Well, I've been off the blog for a week or two now, oops. My running and lifting goals are still in effect but sales have been extremely slow. The weather here in Utah has been very sporadic with a lot of snow in between, which keeps people indoors--not to mention everytime anyone turns on the tv they hear of a possible recession, so everyone seems to be in a holding pattern with their money as of late.
Some good news, I got word yesterday that my best friend Austin was just hired by Porsche North America (corporate division) in Atlanta. It's pretty cool that we both now work for the greatest car company in the world. (I'm a little biased).
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Saturday, January 19, 2008
What a week
Well, I sold my very first Porsche this week. It was that Cayenne Turbo that I mentioned earlier. While I had a deposit on the car, that guy never called me back to finish the paper work, so I still have his $3,000...and I sold the car to someone else! In commemoration my mom and dad bought me MY first Porsche--the exact 1:18 scale replica of the one I sold. Thanks guys. :-) Yesterday I spent 12 hours at the Utah Int. Auto Show in Sandy answering questions about Porsches at our booth. I'd say I got about 12 good leads, so we'll see. My boss did stop by on his way home from work to give me 30 min. to get a bite to eat. He also had his daughter drop by so we could meet--slightly awkward--however, we walked around for a bit and played the usual 20 questions. Super cute girl, we exchanged numbers--maybe I'll give her a call sometime--in fact, (her dad just came by my desk), she's expecting a call tonight. Yikes, taking out the boss' daughter, isn't that kinda risky? It was all his idea so I think I'm ok.
I did sell a VW R32 today, this kid is picking it up on Monday--I didn't make any money on it but hey, it's a car deal.
Well, tomorrow being Sunday and all, I thought I'd work, j/k. No but really, I have to be at the Auto show from 10 AM-8 PM. This is a tough week. I worked open to close (9 AM-9 PM) Thurs, Auto show all day Friday(10-10), open to close(9-9) Sat, auto show all day (10-8)Sunday, then work open to close Mon. (9-9). I am very much looking forward to my Tuesday day off.
I did sell a VW R32 today, this kid is picking it up on Monday--I didn't make any money on it but hey, it's a car deal.
Well, tomorrow being Sunday and all, I thought I'd work, j/k. No but really, I have to be at the Auto show from 10 AM-8 PM. This is a tough week. I worked open to close (9 AM-9 PM) Thurs, Auto show all day Friday(10-10), open to close(9-9) Sat, auto show all day (10-8)Sunday, then work open to close Mon. (9-9). I am very much looking forward to my Tuesday day off.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Sundays
Church was good, we had ward conference--we've got a great Stake Presidency, in fact if you watched the CES fireside tonight, my Stake President was conducting. I came home from church to watch my Indianapolis Colts knock themselves out of the playoffs, grrr. That's what I get for watching football on Sunday--j/k, that's not how it works :-) Now I'm just doin' some reading and thought I'd drop a quick note up here.
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Not all is lost :-)
Well, I did end up selling a used 2005 Passat to a really nice guy and his family. We suddenly got really busy and now there is a line of people waiting to go into finance! When it rains it pours.
I remembered that I can't go ride tomorrow because my bike is in my storage unit and they lock the place up on Sundays...Sorry Devan, I won't be makin' the trip to Salt Lake. One more hour here at work, maybe I can sell another car...
I remembered that I can't go ride tomorrow because my bike is in my storage unit and they lock the place up on Sundays...Sorry Devan, I won't be makin' the trip to Salt Lake. One more hour here at work, maybe I can sell another car...
Saturday??? Really?
I went running this morning before work, it felt good. I ran three times this week and lifted weights once. Two weeks down, 50 to go.
The customer that was supposed to drive from CO today and by an A4 from me called to say that her "local" (3 hour drive) dealer gave her a better offer, on a car she didn't really want but she bought it anyway. I could have beat their offer if she had just asked! Glad I spent the last two weeks emailing and running around like a crazy meeting all of her demands/finding the car she actually wanted, just to have it thrown in my face. Gotta love it.
The sun is out today but it feels like a Monday, not a Saturday. There are no customers here--it's really slow. We've had two salesman quit in the last two days, one of whom took first place last month...doesn't make any sense. As I look outside I can't help but long for a ride on my bike. The sun is shining and that's all I need, I can bundle up against the cold for at least and hour ride...maybe if the weather holds I'll go tomorrow, because I don't get off of work until eight o'clock tonight.
