If I Were President

My 8 year old girl R completed a 1st grade school project, “If I Were President.” It’s a 7 page packet with lead-ins for each panel, and a space for her to add her thoughts and ideas. In 2040, please consider her as you vote for US President.

If I Were President by R

If I were President, the first thing I would do is:
Help everyone. But I would not take money from the rich and give it to the poor. Because the poor did not earn that money.

If I were President, I would eat:
good things like broclie, corn and beons.

If I were President, I would travel to:
Hawaii and Montana.

If I were President, I would have a pet:
dog and cat named Bella and Nickey.

If I were President, I would pass a law that: There would be no bullying! (I guess they don’t teach 1st graders yet that Presidents don’t pass laws).

If I were President, I would help: everyone. (Not just ACORN and the unions. OK- that last bit was mine).

Final Comments: I don’t think I would like to be the President. I think it is too much work! I mean, I would love to help people, but it would not work.

I’m Alive

The rumors of my death, and that of my blog, are greatly exaggerated.

To say I have been busy just does not do justice to my inability to spend even one moment writing. I haven’t even visited my blog or any other blog, much less posted anything, in almost 2 months. I guess not much has changed recently- the only reason I am posting today is because of a few comments and several emails from people that seem to enjoy reading my stories and meandering thoughts. They are asking if I am ok, alive, still going to keep the blog going.

I am, I am, and I will.

There is an old saying and a true one- that a person makes time for the things most important to them. When I started this blog, it was very important to me. I was going through a mini mid-life crisis. I had made a major career change, left an amazing job and a great group of staff and peers to strike out on my own. After a year of doing so and finding little success, this blog was a much needed outlet to take my mind off work (and the lack thereof).

When I think about my life, in light of that old saying, it’s a bit uncomfortable. Why have I not ventured out on a missions trip? Why don’t we play more family board games? Why do we not take more weekend family trips? Why don’t we go camping? Why don’t we seem to have time to do more things together?

A person makes time for the things most important to them. I seem to be able to get most all my work done. And there is the painful insight.

So, I am trying to make some time again….even if it’s just a few minutes…to jot down my thoughts here. Not for anyone really other than myself and my family, but if someone else gets any enjoyment or anything of value in the mix that’s good. I started out with this blog to create an electronic journal- something my kids, and possibly their kids, will be able to read through and learn from. This collection of a few hundred posts and about half a million words is far more than I have ever been able to read from my parents, grandparents, or anyone else in my family. How amazing is that? What would I give to be able to read the stories and thoughts from my precious grandmother Dorothy or her husband James? Or grandma Astrid? A goodly amount, that’s for sure.

Now That's A Stupid Idea

Not much to say today- just don't feel motivated to write. So, I will share with you a great note I read today that I just happened to turn to, TWO DAYS AFTER I talked to my wife Michelle about an idea I have for a new business venture (she likes this one), and a couple weeks after I gave her a hard time for not getting excited/supporting/believing in a wackier idea I had. How timely.


‘Trust Her Intuition’ by Ron Blue

No one has ever come to the office or sent a proposal and said, “Let me show you a bad deal.” On the front end, every business and investment deal is a good one. It only went bad later! What makes investment and business debts so difficult to evaluate and reject are that they are all presented as good deals, and a person would be foolish to turn them down. Therefore, there never seems to be economic justification alone for turning them down.

This is one of the reasons why I feel it is so important to apply the rule that a husband and wife have perfect unity on their debt decisions. God has granted to women a special sense, which some have called intuition, that cannot be explained, but in many cases, it has kept a husband from making a poor decision…

I give two general rules in this area. First of all, if you cannot explain the deal or investment to your wife in such a way that she totally understands it, don’t do it. Second, even if you can explain it so that she totally understands it, but she feels uneasy or unsure in any way about it, don’t do it. Granted, you may pass up many opportunities. However, one of the surest ways to financial success is to avoid the major mistakes, because not only do you have to make up for the lost investment, but also you lose the earnings that this money could have generated, and the earnings that the earnings could have generated, and so on. Again, the Biblical counsel is sound: “He who gathers money little by little makes it grow.” Or, “get rich slow.”






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Did I Say That Out Loud?

Allow me to set the stage- Its several years ago and I’m at a table of 25 people all of whom work for me. We are getting ready to have a serious discussion about planning for the coming fiscal year, and at the outset of the meeting, things are still a bit light-hearted and jovial. Ms. R walks in (the primary planner and analyst) and someone notes gleefully- Hey, you’re not blonde anymore! You dyed your hair! It looks awesome.”

