Tonight I fulfilled a commitment to speak to people in the Micro Business Mentors program. It was a small group of about 15 or so. What great fun! They are people in the Provo area who are interested in starting their own business but lack the training or money to do so. They get educated in some courses and then are offered a small loan of about $500 or $1000. If they can pay this off they are offered more. What a great program!

It was so exciting to be able to tell Parker Planners’ story. I’ve always wanted to do that. The entrepreneurs had great questions. Good Spanish practice! Loved connecting with Latin folks again. I hope Parker Planner succeeds so I can do more of this stuff and people are actually somewhat inspired by hearing a good story.

Start-ups is the life.

My dad just got back from Afghanistan and our neighbors put these flags in our yard. Very cool of them.

Mike and I hiked the Y again today. This time we got to turn 5! That thing can’t stop us. We had to turn back a little early but we’re going to destroy it next time. That igriega doesn’t stand a chance. Mike suggested we pray before we went up this time. He’s a good kid.

There are so many songs that have English words and stories. It’s time we honor what someone can learn in 5 minutes from a friend who spent some time in Russia.

This painting was done in about March of 2008. A neighbor needed a model for a painting so I volunteered. In the real thing I was wearing a shirt. Could I fit into a “Flying Asians, Hidden Plot” movie?

Love,

Ethan

You’d think it was the 4th of July-y. Or the 25th. Today I wore ye olde Parker Planners T-shirt to play some raquetball. I had a couple compliments on it and felt like I was finally representing the company well. I even got a few requests for shirts. Odd, I thought. Why would people want to wear a shirt from a planner company?

I guess there is just something really cool about entrepreneurship. I have heard men of all ages and backgrounds talk abuot the magical life-giving gem that is- entrepreneurship. What people don’t get most of the time is that its a lot more work and sacrific than they ever want to think about or admit. It does not come in pre-fab plastic molded kits that you put together at home and hang from the ceiling. No one can tell you about the perfect business to start because if you pick something you’re not passionate about, you won’t do it anyway!

You have to love what you do so much that you’d be willing to lose sleep and leisure.

This just in: paypal is not very accomodating and facebook ads, if done with many tricks and sneakiness can actually be profitable (just barely)

‘Twas a mighty fine Pioneer day indeed. Highlights: Eric’s ring ring phone ring tone. Steak. Rain. Rental car. Running. Eric and I were eating our awesome steak dinner and I felt guilty that we didn’t share with someone. So we did! We invited two neighbors over and felt like we had done some good in the world today.

Click here! Ring Ring tone!

Eric made this sweet ringtone just for funs. Go ahead and listen.

My dad got home from Afghanistan yesterday so we went up to visit. A good visit was it. A kind gesture from the neighbors was a welcome lawn full of American Flags.

Ethan

My business partner Benjie is getting married next month so he and his fiance asked me to help with the invitations. It was a cinch to cook this thing up in Illustrator and get some printed out. Design software rules.

Introduction

Parker Planners is a business that started from a desire. Simple as that. The book Think and Grow Rich is the best source I have ever encountered at describing this simple, misunderstood, yet profound truth. Nothing can motivate you like a burning desire.

What was my desire? I wanted a Missionary Planner to plan my day! I took two 6-week planners home from my California Ventura Mission and after they were spent I was at a loss. I had to have the same format and wondered why on earth the Church did not sell or distribute them.There was another like me in my ward at the time. We decided to do something about it together.

Hello Saturday mornings at 7am! That is about the only time when we could meet so we did. Meetings turned into rudimentary little improvized planners that I made on the computer. Lucky for me I used to be an Industrial Design major and know Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator.

So my partner and I used to print these on campus. We would use a laser printer in the computer lab to print one side; and then carefully stack all the sheets back up and reinsert them into the machine so they would print on the other side. It takes some practice to get right! After binding them at Cougar Creations I finally had a planner to use! Yes! Luckily other people in my classes saw me using the planner and wanted one, too. $5 and some work later they had their own.

Early 2007

About every other week I would meet with Craig Earnshaw. He had just returned from being a mission president in Brazil for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. That is a respected position in the church because you have about 150 full-time missionaries in your watchcare at all times. He helped me through the split up of the partnership and other decisions.

I made the decision that the BYU bookstore should sell my planners. So far, the cover was a piece of fancy cardstock purchased from the flower shop right next to Cougar Creations in the student building on campus. I needed a cooler cover if I was to be a real product on the shelf at the bookstore. I pulled an all-nighter designing what is now (and still!) the “Clock Cover” planner and printed some off. After laminating one and binding it up I felt mighty proud and ready to rock.

At first I had no idea who to talk to at the bookstore so I just called the main line and said I had a new planner they should sell. Eventually they connected me to what they called the “School Supplies Buyer” (oooo, neato) and I set a time to meet with him. Paul Buss is the man. I went in there with my khaki pants and long-sleeve red shirt with cool tie ready to take over the world. I thought my product was so clever and polished he would smile with delight and sing “Of course we’ll take five thousand per day!” to the tune of Singing in the Rain. This is not how I acted, of course. I was reserved and mature (right). I basically had no pitch whatsoever prepared and said very very little. I just sat down and shoved the planner in his face and said “it’s kinda rough”, but the students will love it”.

