As I sit here and ponder, looking out the 2 Story Skyscraper, I see the weather changing for the better. (tho Angela, my wife is sitting in the middle of 9″ of snow, just north of here.)

But,

I’m getting the “itch.”

It’s time to get out in the shop.

Not just any old shop,

Mine…

I bet you fabricator/builder types who read this stuff I type here, have a good start on your shop or store already.

It’s all about being about your business,
Nose to the grindstone, if you will…

And indeed, if you are about your business…

Either studying, learning, doing, practicing, buying the equipment, or browsing the Internet for inspiration…

Then you know…

Or “should know,”

You are doing what it takes,

For you to take yourself,

To the next level of progress and ability.

So in doing all the above, and even more…

You are putting in motion the work you will be doing in the future.

And getting more professional.

And Believe me, you had better be a professional these days.

You better know your stuff.

And you had better be able to do it in a pretty fast and efficient way, if you are going to compete.

But,

There is another way…

The only way to rise above “All” in your industry, I’ve found…

And not have to “compete” with anybody…

Set up your Business and Profession so you can do this:

Produce and Build Very Technical, Over The Top Machines.

The fact that you can even “make” these machines from “nothing,”

Let people know you have more than enough ability…

To do that job “they” want done on “their machine.”

But,

How are you going to get this knowledge???

So many shops will continue to keep their “how to” information secret,

End result: there is a very limited amount of help and insight you will get from them.

People tend to keep “secret” their hard fought knowledge, too.

And,

You will soon learn, you will get some seriously “bad advise” too from some of them…

There are countless reasons for this, too…

Something as simple as “tripping you up, slow you down,

Make you spend all your money…For nothing…

Maybe you’ll even forget “all this nonsense…”

Different subject, for a different time…

What to do:

The Only Way to get the Proper Insight and Knowledge to Build Such Machines,

Is to come to one of the week long sessions we hold here at Amen Motorcycles.

I guarantee you will come out of these sessions,

Fully prepared and ready,

Equipped with the knowledge you need, so you can begin doing what you want to do as a Fabricator.

I know this:

Once you See IT…

It stays with you forever.

It’s up to you how good you get with IT.

I teach it all, too…

•Metal Stretching…easy…

•Metal Shrinking, very hard, 3 techniques demonstrated…

•Welding with the Mig and Tig rig set-ups here.

•Plasma Cutting “shapes”

•Poster Board “patterns”

•Belt Sanding Tricks and Techniques that make you look like a Pro…

•Welding up the Gas Tank you have just made, ready to take it home at the end of the classes.

This is just Day 1 and 2.

So, get ready for a life changing event.

Get your schedules cleared up for a week long class session to begin:

March 19, coming up pretty soon.

Call me when you get the chance, so I can go over the details:

Highlights are:

6 Days and Nights of Training, covering all aspects of Motorcycle Building and Fabrication.
No Motel Fees, Stay here at the Home/Shop.
Food provided.
Come Build the Discovery Channel Great Biker Build-Off Bike, The Get Er Done.
Hosted by Industry Veteran Mike Brown, Owner of Amen Design and Engineering (Amen Motorcycles)..

Call me at 423-272-6000 and I’ll get you the Low-down on all we cover.

Mike

Comfortable…

You had better not get “that,” these days with the challenges we are facing…

The Time Has Indeed Arrived…

It’s time to get your thoughts together and get yourself a working plan.

The Plan:

Something you know will take care of you,

If something happens to that present gig or situation you have now…

Time to Learn you a new talent,
Or hone that talent you know you already have,

Or, Better Yet…

It’s Time to Attack that overly-long thought-out plan,

The one that always seems to get put on the back burner.

The one you know already…

That Plan or Dream that you need to point all your efforts into,

The Plan you cant wait any longer for…

IT Really Needs Your Attention…

See,

Comfortable is a death sentence.

The end.

The period on creatively creating…

Anything Comfortable,

Is bad…

I know,

I’ve been Comfortable too long and just now reaching the point in my thinking that I’m ready…it’s time…

We get locked up for many reasons…

And a mans’ mind is so very strong when your mind is made up…

Add to that a Settled Determination and combine That with Total Faith…

You find unlimited strength that would “move” mountains, if you believe it strong enough.

But we too, are a very fragile being,

Especially if we do not control our thoughts, or neglect to control what we let into our minds…

Lack of control in these areas ensure we just get stuck in the world of Doubt and Uncertainty.

If that happens, we are sure not to get any of these plans done.

So, today, try to settle in your mind, you are going for it.

Find your reasons for you to go for it.

Make those reason Noble
Or
Make them selfish

Doesn’t matter,

Use those reasons as a tool

So you follow thru

On that dream of yours.

“The best revenge is living well”
Naomi Judd

That’s what “she” said…

What ever you get into…

What ever you are trying to do…

When you are trying to improve yourself…

When you are trying to improve your
position in life…

I don’t care what you do or trying to do…

Do the very best you can.

Even If you’re a sorry ass shit, then Be Good at it.

