In The Bag April 2018

WICHITA’S HANGER

Fear Can Be Paralyzing! Life Gives to the Giver Watching the Winter Olympics this year brought back a lot of memories. When we were little, my sister and I competed in downhill ski races in the winter, and we spent every weekend practicing, waking up at the crack of dawn to train. On one particularly cold day, I was about to race down the hill as usual, but the weather conditions had turned the hill into a sheet of ice. When it was my turn to go down the hill, I was paralyzed with fear. My dad was nearby, and he encouraged me to go for it. But I just knew that if I skied down, I would have a really bad run and probably wipe out, if not worse. My dad and I just about got into an argument, because I didn’t want to go down the hill, but he knew that I could do it. After a few frustrating minutes of going back and forth, I gave in. I began my descent down that icy hill. Afterward, I learned something that my dad obviously already knew: Fear can be paralyzing. Your mind will run away with the “what ifs” if you let it. What if I crash, what if I get hurt, and scariest of all, what if I fail? The reality is that only about 1 percent of the worst-case scenarios we imagine actually happen. Often, when we move past that paralyzing moment, we get to some of our greatest accomplishments. Downhill skiing isn’t the only time I’ve faced that paralyzing fear. Sometimes, you need to push yourself and embrace something that terrifies you in order to move forward. Maybe that something isn’t a ski hill; maybe it’s an idea. On my journey as a business owner, I’ve had to accept scary ideas to help me move past that fear and find a new outlook. One cold December night a few years after I’d started my company, I found myself sitting outside my first dry cleaning store, crying like a baby and wondering why I’d gotten into this business. The pipes in Did I wipe out? Did I get hurt? Did I make a fool of myself? Nope! Not one of those terrible endings I’d imagined happened. I was fine, and I ended up skiing a pretty good race.

April 2018

the boiler room had frozen, and it was Christmas Eve. There were no stores open — not even Walmart — and I desperately needed to buy a heater to thaw out the frozen pipes. All I could do was wait until the next morning for the temperatures to climb above freezing. Most of the pipes burst and flooded out the store.

Like the water, the “what ifs” started flooding in: What if I lost my business? What if I went bankrupt? What if I lost everything I’d built?

That was such a low point that I almost wanted to give up.

But I didn’t, and not long after, in desperation, I bought some audio tapes that changed everything. One tape offered some sage wisdom that changed my entire outlook: “Life gives to the giver and takes from the taker.” When I heard that, I had a terrifying revelation. It was a revelation that was scarier than that ski hill as a kid and scarier than watching my store flood. I realized I was a taker, and I was only interested in myself.

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Jazmin Takes Flight Jazmin recalls a recent entrepreneurial event put on by the Wichita Business Journal that featured women in the business profession. “I got to meet different women and hear their stories about how they got to where they are.” Jazmin is also very grateful to work with an awesome team. “Everyone is so nice to be around, and we all bring different things to the table. My team makes work more enjoyable.” Outside of work, Jazmin enjoys going to the gym and relaxing at home. She plays with her German shepherd and occasionally takes trips, relishing in the chance to learn about different people and cultures. She recently went to Disneyland for the first time, and of her experience in California, she says, “It’s very different from where I live. It’s very fast-paced.” She was happy to be back home and is looking forward to taking trips closer to home and going for hikes as the weather gets warmer. My actions were coming from a place of selfishness, because my fear of loss was so great. That fear was debilitating. I was drinking most nights, isolating myself at the bottom of a bottle, and in an unhealthy marriage. My business was stalled, and I was nowhere near where I wanted to be. Instead of thinking about others, I was focused inward. When I heard that message on the tape, I realized that my outlook had been completely wrong. It caused a shift in my business and in my life. I started doing things with others in mind — for my co-workers, for my family, and for my kids. If there’s one magic way to get past fear, it’s to focus on the value of what you can give to others instead of what you can take. Now I strive to give more, take less, and seek to enrich the lives of others. When I feel fear bubbling up, I take a moment to ask myself why I’m feeling it. If it’s because I’m thinking about myself, I think back to the message on the tape. Today, I haven’t had a drink in five years, I’m married to a wonderful woman, and I have four incredible kids. It took that message to get me to change my outlook and understand the importance of focusing on others and looking beyond myself.

Ready to Take on Any Challenge

Jazmin is our amazing administrative assistant at In the Bag Cleaners. She searched for an opportunity to grow and learn from the best, and it brought her here. We’re so glad this is where her journey led her. As Jazmin reflects upon her first year with In the Bag Cleaners, she notes the amount she’s learned in that short time. “I can definitely say

I’m not the same person I was when I first walked in the door. I’ve grown, stepped out of my comfort zone, and taken a lot of steps that I didn’t think I could take.” When we asked her what helped her take those steps and grow, she credits our fearless leader and CEO, Dave. “I attribute it to the business exposure and learning opportunities that Dave gives to our team. He mentors us, encourages us to take risks, and gives us the opportunities to go to events that promote those same great ideas.”

