Go for it Magazine - June 2013

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What’s Your Greatest Strength?

I was having a conversation the other day with someone who asked me what my greatest strength was. I thought to myself, “What a great question”. Why? Because it really made me slow down and go a little deeper as I sorted through the best qualities that I honestly like about me.

After several seconds, which probably felt a lot longer for both of us, I came up with the first answer that came to mind. “I think my greatest strength is that I strive to live a principal centered life. Over 20 years ago, I read one of the most profound books titled, “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” by Steven Covey. Of the seven habits that Covey discovered, one crucial quality that separates happy, well adjusted and successful people from chronically unhappy people is what they place at the center of their life. Highly ef-fective people place the core values of honesty and integrity at the center of every decision they make while unsuccessful people don’t. Unsuccessful people put something else at the center, like themselves, their career, their spouse, their family or something else which leaves them feeling chronically frustrated, imbalanced and empty. When I’m confronted with a difficult decision, whenever I consult my con-scious to make a principal centered choice, I always walk away with a feeling of peace knowing that I’ve made the best decision I could with the information I had. I no longer cave in to the desire to tor-ture myself by second guessing past decisions because I did the best I could with the knowledge I had at the time”.

I’m sure that was probably more information than they really wanted to know, but one thing was certain…I FELT GREAT! Why? Because I was focusing on all my positive qualities and that has al-

ways felt good to me. I know I’m a sucker for praise, but who isn’t? If someone came up to you right now and they gave you an honest and sincere compliment without wanting anything from you, how would you feel? Chances are, YOU WOULD FEEL GREAT TOO!

No matter how busy you are or think you are, make the time to consider all your best character traits today. Resist the urge

to put it off until later because you’ll probably forget about it. Do it right now! Better yet, put pen to paper and write down every single quality that you really like about yourself. Take as much time as you like, be-cause you are worth it! Next, narrow it down to your single greatest character trait. Now describe how that character trait has helped you navigate through

life. Finally, hold on to that thought all day and I chal-lenge you to feel bad. Chances are, your day will unfold with

unexpected pleasant surprises. Why? Because that’s what happens WHEN YOU’RE FEELING GREAT, MORE GREAT THINGS HAPPEN!

I was sharing this conversation with my wife Diana the other day when I realized that there was another character trait that’s even more important to my overall success and happiness. I’m not sure why it took several days for the true answer to come to me, but I’m just grateful that it did. I now realize that my single greatest character strength is the desire to constantly improve myself from the inside out. Every day, I focus on changing something I don’t like about myself by turning it into something that I will like. I’ve had the best success when I’ve taken on just one just one character trait at a time. Whenever I try to change everything I don’t like about myself all at the same time, I tend to feel so overwhelmed and frus-trated, I just want to quit, which only makes me dislike myself even more. After all, nobody loves a quitter because a quitter is nobody!

After consulting your conscious about all your great qualities, I encourage you to adopt the quality of constantly improving your-self from the inside out. The only constant in life is change. Every-thing in this universe is evolving, whether we like it or not, including ourselves. With every breath we take, millions of new cells are born, replacing cells that die. So, embrace the changes within by visual-izing your negative character traits like dying cells which are being replaced by positive and healthy new ones. Be sure to celebrate the great adventure of every new experience. Why? BECAUSE, LIFE IS SHORT AND YOU DESERVE TO FEEL GREAT ABOUT YOURSELF

EVERY DAY!

Bob Cox is the founder and publisher of Go For It Magazine. He can be reached by phone at (916) 266-3115. His email address is [email protected]. Go For It Magazine is owned and op-erated in Rancho Cordova, CA. Copyright © 2013.

By Bob Cox


If you’re new to the area or have ever experienced an incomplete den-tal evaluation in the past, then today is the day to make a positive change. Trust your smile to the experienced care at Carmichael Oaks Dental Care!

Our community is fortunate to have two exceptional dentists (Dr. Angel Soto and Dr. Carla Gutierrez) dedicated to providing the best that dentistry has to offer.

