Oh my, how are you doing? I haven't seen you in such a long time.
I'm doing great. Business is great. Life is awesome. Family is amazing.
It's crazy. I never come here, primarily because I know too many people who come here. Normally I hang out at coffeeshops to get work done. With too many familiar faces, I can't get work done here. But I'm glad I ran into you today.
I don't believe in coincidences. For some mysterious reason, people and opportunity shows up at the right time.
I believe in that too. Not sure why we met, but I'm sure there's a reason I don't comprehend yet.
When's your book coming out?
Ugh, what?
When are you writing your book?
Umm, I've already written one. It was more of e-book to help others deal with the challenges of theft.
Oh. When's the next book coming out?
You're the second person to ask me that in the past week.
See. No coincidences.
Right, well... I've been writing for a couple of years now and posting on a blog.
Really, where is the blog.
You haven't read them?
No. Are you sharing the blogs on other platforms?
Yes, I post them to Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
Oh, then I'll go check them out. Why do you blog?
I started writing because I wanted to share my knowledge with the rest of the world. But the more I wrote, the more empty I felt. I felt I was looking for approval.
And what happened next?
I stopped writing for a bit. Then I started writing for me. I didn't write to teach. I wrote to learn.
So the teacher became the student.
Yes. And now I don't care if anyone gets anything out of my writing, as long as I'm learning from them.
So you're thinking more?
Yes. And my blogs are getting more readers.
So the more real you get, the more others enjoy your thoughts.
Maybe so. But I'm trying to be careful with that. I'm reading a book called, "Ego is the Enemy". And I'm seeing things in me that I don't like.
My Ego is My Enemy.
As it is mine. It's funny how things happen. I'm going to tell you a personal story. Have you ever heard the saying, if you fail to learn the lesson, the story will repeat?
Yes of course.
Well, I'm dealing with a difficult person in my business.
Employee or someone else?
It's actually a supplier. But I've seen the exact same personality on no less than four other times in my life. Four different people yet exactly all the same.
So why do they keep coming into your life?
I think it's because I haven't learned the lesson yet.
That's an excellent perspective. Tell me about the most recent personality.
He's a guy that is extremely competitive. I am too. But when I try to win, I don't try to do it at your expense.
Isn't that what competition is?
It can be. And for my latest challenge, I believe my opponent thinks that way. For him to win, someone must lose. Yet, I believe I can win and you can too.
That seems to be anticompetitive.
Let me explain. I think the race of life isn't a race. It's a journey. As I'm setting my goals for the stars, I may end up on the moon and still be very happy with the result, without negatively affecting anyone else's intentions, or dreams.
Ok. I buy that.
However, if you believe in win-lose scenario, you're going to drain the fuel in my rocket ship and I won't get off the ground.
So you're worried that your competitor will hurt your aspirations of goal achievement.
No. I don't like people who work that way. So when I see them, I get frustrated, emotional and the interactions always ends poorly.
Is the problem you or your nemesis?
It's me. Clearly. Funny enough, I call the negative personality a bully.
Ok. And how do you deal with a bully?
Well, I've been taught to stand up to them.
How has that worked out for you?
Terribly. My last bully and I used to get into heated debates every week. I would usually back down in front of him, but would always leave unfulfilled, frustrated, mad and anxious.
And how did you get rid of him?
I left the business. But on the last day I was there, I learned a little trick.
A trick?
Yeah, the bully was up to his usual control tactics. He placed an ultimatum that would affect me financially. And for the first time in our relationship, I didn't fight back. I didn't respond with hatred. I looked at him in the eyes and told him that it did not matter. If I was robbed of what I was owed, I would accept it.
And how did he react?
He walked away. And I kept on doing what I could to help in the transition.
And the result?
I got exactly what I wanted on the day I wanted it. No delays, no financial loss.
So by letting go of what you were worried about, you got what you wanted?
See what I mean. The teacher is becoming the student.
Keep learning. You have a new bully who is pulling the same crap the old bullies did. You know what to do.
You've given me great insight. Thank you so much, but I have to go. I'm late for a meeting.
Good luck in dealing with your Ego. You're right, the ego is the enemy.
And the enemy of my enemy is my friend.
Right. Who do you think is the enemy of your ego?
Humbleness?
You might be right. Good luck.
Wednesday, November 14, 2018
Thursday, October 18, 2018
BMW's, dandelions and the 100 metre dash
Can I ask you a couple of questions?
I'm just finishing up my tea, but I have a few minutes.
How do you find success?
I'm not sure I understand your question. Aren't you successful?
I think I am, but then I see others around me, I start to think I'm not.
That's your problem. You are comparing success to others and that's not fair.
I'm trying to grow my business. It's growing, but sometimes I feel it's going too slow. I see a competitor driving a brand new BMW and I think to myself that I wish I could drive one too.
It's ok to wish to have a BMW, but it's not ok to compare.
Why not?
Does the dandelion compare itself to the maple tree?
So you're saying I'm a dandelion.
No. Not all. But is it fair to compare the two?
Of course not.
Why?
Because the dandelion grows anywhere, grows fast and then dies. The maple tree takes years to develop and as long as the conditions are good, continues to grow and then yields yummy syrup.
Right. So they live for different reasons.
Yes. And they provide a different need.
Exactly. You assume your competitor is doing well because he drives a nice car. Is that a fair assumption?
He wouldn't have gotten the car if he couldn't pay for it.
You're making assumptions. How much debt does he have?
I don't know.
Did someone give him the car?
I don't know.
Is he killing the cashflow in his business to make it look like he's successful?
I don't know.
Did he receive an inheritance from a family member and used the funds to buy a nice car?
I don't know.
Does he cry himself to sleep every night because his wife is about to leave him.?
I don't know.
See. You assume that his business and his life are great because he drives a nice car. You don't have enough information. Yet you compare his business to yours because you don't drive a nice car.
You're right, but I want a nicer car.
And you've decided you can't afford it?
Exactly.
So are you successful?
Not as much as I want to be.
That's ok. But the maple tree cannot yield a return on maple syrup until it reaches a certain age.
And the dandelion grows fast and dies fast.
Exactly.
So my competitor might be a dandelion?
And you might be a maple tree. But don't worry about what other people are doing. Continue to do the things that has given you success.
Slow and steady wins the race.
Not if you're running the 100 metre dash. Sometimes fast and explosive wins. It all depends on the race you think you're running.
Huh?
Do you realize the race you are running has no one running against you?
Yes I do. I lose potential clients all the time to my competitors.
Of course. But back to my dandelion example. Does the dandelion feel like the maple tree is taking away the nutrients of the land?
Ouff. I have no idea.
The dandelion grows where it can. Nutrients are everywhere, and the maple tree can't have them all because there is more than enough to go around for everyone.
So I'm a dandelion?
I never said that. You cannot win the race of your business.
Why not?
Because no one is running against you.
But what about "First in wins"?
That applies to new industries or new products. Your industry is mature. You don't need to worry about it.
But they ARE taking my potential clients.
Change you're perspective.
Huh?
They aren't taking your potential clients. They close their potential clients. You have done nothing to call those clients potential. You believe your clients is a non-renewable resource.
They are not?
New clients are coming into the market everyday. People die everyday and others are born. Clients are renewable just like the nutrients in the ground.
So what do I need to do to move my business forward?
Define your goals. Identify the actions you need to do to achieve your goals. And complete the actions. Measure and monitor how you're doing. Rinse and Repeat.
Just like shampoo.
Uh, huh. Do you compare how people shampoo their hair?
No.
So forget what others are doing. You do it the way you know how. Keep moving your goals, actions and dreams forward. And then learn how to do it better.
So how do I set my goals?
Look at whatever you want improvement. Identify where you want it to be. But the goal needs to be SMART.
It will be.
Smart is an acronym which means Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Timely.
So how do I set my goals?
Look at whatever you want improvement. Identify where you want it to be. But the goal needs to be SMART.
It will be.
Smart is an acronym which means Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Timely.
Oh. I still want a BMW.
Then set your goals to achieve it. That sounds like a SMART goal, if you put a timeline on it
Wow. I will. Thanks for your time.
No problem. Good luck.
Rick Nicholson is a multi unit business owner and partner at Wizard of Ads in Austin, Texas. He looks at marketing from the perspective of customer bonding, corporate beliefs and increasing sales. He only works with a select few customers who believe in the same things he believes in. If you want to grow your business and would like to know how he can help you, you can reach him at ricknicholson@wizardofads.com.
Rick Nicholson is a multi unit business owner and partner at Wizard of Ads in Austin, Texas. He looks at marketing from the perspective of customer bonding, corporate beliefs and increasing sales. He only works with a select few customers who believe in the same things he believes in. If you want to grow your business and would like to know how he can help you, you can reach him at ricknicholson@wizardofads.com.
Tuesday, October 9, 2018
Diamonds, emotions, and a no bullshit approach to kicking ass
Thank you for meeting with me. I need some advice.
It's my pleasure. What's your problem?
I'm trying to find my distinctive voice.
Oh? You're looking which means you don't currently have it?
I am different but when I try to explain my business proposition, I end up sounding like everyone else.
So you sound like everyone else because you are selling the same things as your competitors.
Yes. And my uniqueness is me.
Says all of your competitors...
Exactly. So in trying to find my distinctive voice, my marketing sounds familiar and doesn't get as much attention as I'd like it to get.
Let me ask you a few questions: Do you have a brand?
Well of course, I have a beautiful logo and a wonderful name. The colours of my logo are my favourite colours. Don't you see, I wear the brand everyday by always wearing canary yellow?
That's not brand. That's more of a style guide.
But my graphic artist told me...
Your graphic artist is wrong. If I had to ask you what is the definition of a brand, what would you say?
Well, it's... umm... it's the culmination of the visual identity of a corporation.
You're going in circles. Let me simplify it for you. Are you a brand? Or better yet, am I a brand?
You for sure. Me, I don't think so
What if I told you that you are in fact a brand?
You'd have to convince me. I don't see it.
Alright. The best definition I've seen about a brand is by Karen Post. She said a brand is a story embedded in the mind of the market in her book Brain Tattoos.
A story?
Yes, a story. And what is it about stories that make them memorable.
The way they make us feel?
Exactly. For a story to be good, it needs to evoke an emotional response...anger, sadness, happiness, and so forth. Emotion is the key to a good brand.
My brand needs to emit emotion.
Yes. A brand with no story emits no emotion. It will be a weak, unmemorable brand.
Brands, emotions. Got it
And deeper yet, you need to promote a story that creates the emotion for the customer.
You asked me earlier, and I don't know the answer. Am I a brand?
Before I answer, let me see if you can answer it for yourself. Have you ever done anything stupid in your childhood that old friends bring up when you see them 20 years later?
Umm, yeah. It happened to me last week at our high school reunion. But that's nostalgia.
It's much more than nostalgia. It's a story embedded in the mind of the market. And each time your target, ie old friends, think about the story, they see you as that dumb kid, not the successful entrepreneur you are today.
Oh my god. So how do I harness the power of stories to build a successful brand?
We've been talking about stories and emotions. Let's deconstruct one other element in the story.
The ending.
No. The character.
Now I feel I'm going in circles. I am the character. My company is me. How would you deconstruct the character.
It's called the brand diamond.
A diamond?
For a character to be interesting, it has to have at least 4 points of equal yet opposing forces.
You've lost me.
Think about Tony Soprano in the show of the same name. Do you know what makes the character so appealing?
He's a mob boss.
That's only one point of the diamond. What else is he?
A cheating husband... A father.... A friend....
He's also seeing a psychologist about his panic attacks. He's a loving father who doesn't think twice about killing friends who betray him.
The key to Tony Soprano's character is his flaw or his vulnerability.
His weakness is the key to the character strength?
Exactly. The weakness is what rounds out a good character. It makes everything believable. And if we bring it back to business. Do you know what most businesses won't do in their marketing?
They don't talk about their weaknesses.
You've got it. So what's your character's weakness?
Well, the character is me, and my weakness is I don't know how to say no.
Oh c'mon. You were doing so good. I don't believe you anymore. That's like saying your weakness is that you have too many strengths.
No seriously. I always get myself into trouble by saying yes too often.
Wrong. If I was a prospective customer, I'm gone with the marketing dollars it took to reach me.
