December 3, 2009
05:03 pm | 0 recommendations | 3 comments
Listening to the lyrics in The Doors song, “Light My Fire”, I think they might just have the answer to helping business through these challenging times. “Try to set the night on fire/The time to hesitate is through/No time to wallow in the mire/Try now we can only lose,” rings true.
What do you do when there are only embers? How do you stop worrying about wet matches? No fuel, no problem.
In times of unpredictable, intense change, the best way to deal with the stress is to get into action and do things differently. Bob Eckert and Jonathan Vehar are innovation thought-leaders who, in addition to founding and running New & Improved, LLC, have been helping clients strengthen and grow their businesses for the past 20 years. Their client list includes companies like Johnson & Johnson, Disney, McDonald’s, GE, Pfizer, and the US Government. Having succeeded through many ebbs and flows of the economy, they offer the following advice to those trying to grow their businesses in economically chaotic times:
Abandon Hope
In Dante’s Inferno, the gates of hell were inscribed with the phrase, “Abandon hope all ye who enter here.” While hope may be good, it’s not enough to drive the business. In other words, it’s time to stop hoping the phone will ring and start taking action. Not the action of doing the same old things, but starting with fresh approaches that you have never had the time or resources to try in the past. If customers aren't responding, it’s time for you and your organization to shake things up and get smart, new things happening.
Hyundai, the automobile manufacturer, was once a punch line in the auto industry. But this year they have been one of the consistent players gaining share in an industry that has had one of the roughest years ever. How did they do it? Not by doing what they always did. They went out and offered the Hyundai Assurance program, which will make payments for you or buy back your new Hyundai if you lose your job. Innovative and not terribly expensive in the long term, it gets people into a car when they’re a bit nervous about the economy...and it’s creating very noteworthy results. More to the point, they aren’t sitting around hoping. They’re taking action.
Do a 180-degree shift
In the beginning, you probably tried many things until you discovered what worked for your job and/or your customers. In times of chaos and uncertainty, the same-old-same-old aren’t going to cut it. It’s time to look at things from the reverse angle.
Jackie Bassett, CEO of BT Industrials, Inc., gives the advice of “doing a 180-degree turn.” In other words, completely reversing what you’ve been doing. See what happens when you offer up the complete opposite of what you’ve been offering and see how you might adapt it. Google’s search engine is a great example of this. Google started out as a completely free search engine. Then someone realized that it could be a paid search engine. The twist, of course, is that it’s the one’s being searched who pick up the tab. In one of our Innovation Leadership programs, a client pulled a reversal on test procedures for radio waves that radically shifted their approach, and made it simpler, easier and more cost effective.
Run new experiments quickly
Yeah, so there are a million different apps out there that promise to improve your business and/or outreach. Is Twitter right for you? Or Dimdim? Or Ping? Or Yammer? There’s only one way to find out. And in most cases, giving it a try doesn’t cost money, just time. The experiments don’t have to be technological; they can also be new ways of getting attention that you’ve never tried before. Try a lot of experiments on the cheap. When business is slow, guess what you have a lot of? Time. Not so much money, so don’t go for the gold-plated, diamond-handled option, run some quick experiments to see what works and what doesn’t (yet).
McDonald’s has an innovation center where they can quickly test out high-tech features, designs and processes before they move out to stores to find out if things work. If so, great. If not, no big deal. It gives McDonald’s the flexibility to try new things constantly so that they can fail early, learn, and keep on innovating.
Give a free taste
People are really curious to see what you have to offer, but with dollars tight, buyers seem extra cautious. So why not make it easy for them to see what you can bring? Hey, if it’s good enough for drug dealers…Okay, bad example. But no doubt you’ve been lured into buying items because the sampling of them proved their worth at no risk to you.
Tried any good online meeting software lately? We think that WebEx, GoToMeeting and so forth are great. How do we know? Because it’s easy to use and try for free. And it’s allowed us to find the provider that’s right for our webinar series. It’s a classic strategy, whether you’re a technology provider, a food company, or a hotelier. If you’ve got a particularly stellar offering, let people discover just how wonderful it is for them.
