military, or are they kind of coming more from the manufacturing side?
Ryan Carley: Typically coming from aerospace. If they have a defense background, that's a little better for us. We are probably a 60-40 defense-commercial type business. But usually, you find people that have been in the business a long time, they have the relationships that you can utilize, whether it's in the commercial or the defense space to bring in new business. Bringing in somebody new from outside of the business, we've done that as well. It's just a little more work to hit the ground running. A little more work to kind of get up to speed on the different platforms and how the supply chain organism fits together, because it can be a little complex amongst all the OEMs and tier ones and tier twos that there are.
Jeff White: I can imagine. And I have to think that having that experience, especially on the defense side, kind of enables those conversations to happen more freely if they're roaming the halls of an aircraft manufacturer or something like that.
Ryan Carley: Yeah. I can think back to when I was a sales engineer a few years back, and going to visit customers, and you'd walk down the hall and you'd be going to a meeting and you'd see this person and think, "Oh, I think I've seen that name on an email." And the person's there, so you say, "Hey, I've been on a couple emails with you. I'm Ryan. How's it going?" And then, "Oh, here's my card." And then, "What are you working on today?" "Oh, I'm working on this program." "Oh, I hadn't heard about that." You know, don't forget we do… Oh, that's right, you do that product. And so, then a couple months later you might have an RFP or an RFI that comes in for that product.
Carman Pirie: Now, first off, you make that sound very easy. But-
Jeff White: Of course, it isn't.
Ryan Carley: I'm simplifying, of course. There's a lot more that goes into it.
Carman Pirie: But look, that's obviously predicated on having customer site access, and you know, as we look ahead, right now I guess as we're recording this, it's mid-February, and the vaccine rollout in America is going faster than it is certainly in most of the rest of the world. There's a few countries that are maybe ahead, but the vaccine rollout is going reasonably well in the U.S. And I think there's some general optimism that by summer, anybody that wants to be vaccinated will be vaccinated. But as you're looking at it as the VP of sales for Mason Controls, are you projecting we're gonna be back being able to be face to face, pressing the flesh with customers in August? Or what do you think that's gonna look like in terms of even when you're gonna be able to even get back into their offices?
Ryan Carley: We have that debate often. I have one sales guy who works for me who almost every day comes into my office, "We need to go see a customer. We need to be in front of them for this. We need to talk to them." And I'm like, "I know, and I really want to be there." But it's a funny conversation to have, because it's a two-way street. It's our risk level and our willingness to go out and travel as a business, as people who work at Mason, but then the other side of the coin is the same exact conversation for our customers. And so far, I think that personally, I don't think it's gonna be back to "normal" in terms of being able to be out and about and hop on a plane for another maybe year. Maybe January '22, when there's more saturation of the vaccine out there, just because then everyone's comfort level, us and our customers, is going to be even higher than it is today.
But you know, we're taking it case by case. I was super stoked. I had to actually look in my drawer yesterday to find my business cards, I haven't used them in so long. Actually, I had a customer come in and visit yesterday. Socially distanced, took their temperature, wearing the mask, in a big room, more than six feet apart actually, but wearing a suit to work was like… It was awesome. I loved it.
Jeff White: It's pretty rare that you hear that, you know?
Ryan Carley: I know.
Jeff White: I was really stoked to wear nice clothes.
Carman Pirie: I was thinking about that, though. I wonder if we're gonna actually have a resurgence, you know, when things get back a little bit more normalish, if people are gonna be like, "No, no, no. You're dressing up for the office now."
Jeff White: Exactly.
Carman Pirie: This casual office is-
Jeff White: No more sweatpants.
Carman Pirie: This isn't gonna work for me, by the way, because I have like one outfit, generally, and it's like a black t-shirt and blue jeans. Yeah. I do kind of wonder if we'll almost over index in some of those things we haven't been able to do.
Ryan Carley: Yeah. I think that the other challenge I foresee is that how are we going to know when customers are in office, and where they are in office? Because we've had a couple of our customers who, let's say they have three big office buildings in this office park and a manufacturing facility a few miles away, they're thinking about and they've told us that they're thinking about closing two of those buildings and just having one, and then having kind of a rotational schedule where people A through D or what have you might be in from Monday and Thursday, and everybody else is Tuesday and Friday, so then it's just a whole other dimension in terms of travel and scheduling, where you're like, "Okay, is this person in? And I'm gonna go over here tomorrow. But oh no, that's the day they're at home. Well, I can't go to their house because that's weird and creepy, but let me go over…"
It's just another complexity we'll have to address.
Carman Pirie: Yeah. No, absolutely. Actually, I hadn't really… I guess I'd thought about how the organizations will change, how office structures may be different. I hadn't really, I suppose, thought about that through the lens of then just showing up at a place means what's the likelihood that the person you want to talk to is even there?
Jeff White: Yeah, it's kind of the in-person thing of the problem with account-based marketing targeting right now, where you can't target by IP because nobody's in the office anymore. It's like the corollary to that on a personal level. Yeah. Very strange.
Carman Pirie: Well, I mean look, we're looking at a situation where you're projecting potentially another 12 months of selling a new way or having to do things differently before things are "back to normal." I guess what does that look like for Mason Controls? I mean, how are you adapting the sales process to I guess keep things going here in the next year?
Ryan Carley: We've tried to be as different as we can be, and not quite to this level, but the mindset that we have is that like, "Can I send donuts to your house," kind of thing. Or can I send you a pizza if we have lunch? And we haven't really done that, because that's a little hard of course logistically, but we're trying to think in that way of making it fun when we have a call, or making it a little bit different to make it stand out, because like you both, and I'm sure most people listening spend a lot of time in front of a computer and on the phone these days as opposed to perhaps having in-person meetings, or being able to walk around and visit people.
What makes that pop and what makes that different? And one of the small things that we've found that have helped break through, break the ice a bit, is when we have a call with a customer and it's on Zoom or webcast, which WebEx, which most are these days, whereas a year ago you'd probably rarely find that, we always turn our cameras on. And our customer may not have their cameras on, but what we've found is that over time, it's almost like they get guilt tripped into turning their camera on, so you see it enough and you're like, "Man, I gotta turn… Okay, he has his camera on. I'll turn mine on too."
That, it helps, and then you see them. You see probably their house and maybe you can develop a relationship through something you might see in the back… Oh, I went to school there. And that's that human link, that helps me, helps you. It's a real person with a soul and a heartbeat on the other end. It's so useful.
Announcer: Are your digital marketing efforts bringing in too many junk leads? Stop wasting time and distracting your sales team. Account-based marketing can help give your marketing strategy the laser focus on the qualified buyers that you need to increase your pipeline velocity, close more deals, and grow your business faster. We've created a sample manufacturing ABM plan to help you get started. Download the sample manufacturing ABM plan at bit.ly/sampleABM. That's B-I-T.ly/sampleABM.
Carman Pirie: Man, yeah, I don't know that this pickle is gonna be a cucumber again, either. I think the change is gonna be somewhat permanent for salespeople. You're going to have to be good at selling on camera.
Jeff White: Yeah. Or remotely in general. I mean, I think the-
Carman Pirie: But to the point, I think it's gonna have to… I think most salespeople ought to get their head around it that I need to get good on camera, actually.
Jeff White: Yeah. Yeah.
Carman Pirie: I mean-
Jeff White: On camera is one thing. Good on the phone is another.
Ryan Carley: I mean, it's a tech savvy point too. I'm sure especially as we're recording the podcast, as well, the first five minutes of any meeting these days are the, "Well, couldn't hear me when I signed on, right? Gotta change my mic setting. Gotta make sure the camera's facing the right direction on the laptop. Is somebody being loud in the office or in the room next door at home?" There's a lot more prep I think that goes into it than there used to be, as well.
Jeff White: Pre-COVID we did all of our selling remotely, but it was still via the phone. You were still using GoToMeeting or whatever, but you did it over the phone, and nobody turned their camera on. We tried it for a while and there wasn't anybody into it, so…
Carman Pirie: Yeah. No, video calls just accelerated-
Jeff White: Exponentially.
Carman Pirie: Yeah. 10 years in the first two months of COVID, really.
Jeff White: No, I have to think. What other… you mentioned looking for ways to connect with people when you're doing this remotely. What are some other things that you've noticed or heard from your team in terms of things that have really helped to make that connection virtually?
Ryan Carley: I think that they've discovered that it's even more important than it was before to be able to very quickly read the tone of a customer and understand, and kind of learn their habits, as well. I'm thinking of one customer in particular that we've learned that typically they don't like to answer the phone in the morning. We used to call a lot in the morning to try and find out the status on things, or ask questions, and never got a result, but this person likes to do afternoon phone calls, so we know after 2:00, then they'll pick up the phone and it's really easy. There's another one that never answers the phone, which is a challenge, but if you book a meeting in and you just put it blindly in, which previously I would have said, "No, don't do that, because that's rude and you don't know." But in this day and age, for this person, it works out that book a meeting in and then they'll get on the phone and you can have a conversation.
I think it's like picking up on those nuances of before it was about knowing the person's kid, and the dogs, and a lot more of the peripheral things. I think now, with being on the phone, and being in the video, it's about that as well, but even before you get there it's about really paying attention to the details of how this person functions, and what their daily routine might be like, and how they're reacting to you, to be able to tailor the conversation to make it value add for both parties. Because you don't want to have the, "Hey, how's it going?" And then other person's like, "Good, but what do you need? I'm really busy." And then my salesperson just goes on about baseball or whatever and the other person's thinking, "Geez, I need to get off the phone." You gotta be able to read the room just using your ears, which is a much different way to do it.
Jeff White: Yeah. It really speaks to the changing nature of perhaps the type of person who might be good at sales, you know? The empath is probably getting more and more coverage on the sales front. I have to think.
Carman Pirie: I'm just gonna highlight too, I think the one thing that salespeople, one critical characteristic for them going forward beyond selling on video is I don't think any anti-vaxxers ought to be applying for sales roles.
Jeff White: Yeah. Certainly not outside sales.
Carman Pirie: Exactly right, you know? I mean, I think it's a serious thing. It's something you wouldn't have thought of before, like if somebody would have that opinion, you'd almost think it's a political thing, whatever. But now it's like, "You're not getting site access to customers if you are…"
Ryan Carley: Yeah. That's a really good point. We haven't experienced that yet. Of course, we haven't been going anywhere, and we've had discussions here about the vaccine, and how we can get it, and can we mandate it, and there's a lot of things that go into that conversation when it comes to rules and regulations, et cetera. Actually, I'm not sure how that's gonna work in the future. If today you go in and you tick a box, like do I have a fever, have I been in COVID, if you're gonna go visit somebody potentially. I wonder if to your point there'll be a box that says, "I've got a vaccine." And if the answer is no, you know…
Carman Pirie: I'm assuming they're gonna have to show proof of vaccination.
