Letter from the Editor

Life and Times of JWN

A Tribute to Edward S. Lampert Eddie Lampert is a self made billionaire and a business man that I admire and plan to meet. He is forty-four years old and currently Chairman of the Board of Sears Holdings Company - owner of Kmart and Sears stores and a variety of long-standing American brands such as Die Hard, Craftsman, and Kenmore. Also, his picture is the background on my laptop. The thing that impresses me about Eddie is his incredible work ethic and passion for investing and financial engineering. He is the wealthiest man in Connecticut thanks to the phenomenal performance he has achieved at his hedge fund, ESL Investments. As founder and CEO of the company, he uses the assets of the firm to purchase large stakes in companies like Sears. Currently, he owns nearly 40% of the company's equity. This type of "concentrated value" approach as it is dubbed in the investment world is what makes him unique in a financial world focused on diversification. Some dub him the next Warren Buffett, but he would prefer to be considered the one Eddie Lampert, although he studied Buffett's work unceasingly while working in the Risk Arbitrage Department at Goldman Sachs and studying Economics at Yale University. Enough about his investing, let's talk about the man himself. It would be far too superficial of me to just like the man because he's made himself and many other people a ton of money. I generally have much deeper motivations for the things I do. Eddie is candid but keeps an extremely low profile. He will rarely interview and lives a quiet life in Greenwich, Connecticut, where both his office (ESL) and his waterfront home are located. His father died when he was very young,making him the man of the house far earlier than any boy should be. This seems to be the inspiration for the rigor and value he tries to create in his business ventures. NOTABLE QUOTE: "One of the unspoken secrets about business leaders is that they often have no idea about where they're going to end up." - Eddie Lampert He worked his way into college and started doing work for Goldman Sachs, one of the world's premier investment houses, before he even graduated high school! He continued work at Goldman after Yale, before starting his hedge fund in 1988. Eddie was kidnapped in 2003 from the parking lot of his office, but convinced his captors to let him go after two days! Eddie is a self made man with an intense passion for what he does. He is incredibly thorough and despite his low personal profile, he communicates his thoughts about the businesses he runs openly to shareholders. Also, the English major in me speaking, he writes extremely well. In one of the few interviews with the man, he explained his motivations in a simple, inspiring way: "I want to be known as a great businessman." - Eddie Lampert It is only a matter of time before Eddie and I are having breakfast at his favorite diner in Greenwich, Connecticut. CLICK HERE to check out a rare interview of Eddie and his mother Dolores! The piece is very well done. FULL DISCLOSURE: I own shares of Sears Holdings Corporation (Symbol: SHLD). Best to you friends, ~JWN P.S. Check out my piece, "Small Talk for a BIG Effect" below!

Small Talk for a BIG Effect

Small Talk for a BIG Effect

By: Joseph W. Norman

Let’s talk about the art of communication. I’m not talking about public speaking, COMN 101, or any of that jazz – I’m talking about one on one, mono y mono, conversation. This is stuff you don’t learn in a classroom…

When you go into a room filled with many people you’ve never met before, are you nervous? Of course you are! KEY FACT: Everybody is nervous in this situation - use it to your advantage!

While everybody else is caught up with butterflies in the stomach, think about a line from a song by the Smashing Pumpkin’s, “Disarm [them] with a smile.” If you enter a room with a confident step and a smile on your face, you immediately have the upper hand (no matter how nervous you are on the inside).

When initiating that first conversation, don’t fret over what you are going to say – simply introduce yourself. Many people think you have to come into a conversation with some great one liner – I disagree. I have found much success by simply walking up to somebody new with a smile and saying, “Hi, I’m Joe Norman.” They’ll respond, often graciously, with their name – now you’re ready to rock and roll. KEY FACT: Never forget a person’s name! “But Joe, how do I remember?”

ACTION PLAN: There are three key steps I use to remember somebody’s name;

1) Repeat it in your head at least three times (I recommend five).

2) Form a mental picture of the person and put the face to the name.

3) Use the name during the conversation, no matter how long or short the chat is.

NOTABLE: A friend recently told me, he always ends a conversation with a farewell and the person’s name. If you don’t say the name, he says, the person will often think you already forgot it. I agree 100%.

Now that you have learned the person’s name cold, you’re ready to connect with the conversation. This is where people think it gets difficult, but it is still pretty simple. Be observant! Notice what they’re wearing, holding, or saying and comment on it. This will often lead to some personal facts which you can use to follow up effectively. When in doubt, just ask questions – people love to talk about themselves.

When you are in the conversation, always be “present!” Nothing irritates me more than talking to somebody and not feeling like I have their attention. Even if you only speak to somebody for thirty seconds, let them know with your eyes that it is only them that you care about at that instant. Don’t look around the room for other people to talk to – be with them and only them for that moment in time.

