Keep your eyes on your own paper.

It is so easy to get distracted by the things done by other people. It is less easy, but more fruitful, to keep your eye on what is in front of you. Keep your own goals in mind, remembering that you are in charge of plenty without trying to control the things that others do.

Irregardless of what the press, your neighbor, a friend, a vendor or a blog happy peer says or does it is up to you to decide your course of action. See the routes that others have taken and view them from afar. They can only affect you so far as you let them. It is not up to them to dictate your business or life nor will they if you don't let them.

Every new twist and turn is just a new opportunity for us to grow. Take stock of what your goals are and focus purely on those goals. Let all the ruckus and nonsense that happens around you fall by the way side and push forward.

Being Gracious While Being Lit on Fire.

...You've left for the day. Your studio is in the hands of your trusty minions. They run things best they can, with the tools you have given them. Somewhere in that mix a customer has gotten lost in the shuffle. They are mistreated, unhappy and disappointed with their experience... It's the next day; your ear is full of a voice that is both angry and dejected.

The first objective is to keep this customer. Yes, they just ripped you and your studio to pieces, twice. Yes, they seem completely unreasonable and strictly speaking not someone you want to invite to tea. Keep listening, actively. Don't hear what they say but how they say it. Try to define their position by being compassionate to their plight. Truth is that if they are telling YOU a story they have already told other people this same story, possibly with embellishments. You are your own PR person. Stop this story from going to the press before it's too late.

Treat them with total regard and empathy. Fix what YOU have done. Your employees are extensions of you. If they messed up, you messed up. This is why it is so hard to hear the things customers complain about. It is a direct reflection on you. Keeping this customer happy will be difficult and more expensive than you want it to be. It will also be worthwhile. At the very least you will stop that story from making the front page. At the most, they will tell everyone how gracious you were about accepting responsibility for the miscue and fixing it to their expectations.

Teach 'em to fish.

The old cliché goes give a man a fish you feed him for a day but teach him to fish and he eats for a lifetime. Well, something to that effect. The point being that a person taught a skill will far better serve themselves. This holds true for your customers, as well as, your employees.

Our prospective customers often wander in knowing little to nothing about what we do or how we do it. Once they have decided to become our customers we have an opportunity to keep them for a lifetime. The trick to that loyalty is to teach them how to be our customer. Teach them that it is our job to work and they are here to enjoy. Teach them that we are here for them; they are not here for us. Teach them technique for free. Teach them they are important and special. Teach them that you appreciate them. Teach them these things and they will be loyal to you.

Our prospective employees often wander in knowing little to nothing about what we do or how we do it. (Sound familiar?) Once we have decided that they will become our employees we have an obligation to teach them. Teach them that being nice is better than being right. Teach them that hard work pays dividends. Teach them that we are here for them AND they are here for us. Teach them they are important and special. Teach them that you appreciate them. Teach them these things and they will be loyal to you.

You see, our employees and our customers are very much one and the same. We could not exist without either of them. Teach them an understanding of your philosophy and "culture". They will thrive, as will you.

On Being Kelp.

The ocean is a moving body. Flowing to and fro, pushing all in its way. Kelp lives within that body, swaying to and fro, going with the flow.
Kelp is wise.

We all deal with the ebbs and flows of daily life. Sometimes tragic and horrifying, sometimes ridiculous and strange. The actions aren't as important as your reactions. You have the opportunity to choose your response to every situation. Try being kelp, flexible but strong. Let life be the ocean, live within it, move with it and let it feed you with everything you need.

It's not easy. There are times that you have to hold on with all your might. Lest you be washed upon the shore. Mostly, though, the seas will be calm and nourishing. Flowing slowly around you and just nudging you in the right directions.

Small Achievements=Big Success

Recently my wife ran her first marathon. Not an easy feat by any stretch. In my mind it takes a certain kind of crazy to venture out onto the streets, in the darkness of predawn, with the intention of running for the next 3-5 hours. That being said it also takes courage. This larger success is backed by smaller successes. Running in a 5k here and a 10k there. Not to mention early morning runs with friends or alone when she can coax our three year old into the jogging stroller.

All of our larger successes have ground work and are supported by the smaller, sometimes less noticeable, achievements. Even just reorganizing a drawer or cleaning a window can be building blocks for achieving larger tasks. Not because you don't know how to do these things. Not even because you want to but, because giving yourself the pride of accomplishment helps you gain the confidence to tackle the bigger tasks that may seem more daunting.

Do this if your business is underachieving or an employee with potential seems to be doing a lackluster job. Give that employee a job you know they can finish in a small amount of time and successfully. It will give them confidence knowing you believe in them and knowing they did a good job. Play that tune for your business too. Buy new brushes, reorganize your shelves, make a display that rocks. All of these are little successes but have the big goal in mind.

Seeing the Big Picture.

