The Frugal Reader April 17, 2006 Special Edition Many of you have asked us who we are and how we came to be. In this special edition of The Frugal Reader, I tell the FR creation story. It's a wonderful account of friends, passion, and the desire to learn, grow and help others do the same. So grab your favorite refreshment, sit back and enjoy the story of how and why FR began. The Problem A couple years ago I began to realize that I had a problem. I regularly purchased new books, read and then stacked them on my end table or wherever there was room. I didn't own a bookcase, so the books began to stack up. Plus I rarely read a book twice or even refer to if after I've read it. Instead I move on to the next book. Sometimes I'd give my gently used titles to family or friends. I sold a few on eBay but that wasn't the right answer for me. More often than not I wasn't able to find a new home for my books because it just wasn't practical to find another person who shared the same reading tastes. Solution Searching As the books began to pile up, so did the bills. New books aren't cheap and my reading habit was costing me so much money that I needed to create a line item for it in the household budget! I began to look for a solution to my problem, turning first to the local library. I love libraries and the fact that they represent a wealth of information and the freedom to use it to grow and enrich your life - all at no cost, except for taxes of course. But at the library I found only some of the reading material that I wanted. And borrowing books from remote libraries was too cumbersome. Local books clubs came to mind but with small children and a new job I was too busy for another commitment outside of my home. Add a Need It's hard to make sense of this of this story without understanding a burning need that I've had for as long as I can remember: continuously learn and grow, and help others do the same. One of my strongest childhood memories in this regard is the wonder and intrigue I experienced reading the Hardy Boys mystery series. My parents always encouraged me to read and learn. For that reason I left my first professional job after 5 years, returned to school and earned a Masters of Business Administration degree. After graduate school I taught full-time at the collegiate level and learned how challenging it is to teach effectively. After teaching I again took a position in the private sector, Cassie and I married, and we had two beautiful children that invigorate us daily with their endless questions about the world and our lives. Regularly I ask myself how I can better help them learn about the world and prepare for life on their own. The Retreat I've always enjoyed challenging the status quo and discussing ideas about how everyday things could be improved. And I've been fortunate enough to meet and get to know some very special people who are not only the kindest, most trustworthy folks you can find, but are outstanding out-of-the-box thinkers. The time had come for me to get some help, so I called on them. It was the Spring of 2004 when I invited Tom Lynch, Mike Sennett [msennett], Kent Christianson and Joe Marinelli to join me for a "Dream Team" weekend retreat in the Franklin, TN (greater Nashville) Embassy Suites hotel. I named them my Dream Team because there's no better group of people I knew to pull together and help me figure out how to make a difference. From Texas, Washington and Illinois they traveled to join me despite knowing that they would be held up in the hotel all weekend long. A Brain Storm The premise of the retreat was simple: use our wide array of experiences and knowledge to identify potential new products or services that would positively influence people's lives and could be delivered via a market based, sustainable business model. Not all of the Dream Team members had met but they quickly warmed up to each other. Over the course of 48 hours we reminisced, brainstormed, debated, hypothesized and laughed - a lot. We drew pictures, made notes and blanketed the hotel room walls with huge self-sticking Post-it® easel sheets as ideas flowed like water. We analyzed, categorized and prioritized. Time raced by and before we knew it the weekend was over. I still have the original easel sheets. They serve to remind me of the friendship and fun we experienced that weekend. FR is Born The retreat was mentally exhausting so I took a short break and then decided how to proceed. Of the many exciting ideas that were generated and recorded, the notion of building an online community for readers to trade books and relate with each other was the most attractive for several reasons. It was an innovative idea for a business that could start small yet grow significantly. And I could work on it at any time of the day or night. Most importantly, it had the potential to truly enrich the lives of many, many people while at the same time align quite well with my personal need to continuously learn and grow and help others do the same. It was a win-win idea in every aspect! With a lot of help and resources from family, friends and business partners, FrugalReader.com was live on the Internet December 12, 2004. Together We Grow FR has steadily grown since the day we created it. We have continually updated the website with exciting new features, many of which are based on ideas provided by you - our thoughtful members. I invite you to actively help us grow the FR Family and catalog of books, both of which help you get more of the books you want and connect with other avid readers like yourself. Earn FREE credits by using our Tell a Friend feature to encourage your family, friends and online buddies to join. Gather and list more books and you'll earn more credits to request your wish list books.   With your help we'll continue to grow and break new ground with FR, "The best venue to fulfill your passion for reading, sharing and relating with other avid, frugal readers!"   All my best, Gene J. McCabe [FrugalReader] President, Frugal Concepts LLC   See my FR photo & profile*: http://frugalreader.frugalreader.com/ *Create your own profile (http://nickname.frugalreader.com substituting "nickname" with your FR nickname) and share with other FR members (and non-members too if you want) via Edit Account & Edit Profile Permissions on the My Home page.     What topics would you like to see in the next edition of The Frugal Reader? Post your response to the Suggestions forum.