NORMAN SIDE NOTE: Tips for talking on the phone. If somebody in the room asks you a question, excuse yourself from the phone conversation and answer the question. Do not just answer the question and let the person on the phone keep talking. The same applies for receiving a phone call while in a face to face conversation. Excuse yourself if it is urgent - otherwise let the person calling leave a message. Be respectful! My mother taught me this and it is very valuable information.

Back to the conversation – you’re chatting freely with your new acquaintance about life, sports, love, happiness, etcetera. Whatever the topic, you’re doing great. But, how do you close the deal and move on properly? First, know the purpose of the future interaction. Do you want to date this person, or just build a friendship for future business relations, fun, or both?

If you’re trying to get a date, simply say, “I enjoyed our conversation and I’d like to get together with you sometime. What’s your number?” Too many people stress out over this – if you need something in this world, just ask! You’ll be amazed by the results. Nearly the same applies for a friendship or future business relationship – just ask for the contact information so you can follow up.

NOTABLE: Try to book the future engagement at the end of the conversation. Set a date or time and write it down. If handing out a business card, write the planned get together on the back and then hand it to the person. Always put it in writing! It is too easy to forget such promises. Then, follow up.

Congratulations – you’ve just learned how to small talk for a big effect. Remember a few key points:

1) Everyone is nervous – disarm them with a SMILE

2) Be PRESENT in the conversation

3) Know your purpose (date, friendship, business, etcetera)

4) Set up the stage for future interaction (Get the contact information)

5) Have fun and follow up

KEY FACT: Be yourself! “Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.” – Dr. Suess

Keep checking back for more information on topics such as; “Follow Up or Lose Out,” “Make a POWERFUL Impression,” and more! Best, ~ JWN

NOTABLE: Joseph Norman is co-founder of a weekly e-newsletter, Notable and Newsworthy: VIP Profiles, with his friend and business partner, Ben DeGeorge. Together they have built relationships with dynamic leaders in many organizations and industries. For more information, check out: notableandnewsworthy.blogspot.com, or, email Joseph at jwn2@geneseo.edu

Letter from the Editor

The Life and Times of JWN

In the spirit of caffeine (which you will read about in Ben's Corner), I would like to introduce you to another eZine which I read every Tuesday - Jeffrey Gitomer's Sales Caffeine. ACTION PLAN: Sign up for it by going to Gitomer's website. Click here! This publication always has valuable information, especially if you're in the sales industry. KEY FACT: Everybody is in the sales industry. You sell yourself and your ideas to others on a daily basis. Now that you are signed up for Gitomer's Sales Caffeine eZine, we can talk about my week. Ben and I learned more about our planned trip to Ghana in October. This will be in conjunction with the Livingston County Chamber of Commerce and SUNY Geneseo. The goal of the trip is to build relations with the leaders of the New Juaben State in the Eastern Region and with Universities throughout the country (education is extremely advanced in Ghana). Our trip will coincide with the Akwantukese Durbar, a celebration of the exodus of the Juaben people from Asante to Akyem Abuakwa and the subsequent establishment of the New Juaben State in the Eastern Region of Ghana. We will be guests of honor at this event thanks to the friendship we have developed with Mr. Victor Berko-Boateng, President of the Association for Ghanaians and Friends (AGF). He is a great guy and we are excited to experience his mother country's culture! Also, this week I got involved with the Jones School of Business Alumni Golf Tournament. Dr. Mike Schinski, an avid golfer and Finance professor at Geneseo, runs the event. Mike is also the advisor of the Finance Club and Student Managed Investment Fund, of which I am president. The tourney was a great success. Have a great week friends and check out GITOMER'S SALES CAFFEINE! It is a worthy read. Best, ~JWN

Michelle Cain

Michelle J. Cain:

Get Into Something You Enjoy and Grow With It

By: Joseph W. Norman

Michelle Cain is a partner at Mengel, Metzger, Barr, & Co. (MMB), a regional accounting firm headquartered in Rochester, New York. Growing up in Webster, New York, Michelle has been an upstate girl her entire life. She attended the State University of New York at Geneseo and received a Bachelors of Science Degree in Accounting. Since her graduation in 1994, Michelle has been making a meaningful impact at MMB, working her way up to the Partner distinction in a relatively short period of time. Her technical skill and leadership abilities in large part attribute to her success.

VIP: Give us the short story…

MJC: I live in Webster and have lived there my entire life. I went to Bishop-Kearney High School, a private Catholic school in Irondequoit. When I was young I took an accounting class as an elective and liked it. Little did I know that it really isn’t like the intro course at all - you don’t really do that stuff when you get into auditing. Although, I stuck with accounting at Geneseo for the four years and then went into public accounting not really knowing what it was. At the time when I went to school, internships were pretty rare. I didn’t have any experience in the accounting industry at all, so I didn’t know what I was getting into. Fortunately I liked it.