Dr. Soto, Dr. Gutierrez and their friendly staff will provide you with a comfortable and relaxing dental expe-rience. Many of their patients are re-ferred by other happy patients, so they have every reason to be confident that you will be in good hands.

If you’ve had a history of severe dental problems, Carmichael Oaks Dental Care can help. They have all the skill, experience and advanced tech-nology to turn your smile into a mas-terpiece. Their services include beau-tiful crowns, natural colored fillings, cosmetic bondings, porcelain veneers, dentures, bridges, dental implants, CEREC® CAD/CAM restorations, teeth whitening and much more.

The staff at Carmichael Oaks Den-tal not only cares about their patients, they also are doing their part for our planet and future generations by go-ing green. They’ve made an invest-ment to reduce their carbon footprint by purchasing digital x-rays and oper-ating a paperless office.

If you’re looking for a dental prac-tice devoted to restoring and enhanc-ing the natural beauty of your smile using conservative, state-of-the-art procedures that will result in a beauti-ful, healthy and long lasting smile that you will be proud of, as well as a dental office that is sensitive and understand-ing to your needs, then Carmichael Oaks Dental is the place for you!

A Reason to Smile



Planning for Healthy SuccessBy John McCain

When people ask me what’s the single most important tip to losing weight and keeping it off, the answer is very simple: Stay committed to the program you are on that works best for you. If that means having two shakes a day and then a reasonable meal, do it every day. Treat the food

you put into your mouth like fuel, fuel for your mind and your body. Great fuel for your mind and body will help you not only feel good but you’ll also have more energy. More natural energy means you don’t have to rely on outside stimulants to make you feel energized. It doesn’t mean you don’t have a day where you go off track a little bit, but just be sure to get right back on track the next day.

Think about this: How much better do you feel when you put the proper nutrition in your body? Not only will you lose weight but you are more productive during the course of the day while you work. You’ll also have more energy after work as well. One of the best ways to enjoy greater energy all day is by replacing sugary snacks with fresh fruit.

Plan your meals for the week. Be sure you have an idea what you’re going to have for Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday

and Friday etc. After all, you’re probably already planning your work and when you’re picking up the kids from soccer practice etc. So, why wouldn’t you plan your meals for the most important person (you)?

Make yourself a priority. I understand that people don’t want to be selfish, but if you have an obligation to other people that you love and care about, then taking care of yourself should be the first priority so you can help other people that depend on you. Reverse the thought process that says, “I’m a selfish person if I take care of myself first.” If you take the precautionary steps to feel better longer, you’ll enjoy your life more and you’ll have more energy to help other people too. When you have more energy and vitality, you’ll be more giving to others because you took the time to service your own account. Take care of your health and well being.

Good health will actually save you money in the long run if you take care of yourself now. Then, twenty years down the road, you won’t have to take drastic measures where you have to alter your entire life due to failing health. If you take small little steps along the way, you will achieve big results over an extended period of time.

Don’t focus on the things that you are giving up. Instead, pat yourself on the back whenever you replace a bad habit (junk food) with a good habit (healthy food). Over time, when you’ve made a habit of eating healthy every day, when you do have that greasy fast food, it doesn’t really taste that great. Chances are, you just acquired a taste for it, which means you can reacquire a taste for good healthy food and really see the difference it makes with how you look and feel.

One final tip: If you want to lose weight and enjoy greater health and energy, don’t skip breakfast! Instead, make more time for yourself in the morning and enjoy a good breakfast. Eat something that is nutritious that will fuel you through the morning. You just slept for 7-9 hours with nothing to eat, so your body was still working and maintaining your body’s function as you slept. Next, be sure you have something nutritious for lunch and then an afternoon snack if your energy starts to fade or your appetite kicks in. After work, reward yourself for dinner by hopefully making a wise decision. Of course, it’s all up to you. Since you’ve made the first two of the meals healthy, if you want to cheat a little or have something that’s not very nutritious, it’s not as devastating as if you ate poorly all day.