If that's not my weakness, what is?
I don't know. But let's play a little game to see if we can find out what it is.
Did anyone ever tell you that you're unconventional if not a bit weird?
All the time. So here's the game. Do you like movies?
Love 'em.
Perfect. Name three of your favourite movies of all time.
Easy, peezie, mac and cheesy. Erin Brockovich, Pretty Woman and Hunger Games.
Oh wow. Three movies with strong female leads.
Yes, I love those type of movies.
What is the common weakness of all three characters?
Umm. They all kick ass.
The vulnerability of all three characters is they have big mouths. They say things without filter because that's who they are. I know most women don't like Star Wars.
I loved Star Wars.
I figured as much. And I'm willing to bet your favourite character in the original trilogy is Princess Leia.
Kapow...Mind blown.
Is it possible that at your core, you have no filter and some would say you have a big mouth as you stand up for perceived injustices?
How did you know?
We tend to have heroes who display the same characteristics we have or want to have. Our everyday heroes show up in movies, television and books. Your heroes are really just a reflection of who you think you are.
Kapow. Mind blown again... This is amazing.
So if your weakness is that you have no filter, start using it to your advantage. It will attract customers to you. Plus as an added benefit, you no longer have to pretend to be something you're not.
I'm scared...
Yes, you should be. But you'll also be authentic for the first time in your business life. And customers love authenticity. Plus as an added benefit, your strength will be about helping others through your no bullshit approach.
I'm not ready for the negative backlash.
Wait a minute. Do you not have friends?
Yes, extremely close ones.
And don't they love you because of your no straight shooter approach to life.
Maybe.
They love you for the same reasons you love Julia Roberts in Erin Brockovich or Catniss Everdeen in Hunger Games. Stop worrying about the negative side. You're the poster child of bravado. When you start to communicate it by evoking an emotion, the market will knock down your door.
And that's my distinctive voice?
Yes.
Did I tell you that you are nuts?
No. But I wouldn't expect anything less from you.
Rick Nicholson is a multi unit business owner and partner at Wizard of Ads in Austin, Texas. He looks at marketing from the perspective of customer bonding, corporate beliefs and increasing sales. He only works with a select few customers who believe in the same things he believes in. If you want to grow your business and would like to know how he can help you, you can reach him at ricknicholson@wizardofads.com.
It's my pleasure. What's your problem?
I'm trying to find my distinctive voice.
Oh? You're looking which means you don't currently have it?
I am different but when I try to explain my business proposition, I end up sounding like everyone else.
So you sound like everyone else because you are selling the same things as your competitors.
Yes. And my uniqueness is me.
Says all of your competitors...
Exactly. So in trying to find my distinctive voice, my marketing sounds familiar and doesn't get as much attention as I'd like it to get.
Let me ask you a few questions: Do you have a brand?
Well of course, I have a beautiful logo and a wonderful name. The colours of my logo are my favourite colours. Don't you see, I wear the brand everyday by always wearing canary yellow?
That's not brand. That's more of a style guide.
But my graphic artist told me...
Your graphic artist is wrong. If I had to ask you what is the definition of a brand, what would you say?
Well, it's... umm... it's the culmination of the visual identity of a corporation.
You're going in circles. Let me simplify it for you. Are you a brand? Or better yet, am I a brand?
You for sure. Me, I don't think so
What if I told you that you are in fact a brand?
You'd have to convince me. I don't see it.
Alright. The best definition I've seen about a brand is by Karen Post. She said a brand is a story embedded in the mind of the market in her book Brain Tattoos.
A story?
Yes, a story. And what is it about stories that make them memorable.
The way they make us feel?
Exactly. For a story to be good, it needs to evoke an emotional response...anger, sadness, happiness, and so forth. Emotion is the key to a good brand.
My brand needs to emit emotion.
Yes. A brand with no story emits no emotion. It will be a weak, unmemorable brand.
Brands, emotions. Got it
And deeper yet, you need to promote a story that creates the emotion for the customer.
You asked me earlier, and I don't know the answer. Am I a brand?
Before I answer, let me see if you can answer it for yourself. Have you ever done anything stupid in your childhood that old friends bring up when you see them 20 years later?
Umm, yeah. It happened to me last week at our high school reunion. But that's nostalgia.
It's much more than nostalgia. It's a story embedded in the mind of the market. And each time your target, ie old friends, think about the story, they see you as that dumb kid, not the successful entrepreneur you are today.
Oh my god. So how do I harness the power of stories to build a successful brand?
We've been talking about stories and emotions. Let's deconstruct one other element in the story.
The ending.
No. The character.
Now I feel I'm going in circles. I am the character. My company is me. How would you deconstruct the character.
It's called the brand diamond.
A diamond?
For a character to be interesting, it has to have at least 4 points of equal yet opposing forces.
You've lost me.
Think about Tony Soprano in the show of the same name. Do you know what makes the character so appealing?
He's a mob boss.
That's only one point of the diamond. What else is he?
A cheating husband... A father.... A friend....
He's also seeing a psychologist about his panic attacks. He's a loving father who doesn't think twice about killing friends who betray him.
The key to Tony Soprano's character is his flaw or his vulnerability.
His weakness is the key to the character strength?
Exactly. The weakness is what rounds out a good character. It makes everything believable. And if we bring it back to business. Do you know what most businesses won't do in their marketing?
They don't talk about their weaknesses.
You've got it. So what's your character's weakness?
Well, the character is me, and my weakness is I don't know how to say no.
Oh c'mon. You were doing so good. I don't believe you anymore. That's like saying your weakness is that you have too many strengths.
No seriously. I always get myself into trouble by saying yes too often.
Wrong. If I was a prospective customer, I'm gone with the marketing dollars it took to reach me.
If that's not my weakness, what is?
I don't know. But let's play a little game to see if we can find out what it is.
Did anyone ever tell you that you're unconventional if not a bit weird?
All the time. So here's the game. Do you like movies?
Love 'em.
Perfect. Name three of your favourite movies of all time.
Easy, peezie, mac and cheesy. Erin Brockovich, Pretty Woman and Hunger Games.
Oh wow. Three movies with strong female leads.
Yes, I love those type of movies.
What is the common weakness of all three characters?
Umm. They all kick ass.
The vulnerability of all three characters is they have big mouths. They say things without filter because that's who they are. I know most women don't like Star Wars.
I loved Star Wars.
I figured as much. And I'm willing to bet your favourite character in the original trilogy is Princess Leia.
Kapow...Mind blown.
Is it possible that at your core, you have no filter and some would say you have a big mouth as you stand up for perceived injustices?
How did you know?
We tend to have heroes who display the same characteristics we have or want to have. Our everyday heroes show up in movies, television and books. Your heroes are really just a reflection of who you think you are.
Kapow. Mind blown again... This is amazing.
So if your weakness is that you have no filter, start using it to your advantage. It will attract customers to you. Plus as an added benefit, you no longer have to pretend to be something you're not.
I'm scared...
Yes, you should be. But you'll also be authentic for the first time in your business life. And customers love authenticity. Plus as an added benefit, your strength will be about helping others through your no bullshit approach.
I'm not ready for the negative backlash.
Wait a minute. Do you not have friends?
Yes, extremely close ones.
And don't they love you because of your no straight shooter approach to life.
Maybe.
They love you for the same reasons you love Julia Roberts in Erin Brockovich or Catniss Everdeen in Hunger Games. Stop worrying about the negative side. You're the poster child of bravado. When you start to communicate it by evoking an emotion, the market will knock down your door.
And that's my distinctive voice?
Yes.
Did I tell you that you are nuts?
No. But I wouldn't expect anything less from you.
Rick Nicholson is a multi unit business owner and partner at Wizard of Ads in Austin, Texas. He looks at marketing from the perspective of customer bonding, corporate beliefs and increasing sales. He only works with a select few customers who believe in the same things he believes in. If you want to grow your business and would like to know how he can help you, you can reach him at ricknicholson@wizardofads.com.
Tuesday, October 2, 2018
The sweaty race of life
You're running. Running to nowhere. Running to everywhere.
Hot. Heavy, humid. A bead of sweat rolls down the middle of your back, running away from work.
Little bead of sweat doesn't know the faster it goes, the less gets done.
The heat piles up. The work not done.
No one is looking. No one cares. No one asks.
You continue to worry about getting work done, working yourself toward madness.
You're mad. I'm mad. We're all mad, to get things done. Yet everything gets done; in its own time.
Why work in this heat. What about play?
It's hot. Work is heavy. and humid.
The rolling of time takes its toll on the master.
But the work must get done.
Faster, faster, faster.
The work must get done.
Until there is no more work to do.
Never ending...work.
The work must get done.
Until there is no more time.
Never ending...work
No one is watching.
The work must get done.
Never ending...
Until the little bead stops and realizes.
The more it runs, the less it is.
Until it is gone.
Evaporated away.
And time ends as the bead transforms and another takes its place.
Hot. Heavy, humid. A bead of sweat rolls down the middle of your back, running away from work.
Little bead of sweat doesn't know the faster it goes, the less gets done.
The heat piles up. The work not done.
No one is looking. No one cares. No one asks.
You continue to worry about getting work done, working yourself toward madness.
You're mad. I'm mad. We're all mad, to get things done. Yet everything gets done; in its own time.
Why work in this heat. What about play?
It's hot. Work is heavy. and humid.
The rolling of time takes its toll on the master.
But the work must get done.
Faster, faster, faster.
The work must get done.
Until there is no more work to do.
Never ending...work.
The work must get done.
Until there is no more time.
Never ending...work
No one is watching.
The work must get done.
Never ending...
Until the little bead stops and realizes.
The more it runs, the less it is.
Until it is gone.
Evaporated away.
And time ends as the bead transforms and another takes its place.
Friday, September 14, 2018
Bonding, friendships and kneeling for what you believe in
I heard you were a marketer.
Aren't we all?
No, I don't think so. I have a people in my organization responsible for marketing. I wouldn't say I'm a marketer.
That's like saying you're not a person. Everyone in your company is doing marketing everyday, both internally and externally.
How do you figure my accountant would be a marketer?
Does your accountant pay your bills?
Yes, of course.
Does your accountant interact with other employees in the organization?
Yes we don't have a choice as a team.
Exactly. Have you ever had an accountant who had no people skills where everyone was afraid to walk into his office?
Um, yeah. We had an accountant who was really mean. He was an awesome in his craft but at the same time a miserable son of a bitch.
And what was the culture like while he was there?
My top managers wouldn't call him. They were afraid to be raked over the coals. And when we had a manager meeting, the tension was always thick when the accountant spoke.
And was that a good thing for your business?
Of course not. The team suffered and so did the organization. Luckily, he eventually left, making everyone's life easier.
During that time, your team wasn't totally comfortable with the internal culture. Their work may have even suffered a bit. You'll never know because you can't go backwards and remove that variable. But let me ask you this, "Is it possible you lost other great employees because of this person?"
I don't know... Maybe.
Fair enough. During these dark times, did your accountant have to talk to clients?
Oh no. We wouldn't let him do that.
Why not?
We didn't want to piss off the people who paid us?
So you shielded an accountant from your clients because he was a terrible representation of your business?
Yes.
Did he call suppliers to discuss payment arrangements, resolve problems, and negotiate terms?
Yes.
Did he work with your banker?
Of course.
So your suppliers and bankers aren't customers?
Um, not really.
Wait a minute. Think about this. Isn't a company really just a group of people moving in the same direction with a common goal?
I guess you could look at it that way.
And your suppliers have people working for them, who had to interact with your son of bitch accountant, whom your own "family" couldn't stand? When things went wrong, do you honestly think the people working for your suppliers didn't feel the same as your employees?
Ah shit. Almost certainly.
Right, And don't you think it was possible they told close relationships about the son of a bitch who worked at your company? Maybe even tarnished your reputation, I mean brand, in the market.
Ok, I get it. We'll all marketers in the organization.Let me ask you this, from one marketer to another. Have you seen the Nike commercial about Colin Kaepernick?
Is he the NFL player who has been blackballed by the league for kneeling during the national anthem?
Yes. And Nike produced a commercial revolving around him. Isn't that a bad marketing idea?