The customer that was supposed to drive from CO today and by an A4 from me called to say that her "local" (3 hour drive) dealer gave her a better offer, on a car she didn't really want but she bought it anyway. I could have beat their offer if she had just asked! Glad I spent the last two weeks emailing and running around like a crazy meeting all of her demands/finding the car she actually wanted, just to have it thrown in my face. Gotta love it.
The sun is out today but it feels like a Monday, not a Saturday. There are no customers here--it's really slow. We've had two salesman quit in the last two days, one of whom took first place last month...doesn't make any sense. As I look outside I can't help but long for a ride on my bike. The sun is shining and that's all I need, I can bundle up against the cold for at least and hour ride...maybe if the weather holds I'll go tomorrow, because I don't get off of work until eight o'clock tonight.
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Tuesdays--my weekend
I love and value the time from Monday night at 5 until 1PM on Wednesdays, more than anything in the world--it is my weekend. Monday night I chilled with those girls from the ward again, watched some movies-at my house-until I fell asleep. Woke up at 9 AM, went to the gym to lift, then I met up with Karen on BYU campus where she treated me to lunch via her dining plus card. Then I borrowed my buddy Adam's truck, picked up a new matress for Devan and drove to Salt Lake to drop it off at his apartment. When I dropped Adam's truck back off, he and I headed to Home Depot to get some light fixtures and bulbs for his garage. Installed em' then headed home for dinner and then back to the gym to run on the treadmill for almost 3 miles-I hate running outside-mostly because I can't pace myself/I slow down. This morning I went to the bank, did laundry, cleaned my bathroom and vaccumed. At work today I won $100 from VW, I have a VW check card that they deposit money on when I sell a qualified VW and play a little online game. I can win $50-$500...the most I've ever won is $100 per game.
I have a client that has placed a deposit on a 2008 Cayenne Turbo ($123,685.00) but won't come pick it up! I had to trade two Porsche 911's to get Beverly Hills Porsche to trade me for that thing. The kicker is the car has been here for 3 weeks! He told me that he had to have it before the end of 2007 so I worked like a mad man to find and get the car here in time (it was intransit to CA across the Atlantic when I located it and had it rush delivered here from the port in San Diego). A little disappointing that I've done everything he has asked but he hasn't come through at all. He won't return my calls and when I do get a hold of him he tells me I should hear back from him the next day and then three days pass and nothing. The other Porsche salesman has a client ready to go on this thing if my guy falls through...ugh, not looking good.
Today it snowed eight inches, great for my Audi A4 Quattro, not great for car sales. I don't think enough people out there know that Audi invented all-wheel drive, because I haven't seen a customer all day!
Well only two more hours here at work, then I'm gonna go running.
I have a client that has placed a deposit on a 2008 Cayenne Turbo ($123,685.00) but won't come pick it up! I had to trade two Porsche 911's to get Beverly Hills Porsche to trade me for that thing. The kicker is the car has been here for 3 weeks! He told me that he had to have it before the end of 2007 so I worked like a mad man to find and get the car here in time (it was intransit to CA across the Atlantic when I located it and had it rush delivered here from the port in San Diego). A little disappointing that I've done everything he has asked but he hasn't come through at all. He won't return my calls and when I do get a hold of him he tells me I should hear back from him the next day and then three days pass and nothing. The other Porsche salesman has a client ready to go on this thing if my guy falls through...ugh, not looking good.
Today it snowed eight inches, great for my Audi A4 Quattro, not great for car sales. I don't think enough people out there know that Audi invented all-wheel drive, because I haven't seen a customer all day!
Well only two more hours here at work, then I'm gonna go running.
Monday, January 7, 2008
Slow monday
Friday night was a lot of fun as I picked up my brother Devan and sister Karen from my grandpa's cousin's house in Cottonwood Heights. They had flown in earlier in the day from Christmas break in Indianapolis at our parents house. Judy had been kind enough to pick them up and take them to her house until I got off of work. The weather was terrible--Judy's power was out when I got there so we headed back to Provo rather quickly. We dropped Karen off at the dorms and Devan spent the night on the floor at my place.
