finding Monsuun | est. 2005

Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

To all:

I have joined the world of Twitter…I fear I will never be the same.

I’ve been amazed at how fast time seems to have passed over the last year. Nevertheless, my son Colin is one year old this weekend. View our family blog here.

…are rarely noticed, but its the things you don’t do that always are.

I’m not sure if anyone still checks this blog (no blame here if you don’t anymore), but I just felt I had to post this trivial revelation (in my limited life experience) I’ve had since starting a new business. It’s one of those revelations that forces me to remember Seth Godin’s sage advice in The Dip: “Quit quickly and quit often, but if you’ve decided that you can be the best in your industry, push and push and push harder and faster through the dip and you will get beyond most of your competition” [paraphrased]. redPear, we, I am in that dip right now and I know that I have to keep fixing the things I don’t do, while continuing to do that things that I already do.

Thanks for listening out there.

Today marks the beginning of the Give One. Get One. campaign from the One Laptop Per Child organization. This is a great cause and a pretty sweet little laptop. If you have the means, please take this opportunity.

Our Grand Opening last Friday night was a huge success. We made one BIG announcement and several others that will soon find themselves updated across this blog and our website.

Thank you to everyone who came out, enjoyed some wine, cheese, red pears, good music, good art, and good company. It was a memorable experience for sure.

Pictures will be posted here soon.

Update: Here a few pictures. We also have a new Flickr account!

In an effort to be transparent now and in the future–and to confront possible bad blood that could potentially exist with past, current and future clients, vendors, partners, friends, and family–I post below an Anonymous RSVP that arrived in my email box this morning. My response follows below the RSVP.

Name: Billy & Brandon

Email: script-scammer@redpearscripthijackers.com

How Many?: more

Optional Message: Seen on the on the RSVP page:

“script by redPear”??

Looks like a word press formmailer script…. dd-formmailer.

Do you get to take credit for the script for just creating fields?

I hope your business plan consists of more than passing on the work of others as your own.

Why not credit the author of the script?

PS.  You forgot to say “Map by Red Pear” at the bottom of the Google Map

To Billy & Brandon (a.k.a. Anonymous Form Filler),

I appreciate confrontation. I appreciate criticism. I do not appreciate anonymous attacks on my character as a business owner and as a person.  You do not know the reasons why I replaced Dagon Design in the visible script credit (it has since been removed entirely) and you do not know what, if any, arrangements have been made. If you look at the source code, Dagon Design is still credited for the form used in the RSVP form (and I have personally donated over the years to their fantastic work). However, you assumed that you knew something, but what you assumed was incorrect.

I could have explained my reasons face to face, but instead you chose to fill out an RSVP form and not even use your real name so we could talk it over. Our business plan does consist of more than “passing on the work of others as [our] own.” Have you read our business plan? No, because I don’t know who you are and we haven’t talked about it.

But, if I may, let me pose a question or two: Does a carpenter need to credit the maker of a hammer when he uses it to build a wall? Does a home builder need to credit the work of their carpenters when they stamp the concrete with “Fulton Homes” on their houses? I propose that the answer to these questions is “No.” They are both tools to produce an end product.

Perhaps I took a bit too much liberty in replacing Dagon’s name with my own company’s, however the terms of use for the form do not require that Dagon be officially credited. I do thank you for your criticism though, and the issue has since been remedied. I just wish it had been face to face instead of anonymous. If you would like to talk further about this issue, please don’t hesitate to call our office at 602-714-1119. I would love to talk with you on a first name basis.

Sincerely,
Brandon M. Willey
CEO and Founder

If you can’t see the image below in your Email viewer, please add info@redpearsolutions.com to your Safe Senders list.

and just when I thought I would have to switch to AT&T. Thank you iphonesimfree.com. Thank you.

We will open our home for a potluck-style dinner (BYOEverything to share) at 6pm this Friday, July 20 and our time will transition as the night goes on into a worshipful gathering of Christ followers. Sans agenda, we just plan to eat, commune and worship together as believers and to take our guidance for the evening from Him. The gathering will repeat every month on the third Friday at our house. See you there.