So there it is. In volleyball its called "set, spike."

I wish my mind worked as fast in figuring out investments or doing my work half as fast as it works when there is a opportunity to spit out a well-timed quip or good-natured barb. It literally pops in my mind and out of my mouth in one second.

Earlier that same day I had a conversation with Ms. R and several other folks that were in this later meeting regarding concerns about the accuracy of data that Ms. R’s department was issuing. It was expressed to her, kindly, that these recurring problems needed to be fixed. Neither Ms. R nor her department were primarily at fault for the problems, we just needed them to be more vigilant about fixing the flawed raw data that was flowing in from another area of the business.

You may have already figured out what I said next after Ms. R was greeted as she walked into the meeting- it escaped my mouth without getting permission from my brain: “Wow- no longer a blonde! Maybe your reports will be more accurate.”

It was one of those well-timed “meeting jokes” that while causing uproarious laughter in the world of fluorescent-lit meeting rooms with bad coffee, it would hardly elicit a slight chuckle in the real world. I thought it was funny. Even Ms. R thought it was funny. Everyone in the room knew I greatly appreciated and respected Ms. R, so I didnt think it would be taken wrong by anyone. Apparently, some other blondes in the room did.

Human Resources contacted me the next day to read me the riot act. As soon as I got the call, I knew exactly what it was about. While some might think the joke was harmless, it hurt some feelings. No more blonde jokes from me. I have a good record of not cracking jokes at the expense of others, but we all fail sometimes, don’t we?







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Leadership Thoughts From An Old Book

I was organizing my home office and found an old book I read almost 10 years ago. While I dont think it made a significant impact on me, it did add some insight and understanding about leadership. Here are the some key points from the book that I highlighted when I read it in 1998:

From "Semper Fi: Business Leadership the Marine Corps Way" by Dan Carrison, Rod Walsh

• Recruiting: Marines send out their top performers to recruit the best people. These experienced officers display a missionary zeal, and they personify the values and pride of a Marine. Carrison suggests that sales managers send out star performers who embody values of the organization to serve as role models for new recruits.

• Training: Marines spend 12 weeks in basic training. When the training gets tough, drill sergeants quote the old saying, "The more you sweat in peace, the less you bleed in war." Boot camp is not designed to weed out people, but to cultivate everybody. While corporate America fires those who don't perform up to standard, new Marines practice until everybody graduates.

• Leadership: Marine officers lead by example. If a leader asks a platoon to climb a 100-foot wall, he will be the first one to start the climb. Of all military services, the Marine Corps has the highest casualty rate among officers. In corporate America, the best sales managers are not the ones who hide behind their desks, but those who go out to see the toughest customers with their front-line people.

• Commitment: The Marine Corps credo is DO or DIE. Carrison says that you have to be careful what you ask a Marine to do because he'll die trying. Marines in action show how much a highly committed team can accomplish. What if salespeople adopted such high standards for conquering new territories or introducing new products?

• Loyalty to the troops: While corporate America often tells employees that they are replaceable, Marines are told that they are irreplaceable. They know that the entire country and their fellow Marines depend on them. It's natural for a Marine to say, "I love my Marine Corps." how many salespeople say, "I love my company"?

• More and more companies are studying the Marine Corps model for motivation. Their sales teams take more pride in their product and in their companies. Imagine the possibilities. Imagine every salesperson in your company as proud as a Marine. Imagine how many competitive battles you'd win. Every year, thousands of loyal and highly trained Marines retire; why not deploy their talents to win more sales?
  

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Five Important Things In Any Partnership

Five years ago I attended a meeting with Bishop T.D. Jakes. I found him to be incredibly motivating, and after he addressed our group I literally wanted to take up a sword and fight the good fight.

Part of what he talked about was directly related to a new partnership we were forming between his ministry and our company. Here is a paraphrased outline of what he said:

Here are five things that are very important in any partnership or union. There are others, but these are five that I wish to focus on today.

1. You can not be alike - it is better when we are different. Seek partners with unique or complimentary skills, knowledge and abilities. Before your partnership begins, clearly state your observations and thoughts in this area, and seek your potential partner's input as well. Make sure you are both understanding and appreciative of what each has to offer.

2. Together craft your significant message, brand, product and statement. What are you about by yourself? What are you about together? What are you seeking that brings you to this partnership, and what will be your joint-message?

