Gentleman's Purpose - October 2020 Edition

Gentleman’s

Purpose Keep Your Balance In All Things. Fulfill Your Purpose Palm Beach Edition, October 2020

FEATURE: ELECTION YEAR 2020 Surprised by Kindness, Part 3

SEO: De-Mystified Gentleman’s Purpose

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Justin Gaynor, Editor in Chief

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At GP, we want to make sure you have an opportunity to do justice by giving generously to important causes, to directly encourage and support the GP writers you love to read, and to buy the products and gear you see in our eMagazine Gentleman’s Purpose

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What’s Hoping Forward Pg. 8

Surprised by Kindness, Part 3 Pg. 10

Love the Brethren Pg. 18

SEO Demystified Pg. 36

Feature: Election Year 2020 Pg. 29

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Country Cookin’ at it’s Finest, Pg. 42

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Recommended Reading, Pg. 48-51

s Inside Making Time For Guy’s Night Pg. 20

The Style of Your Purpose Pg. 26

Hookin’ Up, A Look at Palm Beach’s Premier Custom Fishing Rod Builder, Pg. 60

A Long Weekend in Italy, Pg. 66

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Hoping Forward Written by Justin Gaynor

Hope Defined Growing more hopeful through the terrible circumstances of life doesn’t make much sense on the surface.

It would be much more logical to take the experiences that have crushed your soul and become increasingly guarded, cynical, and pessimistic. However, it just doesn’t work that way.

Genuine hope, if you have it, is like a bonfire, the more dry wood you throw on it, the hotter and bigger it grows. Hope is the solid evidence that there is something beyond the way things presently are that makes pressing on joyfully not only possible, but rational.

Hope Deferred Nobody likes to wait for things and yet, most people would agree that patience is a virtue to be honored.

Honestly, if I can have what I want

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when I want it, I would much rather choose that route. It’s taken some time for me to understand the value in waiting until the appropriate time for things in life.

for might need to be adjusted. If you are delighting yourself in something that is not really in the cards for you, exploring why you want what you want might be There is, however, a negative wise. When you start aspect to waiting for things. allowing your heart to When a person has a hope delight in the appropriate that is deferred for too long of things, you may a period of time, doubts can discover that what you start to sneek in. The actually want is something aforementioned cynicism totally different. and pessimism can take root.

When that begins to happen Next, the hope you are the love that you carry within determined to see yourself can begin to grow realized should be cold and your heart will start grounded in something to grow sickly. So, what can solid. A promise from a a man do? trust-worthy and reliable friend for instance. You Hope Determined know it may take some time to take hold of, but if her There is something to be said character stands true, then for determination and raw your level of trust will have grit. Yet, even these must be been well placed. connected to the top three virtues of faith, hope, and Finally, in all of this, pray. love. So, when you aren’t Pray that you grow in faith, getting what you want, a hope, and love...and couple things could be going remember, love is the on. First, what you are hoping greatest of these.

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Written by

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y Justin Gaynor Gentleman’s Purpose

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‘There ain’t no pain like from the opposite sex, its gonna hurt bad son, but don’t take it out on the next.’

The words of a well known musician wrestling with one of life’s deepest truths and passing on wisdom to his young son. I have hardly been what one might call ‘a ladies’ man’ during my life. My earliest experiences of the opposite sex that I can bring to mind begin with the little African girl that lived next door to us in Deltona, FL on a quiet little street in the suburbs and whose mom used to babysit me on occasion. We were around the same age and we played and fought and learned to make up. Then, of course, I had my kissing cousin...for some reason God has chosen to bless my family with some of the most beautiful women on the planet, on both my dad’s side and my mom’s.

Growing up around a bunch of construction workers meant that posters of Playboy Playmates on the warehouse walls and the bathroom stalls were common. Oh, and let me not forget my teenage babysitter that was quite obsessed with the movie ‘Dirty Dancing’ to which she and I would groove round the living room to when my parents where about town for a date night. Should a young boy feel what I was experiencing? It was all very strange and exciting. I would learn later in life that sex-ed via such detailed, raunchy and thoroughly intriguing means was perhaps less than helpful. As far as godliness and purity until marriage...I don’t think I ever even heard that such a thing happened in real life much less did I have any understanding that such an alien concept had surpassing value. So, my exploration of my sexuality began at quite an early age.