I started here (MMB) right out of college, and I’ve been here for 13 years.

VIP: Tell us a little bit about Mengel, Metzger, Barr, & Co.

MJC: We have 16 partners in the firm. We have a Rochester office, our main office, an office in Elmira, and two satellite offices in Ithaca and Hornell. We have about 85 professionals total. There are ten partners in this office. In accounting you start as a staff accountant, primarily in the audit department. At a regional firm like ours you get the opportunity to do both audit and tax. So, I really learned both sides, but I’m now more on the audit side - that is where I specialize. You go from staff to senior to manager to senior manager, to principal, and then partner.

If I had to pick a specialty, I would probably say it is non-profits.

In our firm, our partners are very much hands on. During a typical audit, we would have a senior and a staff out there everyday, the manager would go out periodically, maybe every other day, and the partner will go out there a few times. Then, the partner will present the work done. The companies are well aware who did all the work though (after we joked about the partners taking all the credit). Our client base is the middle market. They like the personal service so that is what we give them.

VIP: What is your average day like?

MJC: First, I come in and go through all of my messages. There are many meetings and administrative things to do in the office. We have to keep our business running as well as make sure our clients are being served. I am on the marketing committee. We also have the assurance committee which is a group of partners that make sure we are on top of all the new laws and best practices in the industry. We have a recruiting committee as well. It is a mix of administering this firm, mentoring our staff, and serving our clients. They all come into play everyday.

I just presented a draft financial statement to an audit committee of a non-profit. We went out there for about a week and did the audit. The process consists of doing the audit, pulling the statements together, and presenting them. When the company approves them then we finalize.

VIP: Tell us a little bit about your family.

MJC: I have a husband, Tom, and two children. My daughter Miranda is nine and is going into fourth grade. My son Jay is five, going into first grade. They are both into softball and tee-ball right now. Summer is a lot better for me because they are out of school. It is a nice relief not to have to stress about homework everyday. They don’t tend to feel the stress like I do. I like the summer because it is more laid back – I don’t stress about getting them to bed right on time.

Jay and Miranda

My husband is a manager in the corporate office of Wegmans. He manages the people who buy everything but the food – supplies, equipment, furniture, etcetera. We make it work.

We have a camp that we have parked on a permanent site in Baldwinsville right on the lake. We try to get to it as often as we can on the weekends. We don’t really have vacation plans, we do more day trips.

VIP: How many hours do you usually work a week?

MJC: During the summer, probably 45 to 50 but, I try to keep it closer to 45. During the winter it is about 60 hours a week. You know, it really isn’t that bad at our firm, some weeks more than others - we try to balance it out. The firm tries to keep family in mind. There are many young people here with families, so people will leave early for a basketball game or something, and that’s fine. The bottom line is the work needs to get done, and as long as it gets done, then we are very flexible.

VIP: What are some of your goals?

MJC: As far as career goals, I don’t have any in particular – I’ve kind of reached the highest level I can get to here. We do want to continue to grow the business, whether that is merging with another firm or acquiring more clients.

In respect to family, I’m certainly not planning on having anymore children. They are great kids though. They both are fairly well behaved and a lot of fun. It is difficult balancing family and career. So I think two is good.

VIP: What is your favorite time of day?

MJC: I would have to say the mornings, and I’m not a morning person, so I don’t mean right when I wake up because I’m not a fan of that. But, from a work perspective, I like to whip through a bunch of things right when I get in here so I feel like I’ve at least accomplished something. After that, I like right before my kids go to bed, when we are settling in.

During the summer we try to do some fun things in the evening – go out for ice cream, or ride bikes. My son Jay just learned how to ride a two wheel bike, so now that is fun. If you’ve ever ridden around the block with a son on training wheels, it is like torture. So, now that he can ride a real bike, it is great.

VIP: What are some of your hobbies?

We enjoy camping. I do exercise, but I don’t really consider it exercise – I rollerblade for fun. Hanging out with my kids and playing games like kickball and baseball. I read, but the only books I read as an accountant are things like trashy romance novels because I don’t want to think about what I’m reading. I like golfing – playing it more than watching it. Also, I like watching any live sport, so I’m anxious to see my kids get more competitive.

Overall, anything family oriented, because you can never spend enough time with them when you are working all the time.

VIP: Do you do work with other organizations?

MJC: I am the treasurer of the Rochester Children’s Theatre. I never knew what they did before I joined their organization. One of our partners knew the president of the board, so he recommended me, and it is really a wonderful organization. They put on productions for children, and the actors are phenomenal. We do six or seven productions a year and we try to coincide with the school calendars.