Jeff White: But I mean, even there, Ryan mentioning the idea of mandating vaccines for all of your staff, there are ethical concerns about vaccine passports and access and all that. It's certainly very interesting. And the other thing that moves into, especially from a sales context, is the idea of where we're going to go with in-person trade shows. Because I mean, it's really weird to think of being in a room with tens of thousands of other people again and mingling at happy hour. It feels so strange.
Carman Pirie: I do-
Ryan Carley: Oh, sure. Because you start getting those… I mean, I don't know about you all, but around July is when I started to get that feeling when I watched a Netflix show and I'd see a big crowd with no masks, and I'd just think, "Oh, put a mask on those people."
Jeff White: Yeah. Exactly. Exactly. So, I mean, what do you think, like what do you and your team miss most about the trade show experience?
Ryan Carley: I think the biggest thing we miss is that we use trade shows often to walk the entire show, like grid pattern, we walk up and down every single aisle over the course of a day or two. We may have a booth where we have one or two people if anybody stops by, but the biggest draw we get from it is being able to go and see our customers, of course, but also the competition, because that's one of the only times where we're able to walk up to a competitor's booth, and of course they do the same to us, but have a conversation, look at their products. If we can, we might take a few photos of the product, so we understand the kind of things that they're… if it's all right, that they're working on, that we may not have seen, or that might be close to ours.
That's the biggest reason I love going to trade shows, is to see what else is going on out there that I don't know in my little window in Los Angeles day to day.
Carman Pirie: That has got to be really hard to replace. Just connecting with customers, yes, it's more difficult, yes, they're not all in the same place at the same time at the same bar-
Jeff White: But they're at least expecting you to interact with them.
Carman Pirie: You can find a way to get around that. But how… I'm at a loss of how you can replace that level of competitive intelligence gain.
Jeff White: Yeah. Certainly, you're not going to see… Waiting until it shows up on their website is not a substitute for seeing a prototype on the trade show floor.
Ryan Carley: Yeah. That's what I was… In thinking about that question, I was thinking well, we're gonna spend more time on websites. But then to your point, they might… Maybe they don't put it up and you don't see the prototype on the floor. Or if you're trying to launch a new product, let's say, like we were doing this a few years ago, we'd go to trade shows and look for these small companies that we may not know about, because you can Google for days and not find the 10 companies that are out there. But on the back row of the trade show, where they have small businesses, they're there and they needed our product. And so, it was really easy to walk up and talk to them. And today, or in the future, that's gonna be super challenging to do.
Jeff White: Yeah. It's going… I mean, at least from a kind of growth perspective, it's probably going to mean selling to more of the same people, or to fewer new customers than previously, because it's just going to be that much harder to find the companies in the niche that you're looking for.
Ryan Carley: And actually, and I'm thinking about that, maybe… And so, I mentioned earlier, like we like to have our salespeople direct because it just puts them closer to the business and closer to our customer, so we don't typically use too many outside sales reps, like commission-based reps, but there could be an argument I think in the future where you'd want… Perhaps there's gonna be a bit of a resurgence in commission-based selling, or sales reps, or some sort of arrangement of that nature, because those are the people that in their territory would perhaps know those smaller customers better than we would, and we would normally get from a trade show, but maybe that's a shift that we'll see in the future.
Carman Pirie: Yeah. That's an interesting point. I could see that making sense.
Carman Pirie: Yeah. Have you attended any or have there been in your space many kind of virtual trade shows? And if there have been, have you been able to get any kind of similar level of competitive intel from them? Or just not the same?
Ryan Carley: I mean, not the same. We've attended a few of them in the past three, four, five months, and they've been good. I mean, they're very well put together. They run, that's the one good thing is that it's very timely, because it's easy to be timely online. And you can still get the same engagement, you can still attend the same talks, and get a lot of the same information. One thing that I think has been good about that is that when you're in the trade show site, I mean, basically blocking and tackling in sales is gonna go look at the attendee list. The first thing I'd do when I went to a trade show before was print the list and look at all the companies that are gonna be there. Now, you're actually seeing the people's names, and in some cases titles, depending on how much information they put in.
We've used that in a few instances, where we may not have known somebody at a certain customer, or the right level of engagement in a customer, and in the past, of course, being in person or walking around, you might actually bump into that person. In the future, or in the today, if the buyer that you're talking to or the engineer A, doesn't know, or B, isn't comfortable sharing, and there may be a mix of reasons, we actually find that okay, well, in the trade show, we can look at all the people, we have all their names. You can find them on LinkedIn and message them.
Now, there's the uphill battle where you're just another message in the noise, and it's there's still a lot of churn to go through to actually have a meaningful conversation, because you have to separate yourself from the chaff. But that's been kind of a cool thing, because previously you couldn't get a detailed attendee list, if you will, from trade shows. Just companies.
Jeff White: Do you think that that's, as we get back to in-person events, do you think that that ability to prepare and kind of develop that target account list before you go into these events is going to continue to be a thing? Are sales teams going to spend more time kind of prepping and detailing these are the accounts and the tier ones that I want to meet while I'm there?
Carman Pirie: Is your thinking that basically because they kind of tasted the ability to do this virtually, that-
Jeff White: Yeah, are they gonna want to apply that as they go forward, I wonder?
Ryan Carley: I think for me, at least, there'll be an expectation that yes, that level of detail is maintained as much as it can be. I think that for the people going to trade shows, and I'm just thinking for my own experience, like when I go to a trade show, I log on the app and I put in a bit of information, but I don't really fill everything out because it's just an app, I have it for a day, I don't really care. I know who I'm gonna talk to. I can imagine myself in a year or two years going back to that same behavior. Touch wood that we're able to go do that like we were used to with 10,000 people.
I think it may be still it would go back to being a little difficult to do that, but I think the discipline and the creative thinking around out of the box ways to prepare is something we'll definitely keep going forward and learn from.
Jeff White: Yeah. I have to think that trade show companies, like we've had the folks from IMTS and some of the other large manufacturing shows on the podcast, and they're certainly thinking about what the needs of their attendees are going to be going forward, so I wonder how much thought they're putting into making it better in terms of creating relationships. It's certainly been the key thing that they've all been trying to replace with the online shows.
Carman Pirie: Yeah. I guess the ongoing question, is there a hybrid that happens in the future? Is it likely that we learn something from the virtual events that carry forward? Do we just go back to the old ways?
Ryan Carley: I think a hybrid would be a really… For a trade show company, I mean, I think there's definite value in continuing some level, when we can go back in person, but continuing some level of virtual engagement, I mean, it'd be another revenue stream for them that they wouldn't have had two years ago, and I think you'd find people that would still like to go. Like for example, I might send one or two people in person, but maybe I have three people at the factory who are too busy to step away, or I don't need to send five people, but I can put them online for two hours and they can pay a hundred bucks or whatever the number is, and still get some value out of it.
Carman Pirie: As the leader of a sales organization, you've had salespeople selling remotely for a year, so your travel budget didn't get depleted this year. I mean, you probably have had some great parties just as a result of… No, but you know what I mean, you've learned as a business that you can still sell, and you can do so without that cost. Is there any kind of appeal to that? Or does just the desire to get in front of customers outweigh the thought that maybe we could just actually do this differently going forward too?
Ryan Carley: I mean, personally, aside from the fact that I love planes, which is why I work in aerospace, and I love travel and airports, so I just want to get out there, I think-
Jeff White: That's fair.
Ryan Carley: I think that yeah, and the parties, just don't tell my boss. There were some pretty good ones. No, I can't wait to spend it. Yes, we've had some upside because we're not spending anything on travel, but I would rather not have that and be able to get in front of customers, because I think having that… I mean, it's good on a video, because you get some interaction and some humanness to it, but there's nothing that can replace that let me shake your hand, or fist bump, or elbow, whatever it might be, and develop that rapport in person. There's nothing that'll replace that, "Let's go grab a sandwich from the company canteen in between this meeting and this meeting." Because I think that's really… You have to be in person.
I mean, it kind of makes me think like online dating is a challenge, I think, especially during COVID, because you need that in-person connection. You need that. You have to have something to draw you towards people. I mean, look at the beginnings of the pandemic, when everyone was at home, lockdown, it was really challenging because you just didn't have that. I mean, that daily interaction with many different people. It's a big adjustment, and as far as selling our products and selling into aerospace, I think in most selling you have to be able to build that rapport in person, so I'm definitely excited to increase my budget and spend it.
Jeff White: I do wonder, though, if this is somewhat industry specific, you know? Like if there are certain industries where it's as soon as we can, we're going to… You know, defense and aerospace, this is an in-person relationship style thing. I'm thinking of somebody I was speaking with the other day who's like, "I saved 600 grand not flying anywhere last year and I still sold as many widgets as I did the year before." And he was just like, "I'm sold. This is what I'm doing from here on out."
Ryan Carley: Yeah. I could totally see that being different. And even within aerospace, I mean, you go talk to a company down the road from us, they're probably gonna have a different opinion or different view. My experience is how we prefer to run our business here, and I think that at least within aerospace, as well, that whole… The network of people that you end up meeting and going through life with, so to speak, that the guy that you see on the email I talked about earlier in the podcast, there are a lot of leads that come in that way, that you wouldn't find if you were selling online.
Oftentimes too it's our customers don't necessarily… They may know, there may be pockets of people who know our products, but they don't know it across the board at the customer, and so there's that… You need to be able to link those webs together so you can actually sell something.
Carman Pirie: Ryan, thank you very much for sharing your expertise with us today. It's just been a real pleasure to kind of think through the impact of COVID on relationship selling and I know that you've given me lots to think about, and I'm sure the listeners, as well. So, thanks again.
Ryan Carley: Thank you for having me. I appreciate it.
Jeff White: All right, cheers. Thank you.
Announcer: Thanks for listening to The Kula Ring, with Carman Pirie and Jeff White. Don't miss a single manufacturing marketing insight. Subscribe now at kulapartners.com/thekularing. That's K-U-L-Apartners.com/thekularing.
« Episode 127: Using LinkedIn to Build Relationships that Lead to Business
Episode 129: Optimizing Marketing Initiatives to Get Closer to the Customer »
Ryan Carley
Vice President of Sales & Marketing
Ryan Carley is VP, Sales & Marketing, for Mason Controls, an aerospace company focused on providing Human Machine Interface solutions for military and commercial applications. Linking man and machine, Mason has content on many major aerospace platforms globally. In this role, he has fun working with customers both internal and external to bring solutions to fruition that delight customers. He leads a team of folks dedicated to the same mission of having fun while solving problems. In his nearly 15 years of experience, he has held a variety of roles varying from sales and customer service to continuous improvement and operations. He began his career with GKN Aerospace in their International Leadership Development Program, and holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Pennsylvania State University.


