Lunchmeat & Life Lessons: Sharing a Butcher’s Wisdom

What People Are Saying

As the senior executive here at Staffmark, the most important role I have is serving as the Chief Reminder Officer for the thousands of people we work with. That's why I appreciate Mary's book. Lunchmeat & Life Lessons reminds us all of what it takes to succeed in our business: The People Business.

—Lesa J. Francis, Chief Executive Officer, President and Director, Staffmark

This book reads like a perfectly crafted employee manual, crossing all business sectors. The lessons are everything we want our industry to be known for: an extraordinary work ethic, commitment to excellence and above all, people first. I highly recommend it to others.

—Richard A. Wahlquist, President and CEO, American Staffing Association

It’s jam packed with wisdom that can make a difference today. The story of the Butcher’s daughter is one that will stay with me forever. There is meaningful business advice but it’s so much more. It’s a real family story that will touch your soul and make you feel better about the world. It will make you laugh, cry and act differently.

—Kevin Green, Chief Executive of Great Britian’s Recruitment and Employment Confederation

This book is as inspiring to me as anything I have ever read… it isn't a business book filled with data points it’s a book about success that has heart. It’s about a business commodity that is too often overlooked in today's fast paced world: People.

—Eric Gilpin, President, CareerBuilder Staffing & Recruiting Group

So often, we lose sight of our most valuable resources. Thankfully, Lunchmeat & Life Lessons: Sharing a Butcher's Wisdom is a timely reminder for our entire organization to become stronger advocates for heart health and wellness—one person at a time.

—Kevin Harker, Executive Vice President, American Heart Association

In today's high tech workplace, Mary Lucas' book nails it as she reminds those of us in business that kindness, compassion, respect and determination are mandatory measures of success. I am recommending to all my customers and colleagues.

—Eric Gregg, Founder and Creator, Inavero and BEST of STAFFING

After reading this book. I immediately shared it with my wife and my team. It is such a powerful story of family, business, relationships and the value of listening. The comeback sauce is in the simplicity with which these lessons can be applied to any part of your life.

—Ed Holmes, President, Peoplenet

The truth is I have never read any book, poem or tribute in my life that has touched me more. Lunchmeat & Life Lessons is profoundly powerful and I continue to leverage its principles every day in both my personal and professional life.

—Neal Schwartz, Vice President, Cerner Corporation

This book is wonderful. I just purchased 350 copies to share with our students and instructors. I loved the simplicity of the wisdom and I know it will inspire all those involved in our program.

—Annie Willis, Associate Director, Groups Students Support Services, Indiana University

This book has that down-home, small-town, well-led, hard-working, family-oriented mid-America feel. The one we haven't really known since the 1950's, the one that baby-boomers grew up with all across America (even me here in New York) and STILL (to this day) go all teary-eyed nostalgic for. You conjure up a world that many of us are longing for—and make it tangible, as though it’s our past reaching out to us, reminding us, reassuring us.

—Larry Leichman, Co-Owner Arbor Books, Inc.

In a moving cross between The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and Tuesdays With Morrie, Lucas blends a memoir and tribute to her father with effective business management skills and self-help motivation. This book is a must read.

—Zach Freeman, Founder Blogger News Network

It is as inspiring to me as anything I have ever read… you have provided us all such a gift by writing this. Cherished every word!

—Hyler Bracey, author of Managing from the Heart & Building Trust: How to Get It! How to Keep It!

You have written a handbook for a happy and successful life! Thank you from all of us for listening to your Dad, processing it and passing it along to your readers!

—Alana Muller, author of Coffee Lunch Coffee—A Practical Field Guide for Master Networking

What a priceless gem this book is! It's a must read for anyone needing a lift, a bit of a nudge and a reminder of what really counts in business and in life. You won't be disappointed!

—Barnett C. Helzberg, Jr., author of What I Learned Before I Sold to Warren

Buffett: An Entrepreneurs Guide to Developing a Highly Successful Company

Mary Lucas’s wonderful tribute to her father shows that love is the most important legacy we can ever leave.