8 GO FOR IT June 2013

Rolling Out the Red CarpetBy Bob Cox

If you were to ask 1,000 business owners if they provide extraordinary service to their customers, the vast majority would likely answer yes. According to The Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the definition of extraordinary is: Notably unusual or exceptional. So, the definition would have to exclude a high percentage of businesses from the conversation, no matter how much they might protest their case.

When it comes to delivering extraordinary service, just about every business owner talks about it but few actually deliver. When I think of companies that consistently deliver outstanding service, one of the first people that come to my mind is Lynn Lawson, the owner of Ralph Opfer Floors here in Sacramento. Time after time, I’ve seen and heard people rave about the great ser-vice they got from Lynn, and I should know be-cause I’m one of them!

A couple of years ago, I took on a floor instal-lation in a home we had just purchased and was totally in over my head. My wife and I faced a very stressful deadline to move into our new home by the end of that same week, so I called Lynn on a Sunday and she referred an installer who came out that day and would finish the project on time and on budget. I don’t think that most business owners would’ve answered the call, so fortunately for us, Lynn proved to be extraordinary under pressure.

When I referred Lynn to my sister Julie last year, Lynn came through again with flying colors. While I do love my sister to death, I also realize that she does have a habit of being extraor-dinarily indecisive, so much so that she might have given Ma-hatma Gandhi a splitting headache! Fortunately, she hired Lynn

and not Gandhi to select and install her floors and after several back and forth moments of in-decision, Julie got the floor of her dreams and Lynn made a friend for life!

I’ve had the honor of speaking with several other clients of Lynn’s and they all have said the same thing: Lynn provides extraordinary service. She routinely goes above and beyond what most business owners are willing to offer and uses her extensive knowledge, experience and desire to find solutions that consistently work. I got a chance to catch up with Lynn the other day to find out how she was doing. Here’s what she had to say…

Q: Your dad started the business and was

well known for being the bargain hunter of flooring. How has your business evolved since

you’ve been in charge the last four years?A: Well, it’s evolved into something different then what my

dad had because it had to evolve a little bit. There are a lot of company’s out there that are buying large quantities of flooring from China and selling them for pennies on the dollar and it’s hard to compete with that. It is not all about the bargain pricing or cash and carry anymore. It is the quality of service and finding you what you really want at a decent price.

Q: Do many of your customers who start out looking primarily for low price tend to open up a bit and realize that price isn’t the only thing that’s important in terms of select-ing the appropriate floor for their needs?

A: Well, price has a lot to do with it, but when somebody has a price in mind, then what you have to do is work with them and show them what’s within that price range. If that doesn’t work, then maybe you have to move onto something that might be a little out of their price range but it’s what they want. I always like to stay conscience of a customer’s budget because that is an important thing.

Q: Have you been able to help your customers by open-ing them up to other possibilities within their price range by offering other options that could either meet or exceed there needs and desires aesthetically?

A: Yes and no. I think a lot of people have an idea of what they want or what they think they want. Some customers come in and have no idea what they want and that’s when I start show-ing them different things to narrow the field. A lot of customers come in and think they know what they want. Some really do and some really don’t. It’s usually trial and error. Typically, I’ll pull samples out and we’ll look at them and then narrow down the field to figure out what they like and don’t like. After that, I’ll send them home with samples. Sometimes, one single trip home works but usually it’s two or three. It’s a pretty big process and most people don’t understand that it is a process. It’s not something you decide on right away.

Q: Right, and that’s not the typical service you are going to find at your bargain stores, especially the big box stores. Would that be accurate to say?

Lynn Lawson and her trusted assistant, Samantha Irvin offer extraordinary service and the smiles are always free!


dise. Is that ever an issue and if so, how do you overcome that?

A: There are a lot of stores that have really fancy showrooms and displays. I don’t have that. Eventually I’d like to have a nicer showroom, but for me it’s not about the building, it’s about who is in the building. Right now, this is where I’m at and this is where I’m working. It’s not about the four walls around me and what they look like. It’s about what’s inside.