3. Manufacture that message. Be fruitful. Once you decide on the message, brand, product and statement do it- quickly and aggressively. Be active, create, produce. It will not be perfect, but it is productive. Then meet together constantly to assess success and make adjustments and changes just as quick.

4. Market it. Tell it, show it, express and transfer your passion. If it does not move you, it won't move them- your customer, user, supplier, whomever. Don't be tentative in this area, you need tenacity, guts, and to lose your fear.

5. Motivation. Motivate yourself and your partner to convey it. Let yourself be motivated by your partner. Catch on fire, get excited, break your records, set goals and beat them. Go beyond who you were. Do not measure yourself against others. Push yourself to the limit. Go beyond limitations. Don't look to others to motivate you.






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Quiet In The Men's Room Please

A year ago last month I resigned a position at a great company to purse a dream. This month, that dream ends. I believe there are few coincidences in life. I don’t read into everything, making room for the “that just happened because it just happened” possibility. But with a little time and distance even some of those seem to paint a picture.

About sixteen years ago I was at the end of my rope. I was twenty-four years old, in a job I despised (and being encouraged daily by my boss to lie to make a sale), was still a newlywed (using the 12 months or fewer rule), and going through a very tough time adjusting to married life. On top of all that we were broke and had one car between us with jobs 25 miles away from each other. Things were not going well. Let’s just leave it at that.

In October of that year I hit the wall, and made a very simple request of God. “Please get me out of this mess, I promise I will shape up.” Not quite a fox-hole prayer, but close to it.

About a week later I was sitting in the parking lot of Giant Food grocery store waiting for my wife to finish her shift as a pharmacy tech. I was bored out of my mind because she was late finishing work, and no one had yet invented the Blackberry. I must read or do something all the time. Kind of a problem I have. In the back seat of our tin can Geo Spectrum sat a ceramic Christmas tree my mother-in-law had made for us. It was wrapped in newspaper. Yes!

I fished out a section and settled back to read while I sat in the no parking, no loading, no standing zone. I opened it up, looked to the top left hand corner, and there it was. “Music Company Seeks Sales Rep.” I had pulled out the classifieds.

Music has always been a big part of my life. In high school I played in a band called Entranzit and we did all the keg parties, battle-of-the-bands, the whole burrito. At the time I read the classified ad I was still writing, playing and recording as a hobby. My entire life I had wanted to work in the music business one way or the other. One more piece of background- I was starting to develop the ability to sell and persuade. “I could do this” I thought reading the detail of the ad.

I stepped out of the car, went to the pay phone next to the store entrance (no cell phone back then), and deposited the $3 or so in change the operator instructed me to (after running to the car to get it leaving the phone dangling off the hook, and the operator waiting).

The gent that answered the phone, Steve, told me that the position was still open, and that he and his boss were actually headed to the airport right then to fly into Baltimore and conduct interviews the next day. The slots were all booked, but he assured me I would get squeezed in if I showed up. I wrote down the name of the hotel, gave Steve my name, said thank you, and hung up.

I didn’t tell my wife when she got to the car. In fact, I didn’t tell her that night either, or the next morning. Fortunately she didn’t have to work the next day, and as she slept I called in sick and drove from my home in Gaithersburg, MD to the airport hotel some 40 miles away.

I got there at 7AM. Steve had mentioned the interviews started at 8, but I wanted to get there early in hopes of getting in first. I waited all day for someone to call my name. No one ever did. Unless, it happened the ONE time I couldn’t hold it any longer and hit the head. I tiptoed through the men’s room being as quiet as possible and straining to hear if my name was called out in the lobby right outside the door.

Around 6:30PM two guys came out of the elevator at dinnertime. The only way I knew these were THE guys was that one was wearing a jacket with the record company logo. I got up and introduced myself, and Steve said he sort of recalled our phone conversation the night before. Laran, his boss, invited me to join them for dinner. I told them I would love to, and would meet them at the table after I visited the restroom.

By dessert I had a job offer and accepted. Minor details: the position was in New York (they had hired someone already for the DC/Baltimore position, and saw me as a chance to cancel the next days trip and head home), our parents (both Michelle’s and mine) were in the Washington DC area, and, oh yeah, I still hadn’t told my wife about the ad in the paper or the interview. Oh, also, I didn’t know what the job paid. Turned out, territory sales reps didn’t make much. Less in fact than I was making in my current job. Much less.

