A little bit of history for today ...

Researching my weekly history column for the Post Register, I  found an interesting ad on the financial page of the Sept. 7, 1920, Portland, Ore., Daily Journal. It might be of interest some of my commercial real estate friends. The copy reads as follows:

“Per Capita — Idaho Falls is One of the West’s Wealthiest Cities ... The fact that Idaho Falls’ immense wealth is based on agriculture and it is the trading center of a vast irrigated region makes it unusually solid and places its bonds in the class of PREFERRED INVESTMENTS ... ONE TO TEN-YEAR 6 1/2% IMPROVEMENT BONDS ... INCOME TAX EXEMPT PRICE TO YIELD 7%”

Bonds could be bought in denominations of $100, $500 and $1,000. The ad was posted by Lumbermens Trust Co., under supervision of the Oregon State Building Department.

Good news from Google -- and how to stay in the Big G's good graces

Oh my gosh, after eight years it looks like BizMojoIdaho is out of the doghouse with Google! My AdSense account has been reinstated.

I don’t know what got me banned in the first place, a mildly satirical column on the blog or the mistake of clicking a Google-sponsored ad that appeared on my page (a bigger no-no than I had any idea, obviously). Whatever the case, my appeals fell on deaf ears for years until this past week.

For the education and edification of any publisher with a web page who wishes to stay in Google’s good graces, here is a rundown of do’s and don’ts from the email I received Monday afternoon:

• It is against our program policies for publishers to click on their own ads or to encourage others to do so. In addition, the use of automated techniques to generate clicks, such as robots or scripts, is prohibited.

• Use the Google Publisher Toolbar if you want to click an ad to check the landing page or other details. It will allow you to check the destination of ads on your page without the risk of invalid clicks.

The email contains a few cautions as well:

• Please be assured that we are logging all the clicks, so do not click your ads to make sure the clicks are reported in the Performance reports. However, there may be reasons that you don't see the clicks right away as it may take up to 24 hours to finalize clicks and impressions in your reports.

• Please note that if ad serving does not resume after your account is reinstated, there may be other issues needing resolution.

So I guess we wait and see. I'm curious to see how the ads appear and whether they generate any significant money. This blog turned nine years old earlier this month, and a lot has changed since I started it. I really appreciate the people who've followed it, the people who weigh in with questions and suggestions and tips, also my faithful advertisers. Thanks so much!

Chamber seeks Distinguished Under 40 nominees

The Greater Idaho Falls Chamber of Commerce is seeking nominations from the community for its annual Distinguished Under 40 Awards. This is an awards program that honors 10 young professionals who have gone above and beyond to accomplish great things in their careers, community, and education. To be considered, young professionals can be nominated by co-workers, managers, and business associates. The nomination process will open this Thursday and the deadline is Oct. 30

Since it started as the Club of Commerce in 1904, the chamber has grown to include 656 member businesses representing more than 27,000 employees in the greater Idaho Falls region. Member businesses represent more than 30 different business sectors. The chamber works to create and protect competitive advantage for business in the region. For more information about becoming a member, contact Aaron James at marketing@idahofallschamber.com, or Stacy Butcher at programs@idahofallschamber.com Or call (208) 523-1010.

Finding the right fit | Mike Taylor, Taylored Fit

Mike Taylor

Mike Taylor's college education started with studying business until an economics class brought him to the realization that it might not be the right career for him. After moving on to performing arts and finding out that his lack of piano proficiency would be a big stumbling block, he turned to his physical education professor and asked, “How can I do what you do?” He changed his major to sports science and went on to get his master's degree in health education.

“I figured out I can work with people, I can talk about exercise and biomechanics and things that I'm interested in and teach people to help them feel better, look better, and just be happier with themselves and their lives,” he said.

Taylor's approach is holistic and takes in nutrition, behavior modification, and activity in a way that is enjoyable for the clients he serves to help them meet their fitness goals. “One of the things people like about me is that they don't feel judged. We have that accountability factor but they know me, they know my story. I've been through the ups and downs of weight loss and healthy lifestyle management, so I'm no stranger to the self-shame and the self-loathing we go through,” Mike said, “I try to find out where they are at and go from there.”

Since college, Taylor has worked full-time at the health department as well as providing personal training. “The last few years I've noticed that I've been trading time for money. I was running short on time. I've been working well over 60-plus hours a week. I decided I've got to do something different,” he said. As an answer to this, he has developed an online coaching program. COVID-19 has sped this up and now Taylor has a fully virtual program for his clients where anyone can visit any time during the day.

The vision is to grow his business and create a platform that anyone across the globe can access. He continues to see clients one-on-one as well as provide his virtual program and some small groups. When asked what he thinks sets him apart he said, “Personal training. I develop and design your program just for you. I'm the type of trainer you need.” He feels that his experience and training allow him to create a program that leads his clients to success.

He shared that an uncle once told him, “Mike, if you aren't living on the edge, you're taking up too much space. I really like that, the edge is the defining moment of what happens. You either stay on the edge or fall off.”

He admits that one of his biggest challenges is believing in himself daily. Although he does that for other people, he still needs that for himself. He feels strongly that you need to have your own support system and that is what helps to get you through the tough times. “We have setbacks, we have to learn self-reflection. Don't stew on the negative, learn from it and move on,” he said.

Taylor's family is active in sharing the story of fitness. They have recently started a YouTube channel called Taylored Fit Fam to share their own lives and how to fit fitness into everything a busy family of six kids has to do.

When considering self-employment, Taylor advises others who love to serve customers and are willing to have integrity in your business to go forward and follow their dreams.

Information

Check out Mike's website for a free eBook and for more information on Taylored Fit at https://mikethetrainertaylor.com/.

Follow the Taylored Fit Fam on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSEy9EliKpQXdihkJh6o0rQ.

Shepherd's Inn 'Win the Whole Cow' fundraiser goes virtual

Shepherd’s Inn, eastern Idaho’s long-established pregnancy support center, will be holding its annual Win the Whole Cow fundraiser virtually this year. The center operates solely on grants, donations and fundraisers, and this year there is an added level of community need.

“Every little bit helps, and moving the event to a virtual arena makes sense right now,” said executive director, Julie Zahn. “We can save the golf tournaments and spaghetti dinners until it’s safe to gather again. That being said, we really need everyone’s help to rally around our event and join us online in our raffle ticket sales efforts. The bottom line is we still need to reach our $15,000 dollar goal to keep our services at the level our clients need."

No one really thought in the past about how much this annual fundraiser relies on local 4-H clubs to raise the yearly beef until there almost wasn’t a 4-H auction this year. Luckily, 4-H and county officials found a way to safely continue the sale. Shepherd’s Inn advocate and annual benefactor Melaleuca CEO Frank VanderSloot purchased one of the bovines and donated it directly to the Win the Whole Cow raffle. Thieman’s Meats is stepping up again this year to provide the cutting, wrapping and storage of the beef until the winner is announced.

The grand prize alone is valued at over $4,500. To purchase tickets, go to https://shepherdsinn.org/win-the-whole-cow/ and select the amount of tickets you’d like to purchase, then click “Buy Now” The drawing includes not only the chance to win an entire beef cow but multiple themed gift baskets and other valuable prizes,  There will be a live Facebook drawing and announcement of the winners on Nov. 1.

To learn more about the raffle or to make a prize donation call 208-525-2014.