by beth on August 15, 2011
Friday night in our house means Shark Tank night. Little J stayed up past her 8:00 bedtime one Friday night earlier this year and watched Shark Tank with us. Hubby and I have been a fan since it came on, but this was the beginning of Little J’s interest in the show. She was hooked immediately and now watches every week, including the reruns. It has made for some interesting conversations, such as explaining company valuations to a 6 year old.
This past Friday night, they showed a company that none of the sharks invested in last year. Especially tough on the business owner was Kevin O’Leary. Kevin told the owner that he wouldn’t amount to anything and should just give up. Using this as motivation the business is growing and getting placement on shelves without the investment. The owner was very honest in the fact that just being on show helped him get the needed exposure, but Kevin’s words fuel him.
During the commercial, hubby and I talked a little about those people like Kevin O’Leary that motivate you because they don’t believe in you. Little J insightfully asked, “Have you ever had a Kevin O’Leary, Mamma?” My answer? “Why, yes, yes I have”.
Almost 7 years ago, I hired a consultant to help my company (at that time 4 of us) move in a new, more targeted direction. Suffice it to say that based on very limited information (some financial data), he recommended I shut down the business. Great news for someone getting ready to go to Disney World the next day. I thought about it long and hard while on vacation and came to the conclusion, that while we had suffered some financial setbacks due to the tech bubble bursting and 9/11, I would not walk away.
That day flipped a switch in me and drove me to make many changes. It served as the kick in the pants I needed to define success. Not his definition. Mine. Every time I get frustrated, I think about how much I want to prove him, and others like him, wrong. Do you have a Kevin O’Leary?
Tomorrow is the last day of school. Summer means no homework, packed lunches, or dance class. It means beach, late nights playing outside, and maybe even the pool. However, to the working moms (and dads) it also means the beginning of the summer shuffle. The juggling act of getting work done and spending quality time with your children.
This has always been a struggle for me, and something that causes undue stress every summer. Poor Little J has attended more meetings with me during the summer months than she cares to remember. She has always been a trooper, but, of course, I have always had tremendous mommy guilt. Last summer, I swore to myself that this summer would be different.
For once, I actually planned ahead. In January, I contacted a teenager that I just adore and offered her a babysitting job this summer for about 20 hours a week. Thankfully she said yes. Twenty hours will give me plenty of time to attend meetings and get work done though the summer, but it will also allow me to spend true quality time with Little J.
Little J is excited to have a “friend” to play with and so is mommy. How do you handle the summer shuffle?
You know the saying, “Don’t hate the player, hate the game”? Well this past weekend, I finally came to the realization that I have been in a funk for the last 8 months because I Hate the Game. And I plan on changing that.
I turn 40 this year and I got so caught up in the “what you should do before turning 40″ culture that I was really upset about where I was in my life. I don’t know what triggered the change this weekend, but now I’m ready to embrace 40 with open arms and no regrets.
Did I set some goals at 30 for when I hit 40? Sure did. Did I achieve them? Sure didn’t. You know why? My life, business and priorities changed drastically over the past decade and it was all for the better.
Moving forward, I’m going to change the game or at least how I play it. I’m not following what others think I should do or how I should behave. I’m going to stop comparing myself to others and then justifying my place in the world. I will not judge or tear down others to make myself look or feel better.
I’m going to try and banish the word should from my vocabulary. Boy, Little J will be happy about that.
by beth on March 15, 2010
I’m not going to sugar-coat it. I suck at real-life networking. I do OK online, but still panic a little when reaching out to someone I don’t know whether via Twitter or leaving a comment on a blog post. I have no idea why I am this way, I don’t remember some horrible experience that scarred me for life. Of course, maybe that memory is just totally repressed. I am comfortable in a sales meeting or phone call that has been scheduled. I really do love speaking in front of a group, but put me in the middle of a room with people and I’m going to do one of 2 things: 1) Look for someone I know and hang out with them or 2) play on my iPhone. I told you, I suck.
I have become increasingly frustrated by my behavior because I am really missing some great opportunities to meet people. Last Saturday I attended a great event for Women Bloggers hosted by the wonderful Jen and Lara called Momz Share. It was a great opportunity to meet some wonderful women bloggers and I blew it. Totally blew it. I walked into the kitchen, got a drink, found someone I knew and proceeded to have the most wonderful time talking to her, but we never moved out of the kitchen. I did meet a few people on my way out that I had conversed with on Twitter, but did not muster up the nerve to approach anyone totally new.
I spent most of Sunday, beating myself up for this behavior. My biggest fear is that people won’t realize I am painfully shy and they will think I am a snob that doesn’t want to meet anyone. So after I was done beating myself up, I realized I have some more opportunities over the next 6 to 8 months to network at conferences. After the initial panic wore off, I realized I need to change my ways or not even bother attending any of these events.