It always depends. In this case, he isn't a criminal. He just kneeled for something he believed in.
But in doing so, he upset a huge group of people.
Yes he did. Did he not also become a hero for a separate group?
Maybe. But we're in business to not offend.
Are you sure about that?
When we offend, like my old accountant, we lose potential future sales. You just said that.
No, I said we shouldn't be assholes. That's just wrong. However, standing up for something we believe in is not the same thing.
But my accountant believed in what he was doing.
Not the same thing. Your accountant did not believe in the same things your organization believed in. You told me yourself the culture during his reign of terror wasn't positive. Which means he was not like the rest of the group, which means he doesn't represent the organizational beliefs.
Yes, and Colin Kaepernick's beliefs are not the same as the NFL's.
Exactly and that's why he's not working. But it doesn't mean there aren't a lot of others who believe in this guy's actions. And it seems to me that Nike believes in the same things as he.
But people are burning their Nike shoes.
Yes they are. And others are exchanging their Pumas and Adidas for Nike because a shoe company tugged on their heart.
But the publicity is so negative.
When I see people on TV burning clothing, I laugh. They bought the damn stuff. It is portrayed as negative. But for every prognosticator, journalist and podcaster who talks about the commercial or the aftermath, Nike sells more shoes.
Are you sure about that?
First of all, Nike is standing up saying they have these same values as this black NFL player. Remember, their fortune was built on the backs of professional black athletes.
I think Nike believes in equality, but kneeling against the flag is so unpatriotic.
Some people think that. But he didn't burn the flag. He never said he hated his country. He said he wanted things to change. Isn't that what's great about a free country, to be able to think and speak one's mind?
Yes, but business doesn't care about these things. Business just wants to make money.
You haven't learned the lesson. Businesses are just a series of people with similar values moving in the same direction.
So it's ok to piss people off with your marketing efforts.
Yes, if it's something you believe in. Remember, we do business with those we trust. Some say we do business with our friends. The best way to make "friends" in a marketplace is to create a bond. Bonds are built on core values or beliefs. So until you communicate your beliefs you won't bond with the people who believe in the same things.
So Nike's commercial is good for business?
Yes it is. Let me ask you this, what does Adidas stand for?
I don't know, making great shoes, maybe.
Exactly, I don't know either. But because of this commercial hasn't Nike told the world what they stand for? People hate it. But people also LOVE it. It's called the law of polarity. 50 million people could throw out their shoes, but 100 million people will feel Nike understands them. The bond becomes real.
But the shoes I buy are about how they fit.
No it's not. It's about how they FEEL. And Nikes feel a little bit better now for those who are tired of the underlying racism issues. Nike gets a little bit more headspace for potential buyers. And the customers who are mad at Nike can buy other shoes. It's ok, because if the customer doesn't believe in what Nike believes, they should do that.
Whoa, Nike is going to lose customers.
And they will gain new ones. Nike will never have to compete solely on price. The relationship with the customer who cares about these issues will be stronger. Nike is one of those great brands on the planet, according to Steve Jobs. They've shown up and demonstrated what great brands do. They take a stand for what they believe, despite what others think. And by the way, look at the youtube video and the amount of "thumbs up" versus "thumbs down". It's like 10 to 1 positive. Nike is moving people.
So good marketing is about standing up for things we believe in.
Now you're learning. I'm sorry, I have to get back to writing my next blog post. It's been nice talking to you.
Rick Nicholson is a multi unit business owner and partner at Wizard of Ads in Austin, Texas. He looks at marketing from the perspective of customer bonding, corporate beliefs and increasing sales. He only works with a select few customers who believe in the same things he believes in. If you want to grow your business and would like to know how he can help you, you can reach him at ricknicholson@wizardofads.com.
Aren't we all?
No, I don't think so. I have a people in my organization responsible for marketing. I wouldn't say I'm a marketer.
That's like saying you're not a person. Everyone in your company is doing marketing everyday, both internally and externally.
How do you figure my accountant would be a marketer?
Does your accountant pay your bills?
Yes, of course.
Does your accountant interact with other employees in the organization?
Yes we don't have a choice as a team.
Exactly. Have you ever had an accountant who had no people skills where everyone was afraid to walk into his office?
Um, yeah. We had an accountant who was really mean. He was an awesome in his craft but at the same time a miserable son of a bitch.
And what was the culture like while he was there?
My top managers wouldn't call him. They were afraid to be raked over the coals. And when we had a manager meeting, the tension was always thick when the accountant spoke.
And was that a good thing for your business?
Of course not. The team suffered and so did the organization. Luckily, he eventually left, making everyone's life easier.
During that time, your team wasn't totally comfortable with the internal culture. Their work may have even suffered a bit. You'll never know because you can't go backwards and remove that variable. But let me ask you this, "Is it possible you lost other great employees because of this person?"
I don't know... Maybe.
Fair enough. During these dark times, did your accountant have to talk to clients?
Oh no. We wouldn't let him do that.
Why not?
We didn't want to piss off the people who paid us?
So you shielded an accountant from your clients because he was a terrible representation of your business?
Yes.
Did he call suppliers to discuss payment arrangements, resolve problems, and negotiate terms?
Yes.
Did he work with your banker?
Of course.
So your suppliers and bankers aren't customers?
Um, not really.
Wait a minute. Think about this. Isn't a company really just a group of people moving in the same direction with a common goal?
I guess you could look at it that way.
And your suppliers have people working for them, who had to interact with your son of bitch accountant, whom your own "family" couldn't stand? When things went wrong, do you honestly think the people working for your suppliers didn't feel the same as your employees?
Ah shit. Almost certainly.
Right, And don't you think it was possible they told close relationships about the son of a bitch who worked at your company? Maybe even tarnished your reputation, I mean brand, in the market.
Ok, I get it. We'll all marketers in the organization.Let me ask you this, from one marketer to another. Have you seen the Nike commercial about Colin Kaepernick?
Is he the NFL player who has been blackballed by the league for kneeling during the national anthem?
Yes. And Nike produced a commercial revolving around him. Isn't that a bad marketing idea?
It always depends. In this case, he isn't a criminal. He just kneeled for something he believed in.
But in doing so, he upset a huge group of people.
Yes he did. Did he not also become a hero for a separate group?
Maybe. But we're in business to not offend.
Are you sure about that?
When we offend, like my old accountant, we lose potential future sales. You just said that.
No, I said we shouldn't be assholes. That's just wrong. However, standing up for something we believe in is not the same thing.
But my accountant believed in what he was doing.
Not the same thing. Your accountant did not believe in the same things your organization believed in. You told me yourself the culture during his reign of terror wasn't positive. Which means he was not like the rest of the group, which means he doesn't represent the organizational beliefs.
Yes, and Colin Kaepernick's beliefs are not the same as the NFL's.
Exactly and that's why he's not working. But it doesn't mean there aren't a lot of others who believe in this guy's actions. And it seems to me that Nike believes in the same things as he.
But people are burning their Nike shoes.
Yes they are. And others are exchanging their Pumas and Adidas for Nike because a shoe company tugged on their heart.
But the publicity is so negative.
When I see people on TV burning clothing, I laugh. They bought the damn stuff. It is portrayed as negative. But for every prognosticator, journalist and podcaster who talks about the commercial or the aftermath, Nike sells more shoes.
Are you sure about that?
First of all, Nike is standing up saying they have these same values as this black NFL player. Remember, their fortune was built on the backs of professional black athletes.
I think Nike believes in equality, but kneeling against the flag is so unpatriotic.
Some people think that. But he didn't burn the flag. He never said he hated his country. He said he wanted things to change. Isn't that what's great about a free country, to be able to think and speak one's mind?
Yes, but business doesn't care about these things. Business just wants to make money.
You haven't learned the lesson. Businesses are just a series of people with similar values moving in the same direction.
So it's ok to piss people off with your marketing efforts.
Yes, if it's something you believe in. Remember, we do business with those we trust. Some say we do business with our friends. The best way to make "friends" in a marketplace is to create a bond. Bonds are built on core values or beliefs. So until you communicate your beliefs you won't bond with the people who believe in the same things.
So Nike's commercial is good for business?
Yes it is. Let me ask you this, what does Adidas stand for?
I don't know, making great shoes, maybe.
Exactly, I don't know either. But because of this commercial hasn't Nike told the world what they stand for? People hate it. But people also LOVE it. It's called the law of polarity. 50 million people could throw out their shoes, but 100 million people will feel Nike understands them. The bond becomes real.
But the shoes I buy are about how they fit.
No it's not. It's about how they FEEL. And Nikes feel a little bit better now for those who are tired of the underlying racism issues. Nike gets a little bit more headspace for potential buyers. And the customers who are mad at Nike can buy other shoes. It's ok, because if the customer doesn't believe in what Nike believes, they should do that.
Whoa, Nike is going to lose customers.
And they will gain new ones. Nike will never have to compete solely on price. The relationship with the customer who cares about these issues will be stronger. Nike is one of those great brands on the planet, according to Steve Jobs. They've shown up and demonstrated what great brands do. They take a stand for what they believe, despite what others think. And by the way, look at the youtube video and the amount of "thumbs up" versus "thumbs down". It's like 10 to 1 positive. Nike is moving people.
So good marketing is about standing up for things we believe in.
Now you're learning. I'm sorry, I have to get back to writing my next blog post. It's been nice talking to you.
Rick Nicholson is a multi unit business owner and partner at Wizard of Ads in Austin, Texas. He looks at marketing from the perspective of customer bonding, corporate beliefs and increasing sales. He only works with a select few customers who believe in the same things he believes in. If you want to grow your business and would like to know how he can help you, you can reach him at ricknicholson@wizardofads.com.
Thursday, September 13, 2018
Planting flags, good marketing and your neighbour's car
Hey, do you remember me?
Of course. You were in my marketing class.
Yes. After listening to your presentation, I got to thinking.
That's good. It's usually the first step.
How do you tell the difference between good marketing and bad marketing?
That's easy, good marketing works.
How do you know which one will work?
The one that provides the greatest impact.
You're going in circles. I want to start marketing to my target audience and I don't know where to begin. I want to do good marketing, umm, marketing that works, but I don't know where to start.
Ok. You have to start with yourself.
Not sure I understand. I want to create awareness for my brand.
Are you sure? The last time I checked, awareness doesn't pay the bills.
Right, but the more people who are aware of my products pulls the law of percentages in my favour.
You're partially right. The law of percentages will drive some customer traffic to your location, whether online or offline. But it doesn't mean they buy. And if for some reason, they do buy, it really doesn't mean the customer buys AGAIN.
So you're saying awareness is a bad thing.
No not all. I'm just saying it's only one piece of the puzzle. Have you lived in your house for a long time?
Uh, what?
Have you lived in your house for more than 5 years?
Yes, I've been there for 7.
Ok. Do you know all your neighbours?
The ones immediately next door and across the road.
Ok, How about the neighbours 5 houses down? Do you know them?
No, not at all. I've seen them outside from time to time but I don't know their names.
Good. You've lived in your neighbourhood for 7 years. You don't know your neighbours 5 houses down. How many times have you driven by your unknown neighbours house?
Not sure where you're going with this, but I'd say I go by it at least twice a day.
I'm almost finished. You've driven by your neighbour's house at least 700 times in the past year?
Yeah, that's about right.
Do they have a garage or are the cars parked out front?
They're out front.
Perfect. Can you tell me the make and model of the cars they drive?
Ah. I think they drive a Volkswagen.
No. I want to know for sure.
I'm not 100% sure.
What do you mean? Assuming the cars are not always there when you drive by, you've probably been exposed to the car at least 500 times, and you can't remember the type of car your unknown neighbour drives?
Well, it's frankly not that important to me.
Exactly. That's the problem with awareness.
Huh. I know what his next door neighbour drives.
Do you know them?
Nope. He drives a silver Mercedes S-class.
I'm willing to bet you either own a Mercedes or you'd like to own one.
I love Mercedes. It's the car I wish I could own... So you're saying that awareness only works on those who are already interested in your product.
Now you're getting warmer.
Ok, so how do I create interest in my product?
You've asked the right question. But before I answer, I need to ask a few more questions.
I'm getting the sense you ask a lot of questions and go in circles.