When 300,000 computers in 150 countries can be malfunctioned due to worms(infecting virus) like WannaCry ransomware and lose around $4 billion, then how is it possible for emerging companies to survive in such ambushing environment? Yes, we need someone to stop such attacks. And most importantly, that next life-saving person can be you.
Cyber Terrorism: Information technology is exploited by terrorist groups to attain information for their own self-purpose. Attackers usually attack infrastructure, telecommunications, networks, and computer systems.
Cyber Warfare: In such warfare, nations use information technology to scrape the data out of foreign country networks. It is considered as the 5th domain of warfare following up the land, sea, air, and space.
Cyber Espionage: It involves the practice of controlling information technology to get into someone's confidential data without prior permission of the owner. It is mostly utilized to gain economic, military, and political leverage by using various virus injecting activities.
Having a career in Cybersecurity can be "Next Big Achievement" for you. Now you must be wondering what is so special about having the next big achievement? We can achieve big in any other field too. Right? Of course, it is great to have a stable career in any field but cybersecurity is one of the booming modern careers because of the constant growth of hackers.
Now let me tell you some pros that may ignite the Cybersecurity expert within you right now.
"Nobody wants to bear losses." Do you? Definitely not!
Startups and Rapid Technological Transformations: Many new startups are taking participation in the international economy day by day such as Zomato, Swiggy, Policybazaar, Paytm, etc. In addition to this, bots are developed by companies to make their work easier so that they can stand apart from the crowd. So not a single business owner can afford to lose the data of their customers.
Deficiency of Cybersecurity Experts: Last year, ESG(Enterprise Strategy Group) did its annual global survey on the state of IT. It claimed that in 2018, 51 respondents claimed that their organizations were in a terrible shortage of cybersecurity skills.
Good Pay Package: According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, cybersecurity professionals earn from $20.76 to $57.67 per hour.
Can Work From Anywhere Around The World: When hackers can smash into high-security networks from anywhere then why can't you be the hero and save the victim from anywhere? If you are that kind of person who doesn't like to stay in one place for a long time then this career will be suitable for you.
Innovative and Creative Field: Do you hate to play by the rules? If yes, then as a cybersecurity expert you have full control over your steering. That means, nobody can deny your methods. You can throttle or break your shuttle as per your needs. It will be your game and your rules because to do something innovative, you have to break rules. So employers won't shuffle with your methods because you can breach security in your own way.
Self-Study: Unlike Engineering, medicines or humanities, you can learn it on your own and get certification to become a professional Cybersecurity professional.
Constant Learning Curve: You can't use the same information that you have learned 5 years ago. You need to stay updated with current techniques and technologies to defend someone. Otherwise, your skills will automatically decrease because the attackers on the other side will become more powerful than your expectations.
Odd Hours: You have to be active just like a digital soldier. Look, the attack may occur at any time and they may call you anytime if you are on a contract. So be ready for some action if you want to go this path because sudden surprise attack may rush blood through your veins.
Security Architect: What if we tell you that this is suitable for you if you care about solving problems and strategizing? Cool, isn't it? If you go this path, you will be hired to construct and execute network and computer security for an organization. It's all about generating complex security framework and ensuring whether the function is malfunctioned or not. Being security Architect, you have to counter DDoS attacks and various kind of hackings.
Security Software Developer: The name itself suggests that what security software developer do. You simply need to develop and integrate protecting software during the design and development of the application software. Whether you build it alone or with a team, it depends on the company and your specific position.
Security Consultant: This is an all in one expert. Such experts consult numerous organizations on the basis of their experience and knowledge. They measure cybersecurity risks and give precise treatment. But one thing is for sure, as a security consultant, you have to puzzle yourself in a wide range of variables while evaluating security systems because of the diverse industries and companies.
Ethical Hackers: These hackers hold a certificate in their hand called CEH(Certified Ethical Hacker) and receive a license by their employers before invading the security of systems. The magic behind hiring an Ethical Hacker for defense is to know about the vulnerabilities. Such hackers use the same malicious exploitive techniques that hackers use to gain unauthorized access. So as an ethical hacker in cybersecurity, you only need to show the vulnerabilities.
Information Security Analyst: This type of analyst defense in the front gate of networks. They arrange firewalls and do encryptions to prevent breaches. Along with this, they steadily monitor the network to watch out abnormal activities.
Computer Forensics Analysts: The work of a forensic analyst is to keep a check on cybercrime. Such analysts work with law enforcement powers in the private and public sectors organizations. They are assigned a range of tasks that includes following up data trails, analyzing records, interpretation of data linked to crime, and recovering deleted files. Such forensic analysts must keep a well profound record with themselves so that they can later provide evidence in the court against the guilty ones.
Chief Information Security Officer: It's a mid-executive level position in which the work of the chief is to manage the operations of a company or an organization. They strike a right balance to coordinate, plan and direct all the data security needs, networks, and computers of the employer. CISCO merge themselves with the management so that they can estimate the company's required cybersecurity demands. At last, it's necessary for you to have a strong background in IT security strategy, architecture, communication, and human resources skills to become a CISCO.
IT Security Consultant: They meet with clients to give them advice on how they can stay on the safe side. These kind of consultants are more likely to be hired by small agencies that don't have a budget to handle their security matters. Still, these consultants are also hired by big corporations.
Penetration Tester: Such testers look out for system flaws. They perform a series of hacking activities to get into a network and computer systems to discover the latent vulnerabilities of the operating system, application problems, improper configurations, and service in advance. A penetration tester should be highly skilled who can keep highly precise records of their observed vulnerabilities and activities.
Security System Administrator: Responsibility of a security system administrator is relatable to various Cybersecurity jobs. For example, they are required to administer, install, troubleshoot, and maintain computers, data networks, and distinctive security systems. The only line that separates the security system administrator and other cybersecurity professionals are the positions. An administrator is a chief who controls the daily operations of security systems. You need to monitor, run regular backups, set up, delete, and maintain individual user accounts to be a security system administrator. On the other side, they are also meant to develop organizational security procedures.
This University is situated in Atlanta, Georgia and was founded in 1885. It is ranked 8th in the computer science graduate program by the U.S news and world report. It is commonly known as Georgia Tech. Currently, Georgia Tech is divided into six colleges that consist of 31 units that have objectives to put more emphasis on science and technology.
Hard VPAL university is one of the world's excellent university in the US state of Massachusetts. which have more than 6,500 undergraduate students and about 15,000 postgraduate students. It has the highest endowments in the world. Its close competitors like the University of Texas, Yale, and Stanford have 50% less endowment than Harvard.
Massachusetts Institue of Technology is a private university which is also known as MIT. The university was established in the city of England in 1861 due to the increasing industrialization of the US. The intention of the institute is to develop genius and quality students in the field of Science & Technology. In 2018, MIT ranked at 2nd position in the World University Rankings at RUR(Round University Rankings).
This public university was founded in 1868. It contains 184 academic departments and programs. The current faculty holds 8 Nobel prizes. Once you get into this university, you will face challenging students and the noble prize winning teachers to teach you.
Now this one is the oldest private research university in California which was established in 1880. During the academic session of 2018-19, there were 20,000 students enrolled in four-year undergraduate programs.
This university wasn't that much popular but now it has spread its wings to a very large extent. It formed in 1831 and has several locations and campuses throughout the world. New York University has campuses to grant degrees in Abu Dhabi, Shangai, and 11 other global research programs and academic centers in more than 25 countries.
Commonly, it's called as UMD. UMD is a public research university which was founded in 1856. It is considered as the largest university in the state as well as Washington metropolitan area which accommodate more than 41,000 students constituting 123 countries and 50 states. Its 12 colleges and schools both together provide over 200 degree-granting programs.
It's a public research university in Seatle Washington which was founded in 1861. It offers master, bachelors and doctoral degrees throughout its 140 departments in distinct colleges and schools. On average, 46,000 students take enrollment every year and function on the basis of a quarter system.
It's a private research university in Baltimore, Maryland which was founded in 1876. There are 6,109 students who enrolled in its undergraduate program. It ranked at 10th position in the 2019 edition of Best Colleges in National Universities.
It's a public land-grant and space-grant research university which was founded in 1858 in Ames, Iowa, US. Generally, they call it Iowa state. Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has classified it as the "highest research activity" university.