Our friends at Starbucks do a very good job of sampling new offerings. When things are slow in their locations, nothing makes the checkout line go faster than free hot chocolate! Likewise, True Religion company founder Jeff Lubell gave away pairs of his True Religion jeans to skeptical sales staffers. When customers saw staffers wearing the jeans, they then bought.
Search for bargains
It wasn’t long ago that talent was at a premium. Whether it was marketing help, technology consultants or contractors to fix your kitchen, there was a time when getting people to return your call was a challenge. And pricing was at a premium for the people with sterling reputations. Well, demand has slipped, and contractors who used to be building houses are now putting in new sinks. Likewise, the people you need to help improve your business are a little hungry now as well. Now is a great time to get moving on those important projects. Prices are lower, people are more available, and you’ve got time to pay more attention to getting it done right in the first time.
Besa Lighting includes in their order a note that explains why they pack their expensive and fragile glass light fixtures in that high tech wonder, old newspapers. While we know that old newspaper is pretty inexpensive stuff, they make the case in their note that 1) it’s effective, 2) it reduces the waste stream, and 3) they buy the newspaper from a business that employs the mentally handicapped. While this may have been a strict cost-reduction strategy (“find a cheaper packaging material”) it’s turned into one that strengthens their triple bottom line.
Re-apply talent
Yes, you’ve got many talents. And so do the people working with you. Why not turn yourself or your people loose on other tasks that will help to grow the business? If they’ve got some down time, have them develop lists, or make phone calls, or do sampling, or research new technology. By letting them do this, you’ll add to the ground you can cover and to their skills and value to the company.
The people in our packing and shipping department who send materials for our innovation training programs have developed a great ability to pull together lists of people to contact for business development. Our traffic schedulers are great at scheduling appointments for us to speak to prospects. Their multi-dimensionality has been a great help in keeping the business moving forward. When we drive past the local Jiffy-Lube and they don’t have the garage bays full of customers, they have someone out holding a sign offering $5 off until the garage bays are full. Do they have a dedicated sign-holder? Nope. But if you can turn a wrench, you can probably wave a sign. It’s the same thing with Starbucks and their sampling…they’re not “sampling professionals,” they’re baristas and cashiers with nothing to do.
One last thing
Dante didn’t paint a pretty picture of hell. And while it seems like, economically speaking, we may be in the middle of it, Dante also said “from a little spark may burst a flame.” We’ve outlined a few tactics for you to explore. Any one of them may cause that spark that creates enough energy to take you and your business to the next level.
I would love to hear what you are doing to light the fire.
Namaste,
Julie
Julie Sue Auslander, M.Ed, WPO, WBE
President / Chief Cultural Officer
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July 1, 2009
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Rama is facing a dilemma of how to cross the ocean to Lanka, where his abducted wife, Sita, is being held captive by the demon king, Ravana. Praying to Varuna, the Lord of Oceans, does no good. Varuna does not respond. Rama arises so enraged by the God's arrogance that with his bow and arrow he angrily begins attacking the oceans with celestial weapons—burning up the waters and killing its life and creatures. The Vanaras (Monkeys) are dazzled and fearful at witnessing the enraged Rama demolish the oceans. Just as Rama invokes the most powerful weapon capable of destroying all creation, Varuna arises out of the oceans. He bows to Rama explaining that he himself was at a loss to answer Rama's question. As he Begs him not to destroy the oceans with the missile, he suggests that Rama re-direct the weapon at Ravana the demonic race that lives in the heart of the ocean. Rama's arrows destroy the demons. Varuna promises that he would keep the oceans still for all of Rama's army to pass, and Vanaras constructs a bridge (Rama's Bridge) across to Lanka.