Saturday I had work at nine a.m. so Devan came with me and got a tour of the dealership, then I dropped him off at Midas where the Buick's brakes were getting done. He then chilled at my house playing Call of Duty 4 on the Xbox 360 until I got home at five p.m. I sold a car over the phone, via faxes and emails to a very nice lady in Grand Junction, CO. Because the weather was so bad here she decided she would come pick up the car this coming Saturday instead of making the four hour trek in the snow. Then Devan and I headed up to Salt Lake to watch Freestyle Motocross at the Energy Solutions Arena. It was pretty cool, but once you've seen the X-Games live in L.A., the scripted circus that is FMX, it just isn't that exciting. However, I think Devan enjoyed it as he had never seen FMX of any kind. Needless to say we left during intermission and went to find Devan's new apartment.
It's a decent place only three miles from LDS business college; it should work well for him over the next four months. We unloaded his stuff and headed back to Provo. We stopped at my friend Adam's place and played some "Rock Band" (Xbox 360) with a bunch of my friends till midnight.
Sunday after church we picked up Karen on the way home, not before she raided a vending machine of hot pockets and fruit snacks to share with everyone though. :-) We just hung out at my place, talkin', then Karen treated us to the deliciousness that is the Cannon Center cafeteria food. I had flashbacks of my freshman year at BYU and at the MTC prior to heading to Japan. The food is just as bad now, as it was then. Karen said she'd make it up to me by taking me over to the Legend's Grill on campus for some smoked salmon tomorrow, since it's my day off. Then Devan headed back to Salt Lake to get settled in and get to bed early as his school started today. I went to ward prayer mtg., then went and chilled with some girls from the ward at their apartment till eleven then went home to bed.
I was 2 minutes late to work this morning so I have to stay an extra hour--so lame--I was hoping to go run before I went to FHE, but oh well...
It has been really slow today. I've only talked to one customer who didn't even have enough time to go on a test drive but sceduled an appt. for next monday. That should be a car deal.
I got 3 hours of Porsche training under my belt this morning--just when I think I couldn't learn more about these cars Porsche sends me more material to learn.
One of my managers wants to set me up with his daughter, he says she's a really good girl and that he'll invite me over for a movie night or something at their home sometime soon.
In closing, a report on my resolutions--I've started a book called "The Infinite Atonement". I'm really enjoying it. I am running tonight and lifting weights tomorrow. I spent an hour going thru The Rosetta Stone program last night, it's amazing how much Japanese I've forgotten, but it is coming back very quickly.
Saturday I had work at nine a.m. so Devan came with me and got a tour of the dealership, then I dropped him off at Midas where the Buick's brakes were getting done. He then chilled at my house playing Call of Duty 4 on the Xbox 360 until I got home at five p.m. I sold a car over the phone, via faxes and emails to a very nice lady in Grand Junction, CO. Because the weather was so bad here she decided she would come pick up the car this coming Saturday instead of making the four hour trek in the snow. Then Devan and I headed up to Salt Lake to watch Freestyle Motocross at the Energy Solutions Arena. It was pretty cool, but once you've seen the X-Games live in L.A., the scripted circus that is FMX, it just isn't that exciting. However, I think Devan enjoyed it as he had never seen FMX of any kind. Needless to say we left during intermission and went to find Devan's new apartment.
It's a decent place only three miles from LDS business college; it should work well for him over the next four months. We unloaded his stuff and headed back to Provo. We stopped at my friend Adam's place and played some "Rock Band" (Xbox 360) with a bunch of my friends till midnight.
Sunday after church we picked up Karen on the way home, not before she raided a vending machine of hot pockets and fruit snacks to share with everyone though. :-) We just hung out at my place, talkin', then Karen treated us to the deliciousness that is the Cannon Center cafeteria food. I had flashbacks of my freshman year at BYU and at the MTC prior to heading to Japan. The food is just as bad now, as it was then. Karen said she'd make it up to me by taking me over to the Legend's Grill on campus for some smoked salmon tomorrow, since it's my day off. Then Devan headed back to Salt Lake to get settled in and get to bed early as his school started today. I went to ward prayer mtg., then went and chilled with some girls from the ward at their apartment till eleven then went home to bed.
