Thank you.

Thank you.

Mission Statement.  Grivani Corporate Gift Giving provides our corporate clients with a full array of premium gifts as well as white glove gift giving facilitation [including the sourcing, shipping, and return processing of all gifts].  At Grivani, we also offer our corporate clients a gift giving concierge service that provides notification of gift giving events, gift suggestions, and gift sourcing.  Additionally, Grivani provides our corporate clients with corporate branded specialty product.

Below is my updated profile of our Grivani Corporate Giving Program, along with some associated opportunities.  

Everyone appreciates being remembered and recognized, which is why smart companies choose to recognize faithful customers during the holidays with a special gift that says “Thanks for your business.” – Timothy M. Andrews, ASI CEO

Corporate gift giving is a giant business.  
In addition to gift giving to clients, customers, and suppliers – companies give for charitable reasons [allowing the company to become more recognized and appreciated in the community] and for tokens of appreciation to employees [allowing for job recognition and a subtle advertisement of the company].  Among Candlewood surveyed companies, 62% are planning on giving gifts out to employees and/or clients and prospects.  And companies who are giving gifts to customers anticipate distributing them to 116 customers on average.

Companies that provide gifts to their best customers are in a $1.8 billion a year business in the United State alone.  And it’s growing every year.  But, more importantly, the total corporate spend is over $75 billion annually on awards points, merchandise, and gift cards in programs targeting four groups: sales staff, channel partners, all-employee programs, and customers.  

“Giving good business gifts is paramount,” said Ray Kish, president of Candlewood Marketing. “It’s the epoxy that holds profitable relationships together.  It’s right at the top rung of the marketing ladder, in terms of importance, because you show your creativity.”

With the economy improving over the past several years, it probably should come as no surprise that businesses are spending more on corporate gifts [up to 27% from 20%] and giving them on more occasions [up nearly 37%] than they did in 2015.

That’s borne out by the per-recipient budgets for corporate gifts.  The number of firms that give out the most expensive corporate gifts – those costing $1,000 or more – more than quintupled from 1% to 6% between 2015 and 2016, while gifts in the $300 – $999 range are up almost 30%.  That’s certainly the core of the Grivani Gift Giving target market.

Grivani Corporate Gift Giving Suite of Services

Grivani is different from the traditional corporate gift giving companies and other ASI businesses.  We offer a suite of services unlike any other.  Here is a profile of all that we have to offer.

1. Choosing the Appropriate Gift
   Corporate gifts are widely regarded as an effective means of strengthening corporate relationships and creating goodwill.  Marketing managers are the principal decision makers in deciding whether there is a need to use corporate gifts and incentives.  The main recipients of those gifts and incentives are existing and potential customers.  The majority of companies prefer to use customized gifts that feature the company logo, but a corporate gift can be anything from stationery to an all-inclusive Caribbean holiday for two.  The type of gifts used is limited only by the imagination.  
   
   The most important time to use gifts is at the launch of a new service and over the Christmas and New Year period.  Most companies purchase a mixture of gifts of different value to suit different needs.
   
   There are three main issues in the use of corporate gifts.  The first is marketing related: the role and purpose, the budget and the recipient; the second involves practical considerations: the choice of right gifts and the timing etc. The third relates to cross- cultural and ethical concerns: how to give gifts overseas and how to distinguish gifts from bribery.

   
   In many cultures, the ceremony of gift giving is laden with meaning and more important than the gift itself.  While corporate gifts are usually given on special occasions in Europe, in Asia it is often necessary to bring a gift for the first business meeting.  Each nation has a distinctive culture and value system that dictate the business gift-giving behavior.  What is totally acceptable and legal in one culture would be either unacceptable or illegal in another. International companies must understand the culture of the recipient in order to avoid making costly blunders.
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2. Corporate Concierge Service
   Our new Grivani Corporate Gift Concierge service provides for limitless options when it comes to our client’s personal or corporate gifting needs.  Our clients simply tell us what gifts or products they desire, and we set out to fulfill their requests with the highest attention to detail, taste, timeliness, logistics, and quality.  Always being mindful of our client’s needs, we also provide plenty of appropriate gifting options for clients who are unsure of what to gift for various occasions.  Whether it is for the client personally, their employees, customers, business associates, or loved ones, we are uniquely prepared to take care of any and all of their gifting needs.
   