Almost every customer welcomed the optimum cushioning given by the Altra Escalante.
The runners liked how soft the shoe's upper felt against their skin.
Many users were impressed with the deliberate build of the shoe, as well as its durability.
A few runners commented on the straightforward construction of the upper unit; it apparently offered excellent comfort at a low weight-profile.
Some admired the wide toe-box since it prevented uncomfortable rubbing of the forefoot against the shoe.
For most users, the shoe fits true to size.
One of the runners commented how well the outsole performed on the asphalt.
A few users described their experience with this running shoe as being 'springy in the most amazing way'.
The Escalante managed to convert a good number of devotees of other brands to Altra.
A runner mentioned how the pair started to cause blisters after 200 miles.
Several consumers reported that the toe-box height was very low and that the tops of their toes rubbed against the upper fabric.
One purchaser complained that he felt 'major knee and ankle pains' after running in the Escalante.
A number of people felt that the sizing was bigger than what they were used to.
A good number of consumers were happy with the Altra Escalante. Many of them praised the cushioning system, its apparently soft upper unit and its general durability. But there were those who complained about the inconsistent sizing scheme, as well as the discomfort that they felt from using this shoe. Overall, the response for this running shoe was mixed-to-positive.
I have been a fan of Altra for some time. I transitioned to a zero drop shoe last year and found that I am less prone to injury since.
I am a neutral runner with a midfoot strike, about 165 pounds and 6' 1" tall. I race all distances, from 5ks to marathons, but spend at least half of my year training for an upcoming marathon.
This year, as my birthday drew near, the Altra Escalante was just making headlines. I was in need of a good trainer, as my 22-week marathon training would soon begin, so my wife got me a pair for my 41st birthday.
They have turned out to be a GREAT gift!
I hope to get up to 750 miles on my running shoes. I know that is probably not realistic, but that's what I expect from my investment.
So far, I have not reached that level with any shoe. With my Altra Escalante running shoes, I have surpassed the 200-mile mark, and here is what I have found.
I run at least 6 days a week and rotate through at least 5 pairs of shoes, but I look forward to sliding these shoes on my feet more than ANY OTHER shoes I wear.
Personal admission: I'm pretty tough on shoes. Shoes are made to be worn, and I wear them out!
I've already seen some odd wear and tear across the Escalantes. As a mid-foot striker, it seems that my mid-foot is located at the wrong point on this shoe.
That being said, I see nothing at this point that would make me think they won't last for a good while longer.
While I have run in the Escalante on a variety of surfaces – from asphalt to concrete, and from dirt trails to compact sand – I mostly run on streets and sidewalks that need repaving desperately.
I have noticed while running in the Escalante, that when I step on cracks or uneven surfaces, my foot will easily twist, following the contour of the ground.
At this point, I have not been injured, but it is very clear to me that anyone who runs in the Escalante should make sure the running surface is as smooth as possible.
I love the springiness I've found in the Escalante. When I run in them, it seems like my feet only touch the ground for a millisecond before the shoe propels my feet up again.
I use the Escalante for tempo runs and long runs with intervals, and it seems to be the perfect shoe. I have found that it is supportive enough for a 16-mile run and responsive enough to squeeze out 5x1 miles at half marathon pace in the middle of a 9-mile run.
I love wearing the Altra Escalante and dread taking them off! I will probably buy another pair before my next marathon and run in them.
The only reason I would not do that is if they don't last as long as I need them to last. The verdict is still out on their durability for me.
Having been an Altra fan from the very first Torin of the line, the brand has been a breath of fresh air in the technical running shoe community.
A shoe line that embraces the zero drop and minimal concept with a full spectrum of cushioning options to help runners of all ability levels and gait patterns transition to a, "less is more" approach of running with an emphasis on gradual improvement in form and posture.
race shoe but one that can be neutral toned and comfortable enough for casual wear and the daily grind at work.
Here's how it held up from my usage as a daily marathon trainer and shoe for work on my feet all day in the healthcare field.
The upper is a first for Altra with a woven fabric and a very flexible feel. Combined with Altra's signature foot-shaped toe box, this seemed like a match made in heaven for those looking for natural foot mechanics and freedom of movement.
Initially, the fit felt a bit tight on the sides and low in terms of toe box depth, but after just one or two short jogs the knit upper seemed to relax considerably, especially in terms of the feel on the top of the foot.
I felt like this shoe fit very true to size (I measure on a 10 and usually wear 10.5 as I chose in this model). I would caution anyone thinking about sizing up as you may end up swimming in the shoe, especially at the bridge of the foot and arch area, leaving you prone to blistering and irritation.
In addition to creating a great fitting upper, the fabric and matched tongue material feels great even to the barefoot (important for those looking to transition into more minimal fare). Even the laces have a smooth feel and patterning that seem to hug the foot in all the right places through the medial arch.
The heel collar of the shoe is much plusher than any other Altra I have owned and the counter is almost non-existent, which may turn off some runners looking to stabilize excessive pronation, but for the purpose of the shoe, it fits well with the concept.
Most importantly, the construction of the material inside the heel collar is tough as nails. I have run in this shoe for 400+ miles and have been wearing it as a work shoe since its retirement from my running rotation 3 months ago and it is still not breaking down or developing the dreaded tunnel in the padding that I am used to seeing at the end of life from most of my shoes.
This is crucial for distance runners and casual all day wearers to prevent irritation in the heel and rearfoot as the foot expands throughout the course of the day or workout.
If there is one small detail in this shoe that keeps it from perfection, the Indian flaw, it would have to be the feel of the midsole and the low midsole to outsole coverage ratio.
Altra debuted its new proprietary cushioning foam, the Ego, in this shoe and it does have some good points. In terms of feel out of the box, the Ego material (and a peculiarly beefy insole) have a very soft feel, and this has stayed pretty consistent over the lifespan of the shoe.
It also exhibits supreme flexibility without compromising on shape retention that, when paired with a roomy and flexible upper material and last, allows for wonderfully organic foot mechanics and freedom for one's toes important to those practicing POSE Method, Chi Running, or any other number of programs designed to bring you one step closer to greater efficiency of gait.
Having said that, for a company that makes its name on responsive cushioning and feel underfoot, the Ego material feels overly mushy at times and is so pliable that the midsole material often makes contact with the ground in stance phase THROUGH the gaps in the outsole and has formed wear patterns in the midsole at the forefoot.
At times (see photo below) I have even had to pick gravel or wood chips from out of the midsole after runs on B level roads and trails.
For those looking for a daily trainer that like a plush and luxurious ride, this tech is worth every penny for the shoe (MSRP $130). For folks who enjoy more feedback from their stride, it is impeded considerably for the first few hundred miles in this shoe.
The insole itself and the drainage system of the shoe is quite impressive despite its girth. Even on longer runs and treadmill workouts in humid conditions, the moisture ports on the bottom of the insole combined with the woven upper seemed to keep the shoe relatively dry for the short runs and damp but manageable on long-distance jaunts.
Most importantly, this keeps the shoe from having that soggy feeling or squishy sensation that can turn a great workout on its head quickly.
The durability of this shoe may be the best I've seen since the old workhorse Kayanos and Trances of yesteryear without the weight and clunkiness that accompanied them (only 8.2 oz. listed for Men's size 9).
As previously mentioned, I have logged over 400 miles in this shoe and countless others roaming the halls of the facility in which I work and the cushioning, upper and outsole have kept up to the task admirably.
The rubber compound grips the road and tracks well as it does carpet and tile floors, even in wet conditions. It does not perform well over grassy areas and does tend to bog down in the mud, but as a designed road shoe its versatility in that arena does have its limits.
Most impressively, the shoe has seen very little wear in tread depth up to this point in the shoe. By the time most of my trainers have reached this point, there is usually an outsole pad that is coming unglued, or has worn to almost the midsole, but not with this model.
In fact, the previously mentioned wear pattern showing through the midsole is much more noticeable than any wear on the outsole.
For this reason, the only room for improvement would be to see better strategic coverage of outsole material placement to avoid the above-listed issues. In the same way, the woven upper (which as a general rule can be susceptible to snags, rips, and holes over time) is pristine.
An added bonus that I've noticed is that the shoe is easy to clean despite the white sole even with the crosshatches of texture to the midsole and the woven fabric seems to hold its color and tint quite well even after hours in the sun and exposure to various fluids/staining liquids like gatorade, sweat, mud, and dirt.
While this model is still a first for Altra, it clearly wins the seal of approval for versatility and style. Although previous Altra models have looked bulky and awkward at times with the foot shaped toe box and oversized midsole, this model almost feels streamlined and sporty by comparison.
It also has more colorways than you can shake a stick at with special editions for Boston and Running Warehouse along with more than 6 other basic color combos ranging from neutral grays and blacks to Green Bay green and gold and special edition Hot pink with black and heather colored streaks.
There is a little something for everyone looking for WOW or well-to-do. There is now even a special edition racing version for this year's Boston Marathon as well. For those who are looking for a shoe to go out on the town in jeans and a t-shirt, then head out for a nice evening tempo run and get up in the morning ready for the workday, this shoe can really do it all.
While I very rarely purchase the first model of any shoe, the Escalante has made me seriously reconsider that policy.
It is by far the most durable and comfortable Altra I have ever owned and has been the most versatile shoe I've seen in years. I can't wait to see the sequel.
The Altra Escalante is an attractive runner that offers so much comfort; you will wish all of your shoes were Escalantes.
With the selling price of $130, they feature lightweight, flexible knit uppers, 25mm stack height soles, and a flexible sole. Moreover, they are available in various attractive colors.
I usually wear a size 7.5, and the Altra Escalante was no different. I felt it fit true to size. If you have never worn a zero drop shoe (where the heel height is the same as the toe height), you may have to slowly transition from your current shoe with an elevated heel, to an Altra Zero drop shoe.
Otherwise, you may encounter Achilles or calf pain if you jump straight into long runs with your zero drop shoe. Switching to a zero heel to toe drop has helped with pain that I used to get in my knees on long runs. It has helped me improve my running form.
The Escalante, like all of Altra's shoes, is the shape of the natural foot with a zero heel-to-toe drop to mimic barefoot running without sacrificing comfort. If you don't like a wide toebox, Altra is not for you.
I have been wearing Altras for over 5 years and have owned more than 15 pairs. I buy them for the fit and function but don't usually find them attractive. The Escalantes changed that. They are a good looking shoe.
I used my Escalantes mainly for treadmill and road running. They had ample cushioning, and my feet felt great, perhaps even pampered. There were no hot spots, the shoes are absolutely seamless.
The engineered knit fabric allowed for good breathability and flexibility giving the upper a sock-like feel. It was like running on clouds, or in your coziest slippers. The sole was soft and flexible to allow a natural stride.
The Altra Escalante was designed for road running, and that is where they shine. The Escalante is so comfortable that I also have a pair I wear to work where I am on my feet all day.
I get about 10000 steps in a shift at the hospital, and the Escalantes save my feet so that I can still enjoy a nice 10km run when I get home. Corns? Bunions? Blisters? Just want a comfortable runner that looks good? Try the Altra Escalante.
If I could only wear one shoe for the rest of my life, it would be these shoes.
The soft, stretchy, sock-like fabric that makes these so attractive and comfortable also allowed my toes to poke through the end within the first six weeks of wearing them.
For the price of this shoe, I would have appreciated some toe reinforcement to prevent this from happening. My husband had the same problem with his toes poking through within the first couple of months. His Escalantes also started to separate on the bottom of the sole.
I love this shoe. I recommended it to my father who was experiencing a lot of pain from bunions and he loved them also.
He said they were the most comfortable shoe he has ever worn, and I have to agree. With some toe reinforcement to prevent that awful hole at the big toe, these shoes would be perfect. So close Altra! So close!
Overall, I would run a marathon in this shoe, I would run a half-marathon in this shoe. I would have a lot of fun in this shoe.
The fully-cushioned Zero DropTM platform and the FootShapeTM toe-box work together symbiotically for an enhanced cushioning and efficient adaptability to changing foot movements.
The Altra EGOTM and the InnerFLEXTM layer in the midsole are responsible for the impressively softer feel and an advanced cushioning experience users have in the Altra Escalante.
The FootPodTM technology further improves the shoe's flexibility through its strategic metatarsal mapping.
The Altra Escalante has a standard running length and comes in the standard medium width of D and B for men and women, respectively. Also, its decidedly wider toe-box makes it suitable for runners with wide feet and those who just want natural toe-splay to be accommodated.
The Altra Escalante utilizes the FootPodTM technology in its outsole for efficient mapping of bones and the runner's foot-tendons. This technology, which is also used in the Escalante 1.5, results in an increased natural flexibility and responsive movement.
The fully-cushioned Zero DropTM midsole is an optimal combination of soft cushioning and light weight. It ensures weight balance from the heel to the forefoot region, thereby allowing the runner to perform more efficiently on the roads.
The Altra EGOTM provides the kind of cushioning that wins the hearts and minds of people in no time. This durable and soft material provides a responsive and springy underfoot experience.
The InnerFLEXTM enables the shoe to adapt itself to the shape of the foot for better flexibility and efficient movement during long distances.
The Engineered Mesh is a lightweight material that has a construction that's similar to woven cloth. It's flexible and soft. So, not only is the coverage breathable, but also smartly designed to give agreeable fit and flexibility during runs.
This Altra running shoe uses the FootShapeTM toe-box which lets the user's feet relax and spread out in a manner that is both natural and potentially comfortable.
The padded collar locks the heel in place and prevents the foot from exiting the shoe accidentally.
A traditional lacing system helps the upper in wrapping around the foot securely.