I’m on the Business Advisory Council for the Jones School of Business at SUNY Geneseo and I’m a member of the Al Sigl Center WalkAbout Committee and the Rochester Women’s Network. This year I had to say no to a few organizations, because I don’t like joining something I can’t put the time into.

VIP: What does it take to be successful in your position?

MJC: In this job you need to be organized in order to juggle everything. As an accountant you are looked at as the number one advisor of the client. It is a wonderful feeling, but it is a lot of pressure and responsibility. They ask you everything; you’re all of the sudden an attorney to them, a Human Resources expert, etcetera. If it is something we cannot directly answer, we refer.

On top of that, as a partner, you are required to do the administrative functions. So, you have to be able to run a business as well and make sure it is functioning properly. Keeping your people happy is essential.

Also, in this industry, your personal skills are huge. You have to be able to interact with all sorts of people. You need to be able to change to accommodate their personalities. Every job that we do we have a different team working. So one week I could be working with this team, and the next week I could be working with another team. Not only are you changing to your client’s needs, but also to your teams. It is constant change of your own personality to make it work. That is critical in my job and public accounting in general.

Technical skills obviously - it is essential in this ever changing industry. And, leadership ability is essential, but it depends on the person’s definition of success.

VIP: What do you look for when you hire somebody?

MJC: When I hire somebody, the interpersonal skills are a key thing that I look for.

I recruit at Geneseo, so I know that if somebody is graduating from there, they know their stuff. When I go in, I’m not testing them on their knowledge. I want to know if this person will fit into our organization. What is there personality like? Can they talk to me? If so, then they can talk to our clients. I need to get an idea how well they will function here. I absolutely look for that.

VIP: Who are three people you would like to meet?

MJC: Susan B. Anthony, primarily because I am a woman. She had to be a pretty cool person. Another person is someone like Ben Franklin. He was a genius. I always wonder, “How can somebody be that smart?” Then, just for fun, George Clooney. Not just because he is good looking, but because he seems so nice and down to earth.

VIP: What are some difficulties that you deal with managing a team?

MJC: Personnel is difficult to manage. You try to keep people motivated, efficient, and growing to the next level. But, there are certain people that just aren’t cut out for the job, so sometimes you’ve got to get rid of them. I am fortunate enough that I have not had to do the official firings. I’ve been involved with the evaluation type, uncomfortable conversations. Just the day to day managing is challenging. It is hard to keep everyone up to speed when they are all not of the same ability.

VIP: What are some procedures that you use to manage the day to day?

MJC: We don’t do much soft skill training although once we become managers we will go off to a training program. But, we do have a good mentoring program here which has worked very well. Everyone is assigned a mentor when they walk in the door. And, we allow people to change their mentor every year. We do have a great process in place that seems to be working.

We have an open door policy, so people tend to feel comfortable talking to the partners. For the most part, we try to treat everyone like equals. It is very much, “I don’t know everything and you don’t know everything, so let’s work together to get the job done to the best of our ability.” Most of our people are comfortable with that.

Keeping the lines of communication open is essential. I was one of the people that wanted to work a reduced schedule when I had my children. And, when I was going through it was a new concept, but the partners at the time were accommodating, and we made it work. Now, I’m back to a full schedule, but we have young people who need the same thing I did so we remain flexible. It is about keeping the communication open. What do you want, what do we want, and how can we make it work?

VIP: What are some of the challenges in your industry?

MJC: The industry itself is challenging because it is always changing. Competition is a huge challenge. What has happened in our industry because of Sarbanes-Oxley is the bigger firms have fired many of their smaller to mid-size clients because they did not have time for them. So, the regional firms like us have really benefited because those are our ideal clients. I think those companies have realized that they don’t need a national firm – they can get better service for a cheaper price. National firms could not give them the service.

We don’t do any public companies – it is too risky when you are only doing a couple of them. It is not worth it. It is a huge investment in learning, training, and malpractice insurance. We decided as a firm to not do them. But, there are many great regional firms in the area that we are competing with.

On another note, keeping up with all of the standards is hard. It pushes down to the private firms, and then it pushes onto the accountants because we have to charge to get the job done. That is our industry.

VIP: What part of your job do you enjoy the most?

MJC: The people – you get to meet so many great people. I used to hate public speaking in college. I would get sick before I had to give a presentation. Now, I feel like that is all I do and I like it.

The standards are difficult, but we are aligned with BDO Seidman, an accounting firm ranked number five internationally. Because of our relationship, we get access to all of their resources. They send out emails when they get new information, so that makes it easier to stay up to date. I don’t feel like I need to read every standard front to back, which is beneficial.