"Good enough." or "That'll have to do." are the cheers of Team Mediocrity. Nobody starts a business with the intention of becoming a leader in average. We all began with the goal being ingenuity and success. Are you still paying attention to that goal, or have you lost sight of it in the hazy fog that is the daily grind?
In the beginnings we have endless enthusiasm and the energy to take every task to its end. Even our imaginations seemed to be brimming with never-ending ideas. Then somewhere along the way we begin to lose our momentum. We start to cut corners and forget details. Before we know it, we are surrounded by the mundane and the dust bunnies have evolved into dust buffalo. (Never mind that they seem to be stampeding toward us.) We are not so far lost that we can't return from this state but we must begin now.
Close your eyes for a moment, but open them again so you can keep reading. Ok close your eyes and see yourself in a museum, your favorite painting in front of you. Now, step up to that painting and put your nose against the canvas. Do you still love it? Well in theory, yes. In your head you still know what it looks like. You can envision it's colors and textures but you are so close to it that it has become muddled. In order to see it you have to step back and refocus on the big picture.
Your business is that painting. You can get way too close and lose the big picture. Remember to take the time to step back and view your favorite painting in all it's glory. Let your mind's eye wander. See all the colors and details. Your goals will become clear again. The haze that has clouded your view will begin to lift.

Strangers in a strange land.

Guests that are visiting you for the very first time are just opportunities for life long visitors. All it will take from you is to impress them with all your insight and originality. Show them how wonderful your entire kingdom is and they will return again and again. Bringing the riches of their fellow man with them.

Treat them like you are hosting a foreign exchange student.
Make sure the place where they will be staying is comfortable and clean.
Make it interesting and fun. It may be the only time they get to visit your "country" and you want to be sure they go back to tell all their friends what an incredible country it is.

Show them all the things you think are cool. Ask them questions and spend time with them as much as possible. Some things will be confusing, listen to them.
They may be timid and shy or ready to jump in headfirst. Either way they should be treated equally with enthusiasm and care.
Spend a moment to survey your kingdom. Is it everything it should be? Are you intrigued by your own ingenuity? Is everything clean and inviting? Interest and inspiration is key to keeping your guest amazed. Keep things fresh and alive and your guest will become a life long visitor.

Headless Disney Characters.

You and your family have been waiting for this day for what seems an eternity. DISNEYLAND! The kids have been talking about it daily and you have to admit to yourself that you are pretty excited too. You rise early, dress, get the kids fed and head to the park. You can feel the buzz of anticipation coming from everyone in your little section of the monorail. The train rounds the bend, towards the happiest place on earth and you get your first look at the majestic Matterhorn. Finally you are here, the smell of churros and sun block fill your nostrils. What a day you have ahead of you.
Then it strikes you something isn't quite right.
At first you're not sure what it is, things seem normal but something is definitely wrong. Then, the horrorstruck realization hits you like a cannon blast from a pirate ship, Mickey and Minnie are missing their heads! Big shoes, funny shorts and polka dot skirt, oversized, white-gloved hands, it's all there. Except where the head should be there is the head of a 22-year-old girl talking to her headless counterpart. Something about her gloves being too big to push the buttons on her phone, making it impossible to text her friends. The disappointment in your children's eyes is beyond measure.
Does this sound familar?
Every one of us has a part to play in our daily lives. Mom, boss, taxi driver, employee, chef, janitor, counselor, and for the lucky few Cartoon Mouse. Whatever the part may be, you must wear that hat, or for our purposes head, for that moment in time. Regardless of your circumstance. Yes, we all get tired, sick, angry, upset etc. You choose the malady but the show goes on. People are still going to arrive at your "park" with anticipation and excitement. It is up to you and your employees to don the appropriate head and treat those people to a fantastic experience. Don't let your daily aggravations encroach on your mission. Use this moment as an excuse to put those things aside and play the part you have been cast to play.

Obviously not obvious.

Often times what we perceive to be the blatently obvious, turns out to be the unknown. Perception is the key. When you stand in the middle of familiar surroundings, with all your wits about you, the world is your oyster. Organized, easy and safe. For those that are less accustomed to your world it seems busy, chaotic and confusing. To them the world is that same oyster but shut tight without a pry bar.
If you want people to wander and wonder in awe of your world, make sure you have a map with a really good legend. Make it easy to manuever through your world. Remove obstacles and chaos. Try to view your world through their glasses.

Is it easy and fun or is it difficult and confusing?

Even within our own small society of employees the world may seem a blur. Each employee sees things differently and translates what you say differently. You may be surprised what they actually hear when you speak. Even the things we touch can be perceived differently by each person.

Try this experiment at your next meeting:
Have each employee close their eyes and hold out their right hand. In their hand place a small potato. Then remove it. Have them jot down what they think they were holding. Repeat this experiment with a minimum of four items. Pinecone, block of wood, can of tomato paste, jellyfish...Ok not the jellyfish, just making sure you are paying attention. You choose the items, just make them eclectic and unusual so you have a good variety. Then discuss everyones answers. How did they perceive what they were holding? Did they get it right or were they way off? Why did they feel it was what it wasn't?

Everyone has a different outlook. This should be embraced in order to progress. If you fight it and force everyone to believe that your view is the only view you will end up a lonely sailor with only one porthole.