   Our Corporate Gift Concierge service is utilized for both personal and business gifting needs.  The Grivani Corporate Gift Concierge service is available to all of our Capax clients, and there is no charge to use our Corporate Gift Concierge services.  Our Grivani clients can simply call us and tell us what they’re looking for, and we’ll source and deliver it with the appropriate attention to detail.  Our service takes the guesswork out of gift giving by providing our clients and consumers the benefit of a personal shopper.  
   
   Not only do we provide outstanding service, we also provide Free Shipping, complimentary gift wrapping [in our signature houndstooth gift wrap], and wholesale pricing for our customers.  And even if we do not stock the gifts our clients are looking for, we will still gladly source it for them with our White Glove Gift Sourcing.
   • 24/7 Corporate Concierge
   • Gift Giving Notification Service
   • Luxury Lifestyle Request Hotline
   • Amex Platinum Concierge
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3. White Glove Gift Sourcing
   Grivani offers premium white glove gift sourcing services.  Our team of talented gift selectors find the perfect gift for your client, spouse, or friend.  Our service expertise ranges from high end fashion and luxury automobiles to the most sought after scented candle.  We strive to locate hard to acquire items for our clients in areas of the world untouched by the human footprint.  Travel services are inclusive of the price of the gift.
   • Hand-selected Product
   • Hard-to-find Gift Sourcing Worldwide
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4. Account Fulfillment Partnerships  
   Grivani is the leader in account fulfillment partnerships.  We partner with large scale accounts to offer our premium line-up of products to their customers and clients for gift purchases as well as gift redemption.  Not only do we provide our product to clients at wholesale pricing, but we ensure total fulfillment and the option to drop ship at no additional cost.  As an added benefit, Grivani provides a team of skilled operational experts who will guarantee the gift wrap, presentation, shipping, and delivery of product purchased through one of our sales agents.
   • Gift Offerings and Selection
   • Gift Fulfillment from iFul
   • Drop Shipping
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5. Brand Development Partnerships
   Grivani features a resourceful partnership with Advantage Global Resources [see below] for select brand development.  Our team of talented in-house designers are able to customize any of our product offerings with customized tags, labels, and design elements for your business, taking your customer’s satisfaction to the next level [i.e.: Pure+Fresh for J Brand, Grivani Home for Douglas Elliman].  We also leverage our mass merchandise brand partner, Modern Luxuri, to develop custom gift sets of fashion jewelry for any client need.
   • Grivani
   • Bogavia
   • Pure+Fresh
   • Modern Luxuri
   • Piece Apparel
   • Scotch Boots of Holland
   • Aussie T Co
   • Forrestel Clothing
   • Carolina Clothing
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6. Corporate Branded ASI Products
   Grivani’s newest sector, Corporate Branded Products [commonly referred to as CBP], is responsible for creating promotional ASI items, such as custom drinkware, bridal gifts, pen sets, and apparel.
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7. Corporate Regulated Sector [CSR]
   It is important to note that many companies forbid gift giving at high price points, so that is why Grivani has a category specifically for this client preference, the Corporate Regulated Sector.
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8. Gift Giving Registry
   Our gift giving registry will allow participants to identify all gift giving events and plan accordingly – and it will all be handled online.The Gift Giving Registry concierge will alert the registered gift giver to an upcoming event and provide gift suggestions based on that particular event’s registered criteria for gifting.  The concierge will then source, gift wrap, and ship the chosen gift.  And this concierge gift-giving service is free.  I think that along with our jumpsite strategy there is no greater opportunity for generating sales internationally.
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9. Grivani Wine Cellar
   Our Grivani wine collection from Tuscany, Italy, is the main focus of our new premium wine shop located in the Walker Center nestled between TW&Co and Giancarlo’s Sicilian Steakhouse.  The Grivani Wine Cellar provides cross-marketing and selling opportunities with Giancarlo’s Corporate Catering and Grivani Corporate Gift Giving.  Our Grivani wines, made in Tuscany, can be sold internationally.
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10. iWorldShoppingCenter.com [iWSC]
    I am excited about the development of iWorldShoppingCenter.com [iWSC], our new ecommerce website.  Jamie and Shauna have launched our all-inclusive marketplace that is running on BigCommerce.  We are still doing some formatting to accommodate iWorldFundraising and Gift Giving Registry, but we are fully functional with all of our Advantage Brands.The iWSC marketplace is the foundation for several new operations, including our long-awaited iWorldFundraising.org.  But it is also the foundation for the Fashion Resource Group, College Rep Program, Grivani Corporate Gift-Giving, and Gift-Giving Registry.  And that’s just for starters.
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11. iWorldFundraising.org
    It’s been a long time coming, but we are finally launching iWorldFundraising.org.  Jamie and Shauna are continuing to build our website, and we anticipate a January 1st launch.  Right now we are active with our beta version.iWorldFundraising.org provides a revolutionary Zero Fee online venue to raise money for organizations, individuals, causes, and events.  iWorldFundraising.org is a Zero Fee web-enabled program designed to help facilitate and create awareness for fundraising of all sorts, all without the limitations of traditional fundraising services and their excessive fees.  Unlike fundraising services such as GoFundMe [who charge an 8% service fee], iWorldFundraising.org charges no fees and takes no commission or profit of any kind on any transaction.  All of the functionality and support is donated entirely by the Advantage Co of Williamsville, NY.  The only possible charge would be a third party fee that AmEx, Visa, Master Card, Venmo, PayPal, or BitCoin might impose for their role in processing the transaction.