Yes, a bit. Only because I know that if I give you the answer, you won't believe me. But if YOU give me the answer, you'll base all of your future strategies on it.
So I have the answer inside of me?
Yes. But I'm going to pull it out, so you can see if for yourself.
Alright. Bring on the questions.
What do you believe in as it relates to your business?
Well, I believe in honesty, integrity, good customer service, taking care of people...
Those are all good things to believe in. Do you think your competitors believe in the same things?
Some do. But most don't.
But do all of them say they believe in those things?
Well, it's good business to believe in those things, isn't it?
Of course. But here's the problem. None of your competitors would ever say they don't believe in honesty. You can never plant a flag on those type of "Values" because every one of your competitors have already planted their flags on those territories.
So I shouldn't plant a flag on honesty?
As a word, no. As a premise, of course you can.
What's the difference?
The word is cliche. Everyone believes they are honest. Yet honesty is a perception. What I believe is honesty can be dishonest to someone else.
I think a person is either honest or they are not.
Now you're getting somewhere. That tells me more about you than you believing in honesty.
I don't like dancing around. I call it as I see it. I don't want to hurt people's feelings but if I have to tell 'em something, I'll just say it. But at the same time, I won't try to sell them something I don't think they need. I've actually told customers that if they buy it and later feel they didn't need it, they can call me and I'll give them a credit over the phone. And they can keep the product, regardless.
There it is.
What?
You won't sell anything you don't think the customer needs.
Yeah. So how is this good marketing?
It's deeper than the average marketing message. Its a promise that customers won't be sold something they won't need. In essence, it tells the receiver of your message that their needs come before yours.
Yeah, that's right.
Imagine, using a message like, "We believe in not selling things you don't need."
I don't believe in upselling.
Do you competitors upsell?
All the time, it's the main beef I hear from my regular customer. They switched their business to me because there were too many high pressure sales and sales attempts on marginal products.
And you don't upsell at all?
Only if I think they need the product to solve a problem.
Don't you see what I see?
Umm, no. It's just good business to give customers what they want. They don't want upselling, so that's what I do.
This is a strong belief that can be used to find more customers.
Is it that simple?
Yes, it is. Marketing that works has to use messaging your target audience cares about. The message isn't about you. It's about them. Start talking to them about things they care about and they will remember you.
This is amazing. You've given me a lot to think about.
Just remember the Mercedes. You pay attention to things that matter to you. Your potential customer is no different.
Awesome, talk to you later.
Have a great day.
Of course. You were in my marketing class.
Yes. After listening to your presentation, I got to thinking.
That's good. It's usually the first step.
How do you tell the difference between good marketing and bad marketing?
That's easy, good marketing works.
How do you know which one will work?
The one that provides the greatest impact.
You're going in circles. I want to start marketing to my target audience and I don't know where to begin. I want to do good marketing, umm, marketing that works, but I don't know where to start.
Ok. You have to start with yourself.
Not sure I understand. I want to create awareness for my brand.
Are you sure? The last time I checked, awareness doesn't pay the bills.
Right, but the more people who are aware of my products pulls the law of percentages in my favour.
You're partially right. The law of percentages will drive some customer traffic to your location, whether online or offline. But it doesn't mean they buy. And if for some reason, they do buy, it really doesn't mean the customer buys AGAIN.
So you're saying awareness is a bad thing.
No not all. I'm just saying it's only one piece of the puzzle. Have you lived in your house for a long time?
Uh, what?
Have you lived in your house for more than 5 years?
Yes, I've been there for 7.
Ok. Do you know all your neighbours?
The ones immediately next door and across the road.
Ok, How about the neighbours 5 houses down? Do you know them?
No, not at all. I've seen them outside from time to time but I don't know their names.
Good. You've lived in your neighbourhood for 7 years. You don't know your neighbours 5 houses down. How many times have you driven by your unknown neighbours house?
Not sure where you're going with this, but I'd say I go by it at least twice a day.
I'm almost finished. You've driven by your neighbour's house at least 700 times in the past year?
Yeah, that's about right.
Do they have a garage or are the cars parked out front?
They're out front.
Perfect. Can you tell me the make and model of the cars they drive?
Ah. I think they drive a Volkswagen.
No. I want to know for sure.
I'm not 100% sure.
What do you mean? Assuming the cars are not always there when you drive by, you've probably been exposed to the car at least 500 times, and you can't remember the type of car your unknown neighbour drives?
Well, it's frankly not that important to me.
Exactly. That's the problem with awareness.
Huh. I know what his next door neighbour drives.
Do you know them?
Nope. He drives a silver Mercedes S-class.
I'm willing to bet you either own a Mercedes or you'd like to own one.
I love Mercedes. It's the car I wish I could own... So you're saying that awareness only works on those who are already interested in your product.
Now you're getting warmer.
Ok, so how do I create interest in my product?
You've asked the right question. But before I answer, I need to ask a few more questions.
I'm getting the sense you ask a lot of questions and go in circles.
Yes, a bit. Only because I know that if I give you the answer, you won't believe me. But if YOU give me the answer, you'll base all of your future strategies on it.
So I have the answer inside of me?
Yes. But I'm going to pull it out, so you can see if for yourself.
Alright. Bring on the questions.
What do you believe in as it relates to your business?
Well, I believe in honesty, integrity, good customer service, taking care of people...
Those are all good things to believe in. Do you think your competitors believe in the same things?
Some do. But most don't.
But do all of them say they believe in those things?
Well, it's good business to believe in those things, isn't it?
Of course. But here's the problem. None of your competitors would ever say they don't believe in honesty. You can never plant a flag on those type of "Values" because every one of your competitors have already planted their flags on those territories.
So I shouldn't plant a flag on honesty?
As a word, no. As a premise, of course you can.
What's the difference?
The word is cliche. Everyone believes they are honest. Yet honesty is a perception. What I believe is honesty can be dishonest to someone else.
I think a person is either honest or they are not.
Now you're getting somewhere. That tells me more about you than you believing in honesty.
I don't like dancing around. I call it as I see it. I don't want to hurt people's feelings but if I have to tell 'em something, I'll just say it. But at the same time, I won't try to sell them something I don't think they need. I've actually told customers that if they buy it and later feel they didn't need it, they can call me and I'll give them a credit over the phone. And they can keep the product, regardless.
There it is.
What?
You won't sell anything you don't think the customer needs.
Yeah. So how is this good marketing?
It's deeper than the average marketing message. Its a promise that customers won't be sold something they won't need. In essence, it tells the receiver of your message that their needs come before yours.
Yeah, that's right.
Imagine, using a message like, "We believe in not selling things you don't need."
I don't believe in upselling.
Do you competitors upsell?
All the time, it's the main beef I hear from my regular customer. They switched their business to me because there were too many high pressure sales and sales attempts on marginal products.
And you don't upsell at all?
Only if I think they need the product to solve a problem.
Don't you see what I see?
Umm, no. It's just good business to give customers what they want. They don't want upselling, so that's what I do.
This is a strong belief that can be used to find more customers.
Is it that simple?
Yes, it is. Marketing that works has to use messaging your target audience cares about. The message isn't about you. It's about them. Start talking to them about things they care about and they will remember you.
This is amazing. You've given me a lot to think about.
Just remember the Mercedes. You pay attention to things that matter to you. Your potential customer is no different.
Awesome, talk to you later.
Have a great day.
Tuesday, September 11, 2018
Beliefs, knuckleheads and looking for love in all the wrong places
Can I buy you a coffee?
No, thank you. I'm going to have a tea.
Ok, can I buy you a tea?
Sure can. How's business going?
It's going well. But it would be better if I could find good employees. People today don't want to work anymore.
Are you sure about that?
Yes. Every time we post a job ad, we get 15 resumes. Out of those, only 7 accept an interview. We try to interview all 7, but only 4 show up. Then out of those interviewed, we choose the best one.
And how does the chosen employee work out?
We're looking for his replacement within six months.
Sounds like you hired the wrong person.
Agreed, but we're scraping the bottom of the barrel.
Can I help you?
I'm going to have an Americano and a tea...
Green Tea please...
Uh ok, an Americano and a Green tea please.
What size?
Medium?
Yes medium is fine...
Ok, make that two mediums please
So you're having problems finding good workers?
Yes, but I believe it's because no one wants to work anymore?
Be careful of your thoughts?
It's just the truth. We haven't had any luck at all.
Let's flip it around at you.
What?
Are you a good worker?
That's not fair.
But it is. You consider yourself a good worker. If you were looking for work, wouldn't your boss be lucky to have you?
Yes, but...
There's no buts in this. You haven't found the right worker for your business, so you blame the market. You blame the people you hired. When in fact, you should blame your poor selection techniques, your poor marketing skills in acquiring new talent, or your gut instinct in detecting the right candidate.
So you're saying I'm the problem with hiring.
Bingo.
Medium Americano and Medium Green Tea
Thanks, can we continue this conversation.
Sure, I have a few minutes.
I disagree that I'm the problem, but for purposes of the conversation, let's say I agree.
Let's try to make this clearer for you.
Why is Westjet airlines successful?
The employees are owners.
Wow that was quick. Are you sure about that?
Yes, the employees act differently because they own stock in the company. They work together to make more money. It's actually pretty simple.
So if it's that simple, why don't all companies make employees shareholders?
Well it doesn't work easily for most companies. Westjet is a public company. They issue shares on the Stock Exchange. My company is privately held. I don't want...
Let me stop you. It has little to do with ownership. The employees are awesome because they were already awesome in some other job. Westjet found them through their recruitment process. They have a smart selection criteria in which they refuse to negotiate on organizational culture.
I still think it has to do with ownership.
Let me give you a simple example to squash that. Westjet's competitors also issue shares to employees, but it has little to no effect. Attitude can not be trained. I can teach a lot of things, but I have never been able to teach someone to care. Westjet looks for people who ALREADY care.
Ok, ok. So it works for Westjet, but it can't work for me. My business cannot afford to pay more than $20 per hour.
Again, you think that compensation is based on the quality of the person you can find. It's not true. The best employee I ever hired was paid minimum wage. They stayed for 4 years.
Four years. Wow. I wish I could get them to stay for one year.
See, money has little effect on finding good people.
So let's say you're right. How do you find good people?
Start with yourself.
What?
You said you were a good worker.
Yes, but I can't do any more work. I'm already busy with day to day management of my business.
I get it, but if you were looking for work, anyone would be lucky to hire someone like you. Right?
Of course.
Then hire yourself.
I'm not following.
Unconsciously, you're doing it already. You're looking for yourself, but you're advertising in the wrong places and most likely the wrong way. Tell me about your best hire.
That's funny you say that. The best guy I ever hired was a hard worker. He'd leave his phone in the truck to get the work done. He was tech savvy, and would ask for more work when his initial tasks were done. He got along with everyone. Never once did I have to talk to him about his attitude. He was a nice guy.
Sounds a bit like you...
Oh my...He was exactly like me. Just 20 years younger. I even told my wife that I saw him as the son I never had.
See? You saw yourself in him. Why did he leave?
I think he decided to go back to school.
So you already hired yourself once. Just go do it again.
Just? Easier said then done. It was complete luck that I found him the first time. Besides, when I need to hire people, I need them immediately. I can't sit around and wait for 6 months to get the next ideal employee. Time is money.
Then don't sit around and wait. Use a belief based marketing technique to find "mini you's" in your employee search.
What? I don't understand.
You're looking for love in all the wrong places.
Love, huh?
Do you think you could find the love of your life in a dirty, grungy bar.
Of course, but it's rare.
Exactly, because everyone has a different agenda. And the two of you will likely be back in the bar in six months looking for love again, with someone else. Listen closely to the lyrics of the song. It's the story of your hiring experience.
So what's this belief based thing-a-majig?
Detail out your beliefs as it relates to work. Don't describe the job as much as describe the type of person you're looking to hire.
You mean like strong, good attitude, works well with others.
No. That's all bullshit. Everyone wants that. And every candidate will say they are those things to get a job. If they need money, they'll do almost anything to get the job.
So what do you mean?
Go deeper by starting with yourself or better yet, by describing that great employee you just told me about.
Huh. I'm not following.
Ok, let me give you a couple of lines in your next job ad.
Awesome.
We believe:
Work is sometimes hard, but it never has to go unappreciated.