As I matured and walked through puberty, I had my first official girlfriend in the seventh grade. A young gal named Marissa, or Missy, as we called her. I did all the things I saw my buddies doing. Met with her after classes, hoped for a kiss. I even went to Walmart and bought her a bracelet and had her name inscribed on it for her. Then one day I stopped by her house when her parents weren’t home. Her older brother was there and as I walked in the door he shouts, ‘Oh, is he going to eat your #$%^?’. In somewhat of disbelief, I thought to myself, ‘Oh, God, am I?’ I was thinking we were going to hang out and listen to some music, perhaps I will get to kiss her today? Oh, no, rather I am met with this blunt, grinding question from this older boy that I have never met before.

Suddenly, my mind races back to my early sex education via such erotic starlets as one might desire. Certainly, I know how to do this...seen it a million times...and obviously I have to win her brother’s respect if I am to be her man. I can’t punk out on this one. Today is the day! Missy flashed her brother a terrible look, then looked back at me, smiled and said, ‘Don’t listen to him...’ I felt an instant relief, we were just going to listen to music, but at the same time disappointment. I had some training that I wasn’t going to get to exercise quite yet. I don’t know if I got that kiss I was hoping for, but I suppose a gentleman never tells.

Missy and I broke up after about two weeks. I was pretty devastated. Around the same time, my dad had taken me to see the movie ‘Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves’. It’s the only movie I remember ever going to with my dad. So, I had been thinking of Marissa and singing Bryan Adams and was certain that this was the one. Apparently, we were not on the same page.

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Things got a whole lot more exciting as I passed my drivers license test and acquired a 1973 Buick Skylark custom convertible. It was cherry red with a black convertible top and a 350 4-barrell carb. I had been working at my family diner saving money and my step-dad lent me $5000 to buy it. So I began to learn what it meant to be responsible by declaring to him how happy I was to have the ‘panty-mobile’. A moment that lit up the pride in his heart like a Roman candle. He still reminds me of that moment to this day.

My life-long friend Jason Jones and I were now cruising in style. We started partying with two waitresses from my mom’s restaurant and I ended up in bed with one of them, a couple times, she was probably in her thirties and here I was just having turned 16. Whew...let me tell you...I thought I was the man! I don’t know if they make cougars like that anymore, but good God! God had nothing to do with how I was living my life then and was so far off my radar that I couldn’t fathom not running with this.

I wasn’t completely sold on older women at this point. So I started hanging out with a few different gals at school, there was Tina and Trish. Tina was just a friend, but she pulled me to the side one day and told me that she really liked me, she just wasn’t sure if she wanted to be more than friends. I think we both thought about it, but it never really went anywhere... since then I have never been much of a fan of indecisiveness. Trish and I dated briefly. She was curvaceous in all the right ways and very pretty too. Her parents loved me, a fact that really diminished my value to Trish...so that quickly fell to the wayside. From there I fell in with an edgy, sharp blonde chick named Jenna that was drop dead gorgeous. We ran round town and she started introducing me to her clique that was into the rave scene. I started skipping first period, geometry was always my least favorite mathematics class anyway...now Algebra Honors...that was more my speed (...by the way, your boy is wicked smart...sometimes and in some ways). Jenna and I would go to her room in the morning and just sleep. I don’t think I ever even kissed her...but she knew how to hold onto me and keep me interested, we had a lot of fun together.

All that skipping first period led to my first summer school experience. Let me tell you that my parents were less than pleased. Summer had arrived and my pal, Jason Jones, had started dating a girl named Crystal. She was a beautiful little pistol and we quickly became friends.

