THREE BALLS CHRONICLE
VOLUME 8 / ISSUE 1
JANUARY 2025
IN THIS ISSUE
Letter from the President
Letter from the General Manager
Loyalty Pawn Family
Store Manager Updates
Golden 1 Center Events
Monthly Sales
Monthly Birthstone Guide
Monthly Birthdays and Anniversaries and New Hires
Loyalty Pawn’s Core Goals, Values and Visions
Employee Services Corner
Team Loyalty!
Finally, 2025 is here! It's time to start over and erase the previous year! The Kings have a few games left to play. Don't forget to try to show your support by getting out on the court! We hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and enjoyed spending time with your loved ones! This new year is an excellent opportunity to keep pushing yourself to succeed! Lastly, we want to thank everyone for their devotion and commitment to this amazing team; you guys are the reason our business is thriving! Cheers to the new year!
Thank you!
President’s Letter
Dear Loyalty Pawn Family,
Happy New Year! I hope you all had a wonderful and safe holiday season. As we reflect on 2024, it’s amazing how quickly the year passed and how much we achieved together. We ended the year on a strong note, with the highest loan balance we've ever recorded and respectable sales figures. While there is always room for improvement, I'm confident in our abilities moving into 2025.
The upcoming tax season presents a busy yet exciting time for us. Let’s focus on maintaining a strong loan balance and maximizing rollovers. Additionally, we should keep a close eye on redemptions and continue driving our sales performance. Your hard work and dedication have been instrumental in our success, and I am incredibly grateful for your efforts.
Let's make 2025 a remarkable year for Loyalty Pawn, both professionally and personally. Thank you for everything, and here’s to a successful year ahead!
Best regards,
Stan Lukowicz, III
Letter from the General Manager
Dear Team,
As we close the chapter on 2024, it's time to reflect on the achievements and milestones we've reached together. This year has been remarkable, and we couldn't have done it without the hard work and dedication of every member of our team.
Key Highlights of 2024:
• Loan Growth: We proudly increased our loans year-over-year by 13%. This growth not only reflects our commitment to serving our community but also our ability to adapt and meet the needs of our clients. The demand to cover short-term expenses remains high and we believe this will be the case for the near future.
• Retail Sales Increase: Our retail sales saw an impressive average increase of 13% across the board, showcasing the effectiveness of our strategies and the dedication of our sales teams. Each store trended on an increase that continues to be attainable for 2025. Our focus will be to offer the same standard of service while tapping into more online possibilities.
Top Performers:
A special shoutout to our outstanding salespeople for December 2024:
• 1st Place: Norma B.
• 2nd Place: Dominic T.
• 3rd Place: Josh B.
For the last quarter of the year:
• 1st Place: Dominic T.
• 2nd Place: Norma B.
• 3rd Place: Josh B.
Congratulations to all our top performers for their hard work and dedication!
Purchases Increase: Our purchases have risen by 8% compared to 2023, indicating a positive trend in our buying power and market presence.
Layaway Success: We also saw a 5% increase in paid-off layaways, demonstrating our customers' trust and confidence in our services.
These small strides and increases in business embody our mission. The resilience and teamwork displayed by our teams, coupled with strong leadership, have been pivotal in achieving these positive outcomes.
As we enter 2025, we remain committed to building a thriving and supportive Pawn family. Together, we will continue to embrace new challenges and opportunities for growth. We have much to do, many challenges to tackle, and goals to hit. Thank you for your hard work and dedication throughout the year. Here’s to a successful and prosperous 2025!
Warm regards,
Wayne Silliman General Manage
Loyalty Pawn Family
Happy New Year, Loyalty family!
