Month: November 2012

5 Ways Georgia Can Beat Alabama

Georgia Bulldogs

The 2012 SEC Championship Game between #2 Alabama and #3 Georgia will be a classic.  College football fans will have the chance to see two very good football teams square off against one another.  This game will determine who will face Notre Dame in the BCS National Championship Game.  Most people are already putting Alabama in the BCS National Championship Game before they even step on the field against Georgia.  Not so fast my friends!  Georgia has more overall talent than Alabama on both sides of the ball.  The game is being played in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia, which really makes it a home game for Georgia.  This piece offers five ways Georgia can defeat Alabama and win the 2012 SEC Championship Game.

1.  Throw the football early and often.  You have to be willing to exploit Alabama’s weak secondary.  This year, teams who have seriously committed to throwing the football have had success against Alabama.

2.  Don’t abandon the run.  Just because Alabama gets some tackles-for-loss in the run game does not mean you should not make an effort to run the football.  You must run the football to open up the play-action pass game, which Georgia is one of the best teams in the nation when it comes to play-action passing.

3.  Match Alabama’s physicality.  Alabama will try to simply beat you up if you let them.  Georgia can be just as physical as Alabama and will need to be as physical as Alabama to defeat them.  Georgia will match Alabama’s physicality.

 4.  Bring pressure often on defense.  It’s important for Georgia to put pressure on the quarterback.  When Georgia gets to the quarterback, they must sack him with great force.

 5.  Protect the quarterback.  If Aaron Murray gets the proper time, he can do real damage to the Alabama defense.  If Georgia’s offensive line protects Murray, and the offensive will protect him, Georgia will defeat Alabama.  Murray must be willing to take short passes, considering Alabama’s defense loves to give opposing offenses the short yardage passes.

 Georgia will defeat Alabama 21 – 17 and become the 2012 SEC Champs!

Antonio Maurice Daniels

University of Wisconsin-Madison  

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Check Your Emotions

Check Your Emotions

Everything is not always going to go your way.  When things fail to go your way, don’t try to force the environment in which you’re situated to be dominated by your negative mood.  People are not always going to do what you want them to do.  You have to learn to control your emotions.

You will not always get your way.

While many adults make a serious effort to teach children that they will not always get their way, many adults need to be taught the same thing.

Don’t “fly off the handle” simply because people don’t respond in a tone that is exactly the kind of tone you desire.

When you have unacceptable mood swings, swing your attitude immediately in the direction of your lips and bust yourself in the mouth with it (your attitude).  If you want to hurt someone with your attitude, hurt yourself.  It’s unfair to take your emotions out on those who don’t deserve to feel the stinging effects of your reckless emotions.  If your emotions change with the wind, you will find that people are not going to want to be around you, and they will remember how terrible you treated them when you feel like being in a good mood.

The world does not revolve around you.  People are not placed on this planet to please and serve you.  Before you get an attitude with someone about much ado about nothing, try to consider the things that person may be going through and how they don’t need you imposing your nasty attitude on them.

Even people who claim to be considerate of others and claim to live an honorable life, they still need to do a daily self-assessment to make sure their not making everything about themselves.

You need to be sure that you’re not taking everything so personally.

Check your attitude.  Check your words.  Check your actions.  Check yourself.

Antonio Maurice Daniels

University of Wisconsin-Madison

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The Spotlight

Spotlight

For many people, they have a great desire to be in the spotlight.  When many of these individuals get their chance to be in the spotlight they fail.  Many people are going to have to learn that they are simply not ready to have the spotlight turned on them.  Each time you have your opportunity to be in the spotlight and you keep failing while in it means it’s not your time to be in the spotlight.  Learn how to sit back and learn from others who are successful in the spotlight more before you try to claim the spotlight.  Some people will have to face the harsh reality that the spotlight is simply not for them.

You also have to understand that having the spotlight all of the time is not necessarily a good thing.  Some people are embarrassing themselves in the spotlight.  The only reason many people have the spotlight is people enjoy laughing at how stupid they are performing in the spotlight.  What may be even more sad than this is many of these individuals don’t know that people are laughing at them, instead of laughing with them.  Don’t become so desperate for attention that you will be willing to do anything to get it.  Unfortunately, too many people are willing to go to extremes to get attention.

If you’re really worthy of being in the spotlight, you will not have to beg or force you way into it.  Most people who authentically deserve to be in the spotlight have an opportunity to be in the spotlight.  Of course, there are many well-deserving people who should be in the spotlight but are not in it.  Many people who do thankless work and who do charitable work go without the proper recognition they deserve.  It is people like those who do thankless and charitable work who need to be in the spotlight and not people who are engaging in a whole bunch of foolishness.

A person is really vain who says that he or she deserves to be in the spotlight, especially when no one else says he or she deserves to be in the spotlight.

Many people who are in the spotlight and have been in the spotlight can tell you that it’s not all good as you think it may be to be in the spotlight.  If you’re always chasing after the spotlight, you will live a completely empty life.  Chasing the spotlight means you’re constantly looking for someone to validate who you are.  You must learn to validate yourself.  Don’t always look for someone else to let you know that you are special.