Be a “Professional” Sorry Ass Shit.

At least you will be known “as a good one.”

And, They Will Remember You Too.

Just remember, no half-hearted attempt.

Put it all out there…

In other words:

Bring It All To The Table.

Professionally.

When you are trying to get that dream job…

Or trying to start that shop of yours.

Then, go Learn.

Study, Practice, Think, Dream…

Then go make Deals that get you started.

But you will need to:

Bring Everything You Have

To This New Direction

You are Investing your Life into…

No half-way effort…

Not a half hearted attempt.

Not just trying to get a job.

And,

Not bringing in the baggage you have with you.

Just you, and A Real Determination that you are going to do the best…

And, prove to yourself…

You Are The Best at this Profession you’ve chosen.

If you choose right and put your time in,

I promise the world will recognize it and the work you’ve done.

Now go “do” something.

Mike

Failing is progress.

What??

Failing is progress??

Yep,

And if you did Fail…

At least you Established “Something”…

But,

You can take it too far, too.

Failing isn’t an “excuse” to use Any Of The Following:

If I didn’t…
If I had…
If I did…
If, If, If…

Don’t do “ifs”

“They” (if words),

Just get you to begin the habit of making excuses of why you failed, or worse,

Didn’t even try.

It’s so easy, too…

If I had the money
If I had the help
If I had the time

See???

Do a “try” instead…

Go try something.

I tried this…

I got to There then…

Well,

At least you did “try something.”

And,

If you found…

“That” didn’t work…whatever That was.

Then, you made progress.

And so it goes…

Keep on trying, go at it from different angles.

You keep it up, you’ll get there, somewhere different from where you’re at now.

Might as well give it a “try.”

These days, they ain’t handing it out “free” to you, either.

It’s tough out there, so get your armor on and get out there in the middle of it,

Go see what you can make of yourself.

You never know what “can happen…”

Trust me, on that one…

Over-n-out

Mike

All this fixing and planning we do…

Look out the window

See that?

That World.

Look closer,

See…it’s moving.

And, you are either pushing it,

Or,

Helping to Drag it down.

Now, THAT’S A BIG STATEMENT…

Ponder upon that.

No wonder I can’t rest.

And I have this crazy thinking:

I figure the only time God truly gave me to do nothing…

Is that part of the day I get to sleep.
About 8 hours credit.

So, I either sleep it the full 8 (for a change) or go for 5 or 6, and waste the other 2 or 3.

Even sitting and appearing to be doing nothing…

I am running stuff thru my mind 100 mph, (I Love Doing That…)

Figuring and re-figuring

Until an exciting and challenging

De-sign pops out,

(as “they” stand back, and appear to be laughing at me.)

So, apt to being happy like, I am most happy running stuff thru my mind…

Everything is possible there.

I can write me a check for a cool $100K to “start” if I want.

And then I picture me running, making, driving, or using

What ever it was I done with the money.

Yep, imagine and invent,

Problem-solve, and De-sign…

All in your mind.

But,

Don’t wait too long.

I just about have…

I’ve been building and re-building Amen Motorcycles that have been sold from their original owners and the new owners want me to go thru them.

This is my mainstay work, along with the schools I teach.

But…

Its now time to build a bike.

But not really…

I’ve wrestled with one and have come full circle.

And,

Believe me I was surprised it went this way.

I have a bike design that is needed in our industry…

And I am going to build a running personal prototype.

A bike that Has to Be Changed Later.
(Changed Completely too, as in Brand New),

That the new bike won’t look nothing at all like This Bike I’m beginning in the next couple of days.

So, I’m building a bike…
That won’t look like the future bike…
I’m building later on…
That will go into production.

Sounds normal-like to me, especially around here…

And

This 1st one is:

Not for sale to the general public…

But,

The next one will…

Not a really good business move.

But, there is too much of this 1st one built already and mocked up…

I might as well go on with it.

So,

Now you know,

What’s Going On,

Around here…

Up to the minute.

Presently.

Could change…

Mike

Don’t Let This Be You.

In an Economy like this, people look around and can always find a smart or even smarter ways later to handle life’s challenges.

I find people want to do things for themselves, at least All the people I talk to,

It’s Always Better, too.

The Satisfaction

The Cost Savings

The Opportunity to Get Paid

The banker says “it’s always cheaper to fix what you got.”

You could easily Have You That Business.

Something to think about.

Try our school, I will make sure you have all the info and see all it tasked to begin your specialization.

I look forward to see you here in Rog-Vegas, you guys that’s coming.

Mike

Is…

Maybe.

Just how Bad
Have You Got IT.

“Got the Fever for the Guurl” as Springsteen says in the song…

Well,

Just how Bad YOU got it?

Are you In Love With IT

As bad as it appears to be in that song?

You got the FEVER?

You know…
There are Many ways to describe it..

Sleep deprived, coniving, planning, designing, hatching that plan.

But finding it to be you are putting yourself thru paces so natural,

Searching and reading everything you can find, and looking for more.

