Lynnpro - April 2020

Lynnpro - April 2020

Life April is National Financial Literacy Month, so I figured it’s a good time to pull back the curtain on my financial strategy. Some entrepreneurs might want to keep this stuff secret, but I’m all about laying things out on the table. I succeeded, and if I can help you succeed, too, by sharing the thoughts, tips, and tricks that got me from Point A to Point B, why wouldn’t I do it? Before I dive in, though, let’s take a trip down memory lane. Today, I’ve got a steady flow of income thanks to Lynnpro and don’t worry at all about my spending, but I grew up in the Iowa housing projects. When my mom made some money, we moved next door to the trailer court and kept struggling. I’m telling you this so you know I’ve been on both ends of the spectrum. I know what rich is, but I know what poor is, too. When I was a kid, we were so down on our luck that all we hoped for was to make it to broke because that would mean we were out of debt. Even when I turned 18 and moved out, I was still just a high school dropout with a GED, so I went through some more hard times. I got into trouble early on and ended up ruining my credit. It took me years to bounce back from that mistake, and it wasn’t until I started my first business that I wised up about money. I started putting cash away for retirement and avoiding debt, and between that, smart business choices, and a lot of hustling, I ended up pulling down six figures. Now, I could walk into a car dealership today and write a check for a new car, or walk into a builder’s office and write a check for a new house. I want that freedom for my kids, my employees, my friends, and you, too. So, I’ve got three pieces of advice. The first and most important one is this: Never touch your seed money. Once you put a chunk of change

NEVER TOUCH YOUR SEED MONEY

into your retirement account or into your savings, consider that money dead and buried. I’ve always walked the walk on this, and in the early days, it was really hard. Sometimes I’d eat just ramen for a week or potatoes for a month so I could live on the income I had, keep my savings locked down, and add to it. That brings me to piece of advice No. 2: Save 10% of every paycheck for your retirement. Here at Lynnpro, I give my employees 401(k) accounts and match them up to 5%, but for some crazy reason, they don’t all take advantage of it. That’s free money going to waste! If you have that opportunity, take it. And no matter how small your paycheck is, always put 10% away. If you’re on unemployment, put 10% of your unemployment check away! And never cash out your 401(k) before you retire, either. If you do, your future self will want to shoot you for it. The last thing any of us want is to wind up broke when we’re too old to work anymore.

Now, here’s my last piece of advice: Don’t pay attention to what anyone else thinks. It’s important to live your life your way and enjoy not just the destination but also the ride. Personally, I’m a lazy guy. I call myself “ambitiously lazy” because I work in spurts. One day I’m hustling, the next I’m chilling on the couch watching TV. Some people might judge me for that, but I don’t care — I have my crap sorted, and I’m living my life the way I want to. If I were hustling all the time, I’d be miserable, and then what’s the point of having money to burn? As Cheri and I always say, it’s living life that matters. Being financially literate is just a means to that end, but it’s an important one. If you’re still struggling like I was when I was younger, I hope these tips help you turn things around. Stay tuned for more!

–Jeff Saxby

“Once you put a chunk of change into your retirement account or into your savings, consider that money dead and buried.”

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THE TOP 3NHL PLAYERSOF ALL TIME

On April 4, NHL teams will play the last games of the 2019–20 season, and playoffs will begin shortly after. While current NHL stars like Connor McDavid and Nikita Kucherov are sure to light up the ice, this is the perfect time of year to reflect on some of the greatest NHL players of all time. Though NHL history is full of outstanding players, three individuals always enter the discussion: Gordie Howe, Bobby Orr, and of course, the one and only Wayne Gretzky. Here are some interesting facts about these legendary players! Gordie Howe, also known as “Mr. Hockey,” played professional hockey for 32 seasons between the NHL and the World Hockey Association, and he achieved some impressive numbers during his career. Howe was known for being tough, and the term “Gordie Howe hat trick ‘’ was coined in his honor and is used when a player scores a goal, makes an assist, and gets into a fight all in one game. Aside from Wayne Gretzky, Howe is the only player in NHL history to record 800-plus goals. GORDIE HOWE

WAYNE GRETZKY

BOBBY ORR

Often labeled as the best hockey player of all time, Gretzky holds a long and storied list of records as an offensive player. He remains the only NHL player to record 200 points in a single season, which is a feat he accomplished not once, not twice, but four times. Gretzky also holds the record for most goals in a single season (92) and for being the fastest to reach 50 goals in a season in just 39 games.

Bobby Orr holds the record for the most points and assists by a defender in one season, with 139 and 102 recorded, respectively. He was known for surging forward to assist offense, and his style remains the gold standard for defensive play in the NHL. After retiring, Orr was awarded the Lester Patrick Trophy in recognition of his contributions to the sport.

Most college students spend their free time working, cramming for tests, and hanging out with their friends, but University of Iowa student Shawnee Molck has a different hobby: planning 5K races to raise money for the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital. On Saturday, Aug. 1, Shawnee and her mom, Melinda Woods, will host their third Color Blaze 5K Run/Walk in Le Claire, Iowa, inviting racers to cover themselves in colorful powder for a good cause. “The way we set up the course, the racers get to run through five color stations a couple of times. Each station throws nontoxic color powder made with cornstarch, so it’s a way for them to go through and get covered in color powder,” Shawnee explains. Each runner also gets a color powder packet when they register, just in case they’re not already covered in enough of a rainbow when they cross the finish line. “At the end of the race when everyone is finished, we gather in one large area and do a countdown, then everyone throws their packets at one time,” Shawnee says. “It’s a great way to make sure they get as colorful as they anticipated and to commemorate the event!” LYNNPRO PRINTS T-SHIRTS MADE TO GET MESSY CUSTOMER SPOTLIGHT:

In 2018, the Color Blaze drew 170 people, but turnout tripled in 2019, and this year Shawnee hopes to pull in a crowd of over 1,000 and top last year’s $3,861 donation to the hospital. Since the first race, Lynnpro has printed shirts for the runners to cover in color. When we heard about the first Color Blaze, we reached out to Shawnee offering our services, and it has been a match made in heaven ever since.