So I would HIGHLY recommend Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University to anyone and everyone interested in gaining greater control of your finances. Whether you're a seasoned couple wishing to invest a little more or someone who's struggling to make ends meet and living paycheck to paycheck this is great material. Even if you feel "past" some of the stuff, the concepts Dave teaches are so useful and helpful for real life and for helping others. You DEFINITELY get your $100 worth!
– As a couple, Ryan and I would like to keep a mindset of saving to GIVE, rather than saving to HAVE. We want to literally change our future family tree for the better – we want to give our children security in finances, give them an inheritance, and share generously along the way while teaching our children how to handle money. Never do we want our desire to save to become a stronghold. I remember hearing some moms say one time, "You know, we prepare our kids to live on a budget with a family who doesn't make much. What if our daughter marries a rich man? Have we prepared our children to handle money?" This is a great point – sometimes it's harder to be faithful when you have much!
– Grasping the difference between hording and saving is a tough balance to grasp. While part of me wishes to just save every penny, the other part of me knows we should give generously. But, on the other hand sometimes the easy way out is just to "get rid" of our money as an easier task than figuring out the process of saving. Remember to give first … but also remember how vitally important it is to provide for your family (1 Timothy 5:8). Pray for wisdom!
– Career choices and development were two topics Dave talked about in one of his last lessons – oh how helpful! On a similar note, I would highly recommend the Interest Inventory evaluation (it's offered by the Career Center here at Miss State) to any of you guys unsure of your career field/choice/desires for the future. May is graduation month and I would strongly encourage any of you high school graduates to take this survey – it was a HUGE help for Ryan when trying to finalize his choice of majors!


