There is something so intriguing about being on the edge of the United States. The difference between the Atlantic coast of Florida and the Atlantic coast of Maine is vast and intriguing.
Am I in a time warp? Did I just turn 70 years old in Maine? Reflecting and to name a few undeniable and poignant facts, I do have a 45-year-old daughter, a 78-year-old brother, an 18-year-old granddaughter, and a 90+ year old father-n-law, so I guess it is all true …
The Democrat Party seems to be bringing the American flag back into favor with the left. As a person in the flag business, this makes me happy. But selfish capitalism is not the only reason. I’m also glad because that is what the flag of the United States is supposed to do; Unite US.
This story is not mine, but it is so worth sharing. Not only because it is heartfelt and well written, but also because it is full of hope and could save someone’s life.
I am not sure I would know how to go about starting a flag business today. 50 years ago (yes, next year we celebrate 50 years), business was simpler. You identified a need, then filled the need by either door-to-door sales or a store front. And advertising was simpler, too, with only 3 mediums to choose from: radio, tv, or newspaper. All that seems archaic by today’s standards.
A fun thing about being in the flag business is seeing our customers’ found flags and helping them decipher their origination.
I don’t consider myself an influencer, though I blog every week, have a podcast and YouTube channel, and my marketing team puts my face on everything. Instead, I prefer to think of myself as an encourager.
Most people probably do not realize this, even those that read my blog regularly, but the official name of my blog is Bannerisms and its official web address is Bannerisms.com. What a weird, made-up name. What does that even mean? And why did I let someone talk me into that name?
Recently, as I was checking-in on our company Facebook page and reading some of the comments made on the half-staff notification for Ruth Bader-Ginsburg. I was taken aback by the lack of civility and misspellings. When I asked my staff about it, they shrugged helplessly and said, “We think it is Russian bots.” What?!
In my COVID fever fog last week, I heard through an open window the non-mechanical hacking of Grady splitting wood for our fireplace.
Has your Christmas cactus forgotten how to bloom?
Though this may sound like a metaphor for one’s aging brain, it is not. It is a serious question, pondered by many persons this time of year.
A “girl’s girl” is not a usual descriptor for me. But, one night a month, I attend a Girls Night Out (GNO). I have been dining with the same group of ladies for years, really decades. This one, in the above photo, I have known since 2nd grade: Kathleen Nowell-King.
The original premise for starting the Up In Your Business radio show and podcast was to interview guests that could share small business information and give encouragement to those just starting out. It did not take long before my guests and I were repeating the same information. No matter what your business is, the “rules of business” remain the same.
This is hard to believe: I have been blogging since 2004! I used to blog once a month but, a few years back, my marketing staff pushed me to blog more and share my business knowledge.
I have never seen Arkansas’ local TV meteorologist, Barry Brandt, so happy. He appeared almost jubilant as he pointed to the snow-covered map and expounded on snowfall statistics that he clearly loves.


