opinion

Make or Break – 21 Days

Diet Coke –
eight liters a day,
seven days a week,
52 weeks a year…
That was me last year, and for the preceding I-don’t-know-how-many-years.

I like caffeine, but I was starting to worry about the aspartame - I mean do we really know what it is doing to us? – and just the general dependence thing…It all started in graduate school - I worked full-time and was in a full-time Master's program. I couldn’t pass a convenience store or a gas station without pulling in - and then there were vending machines on campus... First it was 12 ounce cans, and then they came out with that 20 ounce plastic bottle. The final nail in the coffin was when I discovered that the 20 oz. bottle was $1.29 and the liter bottle was only $1.59.


60% MORE FOR ONLY 30 CENTS.


Well, that was it…Now I was drinking a liter between convenience stores…I didn’t even have to steer…my car automatically pulled in…diet coke…the first thing I did in the morning and the last one on the nightstand going to bed…

So I quit --- February 2006.

Cold-Turkey.

For three weeks you’d have thought I had sworn off crack.

NO.
Of course not.
I’ve never tried crack; but withdrawal from crack can’t be any worse than what I went through.

So things were going pretty well for a while…months, even.
And then I had a latte. Okay, I used to have an espresso after dinner now and then…
‘Turned out coffee tasted pretty good. Publix had a non-dairy half & half…okay.

…I think you are already seeing where this is going…

There have been so many tradeshows, so much high intensity work - and Starbucks is so ubiquitous now you can’t escape if you wanted to…Starbucks…personally, I think they over roast their beans…but I’ve still visited them in Amsterdam and Vienna, Los Angeles and Tempe, Toronto and Phoenix and San Francisco and Miami…Yes, often.

Einstein Brothers has good coffee…they don’t over roast their beans…over roasting is okay with espresso, you want that taste…

Then I started at home after reading some coffee reviews…it turns out my favorite to make myself is Eight O’Clock, but only the whole bean 100% Columbian.

I recently found it on sale.
Two for one.
Let me tell you about my freezer…
Yep, Eight O’clock Coffee…I wish I was only drinking it from eight to eight…

Now in Panama City I haven’t found a Starbucks, but they do have two Dunkin’ Donuts, and yes, I’ve tried both. But heck, when I am in Panama I get café con leche at Manolo’s anyway…

So now the big decision…

Do I quit cold-turkey before I start having that last coffee of the day on my nightstand?
…and see what happens?
…or should I wean off gradually because I can still feel those headaches from February 2006?

Stay tuned…

Click here to mail me for sensible processing options to boost your bottom line and opportunities for branding and marketing exposure.

Click Here for Additional Help Starting or Improving Your Online Business

Copyright © 2024 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More Articles

opinion

A Guide to Avoiding Scams in Hard Link Media Buying

‘If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.” So cautionary wisdom reminds us, yet people still get scammed all the time. Fortunately, there are “red flags” you can watch for to help you identify scams and thereby avoid them.

Juicy Jay ·
opinion

The Dos and Don'ts of AI-Generated Content

AI is a hot topic. From automation to personal assistance to content generation, AI technology is already impacting our daily lives. Many industries, including adult, have had positive results using AI for customer support and marketing.

Cathy Beardsley ·
opinion

Retailer Tips for STI Awareness Month

Adult retail isn’t all fun and flirty games. We love helping folks navigate pleasure and desire for themselves and with their partners, but brick-and-mortar staff are also on the front lines for myriad educational opportunities — especially in April, which is Sexually Transmitted Infections Awareness Month.

Rin Musick ·
opinion

Strategic Upscaling of Non-4K Content

If content is king in adult, then technical quality is the throne upon which it sits. Technical quality drives customer acquisition and new sales, while cementing retention and long-term loyalty.

Brad Mitchell ·
opinion

A Look at the Evolution of Pleasure-Enhancing Pumps

Even though the pleasure industry is famously innovative, most “new” products are still ultimately reimagined versions of previous ones. They expand on the core idea by introducing a new feature or solution that takes the original concept to a new level of sensation, functionality or convenience.

Rebecca Weinberg ·
profile

AEBN Reflects on 25 Years of Innovation, Success

Reflecting on 25 years of success, AEBN honchos Jay Strowd and Bishop Wages harken back to 1999, when the company that would become a storied brand first broke away from an online DVD/VHS mail-order business to evolve as an entity solely dedicated to streaming video.

Alejandro Freixes ·
opinion

Platforming the Pleasure Industry With Our Collective Voice

Very early in my business career, I learned not to mix business with politics or religion. This was a foundational tenet that just made sense. For much of my career, that was easy. However, it has become increasingly difficult to avoid bringing politics into business.

Ken Sahn ·
profile

WIA Profile: Jessica Jasmin

Jessica Jasmin’s heart has always been in production, but there were a number of stops along her route to becoming creative director for Gamma Entertainment.

Women In Adult ·
opinion

The ABCs of POS Systems for Adult Store Owners

What point-of-sale system is best for your adult business? Figuring that out can be frustrating, since the numerous options and acronyms don’t easily translate into a clear checklist of features and benefits you can weigh.

Sean Quinn ·
profile

Hayley Davies: From New Zealand Math Nerd to Fast-Rising Adult Star

Growing up, New Zealander Hayley Davies was a proud nerd who participated in mathematics competitions against students from much higher grades. Her good looks turned out to be a kind of secret weapon, causing peers to underestimate her intellectual acumen.

Alejandro Freixes ·
Show More