BDO also serves as a consulting resource. We use each other if we run into a situation that we’ve never dealt with before. All the time, we’ll send out an email which says, “Have you ever encountered this before?” And, we get great feedback.

VIP: What are some memorable gifts you’ve received?

MJC: I’m going to put them together; one was from my daughter and one was from my son. They put together these books for Mother’s day at school – it is fun to see what they think. I have both on top of my dresser at home and I look at them all the time. Also, my very first Mother’s Day, my husband bought me a gorgeous ring with an aqua-marine stone - my daughter’s birthstone.

VIP: What advice would you give to a college student?

MJC: First, enjoy it before it ends. Second, when you are going through the interview process, BE YOURSELF. Don’t try to act like somebody else because it won’t help you in the long run. Get into something you enjoy and learn as much as you can about it. Grow with it.

Letter from the Editor

Life and Times of JWN

This week brought a few more shaves with the Gillette Fusion Power, a busy work week, and a great Google Video find - often my source for some old music favorites. To let the suspense settle in...I won't tell you the song until the end of my missive. The week ended with a nice get together with some Manning & Napier folks. Two of my co-workers are moving to our office in St. Petersburg, FL, so I spent some time with them, and many others, on Friday evening in Rochester. Good food, good company, and good times were had by all. Also, it was a comfortable couch - not quite last room on the right, 69 Second Street material, but fair enough. I am quite excited about a meeting I have on Monday about a potential trip to Ghana through the Livingston County Chamber of Commerce. We are working on building an international relationship between the Eastern Region of Ghana and Livingston and Monroe County. The meeting on Monday will discuss details and how much money I need to raise. I'm confident I can pull it off. Another potential benefit for the trip is the relationships that can be built for SUNY Geneseo. Ghana has a tremendous focus on education, so the experience would be great for my college as well. We (at SUNY Geneseo) are always looking to further our name on a national and international scale. VIP SHAMELESS PLUG: Cindi Oswald (VIP Profilee - President of Chamber) and Lisa Burns (VIP Profilee - Tourism Director for Livingston County) run a great show at the Livingston County Chamber and have been very helpful in many of Ben and my efforts. You will no doubt hear their names more - as they are always making moves. Some future news may even include "The VIP Guys," you'll just have to wait and see... The song for the week was a 1980s classic; Depeche Mode - I Promise You I Will. For an incredible animation and a relaxing tune, check out the video by clicking HERE! ACTION PLAN: Click on Cindi and Lisa's names to view their respective VIP Profiles. Always my best, ~JWN

Scott Vallow: Goalie / Captain of Rochester Rhinos

Scott Vallow:

Train Like a Champion

By: Joseph W. Norman

For more from Bigger Impact co-founder, Joseph Norman, visit www.normanized.com. 

Enjoy the read about...Scott Vallow...below! Thanks for your readership!

Scott Vallow is captain and goalkeeper of the Rochester Raging Rhinos, a United Soccer League First Division team. After graduating from Bowling Green in 1998, he signed a professional contract to play with Major League Soccer’s Dallas Burn. From that point on he has lived the professional athlete’s life, moving from place to place, before making Rochester, New York his home. He has led the Rhinos to a few championships, his first when he joined the team in 2000. That same year he was named A-League Goalkeeper of the Year and A-League First Team All Star. Now, in his ninth year, after a few more team and individual accolades, he continues to make an impact both on and off the field.

Over a delicious lunch at one of his, and the teams, favorite places, First Taste on Park Avenue in Rochester, he had a few things to say about his life’s work…

The most recent season has brought on some hardship for Scott in respect to his soccer play. In practice after the second game of the year he suffered a bicep injury which left him debilitated.

VIP: You suffered a bicep injury recently correct?

Scott: I made a save in practice and hyper-extended my arm at the elbow which put too much pressure on the tendon. They drilled a hole in my forearm and attached the tendon on the backside of the hole with a titanium button. We are waiting for the bone to calcify a little more so it can sustain more pressure. The doctor is afraid of the full extension save with a ball coming 70 plus miles per hour which would snap it right back off. We’re shooting for August 1 as a come back date.

The frustrating part is if I was a field player they could brace me up and I could play, but since I’m a goalie they certainly can’t have a one armed goalie out there. It is not acceptable.

The team is doing alright though and I can still practice everyday.

Rex the Rhino

VIP: How long is the professional soccer season?

Scott: Preseason starts in the middle of March and the season lasts until the Championship in late September. It’s a good six month season. The hope is if I can get back August 1, there are seven regular season games left plus the playoffs.