I sincerely hope that you had a wonderful Christmas and are excited for the opportunities that 2025 brings. As we begin this new year, it's essential to pause, reflect, and refocus on how we can set and achieve our New Year's goals. Last year, retail was at the forefront of our discussions, and this year, we aim to continue our pursuit of excellence in this area. First, I want to extend a huge congratulations to Team El Camino for hitting their impressive 20% stretch goal for December! Your hard work and dedication truly paid off. I also want to recognize the Florin team for finishing in 1st place overall in retail for the year! It's clear that retail remains one of our main concerns, and your achievements reflect our commitment to excellence. This year, we will embrace a new direction that emphasizes self-accountability and team accountability. Each of us has a vital role in holding ourselves accountable and contributing to our shared success in reaching and exceeding our retail goals. We are committed to providing you with every tool and resource necessary to hit these benchmarks. As I’ve mentioned in our leadership meetings, the key to success in retail is straightforward. We will continue to rely heavily on our layaway balances and e-commerce sales to meet our targets. The most successful team members consistently utilize these avenues and stay on top of their follow-ups with clients to ensure timely payments. Let’s all reset and work hard to surpass our individual goals, making 2025 the best year we’ve ever had. This month, we are excited to get to know Alicia from the Florin location. As we move forward, let’s remember the importance of added value and personal accountability. Here’s to a fantastic year ahead!
1. Who is your hero and why? My hero is my older brother Paulo because he is the most realistic person I can look up to. We come from the same background, and he gives me lots of guidance. He keeps a level head through stress and remains ambitious.
2. What is your favorite family vacation? My favorite family vacation is going to visit El Salvador. When I’m there I feel closer to my roots, enjoy authentic food, and get to experience a natural landscape. I love seeing my aunts, uncles, and younger family members.
3. What did you want to be when you were small? When I was small, I wanted to grow up to be a musician. I still sing but I need to keep working on songwriting and learning guitar. Although, the way the media treats popular musicians has discouraged me.
4. What is your favorite game or sport to watch and play? favorite sport to watch is soccer and my favorite sports to play are swimming and tennis.
5. What would you sing at karaoke night? For karaoke night I would sing Drive by Incubus.
6. Have you ever had a nickname? What is it? No, I have never had a nickname, but I don’t mind being called shortened versions of my first name.
7. Would you rather win the lottery or work at the perfect job? And why? I would rather win the lottery, keep it a secret, buy a house and save the rest while also continuing to pursue my career goals.
8. Who would you want to be stranded with on a deserted island? I would choose my cousin Sandra if I had to pick someone to be stranded on an island with. She is my best friend so I don’t think we’d drive each other too crazy, and I feel like we would come up with plenty of smart survival ideas.
9. If you could go back in time, what year would you travel to and why? If I could travel back in time, I would go back to the year 1993. The 90’s to early 00’s is my favorite era for music, cars, and video games. It was also the best time for everything pop culture before advanced technology and social media took over.
10. Howwouldyourfriendsdescribeyou?Myfriends woulddescribemeasintelligent,passionate,andfunny. I have an incredible amount of drive when I set my mind to something. I’m excellent at seeing things that others don’t realize, and I pay attention to details. I like to try and make whoever I’m interacting with smile and laugh if I can.
11. What is the worst gift you have ever received? The worst gift I have ever received was a dollar store bath bomb set that was part of a $30 minimum White Elephant gift exchange.
12. What are some of your hobbies? Some of my hobbies include singing and listening to music, caring for animals, thrifting, reading books, and retro gaming.
13. If you were a super-hero, what powers would you have? If I was a super-hero, I would want the power to control time. I would just have to be very careful not to disrupt any significant timelines but being able to stop time would be the most useful for me. I would love to be able to sit and play/read/ or listen to music for hours and not worry about the days going by.
14. What would you do if you won the lottery? Besides what I explain in response to question 7, I would only splurge on modifying my car, video games, healthcare, and going out to eat.
15. What is the tallest building you have been to thetop of? Ihave been to the top of the EmpireState Building in New York, New York back in 2012.
16. What is your favorite holiday and why? My favorite holiday is Halloween because I love the fall aesthetic and spooky things. Lately my family has made it a tradition to go to the pumpkin patch which I always enjoy making memories with them at.
17. What is your favorite sports team? My favorite sports team is C.D. FAS which is the official soccer team of my parents’ hometown in Santa Ana, El Salvador.
18. What is one of your favorite movies? One of my favorite movies is Heathers.
19. What three items would you take with you on a deserted island? I would take a knife, magnifying glass, and fishing rod.