To my shock and surprise he agreed it was rough, but said he would take two dozen! I just gave him a blank stare and he said “twenty four”. Mixed emotions of elation and wonder shot through my body. I felt the electricity of my first real sale pumping through the veins of a real live wholesaler! Me!

Mid 2007

By this time I was selling to two BYU Bookstores – Provo and Idaho. Is there anything more exciting than that? BYU Idaho was even acquired by a phone call! I just mentioned that I was already selling the Provo store and that was enough to give me a shot!

At this same time I was taking 9 credits in a Spring term to get into the accounting program at BYU. A busy time but a good time. Parker Planners was slowly but surely becoming a part of me. I felt identity witht the dinky tiny company and salivated when I heard stories of how people loved using the planners.

By the fall of 2007 I needed to find a new printer. I was printing the guts of the planners at one location, and getting the covers laminated and bound at another. Meeting deadlines for the bookstores was really hard because printers RARELY if EVER make their deadlines. I would usually pad their claims with a two week window before I would tell bookstores that I would have their planners on the shelf.

Double Trouble

I printed with one company in Provo and it went really well. Things went smooth and I liked the price. After a month or so I wanted to print again and things were looking normal as usual. The day before ink hit paper I went in to make sure the details were right and they informed me that the unit price was going to double. WHAT? I was making like $1 per planner in margin as it was, that’s not very much! With printing price doubling I would have to sell each one at a significant loss! What to do?

Luckily I had just spent Thanksgiving in Phoenix with my family and we just watched the crazy movie called “The Secret”. Its pretty powerful stuff about thoughts and motivation. I was determined to persist through this hardship. Let’s get things strait, though. I was living off student loans and basically had no money. I was paying for the printing with a credit card anyway, but the price doubling thing would put me under and I would be eating plain white rice and maybe a saltine cracker for dessert for a while.

I asked grandma and grandpa for dollars. It’s true. A nice check for $2500 later and I was back in business with a firm determination never to do business with those guys again! After selling the lot of planners at a loss I was on the search for a new printer and I found a little independent guy in Spanish Fork. I had to do some of the work myself, though. So I would come home with a big roll of laminated covers and spend a while cutting them out with scissors.

2008

This is a big big year for Parker Planners. By now we’re selling in BYU Provo, BYU Idaho, Utah State, and UVSC (soon to be Utah Valley University). I had made it into the nation’s best accounting program (whooo!) and was being raked over the coals by its “Jr. Core” consisting of tax, audit, and financial accounting. Very very fortunately, however, I also met Benjamin Martineau in there. He is from Arizona like me and comes from a large family. We got together at first so I could help out a little bit with a video competition. After seeing how hard he could work and how disciplined he was, I thought hey, why not see if he likes planners. We didn’t really talk it out or make a deal or any agreement, one day we just met up and started working together on planner things.

It is sort of a miracle when you find someone you can work with well and has complimentary abilities to yours. Benjie is now in the master’s program at BYU (No. 1 in the nation) and is a numbers whiz. He’s supported himself in college through his side business, Benjie’s Car Detail, and flipping (buying and selling) cars. I have always been impressed with his ability to NEVER hesitate or complain about hard work.

With Benjie came a lot more capital and manpower. We tripled 2007 revenues in 2008.

2009

Here we are in 2009 and the stores are still reordering. We designed some cool shelf displays that are in some colleges and are working on always adding more schools to the list. A few other targets are Walmart, and Deseret Book. We want to sell these things everywhere because we believe anyone can benefit from a Parker Planner, not just LDS people or college students.

2009 also marks the launch of our real website. It’s much improved over the simple pic on the internet resembling a home page. Online sales have been on the rise and feedback has been positive. Exciting times!

I am one final away from finishing my first independent study class this summer. Alright! And it’s only half way through July! On the bright side, I also got more than half way done with my second class – all today! It was amazing. I can’t say the scores have been perfect, but hey that thing is more finished than not. Just a few more lessons then I go take the final exam. Now I have to order more classes, that will be a joy.

Independent study classes are a blessing and a curse. The academic work may be a little easier, but oh man that self-motivation thing is a beast. I would highly highly reccommend being accountable to someone or something before you take on the personal struggle that is – Independent Study. Choose the ones with all quantitatively handed-in assignments. They are much easier to finish. REL 122 Book of Mormon is a good one, or Political Science 202 is also like that.

I only have like 4 more after these! Yes! Hello STATS, ECON, PLYCS, and AMHER!

Love,

Ethan

Mike and I at the Alumni Center. We went on campus today expecting to just run into something fun to do, turns out they give on the spot guided tours of this place. It was good. We learned lots and watched the animated short “Piñatas”.

Eric, Josh, and I went to visit our friend today. Animals were present. This rabbit looks like a stuffed animal that was sprinkled with some life dust. It’s pretty funny. That thing will eat your clothes in a heartbeat; maybe he has a thing for dryer sheets. It bit Eric on the chest as he was holding it. Do not anger this lagomorph.