    In addition to providing a Zero Fee venue for direct online contributions, iWorldFundraising.org also provides participants access to our iWorldFundraising Online Marketplace – where the entire profit from donor purchases goes directly to their fundraising effort.  Manufacturers and retailers are encouraged to provide their goods and services through the iWorldFundraising Online Marketplace at their wholesale cost and to provide the handling and delivery of the donor purchases, while the entire retail profit goes directly to the designated recipient.  iWorldFundraising.org does not, under any circumstances, retain any of the profit or any of the revenue collected.  It is a Zero Fee facilitation by iWorldFundraising.org.

    The iWorldFundraising.org marketplace is live at iWorldShoppingCenter.com

    Supporting worthwhile causes is the Advantage Co’s top priority with their Zero Fee fundraising concept.  The inspiration for their concept which includes the iWorld Marketplace was from the proverb: Teach a man to fish and he eats for a day, but if you teach a man to fish he can eat for a lifetime.  By creating and supporting a venue such as iWorldFundraising.org, the Advantage Co enables organizations and individuals with a remarkable and sustainable cost-free resource to raise funds forever – which is well beyond the impact of a mere donation.

    iWorldFundraising.org is the complete ecommerce solution for an event, organization, or individual’s fundraising efforts.  The days of dangerously selling products like Girl Scout Cookies door to door are over.  There is no longer be a need to for anyone to handle cash contributions, especially children.  All transactions are online and fully accounted for with full transparency.  iWorldFundraising.org provides fundraisers with full access to all of our resources.  This is truly a unique fundraising opportunity.  All that’s necessary from the organization or individual is to promote direct access to iWorldFundraising.org for their fundraising activities.  There is no cost to join iWorldFundraising.org, and there is never any fee.
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12. The College Rep/Influencer Program
    This program lives on in my heart.  I can’t help but think of what an incredible marketing resource it would be to have a thousand or so college reps and influencers spread out across the campuses of America [and the world].One of our first college reps is now the former Secretary of Labor for the United States.  Back in the 70’s, as a college rep for FAD Co. in New Jersey, I was able to sell Technics and Pioneer product, and it is what led to the Stereo Advantage’s success.  Today, we have the premium product lineup that will allow us to launch the premier online experience for college reps and influencers worldwide.  We have the product to support the profitability that will be attainable for reps nationally and internationally.