The Geodesic Dome was the park's first major aviary, located within the Bird Gardens section near the former Anheuser-Busch Brewery. It was described in a 1964 newspaper article as being "made of gold anodized aluminum" and home to exotic birds including storks, pelicans and cranes.
The structure was also known as the Adolphus Busch Space Frame, which according to a late 1960s brochure, housed the larger and rarer birds in the park's collection. A 1974 brochure lists its collection including scarlet ibis, storks and other large birds.
Additional details and images on the Geodesic Dome will be added in the future.


Four handed play lasted for over two hours in this Pot-Limit Omaha event, and it's Carol Fuchs, who started four handed play as the chip leader, who is out in fourth. She will take home $4,920 today. Below you will see the counts for the final three players.


TopStyle is a well-known Windows CSS editor that can also edit HTML code. The editor's speciality is that it allows you to create Cascading Style Sheets in a fairly simple manner - you can select the features you want from a side panel of the editor and it will generate the corresponding style sheet (you still need some CSS knowledge though - this is not a WYSIWYG editor). You can also edit HTML code with the editor. The Lite version, which is free, only allows you to create inline Cascading Style Sheets. The Pro version (not free) allows you to create external style sheets and includes built-in validators that checks your style sheets and HTML documents for correctness (among other features).
TSW WebCoder is a web editor that supports an internal preview of your page, built-in FTP client, integration with HTML Tidy (see the Free HTML Validators page), integrated validation, code libraries, CSS inspector, syntax colouring, multiple documents, etc. WebPad, the other editor available on that site, is a lighter-weight editor that features syntax highlighting, an FTP client, multiple documents, integrated HTML Tidy integration, etc. It is targeted at people who want something more than Notepad but without the frills of WebCoder.
Quanta Plus is a Linux HTML editor for KDE. It contains an assortment of features such as syntax highlighting, easy configuration of toolbars, site uploading facility, the ability to update a site from CVS (with a plugin), document structure tree, etc.
Matrix Y2K is a HTML editor with support for multiple languages, multiple documents, syntax highlighting, search and replace, character maps, links validator, internal preview of your page, external preview (launches browser), image file browser, table wizard, forms support and the ability for you to create a library of scripts.
From the announcement by one of their development team: "Bluefish is a programmer's HTML editor, designed to save the experienced webmaster some keystrokes. It features a multiple file editor, multiple toolbars, custom menus, image and thumbnail dialogs, open from the web, CSS dialogs, PHP, SSI and RXML support, HTML validation and lots of wizards." I've seen a lot of good things said about this editor by other webmasters. Bluefish runs on Linux, FreeBSD, Solaris, Tru64/Alpha, NetBSD, OpenBSD, HP-UX and Mac OSX.
This HTML text editor is intended for use by web developers, and comes with support for writing HTML, XML and scripts. Among its features are internal preview of your web pages (requires IE 4.x and above to be installed), integration with HTML Tidy (a HTML and CSS validation program), auto-completion of keywords, etc. HTML-Kit can be extended using plugins, and runs on Windows 95, 98, NT and 2000.
This HTML editor provides the usual facility to edit and create HTML files in a convenient tabbed interface. It comes with an assortment of wizards that allow you to quickly create specific HTML features like forms, tables, etc.
An editor that supports a host of features useful for HTML editing yet has an uncluttered interface. It is free for non-commercial use.
Nvu is a WYSIWYG editor that is designed to make the creation of web sites as easy for novices as it is using commercial web editors like FrontPage and DreamWeaver. It is based on the Mozilla Composer web editor (see elsewhere on this page) and includes new features that will eventually make its way back into Mozilla Composer. This open source editor is available for Linux and Windows.
Mozilla, the web browser, comes with a WYSIWYG web editor that allows you to quickly code web pages using a wordprocessor-like interface.
Trellian WebPAGE is a free WYSIWYG web editor with a drag and drop interface, a preview screen that allows you to see your page under three common screen widths (640, 800 and 1024), built-in FTP uploader, table creation wizard, form creation tool, etc. It also has a syntax highlighting HTML editor for people who may want to switch to the HTML mode for some fine tuning.
Amaya is an open source browser and WYSIWYG web authoring environment that purports to allow its users to develop web pages without knowing anything about HTML or CSS. You can create your pages, view them, and upload them to your website using this software. It supports CSS (including CSS 2), HTML, XHTML, MathML 2.0 (which allows you to browse and write web pages containing mathematical symbols), etc. There are versions for Windows (a separate one for NT/2000/XP and 95/98/98SE/ME), Linux and Sparc Solaris.
Netscape (yes, the browser) comes with an easy WYSIWYG web editor that allows you to get started with your own web page quickly and easily. It supports the usual text and graphics and is generally adequate for the beginning webmaster. To get it, simply download the full Netscape package. Note that Netscape Composer is probably just an older version of Mozilla Composer (also listed on this page).


text:
Cave Story+
Game review by David Wolinsky, Common Sense Media
Remade indie adventure focuses on desolation, exploration.
Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Wii, Windows 2017
Rate game
Play or buy
The parents' guide to what's in this game.
Ease of Play
Products & Purchases Not present
Parents need to know that Cave Story+ is a platform adventure game that's a remake of a title originally released in 2004. The game has an intriguing mix of cutesy graphics offset with dark, even eerie subject matter. But even though there's a lot of running and jumping over obstacles as well as shooting giant mushrooms and other random enemies, violence is cartoonish. There's no objectionable content, apart from some aggressive dialogue on the part of the main character. Parents should also know that the difficulty of this game is very high, which could frustrate some players.
Kids say (4)
BunnyGoat Adult
One of the greatest games ever.
Ok, so Cave Story is an indie game created by one man who goes by the name "Pixel." There are 3 endings to the game, the "coward's ending," where you leave the island. The "normal ending," where you defeat the Doctor and save everyone on the island. Then the "best ending" where you defeat the doctor and a guy called Ballos. In order to get to the best ending you go through an 2 areas called the Blood Stained Sanctuary and Hell. Overall a great game for kids and adults. Probably the most intense moment is when a main character goes crazy and attacks the player but there isn't any detail of death or blood. The also has an amazing soundtrack if that's something you like.
Z6890 Adult
See all 2 parent reviews
In CAVE STORY+, you play as an unnamed amnesiac hero who awakens in a cave in a floating island and must escape a vast and seemingly unending series of tunnels and passages. As you progress, the story unfolds and you're tasked with the underlying goal of finding and rescuing several bunnies, who are being hunted by a maniacal doctor who wants to take over the world. There are several endings to the game, all of which can only be accessed via specific choices you make at specific times, and also some that are only possible on the hardest difficulty.
Novices to this adventure will be blown away by this atmospheric adventure, but vets may be disappointed by its limited enhancements. Undoubtedly this will be someone's first time playing Cave Story in any form, and arguably they are in for the best time with freshest eyes on everything that Cave Story+. Releases like these are a bit like a horse midstream, because while the developer promises there will be future updates coming this summer and later this year (including a two-player mode), the new additions on hand for the Switch-specific release are fairly anemic. There's a new music track, a new challenge mode level, and that's it. All in all, the game now boasts seven play modes (including boss rush), spans 20 boss fights, four unique endings, and 15 levels to explore in a vast and at times disorienting world. It'd be silly to be disappointed in the lack of "new" stuff here, because there's a lot here -- and that's not even including the "secret" mode that allows for a slightly different play through experience as another character.
Newcomers will find a lot to love. Cave Story+ does a great job of conveying desolation and making you feel like you're really small in a large world. The game's simple controls make exploring a snap, and that you are continually given new weapons and can power them up (and have to fight to keep doing so, since any hits you take powers you down) makes you want to keep pressing on and seeing what you can find. The sheer amount of secrets you can find if you poke around help reward you there, too. The only real dings against the game are fairly minor, like how tiny the map is (which you'll need to consult frequently) on your screen, which demonstrates a lack of thought about the Switch-specific experience. But these are small complaints compared to how much is here to discover and to be discovered.
Families can talk about the violent content in this game. Why do you think the creator of the game made a game like this in 2004? What did it say about the time then, and what does it say about 2017 that it's still commercially viable?
When have you put the needs of others above your own? Why did you do this?
Platforms: Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Wii, Windows
Pricing structure: Paid
Available online?: Available online
Publisher: Nicalis, Inc.
Genre: Action/Adventure
Topics: Adventures, Monsters, Ghosts, and Vampires, Robots, Science and Nature, Wild Animals
ESRB rating: E10+ for Mild Cartoon Violence, Mild Language
Gory platformer packed with toilet humor, super hard play.
Vintage-style adventure digs up the right dose of nostalgia.
Spelunky
Highly challenging platformer rewards dogged determination.
For kids who love adventure
Adventure Games for Kids
Best Action Games for Kids
See all recommended game lists
Monsters, Ghosts, and Vampires