So, she wanted to introduce me to one of her besties, a girl named Robin. We pulled up to this tiny brown house in Debary, FL and there emerges from the house a beautiful curly headed vixen in a wrinkled old brown shirt who either didn’t know we were stopping by or just didn’t give a f#$%. I liked her instantly...even though I thought her eyes were too far apart. We ended up going for a walk to grab a bite to eat at Burger King just down the street. Within a few days, we were on a trip to the beach in the ‘panty-mobile’, with Jenna snuggled up next to me on the front bench seat, a few others including Robin, with surfboards sticking out of the back seat. Once we got to the beach, Robin wanted to get in the water with me and learn about surfing while Jenna sat on the beach and observed. So I put her on my board, and swam out beside her, certainly not missing how she was looking in that bikini. Good Lord, yes please! Sorry...anyway...so I showed her how to paddle and pushed her into her first wave. As we gathered our things together for the journey home, I opened my car door and went to start the ignition and before I knew it, Robin had jumped over the seat, ‘shotgun’, firmly taking her place and very swiftly putting Jenna to the back.

Decisiveness. Jenna didn’t say anything...and that was the end of Jenna and me. A new and exciting adventure began that day that would go far beyond anything Robin and me could have imagined.

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Within a few days, we had connected in all the right ways. This was the kind of whirlwind summer romance that Kid Rock, in all his lyrical genius, sings about. Unfortunately, we were both really starting to discover who we were in those years, but we were truly, madly, deeply in love. It didn’t completely shield either of us from ‘exploring other options’, but I very quickly helped her understand how much I value honesty. Through the years we very rarely allowed the sun to go down on our anger. The most difficult challenge would come when I left to South Florida for college.

We were always together in High School. Jason and Crystal eventually broke up, but Robin and I stayed the course. A fact that thoroughly nauseated most onlookers, including our best friends. Then it happened, I was headed to West Palm Beach to study at university. She had travelled south with me and my family to check the school out and the time had been ticking away. She was a year behind me in High School and it was important to me that she complete her education. This was going to be the first time that we had been apart from one another for more than a week in over two years...we held on so tightly to one another on multiple levels in those days...

‘Save tonight and fight the break of dawn Come tomorrow, tomorrow I’ll be gone Tomorrow comes to take me away I wish that I, that I could stay But girl you know I’ve got to go (oh) And Lord I wish it wasn’t so’ The sudden freedom from all restraint one is inundated with as a college freshman was met with very little wisdom in certain areas of my life. The long-distance relationship with Robin was as good as it could be, but I was missing that close, real connection. So it wasn’t too long until I had met a young lady that it seemed to me had a lot more in common with me than Robin. Something I called and shared with Robin. I still loved Robin deeply, but I hated the idea of being a cheater and I didn’t want to be that kind of person. We agreed to separate for the first time. A few weeks later I drove up to Central Florida to visit my family and I stopped in to see how she was doing. When she opened the door she was visibly weak and she had lost a significant amount of weight in a short period of time. It broke my heart and I pled with her to forgive me. She did and we moved forward...not that either of us was perfectly faithful after that moment (it turns out I didn’t hate being a cheat as much as I enjoyed college life), but we never broke up again after that. When I got back to university I sat down with the other girl and told her that things where not going to be moving forward with us, she wept and said, ‘I knew you were going to go back to her!’ I suppose it’s good that it wasn’t a surprise, I assured her that I cared for her but Robin was my girl and has been my girl. I hate those moments, but it had to be done.

Robin moved to South Florida as quickly as she could...deceiving me and bi-passing my wishes that she complete her high school education first. When I found out, I was livid, but seeing her express that strong of an urge to be with me despite all that is wise and advisable won my heart. So, she got enrolled locally and completed her high school diploma. Now neither of us had grown up in church, so we weren’t ‘saved’ as they say. We had bought our first town-house together at the end of my freshman year, when I was 19 years old. Living together as an unmarried couple was great, sinful as hell, but great.

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We could make love anytime we wanted with no fear of parental issues, as by now it was quite clear that we weren’t saving anything for marriage. As a matter of fact, by this time in my life and given all the divorce I had seen in my parents lives and in her parent’s life...in the lives of our friends and families...I really didn’t want anything to do with a marriage covenant. Everything was just fine the way it was...why screw it up?