Say hello next time you’re at In the Bag Cleaners. Jazmin will be happy to see you!

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Get Your Closet Spring-Ready

Pasta With Turkey and Broccoli

2 Steps for Storing Winter Clothes

The days are growing longer, the sun is shining, and you’re embracing the season! Is your closet as ready for spring as you are?

If you’ve put away your winter clothes, but they aren’t clean, you’re only halfway there. Wool, with its denser weave, is especially susceptible to damage if not stored properly. It’s time to pack away your winter outfits and make room for warm-weather gear. But it’s not enough to simply toss dirty winter clothing into boxes and stash them under your bed. The No. 1 mistake people make when storing seasonal items is failing to properly clean them beforehand. When clothes get put away with food or other stains on them, the fabric is vulnerable to hungry insects. Yes, bugs can smell your ski jacket or favorite cashmere sweater, even after the garments have been stored. If there is food on the clothes, the insect will actually cut the fibers of the material as it’s trying to eat your leftovers. When you wash that garment next winter, the machine cleans it and creates a hole where the insect has damaged the material, and that’s when you end up with moth holes. 1. CLEAN THE ITEMS. As soon as the season is over, bring your winter clothes in for professional cleaning. Once you take your garments home from the cleaners, remove the plastic bags, as these can retain moisture. To store clothing, we recommend large Tupperware bins that are clean and dry. 2. USE CEDAR PRODUCTS. Always store seasonal and seldom-worn clothing with cedar products; moths and other insects do not like the smell. If you have an offseason closet, try lining the shelves with cedar blocks. In addition to fending off pests, always choose a dry place to store your clothes. Leaving clothing in damp conditions (or putting them away wet) can lead to mold and mildew. When you’re looking for a dry cleaner you can trust with your favorite clothes, turn to In the Bag Cleaners. The friendly, welcoming staff and VIP services make this the best place to bring your clothes. To avoid losing your favorite holiday sweater to pesky critters, just follow these two easy steps before you store.

Ingredients

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2 cloves garlic, chopped

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3/4 pounds pasta (shells or orecchiette) 2 cups broccoli florets 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 pound ground turkey

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

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Salt

Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Cook the pasta according to package directions. Add broccoli when pasta is 1 minute from done. Drain both and return to pot. 2. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the turkey, garlic, crushed red pepper, and a pinch of salt. Cook while breaking up meat with a wooden spoon for 3–5 minutes. 3. Combine turkey with pasta and broccoli mixture, adding the remaining olive oil as you stir. Serve in bowls topped with Parmesan.

(Recipe inspired by realsimple.com.)

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1951 N. Ohio Ave., Wichita, KS 67214 (316) 267-3407 | www.inthebagcleaners.com

INSIDE This ISSUE

The Message That Changed My Life

Cover Continued Meet Our Amazing Team

How to Properly Store Your Winter Clothes Pasta With Turkey and Broccoli

April Fools’ Pranks From the Pre-Internet Age

3 April Fools’ Pranks From Earl ier, More Trusting Times

SWISS SPAGHETTI GROWERS ENJOY RECORD HARVEST Ah, to be as naive as we were during the early days of television. In 1957, a BBC news show called “Panorama” conducted a special report on a massive spaghetti harvest in Ticino, Switzerland, following a remarkably mild winter. The black and white images showed farmers pulling huge strands of noodles off tall trees and prompted hundreds of viewers to call into the station and ask how they might procure their own spaghetti tree. THOMAS EDISON’S AMAZING FOOD MACHINE When Edison was in his prime, Americans truly believed he could accomplish anything — even a machine that transformed air, water, and dirt into biscuits, vegetables, meat, and wine, as reported by the New York Daily Graphic in 1878. The article was reprinted in newspapers across the country. Thousands of people bought the trick. When Buffalo’s Commercial Advertiser ran an editorial on Edison’s genius in the endeavor, the Graphic reprinted it in full, along with the headline, “They Bite!”

April Fools’ Day isn’t what it used to be. Sure, it’s still a fun distraction, with Google announcing “scratch and sniff” digital technology and Amazon declaring new features enabling Alexa to understand your pets. But it’s pretty hard for anyone to genuinely pull your leg in the Internet age. Back when you couldn’t debunk a hoax with a simple Snopes search, things were a little more interesting. Here are a few of the most hilarious — yet somehow convincing — April Fools’ pranks in history. NIXON FOR PRESIDENT, 1992 When NPR’s popular “Talk of the Nation” program announced in 1992 that former President Richard Nixon had announced his candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination, listeners were shocked. Never mind that he’d been the center of the largest presidential scam in history, but his campaign slogan, “I never did anything wrong, and I won’t do it again,” left something to be desired. NPR even brought political experts on the show to discuss the ramifications of such a move, and listeners flooded the station with outraged calls — until host John Hockenberry revealed that the on-air Nixon was actually comedian Rich Little.

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