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Role of Surveillance Imaging in Patients with Peripheral T-Cell Lymphoma
Tang T., Chen Z., Praditsuktavorn P., Khoo LP., Ruan J., Lim ST., Tan D., Phipps C., Lee YS., Goh YT., Hwang W., Tao M., Quek R., Farid M., Furman RR., Leonard JP., Martin P.
Introduction The role of surveillance imaging (SI) in patients with peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL) in first complete remission (CR1) is unclear. Materials and Methods Patients with PTCL were identified through prospectively maintained T-cell lymphoma databases from the National Cancer Centre Singapore/Singapore General Hospital and Weill-Cornell Medical College after institutional review board approval. Patients with leukemia or indolent, composite, and cutaneous lymphomas were excluded. The patients' medical records were retrospectively reviewed to determine the frequency and type of SI used. Of those with relapse, the method of relapse detection and data on symptoms, signs, and elevated lactate dehydrogenase LDH were extracted. Results A total of 338 patients were included in the present study. In the first year after achieving CR1, patients had an average of 1.2 and a median of 1 SI performed (range, 0-4). In the second year after achieving CR1, they had an average of 0.78 and a median of 1 SI performed (range, 0-4). Of the 135 patients who achieved CR1, 61 (45%) developed a relapse. Relapses were detected before SI in 48 (84%), and 9 patients had relapses detected during routine SI. Of the 9 patients whose relapses were detected during planned SI, only 3 did not have any symptoms or signs suggestive of relapsed disease. Of these 3 patients, 2 had angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma and 1 had natural killer/T-cell lymphoma. Conclusion Most PTCL relapses were detected before planned SI, and most patients had symptoms with relapse. Only 3 patients (5.2%) were completely asymptomatic at relapse, suggesting a limited utility of routine imaging for detecting PTCL relapses.
10.1016/j.clml.2015.12.006
Clinical Lymphoma, Myeloma and Leukemia


text:
package com.njyb.gbdbase.model.alldb.commonrightlibrary;

import java.io.Serializable;

import com.njyb.gbdbase.model.personalcenter.CommonTotalModel;

/**
 * 全库实体bean
 * @author WangBo
 *
 */
public class AllDBModel implements Serializable {
	private static final long serialVersionUID = 1L;
	// 日期
	private String date;
	// 重量
	private double weight;
	// 国家
	private String country;
	// 抵达港
	private String endport;
	// 单价
	private double unitprice;
	// 起运港
	private String startport;
	// 海关城市
	private String customscity;
	// 数量
	private double quantity;
	// 海关编码
	private String hscode;
	// 产品描述
	private String goodsdescription;
	// 进口
	private String importer;
	// 出口
	private String exporter;
	// 主键id
	private Integer id;
	// 进出口类型
	private String iexport;
	// 原产国
	private String orgincountry;
	// 金额
	private double totalprice;
	// 排序字段
	private String sortKey;

	// 第一列显示的字段
	private String columName;

	// 贸易次数
	private double countNum;

	public String getColumName() {
		return columName;
	}

	public void setColumName(String columName) {
		this.columName = columName;
	}

	public double getCountNum() {
		return countNum;
	}

	public void setCountNum(double countNum) {
		this.countNum = countNum;
	}

	public String getDate() {
		return date;
	}

	public void setDate(String date) {
		this.date = date;
	}

	public double getWeight() {
		return weight;
	}

	public void setWeight(double weight) {
		this.weight = weight;
	}

	public String getCountry() {
		return country;
	}

	public void setCountry(String country) {
		this.country = country;
	}

	public String getEndport() {
		return endport;
	}

	public void setEndport(String endport) {
		this.endport = endport;
	}

	public double getUnitprice() {
		return unitprice;
	}

	public void setUnitprice(double unitprice) {
		this.unitprice = unitprice;
	}

	public String getStartport() {
		return startport;
	}

	public void setStartport(String startport) {
		this.startport = startport;
	}

	public String getCustomscity() {
		return customscity;
	}

	public void setCustomscity(String customscity) {
		this.customscity = customscity;
	}

	public double getQuantity() {
		return quantity;
	}

	public void setQuantity(double quantity) {
		this.quantity = quantity;
	}

	public String getHscode() {
		return hscode;
	}

	public void setHscode(String hscode) {
		this.hscode = hscode;
	}

	public String getGoodsdescription() {
		return goodsdescription;
	}

	public void setGoodsdescription(String goodsdescription) {
		this.goodsdescription = goodsdescription;
	}

	public String getImporter() {
		return importer;
	}

	public void setImporter(String importer) {
		this.importer = importer;
	}

	public String getExporter() {
		return exporter;
	}

	public void setExporter(String exporter) {
		this.exporter = exporter;
	}

	public Integer getId() {
		return id;
	}

	public void setId(Integer id) {
		this.id = id;
	}

	public String getIexport() {
		return iexport;
	}

	public void setIexport(String iexport) {
		this.iexport = iexport;
	}

	public String getOrgincountry() {
		return orgincountry;
	}

	public void setOrgincountry(String orgincountry) {
		this.orgincountry = orgincountry;
	}

	public double getTotalprice() {
		return totalprice;
	}

	public void setTotalprice(double totalprice) {
		this.totalprice = totalprice;
	}

	public String getSortKey() {
		return sortKey;
	}

	public void setSortKey(String sortKey) {
		this.sortKey = sortKey;
	}

	public AllDBModel() {
		super();
	}

	public AllDBModel(String sortKey) {
		super();
		this.sortKey = sortKey;
	}

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Program description: "During this interactive presentation, theatre enthusiast Brian Stoll will discuss all things Broadway beginning with the history and importance of the Broadway Playbill. He will share his extensive collection of autographed Playbills and other theatre memorabilia. Lastly, Brian will share with you several money-saving tips on how to see Broadway shows for under $50." I bring with me my entire autographed Playbill collection (which continues to grow) as well as theatre memorabilia and antique Playbills for the audience to peruse. I personally have seen over 150 Broadway productions and rarely pay more than $50 a ticket!
Space/special requirements: A bunch of tables, chairs, setup to display a PowerPoint Presentation from my laptop.
Notes about the fee: No additional Fees. The fee varies of course by distance needed to travel.


Pac Man,2Pac? Ne'er the twain should meet until the guys at Chunk had the idea. Pac Man like you've never seen him before with a distinctly dark side, tattooed and displaying Thug Life graffiti synonymous with New York underworld..
Crew neck sweat with Chunk woven label on front lower right.