Then we got pregnant. My heart suddenly changed. Nobody said anything to me. She didn’t pressure me. We were both on the same page as regards the horrors of legally binding marriage...I just knew I wanted her to be my wife and that I wanted our child to have the kind of environment that life’s circumstances didn’t afford me. So, despite all our stumbling around she chose to become my wife and the mother of my children by following through with the, ‘YES!’ she had uttered in response to my marriage proposal years earlier, after a quiet dinner at the Ocean Deck in Daytona Beach. The sun was setting and the sky was exploding in brilliant colors and as I knelt, humbled by the power of love, and asked this woman to commit her life to walking by my side, through thick and thin, for better or worse, in sickness and in health. It was one of the kindest things I have ever experienced and when the doors opened...and she walked into that little hall with all its decorations, my brother Andrew close beside me as my best man, I felt my knees nearly give out...but I did not fall... and by the grace of God, we were faithful to one another, as husband and wife, for the duration of our marriage.

We accomplished the American dream together...high school sweethearts, two children, a house, two cars, a boat, savings, and an awesome dog. Yet there was a greater kindness that neither of us had yet understood or experienced...but it was on its way and nothing would ever be the same again... ​SDG

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Relationships

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Love The Brethren Written by Justin Gaynor

Father Figures Having a strong father figure in our lives, as men, is important. Unfortunately, in modern American culture many times father figures are not our biological fathers. As Christian men, this can become a little more complex as we are instructed that we should call no man on earth our father, since we all have one Father, and He is in heaven. Still, we are in a situation where our Father in heaven chooses to speak to us through the Brethren. If you can receive it, God the Father was actually speaking through the Apostle Paul when Paul mouthed the words to the young disciple Timothy, ‘my true child in the faith.’

The Brethren Since we are all Brothers, those who are in Christ that is, it stands to reason that we need to grow in what that actually means. We also need to increase in our understanding of how that is practically worked out. The dynamic of true Brotherhood is modeled for us in the relationship between Jonathan and David in the Bible. Jonathan was the son of the anointed king of Israel, Saul, and David was a shepherd boy that was essentially adopted into the royal family and eventually married into the royal family. According to human tradition Jonathan would have been next in line for the throne as the king’s biological son, but God had elected David. Jonathan, in tremendous humility, not only stepped aside and embraced God’s sovereign choice, but he embraced it and it is said that the souls of Jonathan and David became knit together.

This goes even further, it is written by the Apostle John in the New Testiment that God is love. Jonathan and David had such a divine connection that the one would say to the other, ‘YHWH between us.’ That is, they proclaimed the purest most holy love, God Himself is what connected them. This relationship was embraced as of a higher order than that of the love even between a man and a woman, which is more of a recipricol, complementary love, whereas the love of the Brethren is completely selfless and self-giving.

Strengthening Each Other While this level of brotherhood is not all that common, it is what God wills amongst us.

So, how do we grow together as Brothers? The first thing is to discover our common ground. For centuries, this has been the Apostles creed. A simple statement of faith

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that was formulated and agreed upon by the early Church due to rampant divisions within that resulted from certain groups being more focused on one aspect of the faith or another whereas another group had set their focus on some other aspect. However, they all recognized the overarching command to love one another as Christ has loved us, and that every member of the household of God should be intentional and eager to maintain the unity that the Holy Spirit gives in the bond of peace.

All that being said, there are times when we will fail at being there for one another as we ought to be. There are supernatural enemies that come to sift us, to kill, to steal, and to destroy. We know that King Jesus is praying for us, as our great high priest, that our faith won’t fail, never-the-less, we do fail at times. Though our faith may not fail. Our faith, is the faithfulness of Jesus at work within us, not some idea we muster up enough strength to continually convince ourselves of.

When we buckle under pressure though, the failure isn’t final, we simply repent. We learn and are trained by the discipline and then we help our younger Brothers that haven’t been through what we’ve been through, yet, to be better prepared for it when they are being sifted and tested.