    The College Rep/Influencer Program will now be incorporated into the iWSC jumpsite program.
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13. Fashion Resource Group
    The fashion industry has been dismissive of boutiques ever since the recession of 2008 wiped out most of them.  There is an opportunity for us to organize the premium boutiques into a powerful buying group.  What makes us so uniquely prepared to offer this type of association to premium boutiques is the the wide variety of services and resources we can offer in addition to buying power.Here are some of the services and resources we can offer premium boutiques:
    • Negotiate a group discount for members with every vendor.
    • Negotiate for the acquisition of lines for individual accounts as well as for the entire group.
    • Negotiate the terms of every aspect of the vendor relationship.
    • Develop proprietary and exclusive products with vendors for the group.
    • Purchase entire end-of-life product at a substantial discount for the group exclusively.
    • Create products for members only.
    • Create proprietary brands for members.
    • Unique access to all Advantage Brands with additional discounts.
    • Brand Online Partnership.
    • Instant access to authorized inventory [Never Lose A Sale with Mywarehouse.org].
    • Design for websites, emails, brochures, catalogs, handouts, videos, signs, etc.
    • Supply purchasing resource.
    • Accounting, legal, tax preparation, and all backend support.
    • Health Care and Benefits.
    • Corporate Sales.
    • Training Seminars and Assistance.
    • Seamstress services.
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14. Advantage Global Resources Brand Development Program
    At the Advantage Co, the development of our backend support services over the past 40 years has positioned us to realize our potential as an easily accessible, cost-effective, and flexible resource for a variety of business operations.  At the core of all our Advantage Co backend support is Advantage Global Resources [AGR].  
    
    Advantage Global Resources provides the essential support apparatus for the origination, design, structure, financing, development, growth, reporting, monitoring, analytics, compliance, security, accounting, and governance of all our businesses and partnerships.
    
    Based on our deliverable expertise, Advantage Global Resources has developed a unique and extraordinary Brand Development Program.  The services that we efficiently deliver to all our businesses and partnerships [i.e. Capax Discovery, c1 Advantage, AP Professionals, ABX, Bogavia, CISO Sentinel, TW&Co, Giancarlo’s, LTS, Stereo Advantage, Grivani Wine Cellar, etc.] are indeed world class, and we are now able to make them readily available through our Brand Development Program to various clients who are looking to effectively and expeditiously launch their own brand [i.e. Carolina Clothing Co, Sozae, JNorman & Co, Christeus, Phroket, SparkIt, etc.].
    
    While venture capitalists and start-up incubators assist in the development, marketing, financing, and launch of a brand, AGR not only provides those highly visible services, but goes well beyond to provide the nuts and bolts of every business, including, as needed, product sourcing, warehousing, and distribution, as well as ecommerce, retail testing, and full accounting and compliance support.
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15. Grivani Golf
    There is still a lot of work to be done to effectuate the Grivani Golf concept, but I am looking forward to putting it together this summer.  There will be 3 divisions to Grivani Golf as detailed below.
    
    • Grivani Accessories, Skin Care, Clothing, and Clubs
      The start of Grivani Golf will be with our Grivani products and accessories lineup to be sold in Green Grass accounts internationally.
      1. Grivani Skin Care.  http://iworldshoppingcenter.com/grivani/apothecary/
      2. Grivani Accessories.  http://iworldshoppingcenter.com/grivani/leather/
      3. Grivani Sunglasses.  The first round of sunglasses were not up to Grivani standards, so we will continue to source the type of quality product we are looking for.  If it is not the best, then it will not be Grivani.  http://iworldshoppingcenter.com/grivani/sunglasses/
      4. Grivani Uniform Length Clubs.  The potential for this is remarkable now that DeChambeau has renewed interest in this concept.  The Cobra offering is awful.  We can get it right.
    • Grivani Golf Club [GGC] Membership
      Grivani Golf Club members will pay $100 to join the GGC.  There will then be an annual $50 membership fee.  The GGC Agent Coordinator will receive $10 of the annual membership fee.
      
      The GGC member benefits will include:
      1. Grivani Marketplace.  Grivani Golf products and accessories will be available online 24/7 at our iWorldShoppingCenter.com marketplace.  All members will receive a 20% discount on their purchases.  Additionally, GGC members will also receive 20% off on all iWolrdShoppingCenter.com marketplace purchases.  That means they will also be receiving 20% off on Bogavia, Piece Apparel, Pure + Fresh, etc.
      2. Grivani Concierge.  All GGC members will have access to our GGC Concierge services.  This service will be for purchasing golf equipment and travel.
      3. Grivani Club Exchange.  Members will be able to sell and trade the golf equipment online through the GGC.
      4. Grivani Golf Coop.  This is a contingency fee buying service for all golf related professionals.  The coop receives 25% of the savings that we provide on all purchases.  Additionally, the coop will provide a marketplace for Pro Shop inventories that need to be sold or liquidated. 
         