As I drove home I thought to myself ‘She’s gonna kill me.” We didn’t speak for days. Finally, after much discussion and some persuasion (we laugh about it now) Michelle agreed to go north with me. It was touch-and-go there for awhile. Really. I believed God had provided this direction (and so told Michelle we WERE going to do this), and Michelle believed I was an idiot (and that we WERE NOT).

My first commission check in January 1991 was for $47. I didn’t care. It could have been for $4.70. I was out of my old job, and in the music business, and where I truly believed I was supposed to be. 15 years later I left that company and my position as the president.

Was that all coincidence? The Christmas tree, the newspaper, my wife running late that day, a guilt induced dinner that shut-out all the candidates in NYC? I don’t think so.

The weird thing is there were similar indications that led me to make the decision to leave my position last year and strike out with a start-up company and a dream. This time, things turned out differently. So, as I wrap up this month and this dream, I will be patient knowing that what has happened, good and bad, is preparing my family and I for what is next. We can’t see what that is now, but with a bit of time and distance behind us, I am sure it will be clear.






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You Eat What You Kill

In October my wife and I took our daughter K to Rome for her 13th birthday. To many this may seem extreme- including my wife. A friend of mine told me about how he and his wife gave each of their 2 daughters THE birthday gift at 13 instead of 16 or 18. The reasoning? I can’t recall really- but I remember thinking it was very logical.

Our ground rules for our 4 girls are simple:

1. For your 13th birthday you can ask for anything in the world you want

2. We can not borrow any money for the gift

3. We must be able to afford it (this is the best one- a sliding scale that can be adjusted in any year, with any daughter, because of our dictatorial powers. Unfair, I know, but Michelle and I are relatively benevolent dictators)

While K opted for a trip to Rome, L our 11 year old is laying the legal groundwork for her claim on a horse. I am considering an amendment to add a 4th line item requiring the gift to not incur any long-term or continuing costs.

The trip was wonderful (at the time of this writing, there are some snapshots on this page). Throughout our time in Italy I noticed an abundance of street performers. There was the “drunk” passed out by the wall of the Pantheon completely dressed and painted in grey to match the street and gate. If anyone dropped a coin in his box, he stirred and looked around, took a drink, and promptly passed out again. There were mimes, dancers, and balloon artists. One of the few musicians we saw was a man at Piazza Navona that was playing guitar left-handed with the strings still strung for a right handed player. I have been around many guitar players in my life, some of them left handed, but I have never, ever seen anyone able to do this.

The statue-still Statues of Liberty were aplenty, as were the Pharaohs. These are two of a special genre of street performers whose sole talent is to stand perfectly still on a soap box, and bow when someone gives them money.

One such Pharaoh, wrapped completely in a shiny gold sheet and wearing an expressionless gold metal mask, was doing an excellent job staying completely still and staring straight ahead. Until a 3 or 4 year old, unwatched by his mother, decided that whatever was in the can on the ground in front of Pharaoh must be interesting.

The young boy approached the loot, squatted in front of it, and was smart enough to shoot a glance at both his mom and Pharaoh to ensure they weren’t watching him. The boy made his move, reaching his hand inside the tall can. Pharaoh was not happy. He broke character, and started to watch the boy with wide eyes (its surprising easily to read emotion in the eyes, even when someone has a mask on- especially if you know that person knows he is getting robbed).

I jumped in to help. In a firm and gruff voice I told the boy “NO.” His arm sprung back, and his smile disappeared. He was caught. My Pharaoh was pleased. The boy made 3 more attempts, each ending with his retreat after my barks. Not once did his mother see what happened until she led him away. As they walked by, passing Pharaohs riches, the boy failed at one more half-hearted attempt at the money.

Street performers are pretty good examples of the old hunting maxim- now adopted by consultants and lawyers- You Eat What You Kill. While many people work for distant gains (saving for retirement, long-term investing, major projects at work that could create an end-of-term bonus, etc), these folks are working hard to get lunch money in the next 10 seconds.

As I ponder my next career move, I have met with a few folks that encouraged me to start my own business- and this maxim- you only eat what you kill- has been repeated to me by 3 people. It is both scary and exciting, and I look forward (I keep telling myself) to see what happens in the coming months.

Work Days Off vs. School Days Off

The energy and excitement kids have when they are out of school is amazing. Their true personalities arise- alive, excited, and fresh; the world is full of fun and possibilities.

