As I enter my 50th year in the advertising and public relations business, I appreciate this chance to reflect on What I Know, what I think I know, what I may have forgotten and what a great ride this has been. Tens of thousands of ads and PR stories. Hundreds of great clients and friends along the way. I feel fortunate.

I’d also like to take this opportunity to announce my refirement! That’s right, REFIREMENT.  Not retirement. I’m refired: fired up, and still excited about working. It is not over yet. I’m still at it, and will be for some time. I have ads to create, stories to tell, ideas to sell, businesses to help, and fun to have in this business. And besides, I’m not old enough to play golf.

The best advice I ever received was from Maryellen Clark, my mother, who taught me this “momily” many, many times throughout my life: “You are what you think you are.” And to this day, when I have doubts, her words come back to me. I think I am happy, I’m an achiever, I’m good at what I do, I’m respected, I’m continually growing and I’m a positive force. And sure enough, I am.

Another important lesson I have learned is in the Serenity Prayer. “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference.” The wisdom tells me that the only things I can change are on the inside, so I accept things as they are, change my mind and move on. Of course, I’m not perfect at it—some things are hard to accept—but I am always learning.

Living my life in gratitude helps me realize I am continually blessed and that my blessings must be shared. I start and end each day with an inventory of all I have to be grateful for. It’s amazing how much there is. I make it a point to share my blessings of positivity, abundance, knowledge, humor and more. Each day I try to make at least one person’s day with a compliment or a kind word: telling people

they are doing an amazing job, giving them something to be proud of and happy about. Try it—you’ll like it.

My mom was instrumental in inspiring my professional track. As a college senior majoring in sociology, and nearing graduation, I told her I didn’t know what I was going to do. I didn’t want to be a social worker. She said, “You ought to be a PR man. You’re always trying to get attention; you should get paid for it.” She was right, and I have had a great time getting attention for my clients over the years. It is satisfying to help a business grow and prosper. That’s why I’m still at it.

People often say since I have been in this field for so long, I must have seen a lot of changes. There have been many, especially in how the message is delivered. The digital world we live in is the biggest change in delivery, but one thing has remained the same: the message. Reaching into the customers’ hearts and minds with the sales message and motivating them to buy the product, the service, the idea. It’s still about persuasion. Even with our amazing, burgeoning technology, the business is human. Real human contact is still important, even with the ease of emails, texting and Facebook messaging. Face to face is the best way to communicate.

I have always felt that service to others is important and have done my best through the years to serve my community and my fellow citizens. I’ve been fortunate, in both my business and personal life, to have been involved in many civic projects that have improved Spokane. Momentum, new schools, the Spokane Arena, the Convention Center Expansion and the Spokane Tribe West Plains project, to name a few. Volunteering has played an instrumental role in my life and I encourage others to make a difference by helping make this world and our community a better place for all of us.

Bottom line: I’m grateful every day for the life I have had and look forward to many more sunrises full of exciting opportunities.