“The first year we did shirts and bibs with Lynnpro, then last year we got customized bibs, which were really cool,” Shawnee says. “... I was already in the process of ordering with an online company [when Lynnpro called me], but I liked the idea of doing something more local with a company nearby. It turned into a really good relationship, so I’m glad I called back!” We love that our shirts are helping kids in need and fueling Shawnee’s passion for nonprofit work at the same time. We’re looking forward to supplying race gear to the Color Blaze for years to come!

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EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT: MEET ALLISON SAWVELL! Eight months ago, our team got lucky when Allison Sawvell stumbled across our ad on Indeed. We were in desperate need of a new customer service associate, and she found us at the perfect time. Allison applied, we loved her, and as they say, the rest is history! Today, Allison is a pillar of our customer service team. She handles a lot of the day-to-day minutiae of keeping Lynnpro running and does a great job connecting us with new clients who could use our help. “I do a lot of organizing,” Allison says. “I handle a lot of different things, including trying to win back old customers, reaching out to people about our services, filing, and getting things together for my boss so we can look over numbers and things like that.” Allison fit in at Lynnpro right away and says the autonomy of her position and her coworkers are her favorite parts of the job. As she puts it, “It’s like one big family.” Before she found Lynnpro, Allison worked at a call center and as a night audit at a local hotel. She’s lived in Iowa since she was 15 years old and spent almost all that time here in Clinton. A while back, she lived in Des

Moines, but it didn’t take long for her to realize that she’d rather be in Clinton with her family.

“I have two younger brothers, so we go and do stuff all the time,” she says. “When I’m not at work, I like to hang out with family and friends.” Those friends include Allison’s dog, Max, an adorable Labrador retriever.

Allison, we all love having you here on the Lynnpro team. Thank you for all that you do!

Easy Deviled Eggs

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INGREDIENTS

Inspired by TasteOfHome.com

• • • • • •

1/2 cup mayonnaise

•

Salt, paprika, garlic powder, and pepper, to taste 12 large eggs, hard-boiled Fresh parsley, minced, and paprika for garnish

2 tbsp milk

1 tsp dried parsley flakes

• •

1/2 tsp dill weed

1/2 tsp fresh chives, minced 1/2 tsp ground mustard

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large bowl, combine mayonnaise, milk, parsley flakes, dill, chives, mustard, salt, paprika, garlic powder, and pepper. Mix well and set aside.

2. Cut eggs lengthwise and remove yolks carefully to preserve egg whites.

3. In a small bowl, mash yolks.

4. Mix mashed yolks with mayonnaise mixture.

BUNNY DAISY EARTH EASTER

EGGS FOOL GARDEN PASSOVER

POLLEN PRANK RAMADAN TAXES

5. Spoon or pipe the mixture back into the egg whites.

6. Garnish with fresh parsley and paprika. Refrigerate before serving.

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inside this issue

1 2

Never Touch Your Seed Money

The Top 3 NHL Players of All Time

The Most Colorful 5K in Iowa

3

Employee Spotlight: Meet Allison Sawvell!

Easy Deviled Eggs

4

Top Early Spring Hiking Tips

Many nature lovers look forward to enjoying their favorite hiking trails right after winter. However, some may skip the spring months to avoid muddy encounters. Between the snowmelt and the rainfall, traversing muddy paths can be messy and dangerous. Here are some tips to keep equipment — and the trail — in good shape while trekking through the muck! Avoiding falls is one of the most important parts of mud hiking. Not only will a fall mess up your gear, but you’ll also risk serious injury. It’s hard to tell how deep a mud puddle really is, so by bringing a trekking pole, you can test a puddle’s depth. If it’s too large to jump over, a trekking pole will help distribute your weight as you pass through it. Plus, you’ll save energy by using a helpful walking tool! BRING TREKKING POLES

when the hike is over, line your car with a plastic tarp, not plastic bags, to protect the interior. Then you’ll only have to clean the vehicle out at the end of the muddy season. Removing the mud from your shoes is also important, as mud left on leather will dry out the material and cause cracks, ruining its weatherproofing capabilities. Although trails are often the soggiest this time of year, staying at the trail’s center is your best strategy for safety and trail preservation. The trail is most vulnerable to erosion during the early spring, so mud hikers can help maintain the trail by staying in the center, even if it’s tempting to walk on the edges or off it entirely. Step on rocks where it’s safe, use a trekking pole for added stability, and avoid widening the trail where you can. Being “lost” in the beauty of the changing season can be one of the many appeals of mud hiking, especially in the early mornings when the mud tends to be more firm. So, check out your available local trails and stay safe! BLAZE THE TRAIL’S CENTER

YOUR TOP EARLY SPRING HIKING TIPS TREKKING AFTER APRIL SHOWERS

WATCH YOUR SHOES

It might seem obvious, but don’t lose track of your shoelaces, especially if you’re crossing deeper mud — mud can pull your boot right off if you step into an unexpectedly deep puddle. Check every so often to make sure your shoelaces are tied tight! And

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