—Ken Blanchard, co-author of The One Minute Manager® and Leading at a Higher Level

Laced with the wisdom and insight that only comes through experience, this book beautifully exemplifies the unbreakable bond between father and daughter.

—Stephen R. Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and

The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness

Lunchmeat & Life Lessons

Copyright © 2013 Mary B. Lucas, B.D. 

Smashwords Edition

Published by MBL Press

A division of MBL, LLC

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced (except for inclusion in reviews), disseminated or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or in any information storage and retrieval system, or the Internet/World Wide Web without written permission from the author or publisher.

For further information, 

please contact the author at:

[email protected]

Book design by,

Arbor Books, Inc.

www.arborbooks.com

Lunchmeat & Life Lessons: Sharing a Butcher’s Wisdom

Mary B. Lucas

1. Title 2. Author 3. Biography/Inspirational/Motivational

Hardcover:

Library of Congress Control Number: 2010916029

ISBN 13: 978-0-9791234-1-2

Softcover:

Library of Congress Control Number: 2006909931

ISBN 10: 0-9791234-0-2

ISBN 13: 978-0-9791234-0-5

Dedication

For Mom,

because I know you loved him

every bit as much as I did,

and I know you knew

I loved you every bit as much, too!

Contents

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

FOREWORD

CHAPTER 1: In the Beginning

CHAPTER 2: Create a Lasting Impression

CHAPTER 3: Stay Focused

CHAPTER 4: Make Something Happen

CHAPTER 5: Bring Out the Best

CHAPTER 6: Admit Your Mistakes

CHAPTER 7: Enjoy the Ride

CHAPTER 8: Look for Happiness Within

CHAPTER 9: Celebrate Life

CHAPTER 10: Put Bad Things in Perspective

CHAPTER 11: Meet the Challenge

CHAPTER 12: Prepare Yourself

EPILOGUE

AFTERWORD

A SPECIAL NOTE TO READERS

PUTTING THE BUTCHER’S WISDOM TO WORK

LUNCHMEAT LEARNING

CLOSING COMEBACK SAUCE

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Acknowledgments

FROM THE BEGINNING, there was the support of my entire family and that has never wavered. Throughout my childhood, career and adult life, you all remained my mainstay, and still are. A special thank you goes to my siblings—Joan, Judy, Johnny, Jimmy, Joey, Jerry, Jeannie, Jane and Barbie. I love you all more than words can tell.

To my boys, Scott, Chase and Nick, I thank you for being my greatest fans as I am eternally yours. How blessed we are to have each other!

As Dad would say, You gotta dance with the ones that brung ya. And with that in mind, I thank Ray Marcy and Gary Peck who started with me in the people business and have stayed a constant in my life since the day we met so early in my career.

To those of you who have touched my life as you have come in and out of it, I thank you for being such an incredible part of my story. I would not have been able to write this book without you. I always have and always will send you my warmest regards.

To the Goddesses from the Hudson Institute who inspired me to begin this journey, to Tina Aulita, Andrea Sumpter, Luke Wetzel and Betsy Donnelly who helped me along the way, and to Hyler Bracey and Lou Savary without whom there wouldn’t be the book you hold in your hands today, my gratitude is overwhelming.

Last, yes, but never least, to my baby sister Dr. Barbara Bichelmeyer and my satellite sisters Gayle Selby, Dee Dee Deans-Graf and Lesa Francis, thank you for your final edits, additions and encouragement to move forward.

You ALL have inspired me!

Foreword

ALTHOUGH I AM PROUD OF MY BACHELOR’S DEGREE and will forever be loyal to my Alma Mater, ultimately, nothing can compare to the letters of distinction my father bestowed upon me: my B.D. degree, which stands for Butcher’s Daughter.

I earned my B.D. by spending hours seated across the butcher-block table in my mother’s kitchen—my classroom—listening to my father’s lessons about how to deal with life’s beginnings and endings and all the ups and downs in between. I didn't realize it at the time of course, but all were lessons I would put to work in my own life; wisdom that helped me to become a successful executive as well as a more loving and committed wife and mother.

More than 30 years have passed since I was hired for my first real job at a temporary help service. I found myself working in the ultimate people business and I