SaladVPie

How JEB is Saving My Life

Wow, that is quite the title! Are you intrigued? My blog post this month was supposed to be about the many Affiliate Networks and which ones are the best for different verticals. But I just couldn’t bring myself to write that post just yet. The timing is poor (due to the fact that changing/adding/launching an affiliate program in Q4 is madness) and the content would be snooze-worthy. BUT, if you have questions about affiliate networks please reach out to me as I can talk that stuff ALL DAY!

Ever since leaving the snug confines of the ballistic missile submarine that I found myself on after graduating high school, I have had a love-affair with sugar, salt, and fat. Most often found through the processed foods I find so delicious and easy to consume. When I was onboard the submarine in some random patch of Pacific Ocean for months at a time, I had the best food possible. It was prepared fresh and I rarely ate anything processed (except when we ran out of milk… and I was forced to consume the “plastic milk” if I wanted something on cereal). Not sure exactly what that powdered milk even was back then…

I was in the best shape of my life! Believe it or not, we had a full gym on the sub. It was necessarily spread out here and there, under things, next to missiles, etc, but I was working out twice per day and eating great. Well, after leaving the Navy and going to college, my eating habits definitely changed. Lots of beer, Cheetos, and other such chemically altered, preserved treats. By the time I arrived at JEBCommerce 4 years ago, I had packed on an extra 50 pounds and was pretty much miserable. Of course, we always try to hide this from the outside world (especially from ourselves) but certain individuals at JEB saw that it was affecting me through my overall health. I was getting sick a lot. I won’t call these amazing individuals out by name, so let’s call them J. Birch and J. Goodwin…no, that’s too obvious, how about Jamie B. and Jonny G. These company leaders were concerned about me and wanted to help because they saw that I was a good employee, but could be even better with improved health and wellness.

Together, we explored how I could improve my health and I was offered the flexibility to fit gym time into my crazy day, while not sacrificing too much valued family time with my wife and 3 kids. Jonny G was also extremely helpful with helping me change some of the foods I was eating (OK, most of the dang foods…especially beer and Cheetos) and to be honest..it wasn’t as hard as I thought. DIET can be a 4-letter word for sure, but when used to describe the foods that you eat during a given day – and not what you DON’T eat, it can really change your life! He was also instrumental in my workout success. By providing me with a detailed exercise plan, Jon removed any fear of the unknown since it had been so long since I have been in a gym – and I had no idea what I was doing! It wouldn’t be possible to have the same success I am seeing now without that help.

What company does that? None that I have ever worked for, that’s for sure! So far, in the last 4 months, I have managed to lose 20 pounds and have nearly reached my first goal of getting below 200 pounds (only 3 lbs to go!) for the first time in 10 years. My clothes are starting to look ridiculous on me and I’m looking to buy size L shirts and pants that don’t start with a ‘4’ in the waist. Luckily, I was given an extremely generous anniversary gift in the form of Johnston and Murphy gift cards, so I can downsize my wardrobe! It hasn’t always been “unicorns and glitter”, if you will, but the support of this amazing company through this process has changed, and very likely, saved my life!

So why am I writing about this? I COULD have posted about network attributes and it may have been more relevant to this blog. But, I wanted to let anyone who reads this to know what a great company JEBCommerce is. The Birches set out to provide good jobs in this beautiful, but small town of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho – and the way that they treat their employees should be applauded and shared as an example of how it should be.

I also want prospective clients (and even current ones) to see an example of what makes our company great. From the owner, down to the newest hire, this company cares. We care about our clients, our affiliate partners, and everyone we work with, and that attitude is created by the owner caring about us! I can’t wait to see what the future holds for this company and my new-found healthy lifestyle!

Seriously though, if you have any questions about which Affiliate Network to choose, holler. Otherwise, I will be sure get back to that early next year.