Somehow, the excitement of a day off work is not what a day off school ever was. I guess it depends on what work you do. If you are like me, and current or past jobs had other people in different time zones or even countries (i.e. they don't have the day off) depend on work you do, or if big projects that transcend Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter or even Martin Luther King Day need to get moved down the playing field, the days off just aren’t as exciting. The Blackberry buzzes, phone rings, people need responses first thing in the morning after a holiday. All of it robs the abandonment of a day off work.

I don’t recall ever getting an E-mail from my teacher on Saturday afternoon informing me that something big came up and I need to put in some extra hours and also do the EVEN numbered problems 1-50 from page 238 in my math book- not just the odd ones. Didn’t have a professor call late Friday afternoon and let me know the deadline for the essay was moved up a few days to Monday at 9AM. When you have a day off from school- its just that. You know going in the total of what you need to have coming out, and if you are smart, you get it done at the end of the first day off. No worries.

As I enter the last few weeks of my current position, and only have a few things to wrap up- I am sensing a glimmer of that past joy. Yesterday I only had an hour or so of work. Today- none. This weekend, maybe a couple hours aimed at determining what I do next- so I can’t really chalk that up as work.

The agenda for today- a healthy breakfast of leftover chocolate silk pie, write up a few words for this here blog, hang out, turkey sandwich for lunch, head out with the family and buy a Christmas tree, set it up, dinner and bonfire with friends. I’m starting to get that tingly feeling again.

Report From The Traffic Chopper

Have you ever watched someone perform or present something to a group, and everything go horribly wrong? Perhaps they were extremely nervous and speaking almost nonsense, or they tripped walking on stage, or even were just plain not-good at it. Something like a bad wreck on the side of the road happens. And the audience is the rubber-necker.

At the Curb Café last night I saw the koo perform a set after a young aspiring songwriter/guitarist/vocalist did an unnecessarily long opening spot. If you have happened to read my posts the last two days, let me stop here and assure you I don’t normally go to multiple clubs and live music performances in a week. Or even a month. This week has definitely not been normal.

The opening act (Nick was his name, I think) had a bunch of spirit. He strutted boldly and confidently from table to table in the small club introducing himself to patrons and mentioning his name and that he would be performing soon, and thanking us for coming out. I must admit- in all my years of attending live music performances that was a first.

He started to play at 9PM. Just him, his guitar, and 2 bottles of water. Immediately, a 3 car pile-up happened on stage. God bless him- he couldn’t hit any high notes (he actually sounded just like me and a million other guys singing in the shower with a luffa for a mic wailing out the high notes in off-key falsetto), flubbed his chords, and on a two occasions even put a song in a holding pattern mid-chorus while he tried to tune his guitar.

He seemed to think he was nailing it. Very confident on stage, trying to conduct witty between-song stage banter, and eliciting nervous laughter and wide-eyed glances between friends at tables. It was just plain awful. But he tried, and he seems like a genuinely nice guy.

I don’t know what his goals are, or why he was performing last night. Maybe he just loves to play the guitar and belt out a tune, and for the same reason millions of people around the world go to karaoke bars, really enjoys inflicting his talent on others.

Let’s assume though, that he wants to make it in music. At what point will he either practice and play himself silly and hit a level of quality, or finally figure out that he isn’t that good? Will he realize it himself, or will someone, like a merciless panel of judges from American Idol, whack the machete of “feedback” right through his skull?

On the way home I turned on the radio…interesting…in a matter of minutes I heard two bands (actually one band, and one solo artist) perform that I know very well, and also know couldn’t sing a good lick just a few years ago. For various reasons both had been thrust into a position of leadership within their respective units, and had to pick up the reigns of lead vocalist from a departing member. Within a relatively short period of time, and after diving headfirst into the work of vocal training and development, both have emerged as quality vocalist each with their own unique sound, and both leading the way to multiple gold records.

So…is that within each of us? I am not speaking about music specifically- it could be anything. Can anyone grab hold of a dream, and even if performance or track record is just average (or in Nick’s case, bad), drive themselves to greatness with good coaching and a real commitment of time? How does this impact Nick? Should his friends, several of which were at the show last night and rooting for their buddy, not let him know how bad he sounds right now but just encourage him? How does this impact me? Or you? What dreams have we put on hold, or dropped, that should be picked up again?

I think the potential for greatness is in everyone. I truly believe that anyone- any ordinary person- can do extraordinary things. I hope Nick keeps at it. I also hope he keeps his day job.