20. What was your favorite subject in school? My favorite subject in school was Biology.
21. What is the most unusual thing you’ve ever eaten? Cow feet and chicken feet are probably the most unusual things I've ever eaten.
22. Do you collect anything? I do not because I don’t have a lot of space, but I am trying to track down books 1-12 of my favorite childhood book series Cirque Du Freak.
23. What three things do you think of the most each day? Three things I think of everyday include my pet dogs and cat, improving my health and nutrition, and last but not least, I think about my late 16-year-old niece and finding justice and answers for her and our family every day.
24. On a scale from 1-10 how funny would you say you are? I would give myself a solid 8.5. I would be standup comedian level if I was a little less shy and quicker thinking on my feet.
25. Where do you see yourself in 6 months? In six months, I see myself in a more stable position to keep moving forward. I want to be well established enough in this job that I can help train somebody new and be consistently making high amounts of sales for the store. Personally, I hope to find a specific path I want to take educationally and be ready to return to school next fall. Lastly, by then I would love to see my new YouTube channel dedicated to my niece taking off and have a proper filming/ streaming set up.
Shop Talk Manager Updates
El Camino
Happy New Year, Team El Camino!
We hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and enjoyed quality time with their loved ones. As we step into the new year, let’s reflect on the incredible achievements we made together in December. Thanks to everyone’s hard work, we closed out the year with an impressive $110,858.27, truly ending 2024 on a high note!
Now, it’s time to set our sights on new goals. For January, we’re aiming for a $100,000 layaway balance. Achieving this will require creativity and dedication as we work to engage our clients and lock in their commitments. Let’s keep the momentum going, strive for success, and make this month count. Wishing everyone a fantastic start to the new year together, we’ve got this!
Tony Mora
Roseville
Hi Team Loyalty
As we bid farewell to 2024, we reflect on the incredible progress we've made together at Loyalty Pawn. We finished the year strong, meeting and exceeding all of our goals thanks to the hard work and dedication of each and every one of you. Whether in sales, customer service, or behind-the-scenes support, your commitment has been key to our success, and we're so proud of all we accomplished together.
Looking ahead, we are excited for the opportunities and challenges that 2025 will bring. The new year is a chance for growth, innovation, and continuing the tradition of excellence that Loyalty Pawn is known for. With the talent and drive of our amazing team, we're poised for even greater achievements.
I’d also like to extend a warm welcome to Jasmine, who has joined the team at our Roseville location. We are thrilled to have her on board, and we’re excited for the positive impact she’ll bring to the team and our customers.
Here’s to another year of success, teamwork, and the continued growth of Loyalty Pawn! Let's make 2025 our best year yet.
Justin Martinez
Hello Team,
As we look ahead to 2025, my team and I are filled with excitement and anticipation for all the opportunities the new year holds. We are committed to pushing our limits and reaching new heights, especially when it comes to hitting our sales goals. With a renewed sense of focus and determination, we are driven to break records and exceed expectations, leveraging our collective strengths and experiences. The challenges that come with a new year are welcomed, and we are more than ready to tackle them head-on, confident that 2025 will be a year of exceptional growth and success.
John Mark
Florin Mall
Happy New Year, Everyone!
I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and a safe New Year. Welcome to 2025! I cannot wait to see what this new year will bring us.
Team Florin ended 2024 with $889.3k in sales. While we had set a goal of $900k, we fell a bit short. However, we did manage to meet our end-of-year loan balance of $2.2 million. For January, Team Florin has set a sales goal of $87k, and we are determined to kick off the year by achieving this first goal. I am confident that with the sales strategies we have in place for January, we will reach this target with ease.
I want to congratulate Ah for hitting our sales bonus 45 times out of 52 in 2024 great job! To celebrate the new year, we are running an exciting BOGO sale. So, let’s hit these sales goals.
Happy New Year to everyone! Let’s make 2025 a memorable year.
New Year, New Goals, New Challenges.
“We all get the exact same 365 days. The only difference is what we do with them.”