So, when you are going through difficult circumstances, remember that there is tremendous reward on the other side of it, if you are trained by it to continue trusting in God’s love for you and His faithfulness toward you.

Growing Together The most powerful experiences of God that I have had is when I have been reading and studying through the Scriptures with a local Church. Being intentional about growing together is so important. Actually, God promises that there is a divine blessing where the Brethren dwell together in unity. The place where we are all on the same page is the place where God is most present, the place where ‘YHWH between us’.

In an effort to be intentional about gaining this blessing the early Church devoted themselves to four things. Listening to and learning the things taught by Jesus and His Apostles, fellowship, breaking bread, and prayers. It would do us well to re-dedicate our hearts to embracing these gifts together.

We Are All Brothers Finally, we need to remember the words of Jesus. ‘You are not to be called Rabbi, because you all have one Teacher, the Messiah, and you are all Brothers.’ In this, we can understand that no person in Christ is more important than another, and no one is ‘disposable’ unless they choose to be.

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Making Time For Guys Night Written by Justin Gaynor There are many different seasons of life. Developing strong bonds with other, like-minded men is important. If two or more people are walking together and one falls the other(s) can help him, but if he’s by himself he will be stuck. As a boy, my pals and I would ride bicycles everywhere, jump jumps, ride through trails and so forth. In my teen years, we would hop in the car and head to the beach together. Now, entering into my fourties, I find myself getting together with a group of guys at my church on Saturday mornings drinking coffee and discussing theology and life.

What about you, what’s your schtick these days? What would you like it to be?

Personally, a card game or freediving/spearfishing group sounds like something that I would like to add to my life. The point is that these things will shift and change, but the important thing is that there is that community bonding, equiping, and encouragement. One of the toughest seasons is of course when you have a new love interest and especially when you have newborn or young kids at home.

Those are the seasons you need to be super intentional about protecting that time. At least an hour per week. As the spiritual leader of your home, and all men are entrusted with this role, it is your responsibility to make sure that your spouse also has time to study undisturbed and in full-submission to God, as well as having her own time for connecting with her gal-pals. Remember, you are never ‘baby-sitting’ or ‘watching the kids’, you are a dad and that is something to be cherished and taken seriously.

Back to guys night though. As you explore different groups, you will meet people along the way and two or three of them will end up being your inner circle. This is important. You will exist to build one another up, keep each other from doing stupid things, and offering all of the many things that friendship affords. You will laugh together, you will cry together, and you will have disagreements and sometimes full-blown arguments.

As a matter of fact, there may be long spans of time that seperate you during certain seasons, but that just means you need to be intentional about making time for a guys night.

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The Style of Your Purpose

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Restoring classic cars is a calling like none other. From the mechanical skill required to the personal style you can bring to each restoration or custom build. If you are a car guy, what are you doing with that passion?

What if you aren’t a car guy? The question remains. How are you bringing your personal style into the work that you do? You can not simply continue to go through life being something less that what God has purposed you to be.

Discovering your purpose and fulfilling that purpose as only you can is important.

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Election Year 2020 Written by Justin Gaynor

In a nation where we give thanks to God for rights that we have declared to be inalienable, there has been no lack of dark forces trying to infringe on those rights in an ongoing basis. So, here we find ourselves, in another election year with problems of every variety pressing in on individuals, families, and businesses.

We have an opportunity to freely cast our votes for the various officials that we feel will best represent us domestically and internationally.

However, that means there is some work to do in understanding what the current state of unresolved issues are, what the ‘hot topic’ issues are and if they are as pressing as the media likes to make them seem, and where the candidates stand of these topics. More importantly, if I invest my vote in this candidate or that one, are they going to be beneficial in advancing what I feel ought to be the American agenda for the next four years.

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In 2020 the range of issues is no less damning towards the myth of human progress than ever before. What we do know is that humanity is not naturally evolving to some utopian state of peaceful humanism. So if we can come to terms with that first, then perhaps we can revisit some realities.

If human beings have not yet come to a place where everyone is walking in the grace of God and therefore doing what they ought to in each and every situation, then the law is still needed. Lawlessness necessitates laws and the efficient and effective means to justly enforce those laws where they are transgressed.

