Have you ever wondered what professional fishermen do in the cold winter months? Mike Auten is a professional fisherman; his wife, Becky, is a trained graphic designer. Naturally, he decided to spend the winter talking about what he loves to do most. Dare we say he was telling fish tales? Mike began conducting seminars on fishing, and Becky began helping him put together his presentations.

They began using color transparencies. The next year, they put together a slide show. To keep up with technology – and as Becky became better trained in graphics – they decided to put together a short video. This video went over so well that they decided to seek sponsors to fund the necessary upgrades to their equipment and training so they could produce even better videos, which they had no trouble doing. Becky took more classes to learn how to put it all together.

During a presentation at a sports show, a Japanese businessman saw a five-minute video Becky had done for Mike’s presentation... he loved it... he wanted it... and the Autens said, “Sure!”

He then asked the Autens if they would produce a video of the pro team made up of Mike and three other partners. They did a 15-minute promotional video for a sports show to be shown in Japan, where sport fishing is wildly popular (except for bass, which we learned must be killed because they eat minnows, a Japanese delicacy!) Six months later they did a one-hour length video followed by a television show.

Over the course of the next two years, the Autens produced a series of fishing programs which also aired on the Outdoor Channel earning them billing as the top-rated show!

When they parted ways with the Japanese businessman, they found a new partner and started a venture called “Firelight.” They began by repackaging all 12 shows they had produced to date to sell as a set. Customers who buy the entire set receive a 13th bonus DVD; this strategy has been very successful for Auten Interactive.

Auten Interactive is preparing to distribute a new eight-DVD series which will be available any day now. A follow-up “Masters” series of three DVDs featuring the #1 fishing pros in an in-depth program follows for early 2007.

Following Auten Interactive’s relationship with the Outdoor Channel, they appeared on Fox Sportsnet for six months. When this arrangement became cost-prohibitive, they entered into an agreement with OLN (Outdoor Life Network) where they began running shows from their first series. Programs from their second series will begin airing in January 2007.

Successful marketing of their DVDs through Bass Pro Shops grossed $110,000 in sales in the first two months of 2006! Other retailers began selling their DVDs including Sportsman’s Warehouse, non-franchise bait and tackle shops, and even a small pawn shop in rural Mississippi! The word of Auten Interactive’s DVDs has really spread among serious anglers.

This year, the Autens will take off the third and fourth quarter from airing so they can shoot for a new series of shows for which they’re actively seeking sponsors.

Mike hosts all of the programs and was featured in the first series, and will be in the Master’s series as well. This summer he’ll be shooting a show on “structure” fishing (underwater structures, ledges, contours). His structure video from the first series is their #1 seller, so it is sure to be a success!

Auten Interactive has sold their DVDs all over the world including substantial orders from South Africa, Australia, Italy and Mexico. When they get orders from military troops stationed in Iraq, Mike and Becky try to send along some “extras” such as hats and t-shirts they’ve had the pros autograph. One soldier wrote back that he was so thrilled to have an autographed hat from his hero that he doesn’t dare wear it!

This is typical of the generosity and responsiveness customers receive from the down-to-earth team at Auten Interactive.

Auten Interactive is starting a project this month (May 2006) for “Ducks Unlimited” where Drake the Dog will be featured in a bird hunting dog training video at Wild Rose Kennels. They are hopeful this first video will also grow into a series.

Scott Rob at Auten Interactive is currently working as part of the film crew shooting “Match Fishing.” And when Mike is fishing the FLW tour, Scott will also be part of the film crew.

Auten Interactive currently has three full-time employees and may soon have a fourth who specializes in 3D animation who will do a graphics package for the bird-hunting/dog-training video.

Johanna Fox CPA invites you to see all of the DVDs from Auten Interactive’s first series displayed in our office, and salutes the team at Auten Interactive for their current and future successes. Thank you for being this month’s “Client in the Spotlight!”

Jerry Mayes was a young faculty member at Murray State University when an old college friend contacted him about conducting a ½ day seminar on time management at a grain processing mill. Having never done this before, he gladly accepted – after all, it paid $250! That was big money 25 years ago…

“The time I spent on preparing for that seminar earned me an average of about $0.25 an hour!” jokes Jerry. The seminar, which he directed toward sales managers, turned out to be for an audience of customer service field representatives. Jerry acted quickly on his feet and improvised to make it a success. ComSult Associates, LLC was born!

Today, much like that first seminar, Jerry continues to draw on his experiences to cater to the needs of his clients by providing the services and guidance that will make their businesses more successful in all the right areas, while helping them determine what those areas are.

Today, ComSult Associates has grown to have national, as well as international, reach. Jerry says he couldn’t have done it without Catherine Lanier, Training and Development Specialist, and, later, Office Manager Kelly Townsend. Large corporations as well as smaller businesses seek out ComSult’s expertise. They have assisted companies in every field imaginable to improve their operations – from manufacturing, health care and service industries to transportation, government and financial institutions.

Catherine says, “Our job is simply to help companies improve.” ComSult accomplishes this in three primary ways: surveys and assessments, training sessions, and building teamwork. The team at ComSult travels all over the country to meet with companies on-site and offer their expertise in job orientation, sexual harassment training, employee feedback, corporate presentation, time management, communications, coaching, interpersonal skills and any other conceivable area!