VIP: Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Scott: I was born in Medesto, California. We spent about ten years there. My father has worked for Coors Brewing Company for about 25 years so we traveled a lot - we just kind of moved around the country. He is pretty successful at what he does, so they have always put him in key markets. We lived in Colorado for a few years then went to Minnesota, and then to Naperville, Illinois which is where I did most of my growing up. That was where I did all of my junior high and high school. I went to school at Bowling Green, Ohio for four years. At that point, the age of 21, I signed a contract with the Dallas Burn for Major League Soccer.

At that time if you had school left, you could play for a program that was called, the Nike Project 40, it is now called Generation Adidas. Guys that have no eligibility left in school but need their degree can sign on as professional athletes. As soon as you sign a professional contract, you are immediately ineligible for college play. For me, I just had one class left, but I still qualified. It is made for those young studs like Freddy Adu.

VIP: What was the Nike Project 40 Program like?

Scott: By default, being a part of that program you get to train with your major league team during the week and travel around and play Project 40 games on the weekend. They play in the A league on the weekends. Each MLS team would have two or three Project 40 players. The thought process is you can train at a high level and still get the competition on the weekends to make you a better player.

I wasn’t happy being third string goalie in Dallas, so I asked to be released from the program to sign a contract with Rochester. I signed a one year contract in 2000, we won a championship and I became goalkeeper of the year. I came in here and really tried to prove something, because I wanted to go back into MLS. But, nobody wanted to give me a number one job.

VIP: How does Major League Soccer work?

Scott: How the MLS works is the league owns all of the players, so you can’t go to Chicago and say, “What will you pay me?” and then call up New York and say, “What will you pay me?” The negotiation is strictly with the league. They say, you are 24 years old, you’ve played this much, here is your salary. I could never get the number one money, so I signed back with Rochester. In 2002, I left and went back to Dallas, then in 2003, I got picked up by the Colorado Rapids – ending up back to Rochester in 2005.

Back up goalies in MLS are like an insurance policy. I was that guy, but I was making a good wage, so they didn’t see much value in having an expensive insurance policy. I was a bit of a salary cap casualty. So, I called Rochester back and just re-signed prior to this season for three more years.

VIP: Tell us a little bit about your family.

Scott: Rochester is my home now. I just turned thirty and I have a wife and a seventeen month old son. We have a house. Most people in this league don’t have a house because the club provides apartments, so most players just live in those. But, we decided that we wanted to live how we wanted to live for as long as we can – whether it is one year, ten years, or our whole life.

We didn’t want to live in an apartment and raise a kid - that was not what our life was all about. We can always put a for sale sign on the house. Not too many professional soccer players can say they have some place where they like to be and could be for the rest of their lives.

My wife and I have a very healthy relationship – we’re in a good spot right now. I’m very happy with how my life is progressing; personally, professionally, and with business. It is kind of all taking off.

VIP: When did you get married?

Scott: I got married in 2003. Is this a test? (Speaking into the recorder) “December 20, 2003, honey.”

VIP: Did you ever think about playing overseas?

Scott: For the most part you have to be on the U.S. National Team to even be considered. In fact, you have to be a substantial part of that team to even be considered. You can go on trial and play for a team for a week, then move on to another. I have always demanded a high wage, so it wasn’t a big deal for me to travel overseas. For some of the younger guys it might be a bigger deal.

My wife is a career woman; she has a full time job in pharmaceutical sales. For her to give that up to go to a foreign country was more of a family decision. Now, we have a seventeen month old son, so it just doesn’t make sense. For the last three and a half years we have been in baby phase – so we made the decision to stay in the states.

Many U.S. players go to Norway now because there are few restrictions over there. For the older guys it is more of a process. Goalies mature at an older age, so it doesn’t work out quite as well. As much as I would love to play in England, I’m not even eligible so even though they asked about me, it would just be too difficult to make happen.

VIP: What are some of your goals?

Scott: My original goal was to play for ten years – I am currently in my ninth. But, like I said, goalies don’t really mature until later in their soccer careers. It is a position based on experience; the more you have been in a specific situation, the more you recognize it and know it for next time. The more games you play the better you get. There is certainly a learning curve, a plateau and a decline. I still feel like I’m on the way up. I still feel like I’m learning and goalies certainly play well into their mid to late thirties. So, I’d like to put another six to eight years in.

I have a degree in sales and marketing. Now, I’ve been doing this soccer camp stuff. I started to do this when I was in Colorado playing for the Rapids. A guy called me up that had a son who played goalie, he said, “I’d like you to train my son.” So, I started to meet with this boy and a few friends of his every week to train them. It was good money. I thought it was going to be kind of like babysitting. The drop your kid off for an hour and go get a cup of coffee type of stuff to get a break. But, to actually tell the kids direction, have them do it, and then find success doing it is an unbelievable experience.

So, I started my goalkeeper training program, “Train like a Champion.”