The NIHR Advanced Fellowship is for those at post-doctoral level and aimed at several specific points of a researcher's career development. It is between 2 and 5 years and can be completed on a full or part-time basis (between 50-100% WTE).
They are also available with a 'clinical academic' option where clinical applicants can request up to 40% of their time be dedicated to clinical service/development, which would be covered by the Fellowship.


text:
Hubble's Wide Field Camera 3 expected back on line soon
10 January 2019 Astronomy Now
An artist's impression of the Hubble Space Telescope in orbit. Image: European Space Agency
Engineers troubleshooting a fault with the Wide Field Camera 3 aboard the Hubble Space Telescope say the problem could be a hardware issue or a software glitch of some sort. If the former, the camera could be switched over to a redundant set of electronics and resume normal operations. If the latter, engineers may be able to reset the software, clearing the error and, again, resuming normal operations and observations.
Either way, engineers with NASA and the camera's builder, Ball Aerospace, are confident they can restore the instrument to good health.
"We're going to do a few more tests the next couple of days," Thomas Brown, head of the Hubble Space Telescope mission office at the Space Telescope Science Institute. "There's no rush because there's plenty of other science with the other three instruments. So there's no reason to rush. The first goal here is to do no harm."
If the problem is software related, "we would power cycle it, clear the error and see if it comes back up," Brown said. "If it does then we're good. If it looks like there's still a problem, we would maybe have to go to the redundant electronics. Or maybe not. It depends on the nature of the problem."
The camera was built with two independent sets of control electronics to handle just this sort of problem. The backup set, or channel, has never been used and is in pristine condition if needed.
Installed during the fifth and final space shuttle servicing mission in 2009, the Wide Field Camera 3 is one of Hubble's premier science instruments, along with the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph, the Advanced Camera for Surveys and the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph.
The WFC3 makes observations in near-infrared light and at ultraviolet-visible wavelengths. The anomaly that cropped up on 8 January affected the ultraviolet-visible channel. The infrared channel was operating normally at that time.
Despite the camera issue and the normal wear and tear of orbital operations, Brown said Hubble should remain operational through 2025 if not longer.
"The engineers at NASA frequently update their analysis of how reliable the critical subsystems are and the instruments are," he said. "On the critical subsystems, all those (reliability) curves are over 80 percent until January 2025 and the instruments are all over 85 percent. … We have every reason to believe Hubble will be operating until 2025 if not longer."
As for the ongoing partial shutdown of the U.S. government, including NASA, Brown said Hubble has not yet been affected.
"The shutdown is not affecting us (at the Space Telescope Science Institute), and the flight operations people at Goddard (Space Flight Center) are considered essential," he said. "As far as troubleshooting this anomaly on Wide Field Camera 3, we've been having anomaly review board discussions off and on for the past couple of days, and we have all the experts from the flight ops team and the people who built the instrument at Ball Aerospace. They're also not affected by the shutdown. We have all the right experts on the line troubleshooting things. So we're fine right now."
Hubble's Wide Field Camera 3
NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope
A flawless spiral galaxy in Aries an oasis of light in a spiralling sea of stars
20 August 2021 Astronomy Now
A tilted spiral galaxy, showing off beautifully symmetric arms tightly wrapped around a brilliant core, provides a spectacular target for the Hubble Space Telescope.
M100 shows just how far Hubble has come since spherical aberration
Twenty-five years ago this month, spacewalking astronauts installed corrective optics aboard the Hubble Space Telescope, correcting its famously blurred vision. Galaxy M100 was used to demonstrate the success of the repair, and the imagery has steadily improved since then.
Hubble takes the measure of a nearby globular cluster
13 October 2019 Astronomy Now
Globular clusters are favourite targets for amateur astronomers, vast star swarms that date back to just after the big bang birth of the cosmos. NGC 6397 is one of the closest, as revealed by the Hubble Space Telescope.


text:
Lancashire U16 12-18 Yorkshire U16 - Report
Report by Ash Cooper, University of Central Lancashire
Lancashire were narrowly beaten by rivals Yorkshire in the roses match at Preston Grasshoppers.
Both teams scored two tries, but it was kicking from the tee that made the difference as Yorkshire won narrowly thanks to two penalty kicks.
Lancashire started the match brightly, and almost made the perfect start after fullback Kian Stewart made a fantastic break in the first two minutes.
Despite a fantastic first ten minutes forcing Yorkshire onto the back foot, they couldn't convert their pressure into points and it was Yorkshire who opened the scoring through a Tom Stephenson penalty after 13 minutes.
Lancashire were again penalised at the breakdown, and Stephenson kicked another penalty extending the away sides lead to six on 23 minutes.
Yorkshire were reduced to 14 men, with one of the visiting back row visiting the sin bin. And Lancashire began to regain their hold on the game, and missed a chance to get their first points on the board when a Kian Stewart penalty went just wide.
Yorkshire took a six point lead into the first half game, in what had been an even game. Poor weather conditions didn't help either side, as both teams made handling errors at crucial moments.
Lancashire came out at the second half flying, and winger Joshua Moreau scored a fantastic solo try finishing well in the corner. Jamie Morris missed the conversion, but Yorkshire's lead had been cut to just one point.
Yorkshire scored their first try of the game shortly after, as Joshua Unthank latched onto a grubber kick to cross the whitewash. Yorkshire missed the conversion, giving them an 11-5 lead.
Yorkshire scored their second try shortly after, as they were finally able to penetrate solid Lancashire defence and lock Adam Hopkinson was able to force his way over the line. Stephenson successfully knocked over the conversion from the touchline, to extend the lead to 13 points with 15 minutes to play.
Lancashire showed great character and spirit all game though, and staged a late fight back through a Kian Stewart try, after a great break and offload by Matty Ashcroft. Stewart was able to convert his try to bring Lancashire back within six points with minutes to play.
That is how the game would end though, as Yorkshire were able to hang on for a narrow victory.
Lancashire showed vast improvements from their last outing against Cheshire, and Coach Iain Crosley saw plenty of positives, as he said: "It was a lot better than our performance against Cheshire in both attack and defence. We showed great spirit to get back into the game, and played some really good stuff with the ball in hand".


Every year, the ANMF holds a one-day conference focusing upon working hours, shifts and fatigue.
This conference is aimed at all levels of the nursing and midwifery professions and will provide relevant information and expert commentary about how fatigue adversely affects the profession and what can be done to minimise risk. Experts will present about tactics to lower patient risk involved with fatigue, how to create sustainable, high energy workplaces and how the profession can avoid burn-out.
The Working Hours, Shifts and Fatigue Conferences are reviewed annually in On The Record.
Future Working Hours, Shifts and Fatigue Conferences will be posted in the events and conferences calendar.
Attending the conference will attract up to 6 hours of CPD required by the NMBA for registration renewal.


...The Peak... the Star Ferry... and that glorious Harbour... the food and temples, the traditions and the modern skyline... the life and heart of the city... in pictures.
Thanks to the many friends and contributors that are making these pages possible, here's some of the most stunning Hong Kong pictures and photography we have encountered, really, take a look you will be blown away!
They are in no specific order, just enjoy! And visit again and again, we will be posting often!
Photo Credits on this page: Myk Photography on Flickr used with permission.
This half-day tour packs all the highlights.


Here is a short clip from our last open day event organised by Chic PR & Events.
We had fabulous guest speakers as well as a vast array of pop up shops for all your pregnancy, birthing and new born baby needs to make your journey into motherhood a positive experience.
If you would like to attend our next open day event, please keep your eyes peeled on on social media channels for event announcements!


The EGNOS App has just been upgraded to version 2.0! This recent release comes full equipped with new functionalities, bug fixes and security improvements intended to ease comprehension and place at your disposal all the information you need. Being informed has never been so easy!
The European GNSS Agency (GSA) has issued a Request for Information (RFI) in preparation for the procurement of EGNOS geostationary navigation payload services: GEO-4 and GEO-5.
EDAS Ntrip service evolution to support HTTP-based communication: Coming soon!


Ever felt so much love for someone that your heart felt as though it was going to pop out of your chest ? It really is such a wonderful feeling !!!
Us women are generally a little more emotional than men :-). We want to show our love and nurture the people we love but make no mistake, there are plenty of men out there who feel just like us and want to express their love and nurture too.
We want to tell the people we love just how much we love them, look out for them, support them and tell them how proud we are of them but….what happens when we express our love and it's not reciprocated? Ever had that? You pour your heart out to someone and they say thank you or look at you a little baffled but leave an empty space in your heart? Oh yes….plenty of times!
Here's what I found over the years ; it doesn't matter who takes my love, who cherishes it and who reciprocates it. It doesn't matter if they don't pour their heart out back at me. What truly matters is that my love is genuine, selfless and without expectation. Offering love makes me happy. Never will I expect it back, never will I stop offering it because I don't get it back, never will I be scared of loving at a million miles per hour just because it is viewed differently. What I will do is offer it to the people who appreciate it and to the people who are ready to receive it. I will also offer my love and kindness to the people who have no idea how much they need it.
Reducing the expression of love just because It might not be returned is based on fear. Let's turn that fear into the faith that our love will reach many souls.