With the latest technology available, ComSult offers clients online surveys that can be completed and evaluated almost instantly, quickly providing them with detailed results that they can use immediately in analyzing operations.

When a company’s priorities become misaligned and their focus is lost in the growth process, ComSult helps clients stay focused on the systems in place in order to keep them strong and effective.

Profitability, positive employee morale, and customer satisfaction are the best indicators that ComSult is getting the job done. According to Catherine, “most of our business comes by word of mouth.”

Catherine says, “Every business team has issues… and we are willing to help.”

Thank you to the team at ComSult Associates, LLC for being this month’s “Client in the Spotlight!

For brothers Roger and Jerry Youngblood, being in the RV sales and service business happened quite by accident – almost literally!

Roger was in college working between semesters for the owner of Burl's Wrecker Service which also transported mobile homes. Seeing a market for additional mobile homeowners needs, he acquired the mobile home transporting business and added a parts and service business for mobile homes. With business thriving, his brother, Jerry, then working at Ingersoll-Rand, joined with him to help with the servicing of mobile homes. This grew into a parts business for mobile homes, and according to Roger, “Customers began stopping by looking for RV parts and accessories, too.”

One day, the owner of the wrecker service recovered a wrecked travel trailer. The brothers purchased the RV from the insurance company, repaired it, and placed it out front with a “for sale” sign on it. The travel trailer generated more interest than expected, and, as Roger says, “the rest is history!”

With only one local RV competitor in the area at the time, the brothers decided to research the RV industry. They visited factories in northern Indiana (where most manufacturers are located), and chose to carry the best brand they could find, Jayco – the largest family-owned RV manufacturer.

Jerry was working as a fireman at this time, devoting all of his days off to helping Roger get the business off the ground until it became a full-time venture.

Today, the Youngbloods offer several brands in their line-up – both new and used – while Jayco remains at the center. In addition to their original Mayfield location, Youngblood’s RV has grown to 3 locations. With the purchase of the Paducah dealership in 2002 and Capetown RV in Cape Girardeau, MO in January, they now have 40 employees to serve their customers.

Customers come from all over the region to purchase an RV from Youngblood’s, and now, with internet sales of used RVs on the rise, they come from all over the country. As Roger tells it, “We had a recent customer who was a Boston-area fisherman. He flew into Nashville, I picked him up at the airport, he bought his RV, and drove it back home!”

This is typical of the attention to customer service you can expect at this family-oriented business.

We join Youngblood’s RV in celebrating 29 years of business this month, and for being this month’s “client in the spotlight!”

When Mel Doughty got his hands on a black and white printing press back in 1978, who knew it would be the inception of King’s Publishing? Mel’s daughter, Pam Wiggins, says he kept the press in the garage at their red brick house on the corner, just down the street from their present location. She told me, “It all began when Dad was asked to print a booklet for the local Little League team. After that, the Mayfield Realtors asked him to print a brochure,” and the rest is history… the Catalog of Homes was born!

King’s Publishing has grown to have 14 employees and produces 18 different versions of the Catalog of Homes each month, distributed in Kentucky, Illinois and Tennessee. All printing is done on site. Pam says, “Ninety-five percent of our work is the Catalog of Homes, but we are also a full-service printer that can produce business cards, letterhead, and envelopes, and fulfill any other print needs our customers have.”

Mel chose the name “King’s Publishing” as a Christian reference to God. For a logo, he adopted a modified version of the ancient Chi-Rho cross – the first two letters of the Greek word for Christ – with an open cross at the bottom center because Christ is at the very center of King’s Publishing.

Pam’s husband, John Wiggins, primarily runs King’s Publishing since Mel’s first love is his ministering work with the youth group “King’s Players.” Mel travels to places such as Poland and Russia and is often away on missions during the summer months leaving King’s Publishing in John and Pam’s care. Mel recently returned from a trip to Poland he made in late December and early January where the group visited orphanages.

In the early days of King’s Publishing, Mel would recruit kids in the youth group to help collate and staple publications. Pam also recalls being one of the collators Mel recruited and being paid $100 to deliver the catalogs. “I remember how much money I thought it was at the time!” Pam says.

Every year, King’s Players hosts an annual youth retreat in Gatlinburg, Tennessee which draws 2,000 youth from many different churches and groups, providing them with the opportunity for fellowship and activities. This year Mel and the group will celebrate their 38th year!

Johanna Fox CPA has enjoyed a long working relationship with King’s Publishing. Pam remembers bringing time sheets over to Johanna when she was still working out of her home! (Yes, Mel, we all know you started when you were…ummmmm… about 10 years old LOL!)

Pam says if there is one thing they want everyone to know about King’s Publishing is that they “always put the customer first and always try to make things right regardless of fault. It’s important to us that our customers are happy.”

King’s Publishing has been with us for over 15 years, and we are honored to call them not only clients, but friends. We salute Mel, Pam, John and the staff at King’s Publishing, Inc. for raising the bar when it comes to customer service and community dedication. Congratulations to this month’s client “in the Spotlight!”