Our phones should stay in the truck while work is being done.
All people, including the biggest jerks, should be treated with respect.
Karma is a bitch, so we work hard not to upset her.
What? I'll never get any resumes with that ad.
Not true. You'll get some, but not as many as you used to. This ad will eliminate many of the deadbeats that you're trying to avoid anyways.
Ok, let's say you're right and I only get 2 resumes. I know I need 15 resumes to find one employee.
Not true. You need one resume to find one employee. The chances will be extremely high that the two resumes received will be from qualified candidates.
So I don't have to do interviews anymore? I hate doing them anyways.
No not at all. This isn't a perfect science. There's still the "knucklehead" factor. Some undesirable employees can still slip through the cracks, so doing an interview removes those knuckleheads.
Knuckleheads?
Yeah, people who need a job and will say they are whatever you want them to be.
So once I get the resumes, what do I do next?
Email them to tell them you received their resume. Then ask them to CALL you for an interview.
Are you nuts? People have a hard time to show up half the time. Now you want them to call me for an interview?
Yes. Do you agree actions speak louder than words?
Of course.
One of your beliefs is "All people should be treated with respect". Isn't the definition of respect returning messages, either email or phone?
Uh, yes.
There you go. If they don't call you, they weren't that interested or they lack the respect factor you're looking for. You could even include it as a belief if you wanted. Something like, "Respect for others includes, returning calls and emails within 24 hours"...
I won't have any applications if I do this.
Henry Ford said, "If you think you can or you think you can't, you're right". If you don't think this will work then you should keep doing what you've been doing.
I'm ready for change. But have you done this before?
Yes, I don't share any secrets I haven't done myself. I used belief based marketing in a job ad ten years ago. I needed five employees. Three of them were still there when I sold the business four years later.
Wow. Is it that easy?
Ask yourself a simple question, "Are there any 20 year olds, who think like you, looking for the things you believe in".
I think so.
Then go find them. You've been looking in the wrong place for the right person.
You've given me a lot to think about. Have a great day.
Thanks for the tea.
No, thank you. I'm going to have a tea.
Ok, can I buy you a tea?
Sure can. How's business going?
It's going well. But it would be better if I could find good employees. People today don't want to work anymore.
Are you sure about that?
Yes. Every time we post a job ad, we get 15 resumes. Out of those, only 7 accept an interview. We try to interview all 7, but only 4 show up. Then out of those interviewed, we choose the best one.
And how does the chosen employee work out?
We're looking for his replacement within six months.
Sounds like you hired the wrong person.
Agreed, but we're scraping the bottom of the barrel.
Can I help you?
I'm going to have an Americano and a tea...
Green Tea please...
Uh ok, an Americano and a Green tea please.
What size?
Medium?
Yes medium is fine...
Ok, make that two mediums please
So you're having problems finding good workers?
Yes, but I believe it's because no one wants to work anymore?
Be careful of your thoughts?
It's just the truth. We haven't had any luck at all.
Let's flip it around at you.
What?
Are you a good worker?
That's not fair.
But it is. You consider yourself a good worker. If you were looking for work, wouldn't your boss be lucky to have you?
Yes, but...
There's no buts in this. You haven't found the right worker for your business, so you blame the market. You blame the people you hired. When in fact, you should blame your poor selection techniques, your poor marketing skills in acquiring new talent, or your gut instinct in detecting the right candidate.
So you're saying I'm the problem with hiring.
Bingo.
Medium Americano and Medium Green Tea
Thanks, can we continue this conversation.
Sure, I have a few minutes.
I disagree that I'm the problem, but for purposes of the conversation, let's say I agree.
Let's try to make this clearer for you.
Why is Westjet airlines successful?
The employees are owners.
Wow that was quick. Are you sure about that?
Yes, the employees act differently because they own stock in the company. They work together to make more money. It's actually pretty simple.
So if it's that simple, why don't all companies make employees shareholders?
Well it doesn't work easily for most companies. Westjet is a public company. They issue shares on the Stock Exchange. My company is privately held. I don't want...
Let me stop you. It has little to do with ownership. The employees are awesome because they were already awesome in some other job. Westjet found them through their recruitment process. They have a smart selection criteria in which they refuse to negotiate on organizational culture.
I still think it has to do with ownership.
Let me give you a simple example to squash that. Westjet's competitors also issue shares to employees, but it has little to no effect. Attitude can not be trained. I can teach a lot of things, but I have never been able to teach someone to care. Westjet looks for people who ALREADY care.
Ok, ok. So it works for Westjet, but it can't work for me. My business cannot afford to pay more than $20 per hour.
Again, you think that compensation is based on the quality of the person you can find. It's not true. The best employee I ever hired was paid minimum wage. They stayed for 4 years.
Four years. Wow. I wish I could get them to stay for one year.
See, money has little effect on finding good people.
So let's say you're right. How do you find good people?
Start with yourself.
What?
You said you were a good worker.
Yes, but I can't do any more work. I'm already busy with day to day management of my business.
I get it, but if you were looking for work, anyone would be lucky to hire someone like you. Right?
Of course.
Then hire yourself.
I'm not following.
Unconsciously, you're doing it already. You're looking for yourself, but you're advertising in the wrong places and most likely the wrong way. Tell me about your best hire.
That's funny you say that. The best guy I ever hired was a hard worker. He'd leave his phone in the truck to get the work done. He was tech savvy, and would ask for more work when his initial tasks were done. He got along with everyone. Never once did I have to talk to him about his attitude. He was a nice guy.
Sounds a bit like you...
Oh my...He was exactly like me. Just 20 years younger. I even told my wife that I saw him as the son I never had.
See? You saw yourself in him. Why did he leave?
I think he decided to go back to school.
So you already hired yourself once. Just go do it again.
Just? Easier said then done. It was complete luck that I found him the first time. Besides, when I need to hire people, I need them immediately. I can't sit around and wait for 6 months to get the next ideal employee. Time is money.
Then don't sit around and wait. Use a belief based marketing technique to find "mini you's" in your employee search.
What? I don't understand.
You're looking for love in all the wrong places.
Love, huh?
Do you think you could find the love of your life in a dirty, grungy bar.
Of course, but it's rare.
Exactly, because everyone has a different agenda. And the two of you will likely be back in the bar in six months looking for love again, with someone else. Listen closely to the lyrics of the song. It's the story of your hiring experience.
So what's this belief based thing-a-majig?
Detail out your beliefs as it relates to work. Don't describe the job as much as describe the type of person you're looking to hire.
You mean like strong, good attitude, works well with others.
No. That's all bullshit. Everyone wants that. And every candidate will say they are those things to get a job. If they need money, they'll do almost anything to get the job.
So what do you mean?
Go deeper by starting with yourself or better yet, by describing that great employee you just told me about.
Huh. I'm not following.
Ok, let me give you a couple of lines in your next job ad.
Awesome.
We believe:
Work is sometimes hard, but it never has to go unappreciated.
Our phones should stay in the truck while work is being done.
All people, including the biggest jerks, should be treated with respect.
Karma is a bitch, so we work hard not to upset her.
What? I'll never get any resumes with that ad.
Not true. You'll get some, but not as many as you used to. This ad will eliminate many of the deadbeats that you're trying to avoid anyways.
Ok, let's say you're right and I only get 2 resumes. I know I need 15 resumes to find one employee.
Not true. You need one resume to find one employee. The chances will be extremely high that the two resumes received will be from qualified candidates.
So I don't have to do interviews anymore? I hate doing them anyways.
No not at all. This isn't a perfect science. There's still the "knucklehead" factor. Some undesirable employees can still slip through the cracks, so doing an interview removes those knuckleheads.
Knuckleheads?
Yeah, people who need a job and will say they are whatever you want them to be.
So once I get the resumes, what do I do next?
Email them to tell them you received their resume. Then ask them to CALL you for an interview.
Are you nuts? People have a hard time to show up half the time. Now you want them to call me for an interview?
Yes. Do you agree actions speak louder than words?
Of course.
One of your beliefs is "All people should be treated with respect". Isn't the definition of respect returning messages, either email or phone?
Uh, yes.
There you go. If they don't call you, they weren't that interested or they lack the respect factor you're looking for. You could even include it as a belief if you wanted. Something like, "Respect for others includes, returning calls and emails within 24 hours"...
I won't have any applications if I do this.
Henry Ford said, "If you think you can or you think you can't, you're right". If you don't think this will work then you should keep doing what you've been doing.
I'm ready for change. But have you done this before?
Yes, I don't share any secrets I haven't done myself. I used belief based marketing in a job ad ten years ago. I needed five employees. Three of them were still there when I sold the business four years later.
Wow. Is it that easy?
Ask yourself a simple question, "Are there any 20 year olds, who think like you, looking for the things you believe in".
I think so.
Then go find them. You've been looking in the wrong place for the right person.
You've given me a lot to think about. Have a great day.
Thanks for the tea.
Friday, September 7, 2018
Don't be the dog. Be the car.
Life was good.
Working on another project, the edge of the horizon was sharp.
A plan of action was set.
Summoning the winds, the bell dinged on the computer.
It wasn’t expected.
It was dismissed.
As well as the person behind the email.
She wanted time and/or money, was the thought.
She persisted.
And she was dismissed a second time.
It can’t be good, another thought screamed.
And she persisted again.
I gave her my number.
Two minutes later, the phone vibrated.
Wow, she didn't get the message.
I was not getting the message.
The wind had changed without notice.
We agreed to meet.
The opportunity was ok, but not exciting.
We met, and my interest scattered away.
I told my wife I wasn’t moving forward.
It wasn't of interest. It couldn’t give what we wanted.
The hurricane was pushing hard in my direction.
The phone rang again.
The business was ours.
I was still ready to back out.
Until the realization of everything was arriving as was asked.
Just in a different form.
Without persistence, it wouldn’t have happened.
Not mine, but someone else's.
I was AWARE of the business.
I did not chase it.
It chased me.
The world came to me as I made other plans.
The world gave exactly what I wished.
I sit here thinking about success.
And how this success came to be.
Learning from success is as important as learning from failure.
So I sit here and share lessons for my own benefit as well as yours.
Letting go is the key.
Dogs don’t catch the cars they chase.
Don’t be the dog.
Be the car.
Let others chase you.
And they will chase.
Observe and witness.
The winds will change in your favour.
You have no control over it.
Don’t force it.
Embrace it when it comes.
And the result you ask for will come to you,
In a form you won't expect.
Thursday, September 6, 2018
Happiness, superpowers, and races that can't be won
Do you ever do any work?
What do you mean?
I see you in your "office" posing as a coffeeshop at least three days per week. When do you do any "real" work?
Don't misinterpret the definition of office work in today's world. Some of us work at the beach, some of us work at home. Some sit in stuffy offices, and some enjoy a tea at the coffeeshop.
No real work gets done here, right. It's just pontification, meetings and responding to emails.
If I told you that I worked on a multi-million dollar acquisition last week at this table, would you believe me?
Are you not afraid of secret information getting out?
Nope, 90% of people don't care to know any details. Another 9% will forget them within 2 minutes of hearing them. So only 1% of people will care enough to remember the details. The chances are slim to none they are within ear shot of my conversation at the coffeeshop.
So the information could be heard and used against you.
I guess, but I don't live my life that way. Life's too short to worry what a competitor might do to hurt my dealings.
But they could.
Sure they could. But it hasn't happened yet. So why worry about things that might come.
Let's change the conversation, I have a question?
I hope it's better than "do you ever do any work?".
Umm. Hope so. How do you find a business to buy when all you do is sit in a coffeeshop all day? I have been looking for 3 years and haven't found anything interesting yet.
That's a great question. Start with your superpower and work out from there.
Superpower? I'm lost.
There's something you're great at. Maybe even one of the greatest in the world. It's the thing your creator gave you to exploit.
I don't have a superpower.
I don't believe you. It takes a rite of passage like failure to force it to emerge.
So I need bad things to happen to me to learn how to be successful.
Not always, but most of time. If you have success in your first business, you won't appreciate how special it is and will likely screw it up.
Ok, so let's say I fail along the way and I realize my superpower. Then what?
You learn from your mistakes. You grow and you become an expert in your field of influence.
