Page A18 August 2022 FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS Se c t i on A Have you ever felt that you couldn’t compete in the marketplace of today? Suppose that your competition is much larger than you. Maybe you’re a small company with only ten to fifteen employees and the gorilla on the corner is a Fortune 500 company with thousands of employees. Can you compete in the marketplace of today? If you’ve ever felt that way and had those questions plaguing your mind, then realize that you are not alone. Julius Caesar felt much the same way. In the year 52 BC, Caesar, who was at that time a proconsul or governor of Rome, found himself a long way from home, running out of supplies, and even short on food. To make matters worse, he had enemy forces on both sides that were much larger than his Roman army. When you feel like your back is up against the proverbial wall, sometimes your only choice is to be bold. That is exactly the choice Caesar made. His actions are now an example of one of the most courageous military maneuvers of all time. It happened at the battle of Alesia. When Caesar came to the heavily fortified city of Alesia, he discovered that within its fortifications was an army of eighty thousand Gaul soldiers. That army was much larger than Caesar’s own and he knew that a head-on assault of the city would be suicide. So, he ordered his men to begin to build a wall surrounding the entire city, trapping the larger Gaul army inside. Caesar’s plan was to starve the enemy army trapped inside. However, soon after the wall was finished, another even larger Gaul army of two hundred thousand troops began to march toward Alesia, with the goal of ending Caesar’s siege on the city. With that, Caesar’s problems increased. His small Roman army had a larger army trapped – for the moment – in front of them and an even larger army coming up behind them. That is when Caesar made his boldest decision. He ordered his men Bright Ideas for Funeral Directors with Mark Bowser Build a Wall Around Your Competition to build a second wall boxing themselves in from the approaching army. With that accomplished, Caesar had a wall on one side of his army facing Alesia and a wall on the other side of his army facing the approaching enemy troops. Soon, Caesar found himself being attacked from both sides. The Gaul soldiers inside Alesia were attacking over the wall and attempting to get through, and the massive Gaul army at his back was attacking through his second wall. Then, the Gauls discovered a weakness in the wall and the situation became dire. Caesar rallied his troops to defend the wall. He then led the Roman calvary outside the protective wall, around the enemy army and attacked the Gauls from the rear, taking them completely by surprise. Caesar used that vantage point, and led the Roman army to the devastation of the Gauls in short order. When your competition is much larger, has a bigger marketing budget, and appears to have marketplace dominance on all sides, that is when it may be time to be bold. Take it from Caesar, it can pay off big time. F U N E R A L H O M E & C E M E T E R Y N E W S w w w . N o m i s P u b l i c a t i o n s . c o m Monthly Columnsonline at Mark Bowser grew up in the funeral industry and knows the challenges and rewards of running a small business. Mark has been a Professional Speaker since 1993 and is one of America’s premier Sales and Success speakers today. He is the author of several books including Sales Success with Zig Ziglar. He is the host of the popular podcast “Let Me Tell You a Story with Mark Bowser.” To book him to speak at your next event then contact him at www.MarkBowser.com or email info@MarkBowser.com. www.vischerfuneralsupplies.com R&S MARKERS FREE Sample Upon Request CREATE CUSTOM TEMPORARY GRAVE MARKERS FOR AS LOW AS $4.95 EACH PHONE: 561 .963.4732 EMAIL: INFO@RSMARKERS.COM WWW.RSMARKERS.COM Remembering Charles B. Taylor of Chicago Charles B. Taylor Oak Hill Cemetery Taylor’s Specially Designed Funeral Coach Motorhome CHICAGO,IL— Charles B. Taylor, owner of Taylor Funeral Home, on Chicago’s Southside, made his transition at the age of 93. He left his childhood home of Northport, AL to begin the anointed ing the riots following Martin Luther King Jr.’s assignation. He retired as First Sergeant after 23 years. He also served as a Cook County Sheriff for several years. Charles married Leyeuna A. Taylor, who made her transition on April 9, 2022. Together they built the empire which consists of Taylor Funeral Home (1963), Gary Oak Hill Cemetery in Gary, IN (1972), and C.B. Taylor Funeral Home, Inc (1982) on Chicago’s Westside. journey of his life and attended Prairie State University, Worsham College of Mortuary Science, and was awarded a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Jackson State University. Charles served in the Illinois National Guard. He was a part of the force they sent to Chicago dur- He did not stop there. He was the first to redesign the interior of a Motorhome which enclosed the casket and allowed 15-20 members of a family to ride together with their loved one. He was a licensed pilot, an airplane owner and personally delivered the remains of the loved ones he served to their out of state destinations. From the inception of the funeral home to the day he passed, he bestowed his entrepreneurial spirit to several businesses which include Taylor Coach, Thrifty Printing, American Monument Co., Atlas Auctioneers Co., Inc., TRW Auto Sales & Rebuilders, and B-Low Auto Sales, Repairs & Rebuilders. As a fraternal brother, he was affiliated with Commanders of Rite, Prince Hall Building Committee, Hiram Lodge #14, Prince Hall Grand Lodge State of Illinois, and International Shriners. As a man, he was affiliated with the Board at Progressive Baptist Church, T.E. Brown Apartments, Greater Metropolitan M.B. Church, Apostolic Church of God, Paul L. Dunbar High School (now Dunbar Vocational Career Academy), Charles S. Deneen Public School (now Deneen School of Excellence) and Flying Funeral Directors National Association. As a funeral director, he was a member of Alumni Association of Worsham College of Mortuary Science, Illinois Funeral Directors Association, National Funeral Directors Association, and Flying Funeral Directors of America. As a neighbor and community member, he joined the Tuscaloosa Club, to stay in touch with his first Continued on page A19 Digital Directory Now Available Download instantly at www.NomisPublications.com Save on Shipping!
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