As I sit looking out my window at the rains of seemingly biblical proportion and feeling the anger and fear of the current economic environment, this myth from Hindu mythology reminds me that we need not destroy what we have created. Many of us have built wonderful businesses, but now in anger use the powerful weapon of complacency to destroy what they have created. Our employees sit watching in fear as we fail to make decisions that lead forward to the bridge. Even though we love our businesses, we have stopped looking for the bridge to cross the ocean to save it from the abduction of this current economic climate. The Demons that live in the ocean of our businesses are entitlement, overspending, lack of support from the god's of banking and government and looking to others for the answers that lie within. Many sit waiting for a stimulus package to save them, instead of being their own stimulus package. Searching deeply we would know what we need to do, but the question is will we? Will we let die what must in order for new stronger possibilities to emerge. I see so many businesses with clenched fists holding on to weapons that don't serve them, thoughts that do move them and fear that paralyzes them.
We must each choose our moment to take action, to take the next step and make way for the new by allowing the old, which is no longer serving us, to be destroyed. Just as the rose bud is destroyed to allow the flower to bloom, and the bloom is destroyed to allow the seeds to develop and spread. Ravana is destroyed so that an age of freedom and light can follow. May the fireworks of July 4th ignite in us the courage that it has in so many before to see our own light in this new age of freedom that is unfolding. There is enough light for us all and always a bridge to carry it over.
Namaste,
Julie
Julie Sue Auslander, M.Ed, WPO, WBE
President / Chief Cultural Officer
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June 10, 2009
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Networking is not about how many bunches of business cards you can hand out in the least amount of time.
I was at an event last week and someone I didn’t know raced up to the booth, interrupted my conversation (body language will indicate there's opening for an interruption), shoved her business card in my face and asked to be connected to a corporate contact. While ‘speed dating’, she couldn’t even wait a moment to meet me prior to asking for something. Knowing nothing beyond what’s on this 3.5x2 business card, there is not a whole lot there for me to connect to. The act of randomly handing out business cards is a numbers game and is rarely effective if not paired with "a moment".
When I evaluate the sources from which my business comes, about 60% starts through referrals – through people with whom I have strong trusting relationships and whom know and like me. 40% come from a variety of other sources, including networking events, articles I post online and from my efforts to connect those I know to others that they need to meet. No matter how secure people look outwardly, networking events make everyone feel awkward. From every challenge comes an opportunity. Make it your business to be the ambassador that introduces people. People will appreciate it returning the favor and you will look like someone worth knowing. But, 100% of my business comes because those who have utilized my services can and do attest to them.
Make sure to have your business card at the ready and your right hand free to warmly shake and extend yourself to the many you will meet. Keep your hands free from food and cell phones. You don't want to send a message that anyone or anything is more important than meeting the people that are the basis of your prosperity. Juggling and fumbling are neither attractive nor relationship builders.
I never give out my business card unless someone asks for it. If I have not developed "a moment" with a person they won't ask for my card or be able to indicate an interest in me. If they’re not interested in furthering the relationship, that is okay. It will happen as it is supposed to.
A lot of people get lazy in the summer. Move yourself from the office to an outdoor cafe, or take it to the golf greens. Enjoy the beautiful weather and find new places to meet people to conduct business. Take advantage of your time in airports, on planes, on Amtrak and hotels this summer and build your relationships. Strike up conversations with people while waiting. Take the time to mingle and get to know people. But don't expect to sell or conduct actual business. Think about your networking efforts and whether what you’re doing is a numbers game or the like and trust factor. Cultivate the seeds this summer of relationships and to see your harvest bloom in the fall.
Namaste,
Julie
Julie Sue Auslander, M.Ed, WPO, WBE
President / Chief Cultural Officer
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May 12, 2009
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It is good news that government support for women business owners is getting attention in media like The Wall Street Journal. As entrepreneurs, we should not count on government bailouts trickling down to owners of small businesses. Although entrepreneurs surely could use SBA loans, tax incentives, and easier access to health insurance, that may come in time. For now, entrepreneurs need to remember that whatever happens, we need to remain honestly entrepreneurial. That's how we became successful in the first place; that's how we'll continue to succeed.