Q: I think ultimately your customers probably don’t really care what your building looks like; they care about what their new floor looks like in their house. As long as you are able to give them extraordinary service by giving what they want within the price range that they can afford and go the extra mile to find the perfect floor for them, they’re going to be ecstatic. Wouldn’t you agree?

A: Yes…absolutely!

Editor’s notes: For more information about Ralph Opfer Floors, browse their website at www.ralphop-ferfloors.com, visit their showroom at 10265 Old Placerville Road #14 in Sacramento or call (916) 366-1672.

Rolling Out the Red CarpetA: Yes that would be accurate to

say. The box stores have limited person-nel and I’m sure that they get minimal training. With that minimal training, they can only help you so much and then the knowledge just isn’t there.

Q: Why did you decide to expand your business model beyond home owners to also include working with property managers, real estate inves-tors and real estate agents?

A: Well, one reason is the challenge. That’s a totally different beast than resi-dential. It’s a different type of flooring and carpet. Everything works different in the commercial world. I want to be able to help with anyone’s flooring needs whether you own a house or a commer-cial building.

Q: Why should real estate inves-tors, property managers and real es-tate agents select you over other floor-ing companies?

A: Well, it’s my personal guarantee on price and quality of work. I run a small family owned company. I’m not sending someone I don’t trust to do my work for me. I only send people I know who will do the job I want them to do. It is the personal attention I give, making sure that the job gets done right the first time and the quality is top notch. Our install-ers have to be dependable.

Q: Although there’s a lot of pressure in your busi-ness, you don’t resort to high pressure sales tactics. Why is that?

A: Because I don’t like it when I get high pressured. I don’t like it when somebody tries to push me into something I don’t want to buy, so I don’t like to do that to other people. Flooring is expensive, whether you have a bargain or not. It’s not a purchase where you can just say, “Okay, I’ll take it”. It’s something that takes time and you have to trust the person who you’re work-ing with to know that this big amount of money is being spent properly.

Q: You don’t have a big fancy showroom full of merchan-

Dave and Julie Farrell love Lynn almost as much as their new floors!


RANCHO CORDOVA is celebrat-ing its 10th year as a city and what a legacy it already has! Here is how I would describe Rancho Cordova in just a few words:

ALL-AMERICA CITYRancho Cordova’s first application for this dis-

tinguished honor was in 2009 and at the seasoned age of 6, became a finalist. It took only one more year for Rancho Cordova to be awarded the title of All America City, 2010. Their winning theme was “We Make the Magic” and when you witness their world-class events powered by grass-roots volunteer power, you have no doubt that they do.

HOMETOWN PRIDEI grew up in a small town. Rancho Cordova has the feeling of a

small town nestled in the midst of a big city (cousins from LA would dispute putting Sacramento in that category but YOU get my point). Rancho Cordova hosts the best hometown 4th of July parade in the region as well as an International Festival that reflects its “small world. big party” theme - everything speaks to the pride and joy that residents and businesses have by being a part of this thriving community.

THREE’S the CHARMCity Hall houses the city government (which is an exceptional

role model on how cities should be run), the Rancho Cordova Chamber (celebrating its 50th year in 2013), and the Cordova Community Council (coordinating and spearheading the efforts of volunteers and community groups to help “make magic happen” for over 50 years). So if it’s happening in Rancho, City Hall is likely the CENTER of it ALL!

If you have any doubts, check out the up-

coming events, part of the Anniversary celebra-tion from June 30 to July 4. Rancho Cordova will be the epi-center of a WHOLE LOT OF FUN and CELEBRATION... Don’t miss out!!!

I’ll end by saying that they not only built a City**, they built

a city with MAGIC happening. So, ROCK ON, Rancho Cordova, way to ROLL!

**Not coincidentally, STARSHIP is coming to Rancho Cordova on July 3!!! Can you say “woo-hoo”!?!

“We Built This City...”

* Visit BobsPocket.com for Bob’s bio, past blogs, and to learn more about events & organizations.