I was 2 minutes late to work this morning so I have to stay an extra hour--so lame--I was hoping to go run before I went to FHE, but oh well...
It has been really slow today. I've only talked to one customer who didn't even have enough time to go on a test drive but sceduled an appt. for next monday. That should be a car deal.
I got 3 hours of Porsche training under my belt this morning--just when I think I couldn't learn more about these cars Porsche sends me more material to learn.
One of my managers wants to set me up with his daughter, he says she's a really good girl and that he'll invite me over for a movie night or something at their home sometime soon.
In closing, a report on my resolutions--I've started a book called "The Infinite Atonement". I'm really enjoying it. I am running tonight and lifting weights tomorrow. I spent an hour going thru The Rosetta Stone program last night, it's amazing how much Japanese I've forgotten, but it is coming back very quickly.
Friday, January 4, 2008
Welcome Welcome
Well, I have 10 new years resolutions for 2008 and #2 is to start a Nick blog and write twice a week. I'm pretty excited to finally be doing this and I hope that it will be effective in allowing me to see myself grow over the next 361 days. I'm willing to bet that once I start this blog nothing fun and exciting will happen to me anymore/entertainment for one and all. My life has been a nothing short of a surreal experience up until now and for the first time in my life--I have written goals and aspirations. Thank you for all who read this, but it's mostly for me. I've noticed that the older I get and the longer I stay single, ie., not married again, the more selfish I become, something I hope to work on as time goes on. That's my intro.
As my first post I guess I should state my new years resolutions: note they are not in any order of importance.
#1 Sell 150 cars/11.5 a month/2.875 a week
This seems like a very realistic goal as I sold nearly 100 cars my first year. Nothing crazy but keep in mind that I work at a highline dealership where volume isn't the name of the game, it's front and back end gross that is important to my managers. Also, this goal will have a direct effect on other goals later on down the list.
#2 Start a Nick blog--write 2x's a week. Here goes nothin'.
#3 Read Scriptures daily. This is a lot easier for some people I know, but I tend to read daily then life gets good and then I stop and fall off the boat. It's a viscious cycle and I plan on stopping it this year.
#4 $20,000 bank account for a home purchase in 2009. My parents are constantly on me about buying a home, so whether I end up living there or not, I would like to buy a house next year. It'll be a good investment at the very least. I have started a spread sheet with my budget and I will need to take home nearly $4400 a month to meet those goals, a mere $52,000 this year--I can do it.
#5 Don't compromise morals for females. Last year was a disaster as far as my love life goes, and that is an understatement. I am going to stick to what I know is right and only date girls with jobs, good LDS girls and a good head on their shoulders--all crazies need not apply.
#6 Visit Austin & Sarah in Atlanta whenever Delta has a cheap, last minute flight. Austin Latchaw is my best friend and he is going to play his music and movies extremely loud so his next door neighbors move. Then I can move next door and we can merge our garages together and work on our dream--starting a car tuning company--with neither of us having any kind of engineering background, just a love of cars.
#7 $10,000 Porsche savings account. I love my 2007 Audi A4 S-line with upgraded ECU and a cold air intake. HOWEVER, it is absolutely killing me everytime I take a customer out on a test drive, b/c I want to take one home so bad. They are the most amazingly well built machines on the planet. Think it's all hype? Let me take you out in one doing 75 mph around a 110 degree turn letting the back end slide out ever so slightly. What a blasty blast.
#8 Run 2x's swim 1x's lift weights 1x's a week. However, I would like to make an adendum to this one, If I am unable to swim, it can be substituted for running. In the future I would like to run a marathon, or at least a half marathon. I just want to stay healthy and feel good. I love exercise because of how it makes me feel, which I have learned is a little chemical inside my brain called endorphins, I love em'.
#9 Read a book bi-monthly (6 total for the year) I haven't quite decided what books I want to read, but reading 6 different car magazines a month just isn't as intellectually stimulating as I would like. So if any of you have any suggestions or books that you have read lately that you enjoyed, please share your recommendations.
#10 Study Japanese every Sunday for at least one hour. I added this one a little late to my list, in fact I came up with it yesterday and am adding it now. I spent two long years learning one of the toughest languages on this planet and I'll be darned if I'm going to lose it. I bought the rosetta stone program 1&2 two months ago, and I've only loaded the cd's once. Pathetic.