What's focused attention on the challenges faced by women business owners is a recent report issued by the National Women's Business Council (NWBC) that outlines policy priorities of women-owned businesses. The key recommendations in the full report come from participants in NWBC's nationwide series of town hall meetings.
Government initiatives to help women-owned businesses would be welcome, especially if they would help level the playing field. But while we are working and waiting for that day to come, we should not lose sight of the small business tactics that work, including training to become a more savvy businessperson. I can personally recommend the IBM sponsored TUCK-WBENC Executive Program, which is designed to help women business enterprises to step beyond the startup phase. Small business today has to survive and thrive in a business climate that is increasingly volatile, fast-moving, and unpredictable. This program is intended to make a big difference in the way owners think about and run their businesses when they return from the five-day immersion. WBENC, aka The Women's Business Enterprise National Council, is a leading advocate for women-owned businesses and is the largest third-party certifier of businesses owned and operated by women in the U.S. and serves a critical mission to educate, elevate and advocate for the fastest growing segment of the economy.
Think long and hard about getting the training to get to the next level. Attorney Cynthia McClain-Hill points to the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) as instrumental in helping her make her new business startup a success. In fact, today McClain-Hill is national president of NAWBO. Whatever organization you join, whichever program you select, the important thing is to make sure you recognize that you can grow your business by growing your business skills.
In "Through the Labyrinth," Alice H. Eagly discusses the organizational traditions of male-led businesses that put women at a disadvantage. If you've ever wondered what the actual challenges are that women face in running a business, the book offers excellent case studies and anecdotes. Better yet are the lessons that help women surmount those hurdles to be the best they can be in whatever business field they choose.
Women start businesses at three times the rate of male entrepreneurs, but, for a number of reasons, do not realize the same revenues earned by men. The biggest reason is the role that women play in running family affairs, which circumscribes the time and energy they can devote to their business. The NWBC report speaks to those issues, but the reality is that there is no quick fix, no easy remedy. Women will always face a different set of challenges than men. But with the right outlook, resources, and training. women can turn those challenges to assets. As Plato said, "The beginning is the most important part of the work."
Namaste,
Julie
Julie Sue Auslander, M.Ed, WPO, WBE
President / Chief Cultural Officer
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April 29, 2009
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How can you even think about work/life balance when you fear you may be the next to be laid off? Because this economy needs you!
The powerful forces behind our rapidly changing global economy are squeezing out business models that were never designed to sustain this level of change. Yet these same forces are also shining a bright light on new, unfilled needs. Anyone aware enough to spot them has the opportunity to step up and fill them. The disruptions in this economy have leveled the playing field to where we all have an equal opportunity to compete and win.
Every company’s most compelling needs, by definition, have not been filled. You could have the answer they are already looking for.
The following steps for innovation are courtesy of Jackie Basset, CEO of BT Industrials, Inc. She works with other CEOs to leverage innovation, turning problems into profits. She can be reached by emailing jackieb@btind.com
Step One:
Stop waiting for “things to get better”. We’ve faced tough economies before and it was only when we took action that things got better. Email Jackie for a free soft copy of Roger Babson’s book ‘Cheer Up! Better Times Are Ahead’ written in 1932!
Step Two:
Take an inventory of everything you do really well. Don’t concern yourself with whether or not you’ve done it in the past as a job. Did you know that the top 10 in demand jobs in 2010 didn't exist in 2004? Watch this http://tinyurl.com/5o4jva
Having a hard time? Ask your colleagues for their most candid, first responses and be ready to listen. I guarantee you what they say will be exactly what you have always wanted to ‘be’ when you were a child.
Step Three:
Change how you value what you have to offer a world that needs answers. Think you can’t compete with the likes of Vint Cerf and Robert Kahn, who received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in recognition of the work that built the Internet? Says who?