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         http://advantageexperience.com/catalog/2017/
         http://www.iworldfundraising.org/
         https://iworldshoppingcenter.com/
         http://theadvantage.com/

Advantage Global Resources Brand Development Program

At the Advantage Co, the development of our backend support services over the past 40 years has positioned us to realize our potential as an easily accessible, cost-effective, and flexible resource for a variety of business operations.  At the core of all our Advantage Co backend support is Advantage Global Resources [AGR].  

Advantage Global Resources provides the essential support apparatus for the origination, design, structure, financing, development, growth, reporting, monitoring, analytics, compliance, security, accounting, and governance of all our businesses and partnerships.

Based on our deliverable expertise, Advantage Global Resources has developed a unique and extraordinary Brand Development Program.  The services that we efficiently deliver to all our businesses and partnerships [i.e. Capax Discovery, c1 Advantage, AP Professionals, ABX, Bogavia, CISO Sentinel, TW&Co, Giancarlo’s, LTS, Stereo Advantage, Grivani Wine Cellar, etc.] are indeed world class, and we are now able to make them readily available through our Brand Development Program to various clients who are looking to effectively and expeditiously launch their own brand [i.e. Carolina Clothing Co, Sozae, JNorman & Co, Christeus, Phroket, SparkIt, etc.].

While venture capitalists and start-up incubators assist in the development, marketing, financing, and launch of a brand, AGR not only provides those highly visible services, but goes well beyond to provide the nuts and bolts of every business, including, as needed, product sourcing, warehousing, and distribution, as well as ecommerce, retail testing, and full accounting and compliance support.

Simply put, our Advantage Global Resources Brand Development Program provides every aspect of brand development and sustainable business activity efficiently and effectively [launched in a matter of days, if necessary].  From creating the desired corporate entity to building the brand to providing full business support, AGR is the complete resource.   

https://iworldshoppingcenter.com/

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https://tonywalkerpost.com/root-philosophy/

Here is a short list of businesses we have started or helped to start.  136 and counting.  The businesses in bold are currently operational.  The businesses in italics are partnerships.  Each one has been visited by success and failure.  One of these nights I’ll start filling in the stories.  

All told, we estimate there have been over 8,000 participants in the building of these opportunities.  If you have a backstory for any of them, why not share it with us?  I’ll take the good with the bad [they all have their share].  It is never meant to be easy, but it is always meant to be enjoyable.

A man who says he never had a chance is the man who never took one.  Be big, be a builder.

Advantage Co Businesses

1. Advantage Brands
2. Advantage Catalog
3. Advantage Computer Co.
4. Advantage Global Management
5. Advantage Home Theater
6. Advantage Outlet
7. Advantage Properties
8. Advantage TI
9. Advantage Trade Group
10. Aussie T Co
11. Bogavia
12. Brinkley Builders
13. Chuggs
14. Computer Head Start
15. Giancarlo’s
16. Grivani
17. Grivani Cafe & Patisserie
18. Grivani Wine Cellar
19. Grivani Wine [Distributing]
20. House of Cotton
21. Forrestel Clothing Co
22. iFul
23. iSport
24. iWorldFundraising.org
25. Leave It To Alison**
26. Lifetime Service
27. Love Pink & Green
28. Luxuri Link
29. Merwin & Payne
30. Modern Luxuri
31. MyWarehouse.Live
32. Nantucket Clothing
33. Naples Properties
34. Osaka Speakers
35. PALM Investments
36. Piece Apparel
37. Pioneer Home Theater
38. Pure + Fresh
39. Scotch Boots of Holland
40. Smart Car Store
41. Smart House Cafe**
42. Smart Squad Design
43. Smart Squad Install
44. SmartLinks
45. Sneaker Advantage
46. SONY Home Theater
47. Sporbit
48. Stereo Advantage [Olean]
49. JVC Home Theater
50. Taplin Marketing
51. The Warren Fund
52. Tiny Walker
53. Touche’
54. TW Outlet [Niagara Falls]**
55. TW&Co
56. Walker Center
57. Walker Kids Trust
58. Walker Global Solutions
59. Walker Stock Exchange
60. Wehrle Properties
61. White Box Services