So, there are my top ten new years resolutions! I plan to use this blog as a progress meter of all ten of them, sort of like making myself give a public accounting for all of them. I tend to accomplish more when I know people are watching.
So far I've sold one car, a Jetta SE to one of the nicest ladies in the world, only 149 more to go. I've read my scriptures for the last two days and I am going to go buy a book tomorrow called the Infinite Atonement at Deseret Book. I ran two miles on tuesday and I am heading to the gym to run some more right now before work to at 1:00 PM.
I look forward to your comments--if you simply read my blog and don't have anything to say, please just type a one letter comment to let me know someone read it, I'd really appreciate that. Thanks!
As my first post I guess I should state my new years resolutions: note they are not in any order of importance.
#1 Sell 150 cars/11.5 a month/2.875 a week
This seems like a very realistic goal as I sold nearly 100 cars my first year. Nothing crazy but keep in mind that I work at a highline dealership where volume isn't the name of the game, it's front and back end gross that is important to my managers. Also, this goal will have a direct effect on other goals later on down the list.
#2 Start a Nick blog--write 2x's a week. Here goes nothin'.
#3 Read Scriptures daily. This is a lot easier for some people I know, but I tend to read daily then life gets good and then I stop and fall off the boat. It's a viscious cycle and I plan on stopping it this year.
#4 $20,000 bank account for a home purchase in 2009. My parents are constantly on me about buying a home, so whether I end up living there or not, I would like to buy a house next year. It'll be a good investment at the very least. I have started a spread sheet with my budget and I will need to take home nearly $4400 a month to meet those goals, a mere $52,000 this year--I can do it.
#5 Don't compromise morals for females. Last year was a disaster as far as my love life goes, and that is an understatement. I am going to stick to what I know is right and only date girls with jobs, good LDS girls and a good head on their shoulders--all crazies need not apply.
#6 Visit Austin & Sarah in Atlanta whenever Delta has a cheap, last minute flight. Austin Latchaw is my best friend and he is going to play his music and movies extremely loud so his next door neighbors move. Then I can move next door and we can merge our garages together and work on our dream--starting a car tuning company--with neither of us having any kind of engineering background, just a love of cars.
#7 $10,000 Porsche savings account. I love my 2007 Audi A4 S-line with upgraded ECU and a cold air intake. HOWEVER, it is absolutely killing me everytime I take a customer out on a test drive, b/c I want to take one home so bad. They are the most amazingly well built machines on the planet. Think it's all hype? Let me take you out in one doing 75 mph around a 110 degree turn letting the back end slide out ever so slightly. What a blasty blast.
#8 Run 2x's swim 1x's lift weights 1x's a week. However, I would like to make an adendum to this one, If I am unable to swim, it can be substituted for running. In the future I would like to run a marathon, or at least a half marathon. I just want to stay healthy and feel good. I love exercise because of how it makes me feel, which I have learned is a little chemical inside my brain called endorphins, I love em'.
#9 Read a book bi-monthly (6 total for the year) I haven't quite decided what books I want to read, but reading 6 different car magazines a month just isn't as intellectually stimulating as I would like. So if any of you have any suggestions or books that you have read lately that you enjoyed, please share your recommendations.
#10 Study Japanese every Sunday for at least one hour. I added this one a little late to my list, in fact I came up with it yesterday and am adding it now. I spent two long years learning one of the toughest languages on this planet and I'll be darned if I'm going to lose it. I bought the rosetta stone program 1&2 two months ago, and I've only loaded the cd's once. Pathetic.
So, there are my top ten new years resolutions! I plan to use this blog as a progress meter of all ten of them, sort of like making myself give a public accounting for all of them. I tend to accomplish more when I know people are watching.
So far I've sold one car, a Jetta SE to one of the nicest ladies in the world, only 149 more to go. I've read my scriptures for the last two days and I am going to go buy a book tomorrow called the Infinite Atonement at Deseret Book. I ran two miles on tuesday and I am heading to the gym to run some more right now before work to at 1:00 PM.
I look forward to your comments--if you simply read my blog and don't have anything to say, please just type a one letter comment to let me know someone read it, I'd really appreciate that. Thanks!
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