Mark Xiong
Golden 1 Center Upcoming Events
Below is the list of events that are posted as of right now and we will be adding events to this list each month as they get posted! The events in green are available and the events in red have already been spoken for. If you would like to request tickets send your ticket request forms to lauren.l@loyaltypawn.com so that I can get your requests in and if you need a request form email lauren.l@loyaltypawn.com and I can send you a copy or you can ask your supervisor! With the Golden 1 Center opening back up there is a limited number of tickets available, so for every event you are only allowed to request and receive 4 tickets per event!
Harlem Globetrotters
Disney On Ice Magic in the Stars
Disney On Ice Magic in the Stars
Tyler, the Creator (2 Available)
Mary J. Blige (2 Available)
Kelsea Ballerini
Papa Roach and Rise Against (2 Available)
PM
January Sales Flyer
Monthly Birthstone Guide
This will help educate you about some of the more popular semi and precious stones we come across and it will also help you close some more sales. The idea is to educate you on each month’s birthstone as you can arrange your cases properly and make suggestions to our clients that may be browsing or even looking for a gift. Let’s think outside the box when utilizing this information.
JANUARY – Garnet
SEPTEMBER
NOVEMBER
FEBRUARY Amethyst
OCTOBER
DECEMBER
MARCH – Aquamarine
APRIL – Diamond
MAY – Emerald
JUNE –Pearl & Alexandrite
JULY – Ruby
AUGUST – Peridot
– Sapphire
– Opal & Tourmaline
– Citrine & Topaz
– Topaz & Turquoise
Anniversaries, Birthdays and New Hires
January Birthdays
Shannon Dmae, January 14th
Jasmine Trujillo, January 17th
January Anniversaries
Justin Martinez 11 years!
Ah Xiong 5 years!
Danni Robinson 2 years!
December New Hires
Jasmine Trujillo, We are so happy you are a part of our team! Welcome to the family!
Loyalty Pawn’s Goals, Values, and Visions
“The Leader in Local Lending”
Company Wide Goals
● To Offer Immediate Relief with a Short-Term Loan.
● To Develop, Recruit and Inspire an Elite Work Force, Driven by Loyal Business Practices.
● To Provide the Highest Standard of Quality, Commitment and Value to Every Customer in Our Loyalty Pawn Family!
Core Values
● Loyalty
● Dedication
● Creativity
Company Vision
● Loyal People Committed to Everyday Satisfaction
Loyalty Pawn Employee Services Corner
Janus am I; oldest of potentates; Forward I look, and backward, and below I count, as god of avenues and gates, The years that through my portals come and go.
–Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, American poet (1807–82)
The Month of January
January was named for the Roman god Janus, known as the protector of gates and doorways, who symbolize beginnings and endings. Janus is depicted with two faces, one looking into the past, the other with the ability to see into the future. What a fitting symbol for this first day of the year; this month is our door into the new year. The Romans often made promises to Janus and exchanged good wishes.
History of January
The months of January and February were not originally in the ancient Roman calendar as the winter months were considered dormant, both in terms of agriculture and also in terms of making war. This was a time of peace. Until 450 BCE, the Roman calendar was 10 months, beginning in March (Martius), due to the March Equinox. Remember, March was named for “Mars,” the god of War who was also an agricultural guardian. We got you covered!
Starting January1st all eligibleemployees can add, drop,or enroll for thefirst time in our awesome group health plans that include Medical, Dental, Vision coverage and enjoy the benefits from Loyalty Pawn’s HRA Debit Card for qualifying medical plans.
Open enrollment ends Jan 15th and the new plan year coverage starts February 1st. If you miss this open enrollment window for group health, you will not be able to enroll or make changes until the next open enrollment – and that is over a year away! If you do not plan to make any changes and are super satisfied with your current health plans, you do not need to do anything. Your plan will roll over with only one slight change…. there is a slight premium rate increase.
Benefits: Choiceofplans from Cal Choice: Loyaltycontributes $150 permonthtowardthecost ofyourselected medical plan. HRA (Health Reimbursement “Benny Card” to help with cost of out of pocket expenses on select plans. Dental with Humana and Vision with Humana
Check your email (personal & LP) from Ease.com
January Celebration Days
● January 1st is New Year’s Day.
● January 5th brings Twelfth Night, an English folk custom that marked the end of Christmas merrymaking, and in ancient Celtic tradition, the end of the 12-day winter solstice celebration. On Twelfth Night, it was customary for the assembled company to toast each other from the wassail bowl.
