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? 10. The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, by John C. Maxwell
by Lisa , Monti
Business Scene ...:
-Fitness guru won?t talk shop
think I . made RiphardU*: Simmons sweat I wanted to talk busi-?ness with the ever-glistening, high-energy fitness guru in advance of his workout session this afternoon at Grand Casino Biloxi?s Bayview Convention Center. Tilings like how many videos he?s sold, whafs the worst job he?s ever had, how many people work for him, what kind of cars he owns. And exactly how much does he get paid to spar with Letterman.
His LA publicist politely listened to my request and said she?d get right back to me.
And. she did. It only took Richard ? don?t you think he tells" people to call him that ? a few minutes to turn me down cold. He refuses to,talk business with the media.
His publicist (I wonder what he pays her) sympathetically explained to me that Simmons is more interested in inspiring people to get in shape than he is talking about himself. Especially when it comes to money.
I contend that Richard would inspire entrepreneurs by sharing his experiences in the business world, like how he tightens the corporate belt or bulks up the bottom line.
Maybe he?ll have a change of heart if he ever returns to perform on the Coast
Or maybe Debbie Reynolds, who appears in Biloxi Sept 6 through 8, will want to talk business.
Museum makes headlines
Judging from recent headlines about The Ohr-O?Keefe Museum of Art, it?s hard to imagine the museum?s potential for bringing international prestige to Biloxi and the Coast Not to
spray or a shower romstart riling in as soon as the store opens its glass doors at 8 a.m.
Six days a week (half a day on Wednesday and Saturday), McDonald?s longtime employees, all wise in the ways of construction and repair, mix paint, load lumber, cut screen and weigh nails for customers theyVe likely to know by their first names.	'
They also guide the inexperienced to just the right products and procedures. On a recent Saturday morning, an employee deciphered a problem and prescribed a solution for a novice repairman.
' ?Exactly,? the customer said, shaking his head. ?Yeah, exactly.? -Jim McDonald is the third generation
PHOTOGRAPHS BY CARA OWSLEY/THE SUN HE
Jim McDonald, left, owner of W.A. McDonald & Sons,? makes a special order for Buddy and Mary Jane Hemphill of Pass Christian, of McDonald?s customers say the store carries hard-to-find items.
to run the business, which he owns with his wife, Winnie. Their daughter Missy Blanchard helps manage the day-to-day operations arid is one in a" string of relatives who have worked in the rambling store or in the building next door where the lumber is housed.
Jim McDonald keeps copies of a> one-page history of.the family business: on hand for customers who are curious about the long-running operation. Bragging rights include being - the oldest Purina Feed dealer in the state.
W.A. McDonald, Jim?s grandfather, opened for business in 1904 at a nearby location, and years later handed the ? Company dowirto his twoTffTHsTJohri and" C.C. The current owners took over in 1987.
American flags and thick rolls of duct tape, that building block of home improvement The items are stacked on shelves and hang from the ceiling and just about every inch of wall space.
A sign hanging over the counter sums up the McDonald family?s business philosophy: ?An immediate sale is a temporary advantage ... but a satisfied- customer is a permanent asset?
Florence Young of Bay St Louis guesses she?s shopped at the store all her life. ?I used to come with my grandmother. She did all of her shopping here,? she said. ?Monday was her day off to. pay her biUsjand ^McDonald?s was tfieEfst one sKewalked to.?
?The Lord has blessed us with loyal customers and faithful employees over
than 25 years ago. ?They let me ha account when I first started out,? Ci said. ?They're real good people. 1 the main thing.?
Lisa Monti can be reached at 896-23 or at lamonti@sunherald.com.
cJThe/' store?s strengths, besides itsthree generations,? Jim McDonald said. ' experienced staff, have been an empha- ?We always try to give personal service sis on service and its collection of mer- and make the customers aware that we
chandise that tries to match the variety found at the big retailers.	?
Customers can buy rain gear, thermometers, major appliances, washboards, crab traps, cypress furniture,
appreciate their business.?
Sonny Cuevas of Bay St. Louis comes to the store just about every day. He?s been a regular at McDonald?s smce he got into the construction business more
'They let me have an account when I first started out. They're real good people. That?s the main thing."
A washboard is on display at W.A. McDonald &Sons in Bay St. Louis.
Sonny Cuevas, Bay St. Louis resident
Each customer of W.A. McDona Sons receives a hand-written r showing each item and price. ;
Please see Monti, D-8