Remember, two bicycle shop repairmen from Ohio solved a problem that centuries of masters, including Aristotle and DaVinci, could not. By solving the problem of controlled flight, Orville and Wilbur Wright created an entire new industry and millions of jobs.
Discouraged because your product idea needs a lot of money or there are competitors already out there? In a similarly challenging economy Josephine Cochran built a company around all she had: an idea for a better dishwasher. Not the inventor and an impoverished widow, she created what we now know as KitchenAid.
Step Four:
Recognize that the level of change out there today has disrupted every industry. This is a market ripe with opportunity for everyone willing to pick up his or her glove and get in the game.
Need more inspiration? Here is a community of contributions where everyone can add their new ideas, knowledge and insights. Draw on the brilliance of the masters, one great idea at a time: www.drawingonbrilliance.ning.com
We achieve true work/life balance when what we “do” is who we really are. This economy is starving for new revenue sources; new answers to our most compelling problems. This economy needs you!
Additional Resources:
Join the conversation: www.drawingonbrilliance.ning.com
Roger Babson’s Book ‘Cheer Up! Better Times Are Ahead’ written in 1932
Career Change Central on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=1800872
Namaste,
Julie
Julie Sue Auslander, M.Ed, WPO, WBE
President / Chief Cultural Officer
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April 21, 2009
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Who says there can be too much of a good thing? With the record number high school graduates last year, also came a record number of deferred admission decisions from the Ivy's (NY Times). For this top talent pool, used to a lifetime of abundance, being deferred from anything was not going to be their option. Instead of taking this lying down, they took their deferral notices and told the Ivy's where to put them. These best and brightest took first place at top 2nd tier schools that welcomed them with open arms and tuition dollars. What this move on the part of these schools did was raise their bar and their status for years to come. These brightest will move their second tier schools forward with recognitions, placements, grants and donations that they could never have accomplished otherwise.
So what does this have to do with business? As employers, we are blessed to have an abundance of talent out their looking to grace our businesses. In many cases, I see entrepreneurs maintaining the status quo, and letting go of a few employees but not revamping their employee base to shift the odds in their favor. If 20% of your employees are doing 80 percent of the work, why are you not taking the same advantage of too much of a good thing to propel your business forward? Smaller businesses fight for the talent pool in a robust economic environment. It is imperative that we take advantage of this downturn to garner the best and the brightest for our companies. Imagine how much further you can go with 60 or 80% of your employees doing 100% of the work? If you want to make sure you come out of this downturn in a position to succeed in the new economy, upgrading your team is a must. Entrepreneurs are a loyal bunch, but we also must be loyal to our survival and the 20% that has carried us all these years. For years, we have forged ahead with our hands tied behind our backs as the large corporations could woo the best talent. Some of this 1st tier talent has been forced out of the corporations by economic challenges and bad corporate decisions. This talent is now looking for a place to call home. They will be loyal top performers for years to come. Is your door open?
Dealing with this mounting uneasiness that surrounds us each day can simply be a matter of shifting your perspective. Centering your thoughts on the positive outcomes that can come to pass when you tweak the things that you do have control over will have you feeling a renewed sense of enthusiasm. You cannot know the future, but that doesn't mean that you can't do more to ensure success by actively changing that which can be changed.
Namaste,
Julie
Julie Sue Auslander, M.Ed, WPO, WBE
President / Chief Cultural Officer
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fax (888) 307-6601
jsauslander@csubs.com|www.csubs.com
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April 15, 2009
09:23 pm | 0 recommendations | 5 comments
Why do we procrastinate when there is no time like the present? It's either fear or frustration. Pick your poison. It matters not.
As we have discussed previously, doing does it. No matter where your procrastination originates, now is the time that will forever separate the doers from the idlers. With all the bad news that continually invades our consciousness, no wonder we are frozen in fear and mired in procrastination. Our world is evolving at record speed. If we get off the train to sit idly by in fear, we may never be able to run fast enough to hop back aboard. Would you be happy stuck in the station you're sitting in now?
