➡️ My Trip Down Memory Lane In Boston + The New Warm Embrace Of Tampa Sunshine

As I navigated the frosty sidewalks, I couldn’t help but draw comparisons between my escapades in the world of window treatments and the warm embrace of Tampa’s sunshine.

Wagging Blinds & Remote Dogs

Today, I wanted to share a heartwarming story that has been bringing so much joy to our lives lately. It involves our adorable four-legged friend, Simba, who happens to belong to our wonderful neighbor, Jessica.

Local…National…Global: Taking Your Business to The Next Level

Hello and Happy New Year! I know it feels like ages have passed, but January 1st was only three weeks ago. The new year’s resolution plan you already ditched on January 3rd can still be achieved. Don’t give up!

Navigating the Unpredictable: My Unexpected Journey in 2023

I was getting ready to write my December newsletter and share the crazy ride it was. From coming back from Brazil in January to another normal year and then three weeks later, putting our condo on the market and moving to Tampa, Florida. I…

50 Reasons to Be Thankful

Every year we pause our busy lives to reflect and appreciate the things that we are thankful for. For me it’s no different. But this year has a small twist: I turned fifty in September. Yeah I know, just another day in paradise.

The Hangover is Over (50th Birthday Edition)

As they say in Hollywood “the show must go on”. So after celebrating my big 5.0 during the entire month of September, I am recovering and returning to reality. Don’t get me wrong, traveling, spending time with family and friends, and…

Hurricane and Birthday Cake

By the time this newsletter hits your inbox , Hurricane Idalia will be gone, our lives will be back to normal and I will already be halfway through my vacation in Brazil. Meanwhile, back in March when Ana and I were discussing our crazy…

Wicked Hot in Tampa

For the first 26 years of my life, the primary language I spoke was Portuguese. In the year 2000, I moved to Boston and everything changed.  At first, I understood very little English and had the hardest time communicating.

Can You Believe We Moved (Blindly)?!

Yes, We Did It! Move cross-country that is ... Most of our friends are averse to surprises and in favor of a more steady and predictable life. And the ones that are considering a change, are approaching retirement. That wasn’t exactly…

A surreal experience

Normally, I use this space to share my installation wisdom with you. From tools to customer service and everything in between. Today, however, I am going to share a different kind of experience. Last Tuesday, March 8th, I received the 2022…

The Next Newsletter …

Can you believe that we are just a couple months away from the end of the year?! I understand and empathize that but for the vast majority 2020/2021 cannot end soon enough. I don't think I need to further explain my statement. It has been…

Home Office Conundrum

Hello and hope all is well! Today I am going to disappoint you by not talking about the election. Sad, I know, and I am sure that you were looking forward to it (haha). Instead, I am going to share something I heard on the radio the other…

It’s almost over! 11/08/2020

Hello dear friend! I don't know about you, but I am glad that the election is almost over so we can get back to discuss more important issues in our daily lives. But first, I need to get this message off my chest and hope you don't get upset... I…

Driving Down Memory Lane

Hello friend and greetings from Bar Harbor, Maine! You may or may not remember this, but before my life as a shady guy, I had another life as a truck driver. I was living in America for only two months and working in a car wash barely…

Trading Up Consulting

Hello friend! I hope all is well with you despite the most unpredictable year in the history of our generation. Let me give you a couple of examples:When the pandemic hit, I sincerely thought that I would have zero business for the next…

I was wrong (AGAIN) – August 2020

Hello my friend and happy hot August! I am well known for making wrong decisions and predictions. Ask my wife Ana, if you have any doubts. My last wrong prediction was in mid-March 2020 when the pandemic hit us. Honestly, I've thought that…

Head’s Up

Good morning , afternoon or evening... To be honest, I not even know what today's date is anymore. Lately, my life has been very predictable: wake up, go to work, get home, do paperwork and go to bed (yes, I take a shower first in case…

I knew it was coming

I hope that you and your family are safe and well during these trying times. It seems that people are running out of patience these days and sooner or later I would eventually have an argument with someone. Well, it finally happened yesterday.…

Same storm, not the same boat

I wanted to share the post below with you on this Friday. It is a deep reflection of the present times we are living. Share your thoughts if you like but most important, be kind to others as they may not share the same point of view as yours.…

Unexpected Fatherhood

I hope all is well with you and yours. June is a very special month for me: it is a double anniversary celebration: on June 1st, I celebrated twenty years living in America. Yeah, two full decades here on the land of opportunities. Also,…

The results are in!

I hope that you are well and as excited with the reopening of the economy as I am. To be honest, I never fully stopped working and I kept moving all this time. If you are ready to replace those 1990 ugly blinds that you forgot you had, before…

When is too much, too much?

Happy Sunday morning my friend! Or whenever! Like my friend Joe in Florida says, "since the lockdown started, there are only three days in the week now: yesterday, today and tomorrow." I am sure you are looking forward to getting back to…

I almost gave my mom a heart attack!

I hope this finds you and yours in good health while reading this message. Today I am going to describe my regular morning routine. I get to my shop early, load the van with the boxes that are going to be installed that day, set the…

My Next Career

I hope this message finds you and yours healthy, happy and sane. And while you are still smiling, I wanted to share a bit of my story with you today. One of the good aspects of installing blinds and shades is that it does not require formal…

Are we there yet?

I hope this message finds you and yours safe, healthy, and in harmony. According to my Facebook feed, harmony is a very rare and extremely difficulty quality to find these days. I've heard that divorce lawyers, marriage counselors, and international schools,…

Facilitating the Process

I hope this message finds you and your families healthy and safe. We are beginning to see some positive reports, as the progression of COVID-19 reacts positively to our concerted effort at social distancing and all of the associated nuances. This…

Be Thankful (April 2020)

I hope this message finds you and your family healthy, well, and safe. I see some increasingly positive news on TV and the internet, our efforts to stay home and social distance are flattening the curve. On behalf of our planet, I thank…

A favor to ask

I hope this message finds you and your family well and safe. We are living times that will be written in the history books for posterity.There will be some hardship ahead, no doubt. But I wanted to focus on the brighter side here. This country…

“Suddenly”

I hope this message finds you and your family well and safe. I don't like to inundate your inbox with frequent emails, but in times of uncertainty like now, I just wanted to check-in and share a minute of reflection with you. One of my colleagues…

Coronavirus March 2020

I hope that you are safe and well during this crazy time. Like me, I bet you did not plan to stay put in your own home this Spring. In fact, I was scheduled to head down to Charlotte, NC for a national convention this coming week. But sometimes,…

Calm before the storm

I have to be honest with you: 2019 has been a fantastic year for me ... personally and professionally. For starters, I have been to some phenomenal places including Brazil, Hawaii, Chicago, San Diego and most recently Toronto and Calgary.…

Words from a Colleague

Hello friend! I hope that you and your family are safe and healthy. Today our meeting is a bit different. I want to share a Facebook post from my colleague Margie Nancy. She is originally from West Warwick, RI but currently lives in Charlotte,…

The party is just getting started!

Hello dear friend! Believe it or not we are in September already. To me, it is the best month of the year. I was born in September. In fact, today (9/13) is my birthday: I am turning 47. The body is not as agile as it was in my 20's but…