Don’t get angry when people laugh at you when you force your way into the spotlight and were not ready for it.  Learn to be patient and wait for your opportunity to shine to naturally arrive.

People are not going to think you should be in the spotlight just because you are always speaking the loudest, always feel you need to be the one who’s talking, always feel the need to make a grand entrance when you walk into a room, and/or always saying ridiculous things on your Facebook page just to get attention.

To succeed in the spotlight, you must earn the spotlight.

Antonio Maurice Daniels

University of Wisconsin-Madison

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Georgia’s New Cottage Food Regulation: An Interview from the Field

Georgia Cottage Food Law

Revolutionary Paideia had the pleasure of interviewing Santresa Glass, owner of Magnolia’s Sweet Haven, LLC, about Georgia’s new Cottage Food Regulation.  She was asked questions about her small business and how the new Cottage Food Regulation impacts her small business.  Below you will find the details of this interview.

1.      Please describe your small business and what goods and/or services you offer.

Sure, and let me first start by saying thank you for the extension of an opportunity to shed a little more light on small business, specifically in the dessert industry as well as the currently implemented (as of September 2012) Cottage Food Regulation.  I am the owner of Magnolia’s Sweet Haven, LLC, a small, delivery only sweets boutique in Atlanta, GA that encompasses the “farm to batter approach.”  I specialize in individual portioned cheesecakes, chocolate covered strawberries, traditional and wine infused cupcakes as well as dessert tables and candy buffets.  We are committed to environmentally friendly business practices, from our natural brown boxes/packaging that are uncoated with fibers used from the Sustainable Forestry Initiatives lumber to our eco-friendly labels, printer ink, office supplies and more.  Baking “green” affects more than just the cost of our scratch made goods.  Our cupcakes and cheesecakes have a deeper, more defined flavor because of the use of local, fresh, and organic ingredients (when available).  Our vessels and displays on our dessert tables are also purchased locally and offer a variety of recycled and upcyled jars, bottles, cake stands, and the like.

2.      What is your understanding of what the Cottage Food Regulation does?

First, let me give credit to home baker, Sara Rylander, for pioneering and advocating for a Cottage Food Regulation in the state of Georgia.  There IS power in social media.  The Cottage Food Regulation allows for individuals to make baked goods such as cakes, pastries, jams, breads, and other confections (please reference links below for specific goods) inside of their home kitchens.  Upon review of the registration application and passing of a preoperational inspection, individuals will then be licensed for food sales operations only.  There are some variances from county to county in the state of Georgia; however, everyone must submit an application for review as well as pass the inspection of their home kitchen.

3.      What impact, if any, will the Cottage Food Regulation have on your small business?

The Cottage Food Regulation has a profound impact on my small, delivery only sweets boutique.  First, let me start with the bottom line.  Renting commercial kitchen space is expensive overhead, yet necessary for business licensing as well as food and safety hazards for my clients.  I have to continue to rent commercial kitchen space because I sell individual portioned cheesecakes and chocolate covered strawberries; however, one of the benefits of the Cottage Food Regulation is the ability for the home baker to become an entrepreneur or for the individuals that are always preparing the baked goods for family and school functions to become small business owners.  Outgoing funds that were formerly delegated towards rental fees can be dedicated towards the purchase of more ingredients for recipe testing and home kitchen equipment that enhances their baking needs.

4.      What advice can you give to those wishing to start a small business and those who have existing small businesses about becoming successful and staying successful?

Passion and education are essential elements in starting a small business within any respective industry.  Yes, one is to do what he or she loves; however, in wanting the money to follow, hard work, consistency, and growth become necessary.  Being successful is an ultimate goal of small business entrepreneurs.  I have coined an R & B approach to business.  R- Refresh old clients with new and innovative flavors and/or dessert table construction and B- Build relationships with old clients and seek others with new consumers, build your entrepreneurial empire, build up other small business owners with support, and build through the local community by giving back.

Santresa Glass can be found below at the listed social media locations, and be sure to gain more knowledge about Georgia’s new Cottage Food Regulation from the links listed after her social media locations:

www.twitter.com/magsweethaven

www.facebook.com/magnoliassweethaven

www.pamperedsweettooth.com

Resourceful Links on Cottage Food Regulation in Georgia

Georgia’s Pioneer Sara Rylander

http://www.wsbtv.com/news/news/local/stay-home-mom-gets-law-changed-start-cake-business/nSGgX/

Sara Rylander’s Story

http://www.change.org/petitions/georgia-state-legislature-enact-a-cottage-food-law-in-the-state-of-georgia

Starting a Cottage Food Business

http://agr.georgia.gov//Data/Sites/1/media/ag_consumerprotection/cottage_food/files/startingacottagefoodbusinessbrochure.pdf

Rules of Cottage Food Regulations

http://agr.georgia.gov/Data/Sites/1/media/ag_consumerprotection/cottage_food/files/cottagefoodregulations.pdf

Cottage Food: Frequently Asked Question

http://agr.georgia.gov//Data/Sites/1/media/ag_consumerprotection/cottage_food/files/cottagefoodsfaq.pdf

Antonio Maurice Daniels

University of Wisconsin-Madison