How can we board that train again? We have to consider whether it requires finding a new job, servicing existing clients better, looking for that right relationship, increasing sales, reducing costs, or maybe recycling.
First step: Turn off the TV and tune into yourself. Look into your heart and listen to your dreams. Stop attaching yourself to others' fear. There are lessons to be learned from this, the Easter and Passover season. Through adversity and great loss (jobs, houses, relationships) comes even greater opportunity. The Israelites could never go back and be the same as before they wandered the desert. Neither can you.
Second step: Make a list of all the stations your train needs to stop at before reaching your destination. Every project or recipe starts with an ingredient list. Often the list is shorter and simpler than you thought before you wrote it down. List each step and who, if anybody, should be with you on this journey. Don't go it alone. A buddy makes you accountable. A buddy keeps you company in the dark tunnels. More important, a buddy offers viewpoints you never would have thought of. If you have slowed down now is the time to get out and network, to help develop your list.
Final step: Often the toughest part of any project is getting started. A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Taking it breaks the procrastination cycle. So do one thing (take one step) each day, first thing, before you tell yourself you can't. Reward yourself after each step.
Wander no more. Most projects are no more that 8-10 steps. If you do one each day, within two weeks your worst fears and frustrations will be transformed into your best completed projects. Accomplishment is more than its own reward. It builds upon itself, as you will soon see.
Namaste,
Julie
Julie Sue Auslander, M.Ed, WPO, WBE
President / Chief Cultural Officer
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April 1, 2009
07:54 am | 0 recommendations | 1 comment
Whether you are looking for a job or not in this tough economy, at every turn you are barraged by negative news. It comes at you on TV and in print, on the street and in conversations with friends, on your BlackBerry and at your computer screen, in your inbox and even on your mind. Talk about the mother of all ruts. Negativity reigns.
Even when you try to avoid negative news, it finds you. It pervades such unexpected places as The New York Times fashion, travel, and sports sections. So, how can you maintain an upbeat tone when you are being drowned out by downbeat rhythm section?
As I have suggested in a previous post, "talk and worry don't do it: doing it does it," becoming consumed by a down economy will in turn produce a negative, even hopeless outlook on your part. Ignoring the economy, however, will leave you unprepared to tackle the challenges at hand. So, how best to proceed? Look inside yourself.
While the job market is daunting, and even keeping your sanity in a stable job can be a challenge, we all need to pause and realize that there is a position for each of us. We live in a world that is continually changing - I believe for the better. Nevertheless, change requires that you and I adapt and learn to use our skills in new and creative ways.
A recent video on YouTube predicts that the top 10 in-demand jobs in 2010 will be jobs that did not exist in 2004 (Karl Fisch, Scott McLeod, and Jeff Bronman). This means that individuals must learn to find their niche, thus improving the American workforce and America as a whole. Our country is filled with capable individuals able to do the work we need done and innovate where others haven't even dreamed. The challenge for many is in recognizing how to apply their skills differently as the economy remolds the workplace.
Some who are unable to find a ready-made niche are carving out their own. A recent New York Times article identified people who "turn to their inner entrepreneur to try to make their own work." With few jobs available at major companies, people are starting up their own companies. It's important to keep in mind that few of the big names in business were born big. Nearly all started out small, and then grew. Who knows which of this new batch of startups will be tomorrow's GE, Microsoft, or Google? It could be yours.
In the end, the not-so-secret secret is never to give up hope, never to settle, to be persevering and persistent. While our economy may be in flux, it still requires individual effort to power it. Analyze your skill set and work to discover how those abilities are applicable and beneficial to the future field you wish to be in. Original ideas always have a place. The challenge today is to discover how best to contribute, belong, and be there.
Namaste,
Julie
Julie Sue Auslander, M.Ed, WPO, WBE
President / Chief Cultural Officer
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March 25, 2009
08:13 am | 0 recommendations | Be the first to comment
Hi to all my compatriots in a down market.