Since it is not in the best interest of any of us that this nation should come crashing down, then we must each do what we are able to do, in good conscience, for it’s overall good. Before we get into the specifics of this election, I would have you first consider one verse from the Holy Bible.

Someone, at sometime testified to God speaking these words: “if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

We often think that praying is the least we can do, but we need to get our heads around the fact that it is the first and best thing that we can do.

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Abortion on dema prayer and Scriptu institutions continu the foundation of

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and and the forbidding of ure study in public ue to be factors eroding a free and just America.

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SEO: DeMystified Written by Justin Gaynor What is SEO? SEO is an acronym for Search Engine Optimization. It is the art and science of optimizing your company website. The optimization is aimed at making sure that the products and services that you offer are presented to the people looking to buy those specific products and services from a company that does business like you do, in the area that they live and you serve.

How can SEO help my business?

When you effectively and efficiently set your products and services in front of the people that are looking to buy what you sell, you are optimizing your online presence.

Example: You sell premium hand-made soap.

Someone who is into hand-made, organic products uses a search engine (Google, Bing, etc.)and types in ‘organic soap’. Because of the way you structured your website, the stream of content that you add to it, and the relationships that you have built with your website over time, the search engine pulls up a list of 500 soap makers. However, your website is the second on this list and they like the wording of your website listing, so they click the link that takes them to your website.

Had you been listed 317th on the list, the likelyhood of them reading through all of those results and choosing your website listing is significantly lower based on statistically ‘normal’ human behavior.

How do I get started with SEO for my business?

The initial construction of your website is vitally important. The format, order, content, and tags (labeling the content) all sets you up for success. Cont’d...

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Next, you need to consider the wording of your content. You will want to consider the people who are most likely to want to buy your product with the most frequency. Then you will want to research ‘Key Words’. Key Words are the words your group of buyers will most likely type in to a search engine to find products and services like yours. Then you want to include these words and phrases in the natural flow of the written content on your website pages, blogs, and sales copy.

Then, as you are getting started with your SEO, you will want to develop strong relationships with your vendors, common industry websites, blogs, and other online sources of information that are related to your business. As you network, you will want to develop a network of links from your website to other sites that have relevant information your customers might be interested in.

Finally, you also want to have outside links on other websites leading people to your website. Don’t hesitate to ask your vendors if the person who writes the blog for your website can be a guest blogger on their website. There are many ways to increase the number of backlinks to your website.

However you can ethically increase the number of backlinks, do it. This will naturally increase over time, but if you are proactive you will develop a higher level of authority with the search engines at a more rapid pace. The more authority your website has, the more likely you will be to list on the first page when consumers are searching the Key Words you selected to focus on with the pages on your website.

How do I put together an SEO strategy?

Developing an SEO strategy for your business has to do with developing a plan to systematically increase your website’s authority in your field of expertise in the eyes of the most popular search engines. Each search engine has proprietary mathmatical formulas for how they assign authority, find and return search results, and these mathmatical formulas (algorithms) change. Therefore, once you understand the basics of how to get started, the best thing for you to do is keep your ideal customer in the forefront of your mind as you develop your website. Make it as easy as possible for your ideal customer to buy from you, to learn about your products and services, and to engage with the community of people who share the common interests associated with your niche. When you develop a strategy that effectively does these three things consistently, you will have your SEO strategy.

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How can I implement my SEO strategy well?

The thing with strategy is that unless it is implemented well, it will either not be as productive as it could be, or it will blatantly fail. Implementation is the way you go about making your strategy happen. It is clear communication, getting the right people assigned to the right jobs, putting the appropriate level of resources in their appropriate places, and keeping the strategy in direct alignment with your company’s mission, vision, and culture.

How can I track and evaluate my SEO progress?