Forget the superpower stuff. How do YOU buy a business?
I know where my edge is.
What is an edge?
I have made a lot of mistakes and I've had some success. The mistakes taught me what I should not do again, so I try not to make the same mistakes.
Do you have a formula for success?
Yes. Make mistakes.
Edge, mistakes, superpowers... I don't want to make mistakes, I can't afford to.
You can't afford not to. The men who are the greatest success stories can write books about their massive failures. It's almost impossible to be successful without passing through the door of failure.
I feel we're going in circles. Outside of mistakes and knowing your superpower, how do you do it?
Have you ever heard of Cafe Jomama?
I think it was a small cafe on the other side of town, but I never went there. And I think it closed.
Yes it did. That was my first business. I loved it. But I made a huge mistake. I didn't anticipate the time it took to build a clientele from scratch to profitability. And I built an extremely nice cafe that was uncomfortable to the average person.
Isn't nice better? Don't customers want nice environments to enjoy their coffee?
That's what I thought at the time, until a wise businessman told me that the nicer you make your restaurant, the smaller the target audience will be.
That makes sense. So what's your superpower?
I have a formula for success.
Will you share?
I can but you won't believe me.
Sure I will, I respect your experience and knowledge.
Ok. Let me change the conversation. How long have you been married?
Ah, about 4 years.
Can you share with the success of your marriage?
I don't know if it's successful. We're still married and haven't killed each other yet. It's just one day at a time. Learning from mistakes and not royally screwing up our bond is the key, I think.
When will you know you're successful?
Not sure, maybe when we're old and have grandchildren eating all of the ice cream in the freezer.
Is there a race to a successful marriage?
No, it's just living and trying to be happy.
Exactly. The same goes for business. Try not to make mistakes, but when you do, fix them as quickly as possible. Learn from them and keep going forward so future generations can benefit from your work.
But I need a certain income to survive and if I get into the wrong business, I could lose everything.
What do you really have?
A house, a couple of cars and a cottage.
You also have mortgages and car loans.
Yeah, but if I'm not making money, I could lose them.
Sure could. But don't forget, that the bank doesn't want those things. They want your money that you promised them. Stop paying and they will look to recover as much of their money as they can.
Exactly, the reason I can't afford to fail.
So you're more connected to the things you have than the life you want...
Huh?
You want to get into business, but you're not willing to sacrifice the material things you currently control. I'm not saying you'll be successful but I am saying that if you don't TRY, you can never HAVE.
There is no race to success in business. Of course we all want to be successful. But success is not about money. Money is a result. It helps but it's about doing the things that make us happy. I have a friend who has been talking about retiring from her job since she was 30 yrs old. How can you live a happy life when 40 hours of your week are spent in misery? 30 years of looking toward death is not my idea of fun.
Ok, so hanging out in coffeeshops make you happy?
No. Talking to people like you fills me. Writing about these conversations thrill me. And coaching my operations people to increase profitability feeds me. All while I travel, look for new businesses to buy and spend time with my kids makes me happy.
I get it, so you're superpower is not having to work in a business yet understanding how to make it profitable.
You're getting warmer. I'm sorry, I have to let you go, I'm about to get on a conference call with one of managers.
One last question, "What's the secret formula"?
There is no universal secret formula. Just like a marriage, what works for me, may not work for you. There's too many moving parts. You have to figure it out for yourself. You'll find your way, if you're willing to try and make mistakes. And if you're not willing to fail, you better hope the race you're running can be won.
Huh?
Let's say you're making $100,000 per year in your job. The company lays you off due to poor sales. You're out of work and can't get another similar job. What happens to your savings? What happens to your house? What happens to your reputation?
I would lose everything.
Yes, the race you think you're running is not your race. So the thing you're afraid of could happen anyways. When you come to the realization that everything you work for could be gone with something out of your control, you look at your life and your future differently. The assumption is always that you can be employed somewhere else. You are smart and someone else would be happy to have you. And you're probably right. But what if you're wrong? You end up in the same place that you fear the most. All the while doing stuff that doesn't make you happy, waiting for retirement like my friend.
How do you know this?
Because I was there. Not wanting to lose the race. Until someone made a decision out of my control that turned everything upside down. Looking back on it, I don't get here if I don't lose that job.
But you're making more money.
Not sure about that. But I definitely feel like I have more time to do the things I love.
What do you mean?
I see you in your "office" posing as a coffeeshop at least three days per week. When do you do any "real" work?
Don't misinterpret the definition of office work in today's world. Some of us work at the beach, some of us work at home. Some sit in stuffy offices, and some enjoy a tea at the coffeeshop.
No real work gets done here, right. It's just pontification, meetings and responding to emails.
If I told you that I worked on a multi-million dollar acquisition last week at this table, would you believe me?
Are you not afraid of secret information getting out?
Nope, 90% of people don't care to know any details. Another 9% will forget them within 2 minutes of hearing them. So only 1% of people will care enough to remember the details. The chances are slim to none they are within ear shot of my conversation at the coffeeshop.
So the information could be heard and used against you.
I guess, but I don't live my life that way. Life's too short to worry what a competitor might do to hurt my dealings.
But they could.
Sure they could. But it hasn't happened yet. So why worry about things that might come.
Let's change the conversation, I have a question?
I hope it's better than "do you ever do any work?".
Umm. Hope so. How do you find a business to buy when all you do is sit in a coffeeshop all day? I have been looking for 3 years and haven't found anything interesting yet.
That's a great question. Start with your superpower and work out from there.
Superpower? I'm lost.
There's something you're great at. Maybe even one of the greatest in the world. It's the thing your creator gave you to exploit.
I don't have a superpower.
I don't believe you. It takes a rite of passage like failure to force it to emerge.
So I need bad things to happen to me to learn how to be successful.
Not always, but most of time. If you have success in your first business, you won't appreciate how special it is and will likely screw it up.
Ok, so let's say I fail along the way and I realize my superpower. Then what?
You learn from your mistakes. You grow and you become an expert in your field of influence.
Forget the superpower stuff. How do YOU buy a business?
I know where my edge is.
What is an edge?
I have made a lot of mistakes and I've had some success. The mistakes taught me what I should not do again, so I try not to make the same mistakes.
Do you have a formula for success?
Yes. Make mistakes.
Edge, mistakes, superpowers... I don't want to make mistakes, I can't afford to.
You can't afford not to. The men who are the greatest success stories can write books about their massive failures. It's almost impossible to be successful without passing through the door of failure.
I feel we're going in circles. Outside of mistakes and knowing your superpower, how do you do it?
Have you ever heard of Cafe Jomama?
I think it was a small cafe on the other side of town, but I never went there. And I think it closed.
Yes it did. That was my first business. I loved it. But I made a huge mistake. I didn't anticipate the time it took to build a clientele from scratch to profitability. And I built an extremely nice cafe that was uncomfortable to the average person.
Isn't nice better? Don't customers want nice environments to enjoy their coffee?
That's what I thought at the time, until a wise businessman told me that the nicer you make your restaurant, the smaller the target audience will be.
That makes sense. So what's your superpower?
I have a formula for success.
Will you share?
I can but you won't believe me.
Sure I will, I respect your experience and knowledge.
Ok. Let me change the conversation. How long have you been married?
Ah, about 4 years.
Can you share with the success of your marriage?
I don't know if it's successful. We're still married and haven't killed each other yet. It's just one day at a time. Learning from mistakes and not royally screwing up our bond is the key, I think.
When will you know you're successful?
Not sure, maybe when we're old and have grandchildren eating all of the ice cream in the freezer.
Is there a race to a successful marriage?
No, it's just living and trying to be happy.
Exactly. The same goes for business. Try not to make mistakes, but when you do, fix them as quickly as possible. Learn from them and keep going forward so future generations can benefit from your work.
But I need a certain income to survive and if I get into the wrong business, I could lose everything.
What do you really have?
A house, a couple of cars and a cottage.
You also have mortgages and car loans.
Yeah, but if I'm not making money, I could lose them.
Sure could. But don't forget, that the bank doesn't want those things. They want your money that you promised them. Stop paying and they will look to recover as much of their money as they can.
Exactly, the reason I can't afford to fail.
So you're more connected to the things you have than the life you want...
Huh?
You want to get into business, but you're not willing to sacrifice the material things you currently control. I'm not saying you'll be successful but I am saying that if you don't TRY, you can never HAVE.
There is no race to success in business. Of course we all want to be successful. But success is not about money. Money is a result. It helps but it's about doing the things that make us happy. I have a friend who has been talking about retiring from her job since she was 30 yrs old. How can you live a happy life when 40 hours of your week are spent in misery? 30 years of looking toward death is not my idea of fun.
Ok, so hanging out in coffeeshops make you happy?
No. Talking to people like you fills me. Writing about these conversations thrill me. And coaching my operations people to increase profitability feeds me. All while I travel, look for new businesses to buy and spend time with my kids makes me happy.
I get it, so you're superpower is not having to work in a business yet understanding how to make it profitable.
You're getting warmer. I'm sorry, I have to let you go, I'm about to get on a conference call with one of managers.
One last question, "What's the secret formula"?
There is no universal secret formula. Just like a marriage, what works for me, may not work for you. There's too many moving parts. You have to figure it out for yourself. You'll find your way, if you're willing to try and make mistakes. And if you're not willing to fail, you better hope the race you're running can be won.
Huh?
Let's say you're making $100,000 per year in your job. The company lays you off due to poor sales. You're out of work and can't get another similar job. What happens to your savings? What happens to your house? What happens to your reputation?
I would lose everything.
Yes, the race you think you're running is not your race. So the thing you're afraid of could happen anyways. When you come to the realization that everything you work for could be gone with something out of your control, you look at your life and your future differently. The assumption is always that you can be employed somewhere else. You are smart and someone else would be happy to have you. And you're probably right. But what if you're wrong? You end up in the same place that you fear the most. All the while doing stuff that doesn't make you happy, waiting for retirement like my friend.
How do you know this?
Because I was there. Not wanting to lose the race. Until someone made a decision out of my control that turned everything upside down. Looking back on it, I don't get here if I don't lose that job.
But you're making more money.
Not sure about that. But I definitely feel like I have more time to do the things I love.
Monday, August 6, 2018
One small ingredient
The difference between what YOU can do and what YOU can't do is one small ingredient.
I'm not going to overtly tell YOU what the thing is.
YOU wouldn't believe me anyways.
Life is more interesting when YOU have to solve the puzzle.
YOU can struggle or YOU can thrive.
YOU can be rich or YOU can be much less than rich.
Everything lies in balance waiting for YOU to discover what that one thing is that can make everything tip YOUR way.
YOU actually know the answer.
But YOU might be scared as new truths emerge that YOU are not willing to accept right now.
If I told YOU, YOU might say, "I know, but...".
There's no but. If YOU know, then do.
Forget fear.
Forget about change.
Live YOUR life.
Love YOUR life.
Do everything YOU want out of YOUR life.
Because YOU don't know when it will be YOUR time to stop,
FOREVER
I'm not going to overtly tell YOU what the thing is.
YOU wouldn't believe me anyways.
Life is more interesting when YOU have to solve the puzzle.
YOU can struggle or YOU can thrive.
YOU can be rich or YOU can be much less than rich.
Everything lies in balance waiting for YOU to discover what that one thing is that can make everything tip YOUR way.
YOU actually know the answer.
But YOU might be scared as new truths emerge that YOU are not willing to accept right now.
If I told YOU, YOU might say, "I know, but...".
There's no but. If YOU know, then do.
Forget fear.
Forget about change.
Live YOUR life.
Love YOUR life.
Do everything YOU want out of YOUR life.
Because YOU don't know when it will be YOUR time to stop,
FOREVER
Monday, July 30, 2018
Pitaza: born July 4, 2016 died July 28, 2018
Today I said goodbye to a dear, dear friend...Not a person, but a business.
Yes I said my business, Pitaza, was my friend. Because it was.
It saved me.
Crazy isn't it? A business that failed also saved my life.
Let me explain.
The next words is a letter that I've written to my dearly departed Pitaza which I pulled the plug on Saturday July 28, 2018.
I was in a dark hole.
I was worried.
I was scared.
I was angry.
I was frustrated.
Some think I was DEPRESSED.