VIP: Tell us a little bit about “Train like a Champion” with Scott Vallow?

Scott: Basically it is a camp structure; we do clinics, camps, and academies. I have a relationship with the Greece Soccer program. We do two six week camps.

I teamed up with my teammate Matthew Delicate and we do a goalkeeper/striker camp. We cap it at 15 kids because we pride ourselves on getting the individual attention. We don’t hire staff to help run the program, we do it all ourselves. We have ten programs; 4 in Rochester, 3 in Buffalo, and we just signed a contract for a camp at a Syracuse facility. We nearly sold out in both Syracuse and Buffalo, so we are looking to expand. Right now, it is a really good program – we keep it small and intimate. Ours is the complete opposite of Doug Miller’s camp whose motto has always been get as many kids as possible.

Matt Delicate

We want “Train like a Champion” with Scott Vallow to be training like a champion with Scott Vallow. We do different colored shirts for our different camps. We also give the drawstring shoe bags – we try to add value to the program without spending a lot of money. Matthew has his own sponsorship deal and so do I. We appreciate all of our local sponsors as well - they all really help us out. (One of Scott’s sponsors is Chris McVicker, VIP and Chairman of The Flanders Group). Who knows how far it can go?

I never thought I would like it, but I really enjoy it and there is certainly a market for it. Parents will pay a premium to have their kids play with a professional athlete. We need to make sure the kids in youth soccer are training the right way. That is what I might do – I’m not sure if my wife agrees with me – but I like it.

NOTABLE: To view the “Train like a Champion” website, click here!

VIP: Do you enjoy traveling?

Scott: We enjoy traveling in the off season – a family vacation and one with just my wife and me. We have tons of friends out in Ohio, so we might drop our son off with my parents in law in Pittsburgh and then travel on to visit some friends for a weekend here and there.

VIP: Who is someone you admired in soccer while you were a child?

Scott: I’ve always liked the U.S. National Team program: Tony Meola was one of my idols. He was the captain of the U.S. World Cup team when I was growing up. I played against him when he played for Kansas City, then we chatted after the game and we swapped jerseys – so that was pretty cool. I have it framed at my house.

VIP: You have a degree in Sales and Marketing from Bowling Green, what are your thoughts on sales?

Scott: I’m a big relationship seller. That is the way of doing business now. My dad, as I told you, has spent 25 years at Coors. He is in charge of eight distributors in all of Indiana right now. He has such a good relationship with his clients, so growing up and watching the way he sells was awesome. It’s crazy – the way he does it is different from all of the new techniques. He develops relationships with distributors so they can work together and collectively meet goals. It is a good philosophy.

VIP: What are your thoughts on training?

Scott: My philosophy on training has always been go one hundred percent for as long as you can. As goalkeeper we do everything in sets and repetitions. For me, it doesn’t do me any good to collect eight balls if I start to get tired after six. You don’t want to start promoting bad technique as you start to get tired. Certainly it is important to work through that fatigue factor, but you want to make sure that you work as hard and effective as you can.

For example, we will do a sequence of something and then do it again, and again, and again. I think it is better to do four or six of those things, rather than ten. Do what you can at 100% for as long as you can. That is what I always tell the guys on the team since I’ve been captain. I say, “There is no reason to save gas in the tank. If it is only 60 minutes, that is fine because we can find someone else to fill in. Then next time maybe you’ll go 65 minutes.” Go as hard as you can, as long as you can, and then we’ll make changes if we need to. I always train how I play - no shortcuts. Work as hard as you can in practice so the games become easy.

You want to work two or three or ten times as hard, so when you get in the game it is cake – no big deal; short and sharp as opposed to long and drawn out. I am more of a proponent to that. I have a set agenda, hour and a quarter – we get in and out. It keeps you focused.

VIP: What are your thoughts on weight training?

Scott: Mostly in the off-season - I follow a book called Body for Life by Bill Phillips. It is basically a lifestyle change of eating right – five small meals a day. It also incorporates training – a pyramid type lifting routine. Increase the weight and lower the reps; than go back down. You do a twenty minute treadmill workout – faster and faster, than slow it down. He says the best way to train is get the heart rate up and then take the heart rate back down – over and over.

Also, it says to eat zero raw sugar, tons of fruits and vegetables, high protein, medium to low carbohydrates. On Sunday though, you can eat whatever you want – pizza, Big Macs, beer, martinis, whatever. My wife calls it “Sunday Fun-Day.”

That’s what I do mostly in the off season. It helps me refocus and get back into it. Also, I take one complete month off after the season. I do a lot with core strength, speed, ply metrics, medicine ball workouts, and other things. I lift maybe once a week during the season.

VIP: How has it been managing the injury?