The best way to make sure your SEO strategy is working and being implemented well is to set SMART goals for your SEO campaign. SMART goals are Specific - Measurable - Attainable - Relevant - Timely. Progress toward goals should be reviewed at least semi-annually. It would also be wise to tie goal achievment to some form of recognition or monetary reward. There should also be corrective actions taken when goals are not met. These corrective actions may require re-evaluating the overall strategy, components of the strategy, implementation, and so forth. The point of corrective actions should always be redemptive: to learn from previous experience, build the team up for future success, and grow through the experience together.

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Dining 40

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Country Cookin’ at it’s finest.

Written by Justin Gaynor

Batch: New Southern Kitchen: West Palm Beach Country cookin’ is comfort food and soul food all wrapped up into one. Batch: New Southern Kitchen located on Clematis street in West Palm Beach offers a food menu that will lead you into the true flavors of the South. Their biscuits and gravy, cooked in a traditional iron skillet is rich, creamy, and has just the right amount of crunch. The breakfast menu is power packed with delicious morsels and should be enjoyed regularly. Especially, on the weekends when they have an amazing brunch. It is quite literally, the place to be after a night on the town.

Moving on to lunch, when you work in the downtown area, running out to pick up a great lunch that won’t break the bank is important. Much better than eating greasy cheeseburgers from a fast-food joint. At Batch, there is a half-sandwich and soup special that is reasonably priced with the freshest ingredients. If you are looking for something light, the Candied Bacon, Lettuce, Beefsteak Tomato, Avocado, and “B1” aioli with a cup of fresh Corn Chowder would be a great choice.

If you are out listening to live music at City Place, a show at the Kravitz Center, or somewhere else in Downtown West Palm and want to grab dinner, Batch is a great place for that as well. I would recommend starting with the herb roasted oysters on the half. Then for the main course, the bourbon-maple salmon...and a classic old fashioned to sip on while you are savoring great conversation and gentle Southern charm.

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Cracker Barrell I typically like to stick with smaller restaurant groups, but Cracker Barrell just has great country cookin’. There’s no getting around it. Just pulling into the parking lot takes you back a hundred years. Walking inside you find yourself in a beautiful giftshop that looks like my Mamaws house. You wonder, ‘Are they going to seat me by the fireplace?’ At the end of the day though, it’s really all about the food.

Cracker Barrell offers an extensive menu filled with true Southern flavor. For breakfast, I would recommend ‘Grandpa’s Country Fried Breakfast’. You likely won’t be able to finish it all, but I don’t think a better example of a Southern breakfast exists.

For lunch or dinner, you can’t go wrong with their chicken and dumplins. Rich, hearty Southern comfort food. Wash it all down with a big glass of Southern sweet tea and you be ready to sit and rock a while on the front porch. And you can do that at the Cracker Barrell too!

The Breakfast Shack The last stop on our journey of Country Cookin’ delights is The Breakfast Shack. I assure you that if you are not using your GPS and being super attentive, you will drive right past it. This is the closest restaurant to my family’s diner than the others we have spoken about. The service team here is always amazing, the food is cooked to order, and it is delicious.

For breakfast, the ‘Old Florida Sampler’ or the ‘Big Kahuna’ offer a delicious selection of classic breakfast foods always cooked just right.

There is simply nothing like sitting down in a small town, family owned diner for breakfast among regulars. It provides such an awesome sense of community.

Stopping in for lunch? They offer some really light and healthy options like wraps and salads. A burger more up your alley? The ‘Mushroom Swiss Burger’ cooked to your liking with fresh fruit or french fries is a savory delight.

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Books 46

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Music 52

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In addition to having a good guitar laying around, every man should have a djembe.

This is great for sitting around with friends and having fun. You don’t have to be super talented and you will get better.

There is simply nothing more enjoyable than sitting around with friends and family and making music.

[

Seriously, check out this video of some of the teeenagers from my church hanging out in our backyard playing music on the dock.

(Click HERE)

]

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For less than $80 adding a well built ukelele to your arsenal of musical instruments is one of the best investments you will make.

The sound that comes out of these things is sure to bring a smile to your face and they are so much fun to learn.

This one is made from rosewood and comes with some cool accessories.