I think I was LONELY.
I was looking for purpose, meaning, and something of significance to do.
I didn't care if I lived.
I didn't care if I died.
It was at the scariest thing I ever faced.
Then I saw you.
It was in a dream.
I started to plan, and focus on things other than the daily self-wallowing, angry thoughts I was having.
I got excited, with each passing day.
I conceived a new baby by starting my fourth business. I came away with a friend.
It was fun creating again.
Someone wanted to buy you, and I wouldn't let you go because I had bigger dreams.
In retrospect, I was healing and you were my medicine.
You are the reason I came back. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. You gave me new energy, new creativity, new excitement and a new life.
I will miss you old friend and all the customers you brought our way.
It was fun, but it was time to end your life.
I'm sorry.
You saved mine and I ended yours.
But you are a thing, and I believe you did exactly what you were supposed to do.
You can call me crazy, but you can't call me DEPRESSED or LONELY.
Today is a great day, although a sad one. I will miss you Pitaza, and all the people you brought through your doors
With renewed hope,
your father, Rick
Yes I said my business, Pitaza, was my friend. Because it was.
It saved me.
Crazy isn't it? A business that failed also saved my life.
Let me explain.
The next words is a letter that I've written to my dearly departed Pitaza which I pulled the plug on Saturday July 28, 2018.
I was in a dark hole.
I was worried.
I was scared.
I was angry.
I was frustrated.
Some think I was DEPRESSED.
I think I was LONELY.
I was looking for purpose, meaning, and something of significance to do.
I didn't care if I lived.
I didn't care if I died.
It was at the scariest thing I ever faced.
Then I saw you.
It was in a dream.
I started to plan, and focus on things other than the daily self-wallowing, angry thoughts I was having.
I got excited, with each passing day.
I conceived a new baby by starting my fourth business. I came away with a friend.
It was fun creating again.
Someone wanted to buy you, and I wouldn't let you go because I had bigger dreams.
In retrospect, I was healing and you were my medicine.
You are the reason I came back. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. You gave me new energy, new creativity, new excitement and a new life.
I will miss you old friend and all the customers you brought our way.
It was fun, but it was time to end your life.
I'm sorry.
You saved mine and I ended yours.
But you are a thing, and I believe you did exactly what you were supposed to do.
You can call me crazy, but you can't call me DEPRESSED or LONELY.
Today is a great day, although a sad one. I will miss you Pitaza, and all the people you brought through your doors
With renewed hope,
your father, Rick
Success is heavy. Bend your knees.
Jump on my back, I'll carry you
To the place you want to go
If my knees get lazy or
My back gets crazy
We'll still make it there for sure
There is no time to second guess
The tortoise is closing in on the finish line
We've made mistakes, It's decision time
We will lose this race, if we don't go right now.
This I know for sure
You're on my back, let me lead.
My knees are crying for you to stop telling them where to go.
I know the way, I think, I hope.
I've been here twice before.
The end is not far, the path is not easy.
This I remember once more.
My back is numb. My mind is tired.
Worry tells me we cannot make it.
That is how we lose this race.
I remember this from before.
Pack up your tears, and simple fears.
It is not helping in this war.
If the persistence stops.
We're done for sure.
If the resistance slows to your worry,
It will enrage me with fear.
If my knees cannot make it to the finish line.
We will die here for sure.
There is no time to worry about simple things.
You've made your decision.
I'm not as strong as I pretend to be.
I do that to end your worry.
You see right through it,
With all the holes your words have pierced.
Let's be honest.
I don't know if we'll get there in time.
I don't know if I can carry you all the way.
I do know if we stay here, we cannot win.
I also know if we second guess this last decision, we will not win.
The time to party is over.
The time to work is here.
The tortoise is almost there.
I can see the finish line.
Why can't you see it?
You can see further,
For you are on my back
To the place you want to go
If my knees get lazy or
My back gets crazy
We'll still make it there for sure
There is no time to second guess
The tortoise is closing in on the finish line
We've made mistakes, It's decision time
We will lose this race, if we don't go right now.
This I know for sure
You're on my back, let me lead.
My knees are crying for you to stop telling them where to go.
I know the way, I think, I hope.
I've been here twice before.
The end is not far, the path is not easy.
This I remember once more.
My back is numb. My mind is tired.
Worry tells me we cannot make it.
That is how we lose this race.
I remember this from before.
Pack up your tears, and simple fears.
It is not helping in this war.
If the persistence stops.
We're done for sure.
If the resistance slows to your worry,
It will enrage me with fear.
If my knees cannot make it to the finish line.
We will die here for sure.
There is no time to worry about simple things.
You've made your decision.
I'm not as strong as I pretend to be.
I do that to end your worry.
You see right through it,
With all the holes your words have pierced.
Let's be honest.
I don't know if we'll get there in time.
I don't know if I can carry you all the way.
I do know if we stay here, we cannot win.
I also know if we second guess this last decision, we will not win.
The time to party is over.
The time to work is here.
The tortoise is almost there.
I can see the finish line.
Why can't you see it?
You can see further,
For you are on my back
Thursday, April 12, 2018
Let's make some lemonade
Can you say something nice?
Did you know that when something goes wrong, you’ll tell an average of 25 people about it?
And when things go right, you may tell one?
I like lemonade, especially when it gets squeezed it directly from a lemon and we add a teaspoon of simple syrup.
We live in a world where bad news sells. I think we want the good news stories, but we still rivet unconsciously to the things that potentially ruin our day
It makes better stories.
It’s these negative stories that have me concerned.
A dash of sugar in a sour world changes every thing.
I quit Facebook back in 2017. Admittedly, there are times I find myself exploring information on it. But I quit. There was too much negativity, too much victimitus and too much whining and complaining. It didn’t come from everyone, but it came from enough that I found myself pulled into the same negative space. And I didn’t like what it was doing for me.
This week, I was sitting in circle at my favourite place on the planet and a wise man asked what was the favourite part of the week. He then went on to say that without verbalizing the positive event, the human brain automatically searches for the negative.
“The food could’ve been better”.
“There wasn’t enough wine”.
“There was too much wine”.
“The instructors went too fast”.
“The instructors went too slow”.
My guru went on to say that evaluation forms at the end of a session searches for the negative events, in the hopes of making the session better. But this activity actually imprints the negative to the participant's mind and forces an undesirable feeling.
No sugar, no lemonade.
I have not enjoyed my experience on Air Canada for years. It is rare that someone from the organization makes me feel like a valued customer. Yet this week, my flight was cancelled on Air Canada and it forced me to stay overnight in Austin, Texas.
I’ve seen flights get cancelled before and the room gets filled with smoke bombs and hand grenades.
Yet this time, there were high fives, fist bumps, handshakes and smiles from all inconvenienced passengers.
The staff responded in clockwork fashion, without getting bitchy and whiny. They accommodated everyone and averted a potential disaster. I watched a ticket agent beg over the phone for a hotel room. No less than 7 times, did he say, “Please save me that room” in a row. It was awesome. He was saving the room for ME.
He helped me check in for the next day's flight from my phone.
He gave me the number of the shuttle I needed to call to get to my free hotel room.
And then he gave me $40 in food vouchers.
Air Canada went above and beyond to help the stranded customers.
It was unexpected.
I was delighted.
It was this type of experience that makes me want to use Air Canada more.
In keeping with the wise man’s words, the best part of my flight was the way Air Canada converted a bad situation into an excellent experience.
They finally figured out how to add a little bit of sugar into a mouth curdling event.
I never thought I could say this but,
Thanks for the lemonade Air Canada!
Tuesday, April 3, 2018
Do you know who I am?
Imagine you are looking for a parking spot in a small plaza. There is one spot available, but it's bordered by a snowbank and a big van. But there's no other spot and you need to buy a sandwich from your favourite shop.
You open your door to meet the driver of the neighbouring van arriving at the same time. It's that moment when he goes left and you go left. Or he steps right and you try to go right.
I call it the "Dance". Part awkward, part funny. It's a moment that gets a chuckle.
Today, you have no time to dance. You're in a hurry, so to avoid any parking lot jig, you politely say "Excuse me" and scurry past him. He steps back, but then runs right into you with his dirty floor mat with the residue of 538 shoes on it.
No big deal.
Inconsequential.
Acceptable.
Forgettable.
Until you hear the next words out of his "co-worker's" mouth, who was walking behind your dance partner.
You could've waited until he put the mat in the van. That was rude.
What?
We were just going to be a second, you didn't have to ram into him.
What would you say?
Were you rude?
Most people don't try to be rude purposely.
They may try to be funny, or they may look for attention.
But rude is reserved for assholes. And you're not an asshole.
What would you do if you were the dance partner that got bumped?
Would you feel compelled to correct the actions of some random guy trying to get into his favourite sandwich shop?
What would you do if you were the owner of this company?
This happened to me this week.
I asked the big mouth if he owned the company that had a big red logo on the van.
He hesitated.
Then I asked my dance partner if he owned the company.
He reiterated that I didn't have to bump him.
"Do you know who I am", I shockingly stammered in my most indignant voice.
Umm, No.
Exactly, I'm nobody, a regular joe, a potential customer, and an existing customer of the company that pays your paycheques.
What's your point?
You don't know me.
But I know who you are.
I can retell this story on Facebook.
I can trash this company online.
I can hurt you.
I can use this story as a rallying cry for my cause.
Your business is possibly affected and you may lose your job.
Is it fair? Nope. But you're in customer service. Doesn't matter if I'm wrong or right. You need to have a higher standard for everyone, including regular Joe's like me, because you don't know what we are capable of doing.
Was I wrong?
Maybe. I was in a hurry and probably wasn't paying attention to the needs of someone else.
Am I ashamed of it? A bit, but the result wasn't a big deal until some hot-head felt the need to berate me in a parking lot.
We're all in customer service, especially when we wear logos on our shirts, on our cars and on our hats.
You open your door to meet the driver of the neighbouring van arriving at the same time. It's that moment when he goes left and you go left. Or he steps right and you try to go right.
I call it the "Dance". Part awkward, part funny. It's a moment that gets a chuckle.
Today, you have no time to dance. You're in a hurry, so to avoid any parking lot jig, you politely say "Excuse me" and scurry past him. He steps back, but then runs right into you with his dirty floor mat with the residue of 538 shoes on it.
No big deal.
Inconsequential.
Acceptable.
Forgettable.
Until you hear the next words out of his "co-worker's" mouth, who was walking behind your dance partner.
You could've waited until he put the mat in the van. That was rude.
What?
We were just going to be a second, you didn't have to ram into him.
What would you say?
Were you rude?
Most people don't try to be rude purposely.
They may try to be funny, or they may look for attention.
But rude is reserved for assholes. And you're not an asshole.
What would you do if you were the dance partner that got bumped?
Would you feel compelled to correct the actions of some random guy trying to get into his favourite sandwich shop?
What would you do if you were the owner of this company?
This happened to me this week.
I asked the big mouth if he owned the company that had a big red logo on the van.
He hesitated.
Then I asked my dance partner if he owned the company.
He reiterated that I didn't have to bump him.
"Do you know who I am", I shockingly stammered in my most indignant voice.
Umm, No.
Exactly, I'm nobody, a regular joe, a potential customer, and an existing customer of the company that pays your paycheques.
What's your point?
You don't know me.
But I know who you are.
I can retell this story on Facebook.
I can trash this company online.
I can hurt you.
I can use this story as a rallying cry for my cause.
Your business is possibly affected and you may lose your job.
Is it fair? Nope. But you're in customer service. Doesn't matter if I'm wrong or right. You need to have a higher standard for everyone, including regular Joe's like me, because you don't know what we are capable of doing.
Was I wrong?
Maybe. I was in a hurry and probably wasn't paying attention to the needs of someone else.
Am I ashamed of it? A bit, but the result wasn't a big deal until some hot-head felt the need to berate me in a parking lot.
We're all in customer service, especially when we wear logos on our shirts, on our cars and on our hats.
Thursday, February 8, 2018
Pay attention to details or get caught with your pants down
Are there things you should be taking care of that you're avoiding?
No one is asking for it to get done so it's easy to push it to the back burner.
It only gets done when it becomes a priority.
Imagine you gained a few pounds over the winter. You eat a bit more, and exercise less as the temperature drops below freezing.