I recently received a newsletter from Danny Wood, a fellow member of NJEntrepreneur.com, which struck a chord in me that I wanted to share with you.
Albert Einstein defined insanity as "doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." A logical corollary to this would be to also define insanity as doing things differently and expecting the same results.
Much has been written about how we learn more from failure than success. But that doesn't have to be the case. We have just as much to learn from our successes as from our failures. Each can inform our future course. As Chris Widener writes, "Learn from failure, confirm with success."
Learning from what works may seem intuitively obvious. But it isn't always. Take the crystal and ceramics company Waterford Wedgewood, which has been placed in what we in the U.S. call bankruptcy protection. In a recent Op-Ed article in The New York Times, Judith Flanders spells out how a company failed to learn from its own 250-year history of success:
"Today when most people think of Wedgwood, they think of bridal registries and those dusty-looking blue-and-white jasperware plates that no one knows what to do with. But things were once very different...
[In] 1765, Queen Charlotte, the wife of George III, ordered a creamware tea set. For most people, that would be the pinnacle; for Josiah, it was the start. He now called himself 'Potter to Her Majesty' and renamed creamware 'Queen?s Ware.' In a letter to his business partner, he marveled at 'how rapidly the use of it has spread' and 'how universally it is liked,' and tried to balance how much this had to do with its royal 'introduction' versus 'its utility and beauty.'
That is the true Wedgwood. It wasn't pleasure at past achievement, but instead determination to understand why success had come about, so he could build on it. Selling was an intellectual pleasure, an art form."
Danny starts his newsletter with a question a successful business owner recently asked him, "When do you know when your business has finally arrived?" The lesson we can learn from Josiah Wedgewood and the company he created is the answer to that question is, "Never."
We have each taken certain steps to get to where we are. As Danny puts it, "The point is, remember what made you successful - all that work in the trenches. As success blesses your business, your most formidable enemies are not your competitors, but your ego and complacency."
We must not let our egos rest on the laurels of past successes. We must not become complacent, abdicating our passions and letting someone else sit in the driver's seat of our businesses and our lives. We cannot abandon the principles that got us to where we are and expect future success to just happen - not in our businesses, not with our children, not as a nation. Nor should we let ourselves wallow in the current global angst accompanying the downturn. Our greatness has always come from the fires of passion that fuel our engines and our unique individual gifts of vision for the future.
To quote Robert Louis Stevenson:
"To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive, and the true success is to labor."
"If a man loves the labor of his trade, apart from any question of success or fame, the gods have called him."
I for one am going to stop complaining about the downturn, start sitting in the driver's seat again, and enjoy both the fruits of my labors and the simple joy of doing them.
See you on the road.
Namaste,
Julie
Julie Sue Auslander, M.Ed, WPO, WBE
President / Chief Cultural Officer
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March 5, 2009
09:57 am | 0 recommendations | 1 comment
I write this blog with a heavy heart as my Poppy Gennes died today. I share this with you because the lesson is work/life balance.
"Dealing with our grief and our loss does not need to be depressing. It can be one of the most uplifting, inspirational, and deeply meaningful moments of our lives. It is a moment ripe in opportunity to let go of all our pettiness and pretenses that kept us locked in its grip and frees us at last to get back to what we are here to do, and that is to love."
Rev. Sam Goff
The following is a chapter from "The Dash... Making a Difference With Your Life," by Linda Ellis and Mac Anderson.
"True and Real
Knowing yourself, finding your true purpose in life, is the essence of true and real. "You have to be, before you do, to have lasting inner peace." In other words, making a living is not the same as making a life. Find what makes your heart sing and create your own music.
Many people work all their lives and dislike what they do for a living. In fact, I was astounded to see a recent USA Today survey that said 53 percent of people in the American workplace are unhappy with their jobs. Loving what you do is one of the most important keys to living a "true and real" Dash.