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Gear 58

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Hookin’ Up Written by Justin Gaynor

At Gentleman’s Purpose we are all about helping men to identify their purpose in life and then to fulfill that purpose. It takes a lot of encouragement, trial & error, and perseverance. That’s why when we come across a story like Andy’s we are excited to share it with you.

Now, you may be asking yourself, ‘Isn’t this the gear section of the magazine.’ Yes it is. As we explore Andy’s story you are going to glean some insights on some of the highest quality fishing gear available. This man was able take hold of something he was passionate about doing for fun and turn it into a business venture that keeps him stoked about heading to work each day. You are going to be introduced to some unique gear that will take your fishing game to the next level.

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Andy grew up fishing with his buddies here in Palm Beach county, enjoying the rich game in the local saltwater and freshwater spots. He became interested in designing and building custom rods as a young man.

Of course, he started out small, doing guide repairs and making custom rods here and there for local fishermen while he was working for Winn-Dixie and Costco.

In the mid to late 90’s Andy worked for Chaos Fishing Equipment. There he was able to sharpen his skillset. Then one day he set out on his own. He rented a small warehouse where he was able to store his gear and was making enough money building custom rods to support himself and the business. It grew rather rapidly because he had developed a strong local network in the fishing community where he got a lot of local support and encouragement.

Eventually, Andy opened the two store-fronts he currently has. One that is dedicated to saltwater fishing and the other to freshwater bait and tackle.

Andy is a humble guy, he personally goes out on his Carolina Skiff with a 60 hp outboard. Now, when you own a custom fishing rod shop in one of the

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X-Generation Fishing Custom Rods is located at 410 N. Dixie Hwy., Lantana FL 33462 Call today 561-296-7637 or visit them online at www.xgencustomrod.com

If you enjoyed this article consider contributing financially to this writer by clicking this GP hot button and using PayPal...

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world’s premier fishing destinations, there is no shortage of great people who are more than willing to take Andy out on some deep sea adventures. The Atlantic waters off the east coast of Florida are rich with everything from sailfish to mahi, to tuna and wahoo.

Andy stands behind his product too. If you purchase a custom rod from Andy, you have thirty days to make sure it has the right feel for you. If it’s too heavy or too light, just bring it in and you will get full credit towards a rod that meets your needs. Then you have ninety days full replacement value on any breakage, and after that if something happens just bring the rod in and all you’ll have to pay for is reproduction costs. Andy and his crew will just use the good hardware like the guides and reconstruct a great rod for you.

I asked Andy what the three biggest challenges he’s faced as a business owner have been through the years. No COVID-19 wasn’t one of them.

Actually, as an essential business he faired very well so far as we have trudged through the pandemic. Nope, after all these years in the custom rod game, Andy says the three biggest challenges have been: 1) Establishing a name in the industry and building a customer base.

2) Maintaining the highest quality products and construction.

3) Keeping up with administrative technology for the business.

There’s no question that Andy was one of the youngest tackle store owners in the area when he started and he really has become a leader in the local industry. While Andy hasn’t finished his business degree yet, he feels education is very important and is only two courses away from obtaining his degree. We couldn’t agree more and so we strongly encouraged him to complete his degree sooner rather than later.

Attracting and retaining an apprentice that Andy can teach his craft to and help him build the business is a current goal for Andy. He would be a great person to learn from too. As a matter of fact, if you or someone you know is interested in becoming a great custom fishing rod builder, Andy is probably one of the best in the world to learn from. As far as fishermen, the best reasons to outfit your fishing vessel with custom rods from Andy is the experience he brings to the craft, his team’s knowledge of fishing these waters, the quality of materials he uses to construct the rods, and the degree to which he stands by his products and services.

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Travel 64

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Have you considered a long weekend in Italy? Virgin Atlantic has round trip tickets for around $1,005 USD per person.

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AirBNB has some great deals right now. As an example if you were to check in on Thursday evening and stay until Sunday check-out it would be less than $300 USD!

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You can rent bicycles for a full day in Italy for as little as $25 each. It’s a great way to stretch your legs and really get around and see the sites.

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There are many wonderful things to experience in Italy, not least of which is the food and wine.

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