Scott: It has been tough – very tough. In nine years I have never missed one practice. So, all of the sudden to be out hurt is kind of a shock to everybody and more of a shock to me. I still go to practice everyday – I take the team through the warm-up, cool-down, and sit-ups. I’m still a part of the locker room presence. Also, it is good for the guys because I serve as a liaison between the players and the coach. They can come to me and I can tell them what coach might say. That is a big part of it. I warm up the goalies everyday – giving them as much advice as I can.

It is still a team sport, it’s not the Scott Vallow show. So, the ultimate goal is to try to win a championship. I try to help the team in anyway I can.

Also, I started to do a lot of community service. We have the program “Reading with the Rhinos” – so I’ll go read to kids and tailor my talk to what the district’s issues might be. The whole team does it, but I have taken on more of a role because of the injury. Also, I’m one of the higher profile guys, so it works out.

The injury has made me not take my body for granted. It has given me a new perspective on competition – knowing that any game could be your last. I sat down with the players right before the game after my injury and I said, “You never know when it could be your last game, so make sure you take advantage of this one game right now. You know you are going to play today, but you don’t know if you’re going to play tomorrow.”

VIP: When did you kick your first soccer ball?

Scott: I started when I was about six. I was never a goalie until I was about fourteen years old - I was a forward my whole life. Then it became a year round commitment and I decided on being goalie.

VIP: How do you define success?

Scott: In professional sports is certainly winning championships. At the end of the day, how many rings do you have? That connects people forever. Last year we made it to the Championship and we lost. It was devastating because that one moment could have defined the whole group. Certainly guys have had great careers without a championship. Dan Marino – best quarterback to never win a championship. I’m sure he would trade a lot just for one ring.

In life it is about being happy, being comfortable, and being able to look yourself in the mirror before you go to bed and know that you did as much as you could for your personal life and professional life that day.

Every night I go to bed and I say, my son went to bed at 7:30 tonight, but you know what, I played with him until 7:29. If for some reason I have an individual lesson or I’m out and I don’t get much time with “my little guy” then it kills me. That is kind of how I live my life, almost on a daily basis. I like to be able to say, “Today was a good day.” Then, I give my wife a kiss and go to bed or maybe watch a little television.

VIP: What are some of the ways you help your teammates as Captain?

Scott: All the time we get guys to come in for one week. Sometimes those guys get signed and somebody gets benched. Players will come to me and ask, “What am I supposed to do?” I tell them, “All you can do is work as hard as you can everyday; do everything you can and everything you are supposed to do. Then when you go to bed at night you know that you did everything you can, so if the coach wants to choose somebody else, you can say ‘I’m ok with my personal performance.’” You have no one to blame but yourself if you start taking shortcuts.

My philosophy is whatever the coach says goes. Never talk bad about anybody – bite your tongue and take it for what it’s worth. Support the coach, the city, and your teammates.

VIP: What are some of your hobbies?

Scott: I love to cook and I love to go shopping. I’m a Wegmans-aholic. I probably go to Wegmans four times a week.

I mean for us (Rhinos), we work 10 AM – 12 PM, so we’ve got a lot of free time. We have from 12:30 to whenever to do what we want. I hate to read. I like to read magazines and newspapers, but I don’t like to read books. I’ll read the front and the back and then I’ll look for the Cliff’s Notes. My wife does all the reading.

My top two hobbies are playing cards and cooking. Also, I love hanging out with my family.

VIP: What are some of your favorite T.V. shows?

Scott: I like crime drama; the original CSI: Las Vegas, although I have branched into CSI: Miami - not as much a fan of CSI New York. I love Shark with James Woods.

I like that reality TV as well but not so much Flava of Love. Lately I have watched more of the Disney Channel though with the little guy.

VIP: What is some advice you would give someone coming out of college?

Scott: You’ve got to be tenacious. I talk to my guys all the time about the “Two T’s,” talent and tenacity. Sometimes talent isn’t good enough, so you’ve got to be tenacious. It is tough to have one without the other and achieve success. Dedication, determination, and desire are important too. In “Reading with the Rhinos,” we talk about having a healthy lifestyle, staying in school, being respectful and making quality decisions. It is pretty much the same speech no matter what age you are.

Think before you act with decision making. Forget to set your alarm before you go to sleep at night and you sleep in. It’s a small decision, but if you miss a meeting it could have a big impact on you.

Surround yourself with quality people. You don’t have to know everything as long as you surround yourself with people that know more than you. Then, a lot of times you’re better off.

Joe, Scott, and Ben at First Taste on Park Avenue

P.S. Fresh content at www.normanized.com. Check it out! <<<--- i="i">

Scott Vallow

Captain / Goalkeeper

Rochester Raging Rhinos (Website)

Train Like a Champion with Scott Vallow (Website)