Today, I would like to introduce you to my very first blogging friend, Wes Thorp from "Daily Grit".
Wes hails from Lansing, Michigan and we connected as I built my very first blog, The Pacesetter Mortgage Blog (I shut this blog down after I sold the company). In fact, I hired Wes, as a blog coach, to assist me in getting my blog off the ground.
In no time at all, I had acquired quite a following and found myself being interviewed and/or quoted by U.S. News & World Reports, NPR, and Business Week. If you Googled "mortgage blog", I came up consistently #2 in the world! That was fun.
Just so you know, I was as one who cried in the wilderness against all the insanity that was happening in the industry. It all blew up after we moved to Arizona.
Wes and I have kept touch, through our blogs, over the past few years. Here is a quick peek at Wes from his "about me" page:
"So what captures the essence of my identity, who I am now, where I've been and where I want to go?
Here's basic facts:
- I'm married to a recently-retired third grade Lutheran school teacher,
- Proud father of two grown children,
- A member of the first-class of babyboomers,
- A former veteran staff member of the Michigan Legislature,
- A former newspaper reporter,
- A graduate of the Michigan State University School of Journalism,
- A child of a single-mom who was a real survivor and knew how to love unconditionally,
- An owner of two Chevy's both old, a Malibu and a Lumina,
- A former in-prison volunteer under the auspices of Prison Fellowship for almost 20 years,
- A Barry Goldwater conservative who believes that personal freedom is vital,
- A struggling Lutheran who's tired of the lethargy and lukewarmness of the church,
- A son who has memory of meeting his father only once and was instantly disowned,
- A seeker who's looking to nurture his personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
This blog started as a trial run with blogs just about four years ago. There's a lot of stuff on this blog that nobody would be interested in, including me. However, there might be some stuff that strike a spark.
It's my chronicle of life as I live it, read about it and think about the future."
I count Wes among my good friends. He is a great guy, has a wonderful family, and is one who is clearly seeking to deepen his relationship with Christ. You should also feel sorry for Wes, as winter and cloudy skies are coming soon to Michigan! LOL! Love you man!