Advantage Co Partnerships

1. ABX Professionals
2. Advantage Business Exchange
3. Advantage Marketing & Incentives
4. Advantage Professionals**
5. Advantage Systems Professionals**
6. Advantage Woodshop
7. American Wireless
8. AP Charlotte
9. AP Cincinnati
10. AP Cleveland
11. AP Denver
12. APHQ
13. AP Metro**
14. AP Phoenix
15. AP Rochester
16. AP Solutions**
17. AP Syracuse
18. AP Tampa
19. AP Washington DC
20. At Your Service
21. Aussie Outfitters
22. Autonomic Resources**
23. Bellus Development
24. BizHop [support only]
25. Butler Chemical
26. Cascade Point**
27. c1 Advantage
28. c1 Secure
29. Carolina Clothing Co
30. Capax Alpha
31. Capax Discovery
32. Capax Global
33. Capax India
34. Capax Resource Management
35. Chiampou Travis & Kershner*
36. Cleary & Sullivan
37. Cleary Travel
38. Consilium1**
39. Cross Pointe**
40. Delta Road Properties
41. Duke Fund**
42. FedDrop
43. FedSecure Data Centers
44. Free Trade Consultants
45. Gauntlet Design
46. Greenview Landscaping*
47. Hudson Walker
48. Images & Graphics
49. Inspired Global Resources
50. Inspired Global Staffing
51. Irwin Lazarus
52. iWorld Professionals
53. iWorld Resources
54. JALMAR Graphics
55. LD World Resources
56. Manzella Productions [support only]
57. My Personal Advisor
58. Outback Paging [AdTel Worldwide]
59. Pizza Shoppe
60. Real Properties Services
61. Sceven
62. SmartLink [Bailey & Kensington]
63. SmartLink [Main Place Mall]
64. Sozae
65. SparkIt
66. Stereo Advantage [Phoenix]
67. Stereo Shops [3 Rochester stores]**
68. Strategic Finance
69. Taplin Design
70. Tony Walker Golf Club [4 locations nationally]
71. Total Health & Fitness
72. Trend Depot
73. TW Charter Stores [92 Aussie Outfitter stores nationally]
74. Wellingtin Resources
75. White & Co

Coming Soon

1. ABX Naples
2. Advacovery
3. 2 Girls 1 Deal
4. Advantage Gallery
5. Advantage Legal
6. Advantage Personality Profiling
7. Al Marie Cosmetics
8. ApothoClean
9. Balance Bra
10. Cannabis Cargo
11. Cento Club Boutique Hotel
12. Christeus
13. Christian Coop
14. Church of the Good
15. Fashion Resource Group
16. FedCloud Vault
17. Florida College Connection
18. Giancarlo’s Grove
19. Gift Giving Registry
20. GoToCloud Express
21. Greenskeeper Coop
22. Grivani Golf
23. iTech Protect
24. iWorld Auto
25. iWorld Staffing
26. Life Source Insurance
27. OffShore Secure
28. Phroket
29. Scrubs
30. Walker Global Mergers Acquisitions & Review
31. Walker Global Parts
32. Walker Sports Audit
33. Wynnovation Labs

* No longer involved in this partnership.

**Ended successfully.

There are three worlds: the one we are given, the one we are stuck with, and the one we bend to our will.

Theodore Roosevelt’s famous Man in the Arena speech.  ‘It is not the critic who counts, not the one who points out how the strong man stumbled or how the doer of deeds might have done them better.  The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred with sweat and dust and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions and spends himself in a worthy cause and who, if he fails, at least fails while bearing greatly so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.’

I remain suspicious of my memory.  I know it plays tricks on me, which I don’t mind, but I’d like to know just how distorted it has all become.  What was once contentious, now appears farcical.  And what was once troubling, now appears amusing.  That’s all good, and what’s even better is that what was once delightful is now even more so.

I did a little research, and it appears that it’s only natural to remember things more fondly.  Knowing that, I am bothered ever more by people who are still holding on to a grudge,  slight, or animosity from so long ago.  The best advice in life is to let it go.

As 2016 comes to a close, my short term memory conjures up a year that rivals the past, and, in many ways, exceeds even the best of my memories.  The kids are all doing great, our businesses get more fascinating and global ever year, my friends are as enjoyable as ever, and life in Naples is almost surreal.  And as I pack to leave 85 and sunny for 25 and snowy, I’m definitely looking forward to it.  I’ll see you at Giancarlo’s by my table next to the wood-fired pizza oven.

Yes, it is all – if to be believed – phantasmagorical.  And it is.