Sunday, June 30: Rancho Cordova Celebration of Faith7-9 pm ~ Village Green Park, 3141 Bridgeway Dr.Free Admission

Tuesday, July 2: “Our Town Day”5-8 pm ~ Rancho Cordova City Hall, 2729 Prospect Park Drive Free Admission • Our Town Art Exhibit • BIG PICTURE Photo Mosaic• Rancho Cordova Civic Light Orchestra• 6:30-8 pm: Birthday Cake Decorating Contest

Wednesday, July 3: Rancho Cordova 10th Anniversary Party 4-11 pm ~ Hagan Park, 2197 Chase Drive$2 admission (kids 5 & under free); $10 parking

• Opening day for 2-day celebration• 8 pm: Starship featuring Mickey Thomas• 9:30 pm: 10th Anniversary Pryotechnic Cake and Fireworks Show

Thursday, July 4: 29th Annual Rancho Cordova 4th of July10 am -11 pm ~ Hagan Park, 2197 Chase Drive$2 admission (kids 5 & under free); $10 parking

• 10 am: 4th of July parade• 11 am: Kid’s Zone, carnival, beer gardens & more• 8 pm: Superlicious, Sacramento’s hottest 80’s flashback cover band • 9:30 pm: Fireworks Show

Get all the details at:RanchoCordovaAnniversary.comRanchoCordovaJuly4th.com

For more great things happening in Rancho Cordova and the area visit:CordovaCouncil.orgCommunityArtsAlliance.comBeMoneySmartUSA.org TechConnective.com

12 GO FOR IT June 201312 GO FOR IT January 2013

Car Tech TalkCan Your Car Stand the Heat?

An AC service starts out with a function test to make sure that the fan operates at each speed setting, and the temperature of the vent air is also measured. In cases where we don’t get adequate temperature, we per-form a vacuum test and draw all the freon out of the system. The vacuum test is our

way of making sure that the sys-tem is not leaking. It is against EPA regulations to put refriger-ant into a system that is. Basical-ly you are just pumping it back out into the environment.

It’s more important nowa-days with new refrigerants be-cause they are not as efficient, they have to operate at much higher pressures. We find that because of the higher operating pressures, it’s even more impor-tant to make sure the system is sealed and working. Refrigerant is not the only thing in the system; there is also oil. This oil is used to lubricate the pump. If you just keep adding refrigerant and not drawing it down making sure it’s not leaking and doing a proper

service, you could burn up your pump because you don’t have adequate oil in your refrigerant system.

It’s a good idea to have your entire AC system inspected before the weather gets any hotter. Make sure your mechan-ic does a comprehensive function test. If the system doesn’t function properly, the next step is to go back and perform a vacuum test. If they don’t do that test and merely add more

refrigerant without adding ad-ditional oil, then you will likely end up with a system that will fail because the pump could burn up.

We offer a free basic func-tion test and inspection. Based on the results, we’ll determine whether we will move forward with a vacuum test. If we do see a leak, we add dye to the system and use an infrared light to see where the leak is located.

Editor’s notes: Walter Ford is the owner of Valley Motor-werks. He can be reached at his shop, which is located at 11401 White Rock Road in Rancho Cordova, CA. His phone number is (916) 636-9526 and his website is www.vmwerks.com.

By Walter Ford



May 2013 GO FOR IT 14

I love my dad; however, when it comes to going to his doctors’ ap-pointments, he procrastinates like many people tend to do. He tells me all the time, “if it doesn’t hurt, why go.” As dentists, we see thou-sands of patients each year, and we see all those patients that waited. It’s not fun to give these patients a terrible diagnosis when things begin to hurt. We’ve had many of these patient’s describe dental pain worse than childbirth and kidney stones. No one should have to ex-perience that type of pain.

A sure way to prevent this from happening is to visit us a few times each year. Wouldn’t it be nice to visit us and find out that everything looks good and no problems were found? After 5 years at Dynamic Dental, we have begun to really see a lot of our patients reach this goal. I can think of many patients who

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would have preferred to amputate a leg rather than visit us. We’ve worked with them to minimize their anxiety and make their check-ups quick and easy.

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