You can't fake passion. It is the fuel that drives any dream and makes you happy to be alive. However, the first step to loving what you do is to self-analyze, to simply know what you love. We all have unique talents and interests, and one of life's greatest challenges is to match these talents with career opportunities that bring out the best in us. It's not easy — and sometimes we can only find it through trial and error — but it's worth the effort.
Ray Kroc, for example, found his passion when he founded McDonald's at the age of 52. He never "worked" another day of his life.
John James Audubon was unsuccessful for most of his life. He was a terrible businessman. No matter how many times he changed locations, changed partners, or changed businesses, he still failed miserably. Not until he understood that he must change himself did he have any shot at success.
And what changes did Audubon make? He followed his passion. He had always loved the outdoors and was an excellent hunter. In addition, he was a good artist and, as a hobby, would draw local birds.
Once he stopped trying to be a businessman and started doing what he loved to do, his life turned around. He traveled the country observing and drawing birds, and his art ultimately was collected in a book titled "Audubon's Birds of America." The book earned him a place in history as the greatest wildlife artist ever. But more importantly, the work made him happy and provided the peace of mind he'd been seeking all his life."
I will miss you so, my dearest Poppy, but wish you peace on your journey as we continue to travel together. You will always be present in the laughter, the love, and the memories in our lives. In our family, you have helped to weave a most beautiful tapestry of brightly colored, strong, and uniquely woven threads.
The wind has brought us together, as unlikely as that might seem. Our life wasn't a straight path, but rather many twists of faith that had us dance together. We are separated physically for now, but we are inexorably intertwined and always together.
Whether we danced for just this life or will be together again matters not. For my life, and the lives of those whom I hold most dear, have been made better and blessed by your presence. You are a father to me in practical terms. You loved my brother, his wife, and my nieces as if they were your own. You shared yourself with my cousins in California. You welcomed whatever we brought forth. You witnessed our struggle and comforted our burden in building a business and creating a life. Our children had the irreplaceable, unconditional love of a grandfather that helped to develop the strong roots of their mighty trees. There are pieces now in each of us that reflect all that is you.
As the wind blows and leaves dance, and we are taken down uncertain paths, know that Poppy's gentle presence hovers near us, as it always has. Our sorrow will become memories that keep us constant company as we walk through our lives. Poppy's laughter, life, loves, thoughtfulness, warmth, and accomplishments, as well as the difference he made with just his being, cannot be taken from us. These are the things that will strengthen our own being as the wind carries us down the years.
We can fight and brace ourselves against the wind, but in the end like the leaves of the mighty oak, we will surrender to its tug. Poppy's tug has been of simplicity and grace. Poppy always knew when to hold them and when to fold them. My wish is that each of us takes under our wing a wisp of Poppy's whisper and let the wind fly us to places unimagined.
Look up each night and know that we all sleep under the same big sky. Find that star which shines so brightly that it could only be Poppy shining his light upon us, as he always has.
"The Dash Between the Dates"
Copyright Sonny B. Bell
All rights reserved
I stood there for a moment
Sadly staring at the stone
Imagining some far off year
When my time on earth is gone
Then suddenly it came to me
As I turned to walk away
The only thing that matters
Is the dash between the dates
CHORUS:
The dash between the dates
It's so easy to ignore
It's hardly ever noticed
But stands for so much more
It's all the time you get
Before you get to heaven's gates
Every minute of your life
Fits in the dash between the dates
On my way home that evening
I thought of all I'd seen
How some die young and some die old
And some die in between
If there's one thing that I learned that day
It's that time don't ever wait
And the only time to live
Is in the dash between the dates
BRIDGE:
Don't wait until you're dyin'
To think about your fate
Don't waste another minute
Of the dash between the dates
Namaste,
Julie
Julie Sue Auslander, M.Ed, WPO, WBE
President / Chief Cultural Officer
cSubs | Subscriptions Simplified
201) 307-9900 ext 101
fax (888) 307-6601
jsauslander@csubs.com | www.csubs.com
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