● January 6th is Epiphany. According to the New Testament’s Gospels, on this date the Magi the three wise men or kings venerated and brought gifts to the infant Jesus. Bake a beautiful Epiphany Tart or a King Cake with a lucky bean inside!
● January 17th is Benjamin Franklin’s birthday. He was not only a world-renowned statesman, inventor, and scientist, but was also fascinated by agriculture.
● January 20th is Martin Luther King Jr. Day (observed). This holiday is held on the third Monday in January and honors the principles of this civil rights leader and Nobel Prize Winner dedicated to nonviolence
● January 29th is the Chinese Lunar New Year. Celebrated widely throughout East Asia, this holiday begins with the first new Moon after the Winter Solstice and is associated with the Chinese Zodiac.
January Just for Fun Days
Did you know that January is National Clean up your Computer Month and National Hot Tea Month? Celebrate these fun holidays this month:
● January is National Clean Up Your Computer Month and National Hot Tea Month! Here are some more fun things to celebrate in January:
● January 1: Z Day (On this day, those whose last name begins with “Z” get to go first instead of last.)
● January 3: National Chocolate-Covered Cherry Day
● January 6: National Bean Day
● January 8: Elvis Presley’s Birthday
● January 10: National Houseplant Appreciation Day
● January 14: National Dress Up Your Pet Day
● January 20: National Penguin Day
● January 22: National Answer Your Cat’s Questions Day
● January 29: National Puzzle Day
● Forgotten Customs: Going Back to Work!
Butternut Squash Soup!
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons butter. 2 tablespoons chopped onion. 1 medium carrot peeled and chopped. 3 tablespoons of all-purpose flour. 4 cups of warm chicken stock. 2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into large cubes. 1 clove garlic. 1-1/2 cups milk. 1/2 cup light cream. 2 tablespoons maple syrup, or to taste. chopped fresh parsley, for garnish. freshly ground black pepper, for garnish.
Instructions: In a large stockpot, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the onion and carrot and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the onion is tender. Sprinkle the vegetables with the flour and, stirring constantly, continue cooking for 3 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and add the chicken stock. Add the squash, garlic, and parsley, and simmer, covered, for 45 minutes. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes. In a blender or food processor, purée the mixture until smooth, in batches. Return the soup to the pot, add the milk, cream, and syrup, stir to incorporate, and heat through. Garnish with parsley and black pepper. Make Ahead: This soup can be prepared up to the purée stage, covered, and refrigerated for 4 days or frozen in an airtight container for 1 month. To use: For each serving, combine 1/2 cup of the thawed purée, 2 tablespoons of milk, 2 teaspoons of cream, and 1 teaspoon of maple syrup, then heat through.
401K-Loyalty Pawn Retirement $avings Program
Are you saving for retirement? Why not start today? If you have completed 12 months of service with Loyalty Pawn, you’re eligible to participate and start putting away those pretax (or post tax Roth) dollars into your very own 401k account.
To enroll, send me an email and I’ll help you get started. Our enrollment entry dates are January 1 and July 1st. So now’s the time to enroll or you’ll need to wait until July 1st. Either way, here’s to your continued retirement health, wealth, peace and prosperity. Contact Employee Services at employeeservices@loyaltypawn.com Start saving for retirement’s tomorrow, today!
The full Moon in January happens when there is cold, long nights in the Northern Hemisphere, a time when the ground is frozen and winds whip the snow around. Trees and shrubs are deep into their dormancy and wildflower seeds await warmer weather to sprout. It’s time for the soil to rest before the next season of life-giving growth. Above ground, howls break the silent nights giving rise to a widely used name for January’s full Moon: The Wolf Moon.
Full Moon January 2025: Thursday, January 13th Peak Illumination: 5:27 p.m. EST.
Shout out to the Old Farmers Almanac for providing all fantastical sources for your reading and almanac pleasure!
If you need HR, Payroll, Benefits, or Family support, Loyalty Pawn’s Employee Services is only a phone call, text message, or email away, on demand, anytime! 916-752-2255 employeeservices@loyaltypawn.com