Don’t worry, I am not choking the bunny. I’m just trying to stop it from eating my shirt. Look at those funny feet.

This chicken is more like a dog. You can cradle it in your arms and feed it cookie dough, to which it gives an enthusiastic “ba-Gok!” with each delicious peck. They say its eggs are sweeter when it eats more dough.

My friend Josh and I went to the Bountiful temple because we were up in that area today. It is a beautiful building with lots of white marble and wise old men wearing white. Today we did initiatory work. Elder Scott’s advice to think about and pray for the people who will be affcted by the work is good advice. He mentioned that in his most recent conference talk entitled Temple Worship: The Source of Strength and Power in Times of Need.

Ye Olde yellow Cavalier at Sonic tongiht. Yes, that’s right its a blog post on the actual day that something took place. I’m getting better. This was a plus because we had some buy one get one free stuff going on and enjoyed it. Tonight about 20 people from our ward raided a nearby apartment complex’s pool and hottub facilities. Fun stuff we had a great time. Someday I’ll be huge and buff.

This is us ordering at Sonic.

The persons in front of us likes to have their lights on.

This is Eric playing with the circle piece of styrofoam that came with the rice cooker. Oh boy are we excited about this. We took back a tie to Macy’s and got this thing instead. It was on clearance and only cost $18! The best part is that it has one of those shuttable lids so the beloved rice will not boil over. We have used it already and its a mighty addition to our apartment family. July 10th

Benjie is my business partner with Parker Planners and also has a side business called Benjie’s Car Detail. He normally does high end cars like Lambourghinis, Ferraris, Audi R8’s and so forth, but this time it was a huge boat. He needed some help so there we were to the rescue. Lotsa work, paid well, and went out for Mexican afterward. I’m playing catch up, this was Saturday July 11th.

Here we are resting on a rock. This is our first attempt at hiking the Y. We got a little past the first turnpike and then had to turn back due to severe weather conditions and extreme wildlife disturbances. We’ll try again some other time.

It is July 3rd and time for Lagoon.

Eric and mom in the parking lot at Lagoon. Pretty good stuff. We should be able to find the car as long as no one else comes.

This is Eric and I before riding Wicked for the first time. it’s the coolest coaster at Lagoon. I’m pre-scared here.

This is a video of us riding Wicked the coaster. It was wicked cool. Who says you lose your camera while riding a sweet rideo? Me: 1 Lagoon: 0

The Wicked Coaster Known As Wicked.

Wicked analysis from Ethan Parker on Vimeo.

Wicked at Lagoon

This is a video of The one they call the fire dragon ride. Yup, upside down and camera+lunch still in tact. Me: 2 Lagoon: 0

Oh yeah

Love it when babies eat dirt.

Eric in the dragster thing – its $12 extra to do it three times. Pretty fun stuff, can’t believe Eric won. Thing must have been rigged. Me :2 Eric/Lagoon: 1

Drag Lagoon from Ethan Parker on Vimeo.

Drive

The dragster track from 1st person view.

Le Bumper Cars

Riding the bumper cars. Eric and I’s goal was to create maximum violence through a full speed head-on collision. I’m right, though. He can’t win this time . . . because its not a race.

Turns out they used Michael Jackson (allegedly) for the model of this ghost scary thing. Allegations may or may not have been from Eric.

Terroride! from Ethan Parker on Vimeo.

That’s the right way to say it.

Mystical fountain ball that you can move around . . . sweet.

So sweet it must be ridden! They told me I couldn’t ride it anymore. However, that was after a harty time with me and the mystical fountain ball. Me: 3 Lagoon: 1 Still  came out on top.

This is near Strawberry Reservior in Heber, Utah. A beaufitul place and perfect site for tarp cover construction and tent placement.

We were here two years ago and started to make a cabin. Here are the remnants. This was built by effort, creativity, blood, sweat, and two very dull hatchets!

Mmmmm, camping bacon . . .

. . . Copper wanna Bacon!

Ammon the chef says no. A great cook for humans is he.

The three Parker Brothers reunited at last! What better place to be than in nature with family, food, animals, and weapons?

Anything is better roasted. Yep, that’s a twinkie.

The mighty annual caber toss event. This is Ammon heaving the large log as far as possible.

Eric fears not the caber.

Ethan and his caber heave.

Ammon hiking up the glacier that is our snow fun. It’s cool because there’s only snow where you want it to be – away from the campsite but close enough to go slide on!

Sure is beautiful out there.

Eric le Lumberjack ho!

Gotta go to sleep! It’s 2:43 am as I write this. I hope you enjoyed this tour of the annual Father-Son campout 2009.

I have been mentoring Mike for almost two years. He speaks Spanish and is a really smart kid. This is Mike and I after we made his new planner.

That is a one of a kind Parker Planner right there. That perfect sized pen to the right came from the BYU bookstore. It fits right into the coil of the planner. Mike was super excited.