It takes a long time to become a good Queen. I often think about Queen Elizabeth II; how young she was when given so much responsibility. I admired her British sensibility, bringing calm thoughtfulness to her important decision making.

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If you buy your flags from Flag and Banner, chances are you’ve talked to this guy, Kirk (or Captain Kirk as we like to call him – unless I’m mad at him and then I call him Kirk the Jerk!). He is our senior salesman and, like me, he loves games.

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As “Queen Mother” of my big family and the boss of 50ish employees, I make a lot of decisions and have lots of people (my family and staff) make decisions that affect me.

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Lacking formal college training in business, I attended numerous AIDC seminars and SBA workshops to learn and grow. At one such seminar, the speaker made a statement that has stuck with me ever since: “If your business isn’t changing every 10 years, expect to be out of business in another 10.”

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It has been a couple of months since Grady’s dad fell ill. As anyone who has been through a similar situation can tell you, there is a feeling of helplessness and a silent indicator of stress that creeps into your body’s muscles. For most people, the tenseness is in their neck, back, or shoulders, but not Grady.

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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.

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“Thank you for letting us, all of us, share in your dream tonight.” That is what Dancing into Dreamland judge and actress Joey Lauren Adams said to the man who, at the end of a duo-dance routine, got down on one knee, pulled a ring out of his pocket, and proposed to his partner.

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I am living my own version of Netflix’s “Seven Days Out” mini-series. If you haven’t seen this show, each episode is a documentary and witness to the excitement and drama in the seven days leading up to a major world event in sports, fashion, space, food, etc.; such as the Westminster Abby Dog Show, The Kentucky Derby, NASA’s Cassini Mission, or Eleven Madison Park Restaurant.

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