You become a bear. You hibernate, and fatten up to have an extra shield of armour to ward off the cold.
Your favourite pair of pants become uncomfortable. They stretch past the comfort zone. The zipper fights to stay closed and your stomach scrunches up to survive another day.
Just after Christmas, the zipper informs you that he is stressed and may need to go out on leave if this keeps up.
You avoid the plea for help. January is only 31 days long and Christmas weight will come off. The world would return to normal and all would be right again between you and your knickers.
Then one day in January, you see in the bathroom mirror that your zipper is already half way to quitting time. Luckily you are wearing black underwear, so you suck your gut back into place and coax the zip back to work.
To get a head start on spring, you make a conscious decision to work out a bit more to help the zipper with his job. And all seems back to normal. Everyone is doing their jobs.
Fast forward two weeks...
You are standing in front of a room of 25 people giving a presentation, when 3 ladies off to one corner start giggling. The presentation has some funny parts, so giggling is expected. But you aren't at the giggly part yet. So as you're talking, your mind races to what could possibly be so funny.
It is distracting. Your mouth is moving, but your mind is focussed on those three girls, when a lightning bolt strikes.
"Are you wearing the pants with the tired zipper?"
Oh shit, what if your zipper quit?
How do you check?
If you put your hand there, and the zipper is still holding up, you'll look like a fool.
You can't turn around and do a zip check, it will look odd.
But you can't continue if the zip retired. No one can focus on a fool's words when his horse is about to escape the barn.
You think you're an idiot. You should've fixed that zipper or at least put those pants aside until you lost the weight. Now you're forced to deal with the shame you created.
With all this distraction, you can't continue. Words are coming out and you're not sure you're making any sense. You're living your nightmare. You're half naked in front of 25 people you don't know. All because of a stupid tired zipper not willing to do his job. You weren't paying attention to details.
In a last ditch effort, you decide to leave the room with some lame excuse.
But the good lord comes to your rescue as someone feels the need to discuss his experience. It is the perfect timing you need as everyone looks at him. You turn sideways to your right, while quietly sliding your right hand quickly down to the junk region, to discover your zipper is working as hard as you expect of him.
Phewf, another disaster diverted. The ladies are laughing at something other than your nakedness.
Are there things in your business that need your attention?
Are those same things continuously going to the bottom of your "to-do" list because of their low priority?
Remember, like a dumb zipper, everything eventually becomes a priority.
A disaster outside of your control is unfortunate.
A disaster within your control is stupidity.
Don't get caught with your pants down. You have no one to blame but yourself.
Saturday, January 20, 2018
A tea, a blinker, a battery and a door
I walked to my car with a hot cup of tea in my hand.
I didn't put a lid on it because it cools faster.
I don't like steaming hot tea.
Arriving at the car, the good Lord splashed a fresh coat of freezing rain on my windshield, so I reached in the car to put my tea on the dash while reaching for my window scraper. I missed both the scraper and the dash. My tea leapt out of my hand and sprayed itself all over the interior of the car to show its ownership.
Feeling stupid, I still had to clean the windows. I pushed as much of the water off the important parts, so I could drive home.
Two minutes later, my left blinker started to wave at me. I hadn't flipped the signal light on. Cars were cautiously passing me, while I fiddled with the signal lights. It wouldn't go out, so I put on the hazard lights to balance out the left blinker.
After 5 minutes of driving, I thought maybe the left blinker would be tired of his continuous waving. But to no avail. Removing the hazards, he was still there waving away as if to say, "Hey jerky boy, I'm hurting over here with all this waving, can you please turn me off".
I listened and pulled to the side of the road. But I couldn't get the key out of the ignition. The car was in the middle of a coup and it was about to overthrow its king. I didn't know what to do. I don't know what it wants. The hazards are working fine, so I restart the car, and keep driving, with the lights cautiously telling everyone that I'm at war with my car.
After 15 more minutes of driving, I try taking off the hazards again. The left blinker must have been exhausted. He stopped waving. Phewf, everything seems to be back to normal. Another disaster has been avoided for another day, I think to myself.
And just as I think everything is back to normal, my right blinker starts buzzing, like he's hopped up on some good drugs.
I get home and thankfully shut down the car and my key comes out without a fight. The disaster is over. The blinkers are quiet, the ignition has released its formidable grip and I'm home safe. Everyone must've been tired.
Or so I thought.
The next morning, I get to the car to find out the doors won't open. That's it, they've kicked out their king. The car hates me for that stupid tea.
Not having time to ask for forgiveness, I asked my wife if I could use her car for the day, which she awesomely agreed.
Not knowing what conspired the night before, I went off on my merry way.
Later that day, I opened the side door to the van and it wouldn't close.
Viva la revolutionne.
I was until full attack from another car.
The door wouldn't close.
And as I tried to force it back into place, it leapt from its home into my arms.
I'm screwed. I can't drive a van without a side door.
Nothing I did was working. So in one last attempt, I apologize for my inattention and magically the revolt is disbanded.
I was able to get the door back onto the van so it was drivable until the next day when I got it fixed for $500.
I asked for forgiveness from my car, by showing remorse of the spilled tea.
And everything was back to normal.
As I see it in my mind.
Now here's the reality.
I spilled tea all over my car, temporarily screwing up the electrical. The battery died in the middle of the night because the parking lights came on after I got home. My wife's van door had been a problem for a while. Not thinking it would literally fall off, I had been ignoring the issue. Crazy that both things happened in less than 24 hours.
That's the boring way to look at it.
I could assume I had a run of bad luck. And you might not disagree with me.
But I think I had an amazing string of good luck.
Here's why:
If I don't spill the tea, my car doesn't act up.
The battery doesn't die.
I don't borrow my wife's car.
And the door doesn't fall off on me.
If falls into her hands.
She wouldn't know what to do.
Except call a tow truck and rental car place.
Besides me being worried, it would've cost $300-$400 more than it did.
The difference between good luck and bad luck is perspective. I'm $500 poorer but it gave me a great story to share.
Check your perspective the next time something shitty happen to you.
It might the best alternative to all the shitty options.
I didn't put a lid on it because it cools faster.
I don't like steaming hot tea.
Arriving at the car, the good Lord splashed a fresh coat of freezing rain on my windshield, so I reached in the car to put my tea on the dash while reaching for my window scraper. I missed both the scraper and the dash. My tea leapt out of my hand and sprayed itself all over the interior of the car to show its ownership.
Feeling stupid, I still had to clean the windows. I pushed as much of the water off the important parts, so I could drive home.
Two minutes later, my left blinker started to wave at me. I hadn't flipped the signal light on. Cars were cautiously passing me, while I fiddled with the signal lights. It wouldn't go out, so I put on the hazard lights to balance out the left blinker.
After 5 minutes of driving, I thought maybe the left blinker would be tired of his continuous waving. But to no avail. Removing the hazards, he was still there waving away as if to say, "Hey jerky boy, I'm hurting over here with all this waving, can you please turn me off".
I listened and pulled to the side of the road. But I couldn't get the key out of the ignition. The car was in the middle of a coup and it was about to overthrow its king. I didn't know what to do. I don't know what it wants. The hazards are working fine, so I restart the car, and keep driving, with the lights cautiously telling everyone that I'm at war with my car.
After 15 more minutes of driving, I try taking off the hazards again. The left blinker must have been exhausted. He stopped waving. Phewf, everything seems to be back to normal. Another disaster has been avoided for another day, I think to myself.
And just as I think everything is back to normal, my right blinker starts buzzing, like he's hopped up on some good drugs.
I get home and thankfully shut down the car and my key comes out without a fight. The disaster is over. The blinkers are quiet, the ignition has released its formidable grip and I'm home safe. Everyone must've been tired.
Or so I thought.
The next morning, I get to the car to find out the doors won't open. That's it, they've kicked out their king. The car hates me for that stupid tea.
Not having time to ask for forgiveness, I asked my wife if I could use her car for the day, which she awesomely agreed.
Not knowing what conspired the night before, I went off on my merry way.
Later that day, I opened the side door to the van and it wouldn't close.
Viva la revolutionne.
I was until full attack from another car.
The door wouldn't close.
And as I tried to force it back into place, it leapt from its home into my arms.
I'm screwed. I can't drive a van without a side door.
Nothing I did was working. So in one last attempt, I apologize for my inattention and magically the revolt is disbanded.
I was able to get the door back onto the van so it was drivable until the next day when I got it fixed for $500.
I asked for forgiveness from my car, by showing remorse of the spilled tea.
And everything was back to normal.
As I see it in my mind.
Now here's the reality.
I spilled tea all over my car, temporarily screwing up the electrical. The battery died in the middle of the night because the parking lights came on after I got home. My wife's van door had been a problem for a while. Not thinking it would literally fall off, I had been ignoring the issue. Crazy that both things happened in less than 24 hours.
That's the boring way to look at it.
I could assume I had a run of bad luck. And you might not disagree with me.
But I think I had an amazing string of good luck.
Here's why:
If I don't spill the tea, my car doesn't act up.
The battery doesn't die.
I don't borrow my wife's car.
And the door doesn't fall off on me.
If falls into her hands.
She wouldn't know what to do.
Except call a tow truck and rental car place.
Besides me being worried, it would've cost $300-$400 more than it did.
The difference between good luck and bad luck is perspective. I'm $500 poorer but it gave me a great story to share.
Check your perspective the next time something shitty happen to you.
It might the best alternative to all the shitty options.
Friday, January 19, 2018
The difference is in your head
I should eat healthy...
I should exercise...
I should pay my bills on time...
The space between what I SHOULD do and what I WILL do depends on one thing: My belief.
Back in November, I made two important decisions: Quit coffee and quit wasting time on Facebook.
Both had become debilitating addictions for me.
I didn't like the effects they caused on my life.
But I couldn't stop.
So it seemed.
Until I made a conscious decision that I didn't like them.
I believed the problem wasn't me, it was them.
Quitting an addiction, is like watching the love of your life walk away. It's painful to get over.
Walking away from a relationship because you no longer loved it is much easier.
I chose to be the dumper and not the dumpee.
I cleared a spot in my head and told myself that I never liked those things, didn't like myself when I was with those things, and didn't like who I was becoming because of those things.
It worked. I changed my belief about coffee and Facebook.
And it was extremely easy to move on.
The same goes for you.
There's a difference between what you know and what you believe.
What you KNOW is where the "should's" lie.
What you DO is where the "belief's" lie.
You're not eating healthier because you believe you'll be ok despite your eating habits.
You're not exercising more because you believe it's too hard, or doesn't fit your schedule.
You watch too much TV because you believe you deserve a break after a long day of work.
Check your SHOULDS and your WILLS. If you take inventory of them, you'll find where your BELIEFS really are.
I'm not going to tell you what you should do.
That's not up to me, or anyone else.
Because it won't matter, until you change your own beliefs.
I should exercise...
I should pay my bills on time...
The space between what I SHOULD do and what I WILL do depends on one thing: My belief.
Back in November, I made two important decisions: Quit coffee and quit wasting time on Facebook.
Both had become debilitating addictions for me.
I didn't like the effects they caused on my life.
But I couldn't stop.
So it seemed.
Until I made a conscious decision that I didn't like them.
I believed the problem wasn't me, it was them.
Quitting an addiction, is like watching the love of your life walk away. It's painful to get over.
Walking away from a relationship because you no longer loved it is much easier.
I chose to be the dumper and not the dumpee.
I cleared a spot in my head and told myself that I never liked those things, didn't like myself when I was with those things, and didn't like who I was becoming because of those things.
It worked. I changed my belief about coffee and Facebook.
And it was extremely easy to move on.
The same goes for you.
There's a difference between what you know and what you believe.
What you KNOW is where the "should's" lie.
What you DO is where the "belief's" lie.
You're not eating healthier because you believe you'll be ok despite your eating habits.
You're not exercising more because you believe it's too hard, or doesn't fit your schedule.
You watch too much TV because you believe you deserve a break after a long day of work.
Check your SHOULDS and your WILLS. If you take inventory of them, you'll find where your BELIEFS really are.
I'm not going to tell you what you should do.
That's not up to me, or anyone else.
Because it won't matter, until you change your own beliefs.
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