Well,

What Ever THAT IS, is what you Made Important to you.

Because You Chose

Man, what a subject…

Choose…

Important IS Important, ya know?

IT really should be taken seriously…

Because you choose this… your path.

Fine, now you can relax,

You’ve made the Choice

And,

You’re prepared to “Pay your way IN”

Well, a BiG part of Payin is

This…

Bet you might not have thought of this…

Here it is…

People Are Going to Get Hurt,

Comma, no… Period.

Yep,

And it ain’t fun, It’ll make you cry.

So, you Pay,

But I don’t care What Ever You Would Have Chosen…

You Would Have Payed Anyway…

You would have made a bunch of people mad, or Lose them straight up.

So,

If you have this One Time Run Thru

Or

Would Like A Good Run at it..this thing called Life…

Then,

Apparently by reasoning it out,

You Might As Well Do What You Want To Do.

Again…

You Might As Well Do What You Want To Do.

Especially,

If we’re going to Have To Pay For It Anyway, this Trip thru our very own One Life.

Then,

I say,

God Bless You All That
ChoseTo Make Your Choice.

To you,

I say:

Run, Baby Run.

Bet there’s a song in there somewhere…If I think hard enough.

Mike

The Next Big Thing,

Well,

What Is IT?

The Next Big Thing:

Is YOU…

You Are The Next Big Thing

That is, Able and Equipped,

To Making Something Happen In your life.

A New Direction…

A decision to Enjoy this thing while here on the earth.

This “making something happen” part,

If controlled by you…

Will be better

Than someone from “the outside” calling “your” shots.

And…

The mistakes of your past has equipped you for the next move in your life.

Just don’t Think It To death.

Let it just happen,

What you dream you would enjoy,

Just might be what you need to do.

After all,

If you enjoy something,

Would you not work a little harder,

Or longer?

Probably be a lot more successful in seeing it thru to the end, too.

What is it that Peter Drucker says?

The best way to predict the future

Is

To Make It Yourself.

That is a good saying

“You”

Are the next big thing.

Totally in Your Control

Sleep is optional too, for Some of Us…

If you like what you’re doing,

There is nothing better than “Getting into that Zone,”

A virtually indescribable place few know of,

Where tools drop in your hand,

Where ideas flow at such speed it makes you anticipate your next set of steps to take,

A place where technological problems become the most enjoyable of all missions to solve.

Maybe even to “See” the future.

The above best describes

The newly Found YOU, or the You that you have “to Develop.”

Or, at least the part of you who has decided to Make a change in your life

The one,

Who is reaching out, reading information like this in hopes of helping you to know how to make the next move.

So, in closing,

You are truly “the only one in charge.”

A mans heart devises his way…

But the Lord himself Will Direct Your steps with help, money, new contacts, education, and more.

Just believe

Just commit

Just go get started.

Call or write, too if you like

Mike
423-272-6000
Precisionguesswork@yahoo.com

I’ve gotten myself in some predicaments here at Amen, like buying a ten thousand dollar engine or something I don’t need like a Nascar Liftgate like Jeff Gordon uses on those flagship Featherlite trailers those guys pull around to the races.

No problem, the above purchases, if I Had The Money, but I went ahead anyway.

I figured with a name like Amen, why worry about money when God’s name is on the building, and on the bikes, and on the wheels, and In God We Trust on every dollar we spend.

So, I guess I don’t pay much attention to worrying about “my needs.”

I just happen to have very large needs sometimes.

Mom, years ago would call, “Mike, you have seventeen thousand in bills, you only brought in eleven. What do you want me to do?”

I would say, “Put your hand in the bag and what ever you pull out…Pay.”

I did that for years,

I never did “run out”

That’s the way I live,”

Gets on people’s nerves, especially the wifes.

“Ain’t had a “real job” since ’82,” I says, in an ole timer dialect, as if I was slightly making fun of those who do have real jobs…but absolutely hate them.

You know, you might be one of them…

Hate the job…
No challenge to it…
Too many bosses who do nothing and know nothing
Bored doing the same thing
Got debt because you bought something you thought would make you happy…
but all it done was make you have to keep working for the company,
to pay off the debt you made,
when you bought that thing you thought would make you happy.

The most common one… They offer health insurance, and I can’t afford to buy it.

Man, tough one that last one.

But please do not let that job of yours stop you from doing what you want.

I played music after I got out of factory life and another musician was talking to the crowd, what he said was these simple words,

There’s life after the Factory.

I was used to that steady paycheck and not having it was a little scary, that was before I got my life straightened out, too.

So when he said that, it stuck.

There is life after the factory job is over and gone.

You have all the time in the world to figure out what to do.

The answer will come, too.

So, remember, you’re never stuck.

You will be paid, and usually you will find yourself doing what you like with your time anyway,

So,

Go do what you like.

Guarantee somebody will like your work and say,

Hey man, can you fix me up with one of those?

Yep, he says, and under his breath…says:

There IS life after the factory.

So, try it out for yourself,

Go for it.

Mike