Now I am on a mission to get over my fear of introducing myself to new people so that I can actually enjoy myself and make the investment in these conference worthwhile. So, I ask you, my friend, how do you get over your fear of networking. Any tips or strategies to help me? Please share.
by beth on February 11, 2010
I’m not trying to be a downer on my usual light-hearted blog, but I just feel the need to get this off my chest. I have tweeted it and posted it as a status on Facebook, but I think it deserves more than 140 characters. These snowstorms over the past week have hit local business hard. There was a great conversation about it this morning on Twitter among a lot of my Frederick friends. Sorry I can’t remember everyone in the conversation to give credit to, but you know who you are. :-)
Some of the ways these companies have been impacted are:
- Lost revenue from not being able to be open and shoppers not being able to get out to shop.
- Events canceled or postponed meaning refunds or delayed payment.
- Expenses from paying for snow removal or taking care of any damage the snow may have caused.
- Hourly employees who lost pay because they couldn’t make it to work or work was closed.
- Shipments to companies have been delayed causing inventory issues.
- Mail not being delivered has meant payments are not received.
- Meetings being canceled and purchasing decisions delayed.
- Let’s not forget this is Valentine’s weekend and a day that many retailers, florists and restaurants rely upon.
All of these affect the bottom line for business both large and small, but the smaller businesses are affected more due to their finely tuned cash flow system. One hiccup in the system will throw the cash flow dance off rhythm. I can completely attest to this being a small business owner myself. While being snowed in for a week most likely won’t have a lasting impact on me, things like the recession and 9/11 did. Anything unexpected that causes people to not spend money, whether for fear or being snowed in, can be crippling to the businesses they typically support.
So what can we do? Once your local governments have deemed it safe to travel on the roads, make an effort to get out to your locally owned small businesses and show them some love with you wallet. Our family did this on Tuesday before this latest storm. We wanted out of the house and decided to visit one of our favorite pizza shops for dinner. We have already started talking about where we want to get out to this weekend to eat and for a little retail therapy. I mean Little J and Hubby both deserve a nice Valentine gift after being snowed in with me all week
Finally, don’t just limit it to this weekend. It’s going to take awhile for businesses to recover, so when you have a choice on where to make a purchase or eat, look locally first and know that your purchase is really making a difference.
You know you want out of the house anyway, so get out there and make a local business owner smile.
by beth on February 1, 2010
January is over, so I decided to take a look at my 2010 goals and see what kind of progress I’m making. For some reason I thought I would be more likely to complete them if I called them goals rather than resolutions. I realized I never posted them, so I will have to let you know what they are and where I am with each one. So here we go:
Personal
Better life/work balance.
Overall for the month it’s been pretty good. Some days have been more work than life, but overall they have balanced out. I partially attribute this to the blog you are reading right now. This blog is forcing me giving me the opportunity to do more of what I love and share it here rather than always pushing it to the back burner. I still have more to do in this area, and the hubby and I are planning some short trips to get away and have quality family time. I’m open to ideas if you have any for weekends away with a 5 year old.
Experiment with new foods/tastes.
I need some improvement here. I have tried some new recipes and techniques, but not so much actual new ingredients or tastes. I seem to chicken out and go with my safe choice.
Getting in shape
This is a MAJOR FAIL for January. Yikes! It’s no secret that I love food and I’m not talking salad. I have trouble getting myself motivated to work out even though I know I’m going to feel better when I am done. This month I’m pledging to get back into the exercise groove, because you know I’m not going to give up good food and baking. The workout I like the best is EA Active for the Wii. Stay tuned to see how it goes…
Business
Do more writing than reading
In the past, I have read so many blogs that I talked myself out of writing a lot of post over at Marketing Roadhouse. I made myself commit to reading news and some blogs, but to make sure I am expressing my thoughts and opinions on a regular basis. So far, so good. I feel back in the groove on my writing.
Whenever an opportunity arises, ask if it will move me closer or further away from my goals.
I have surprisingly been successful with this. Why do I say surprisingly? I figured I would slip back into my comfort zone and say yes even when I know I shouldn’t. By using this approach, it really has helped me make decisions easier. I’m pleased with my progress here and hope I can keep using this technique.
I do have others, but I’m not quite open enough to let you in on all of them. I hope you understand.
So how are you doing with your resolutions or goals?
by beth on January 18, 2010
I started my business 11 years ago this month. Every time I think back over the years I can only think about the mistakes I made over the years and how they have impacted me personally and professionally. This is not to say I haven’t had my share of success over the years, I have. I’m just the type of person that tends to focus on my short-comings rather than my strengths.
This is not a pity party in any way. It’s just how I reflect on the past. I also think it is time to celebrate our mistakes as business owners as it is what truly defines us. I feel that I have turned most of my mistakes into positives and strive to never repeat them. I guess some things you just have to learn the hard way. You can read the books, but you won’t truly believe them until you are smacked in the face with harsh reality.
As I work towards my goals in 2010, I’m sure to reflect back on the past to make sure the decisions I am making now do not repeat the mistakes from the past. I’m ready to move beyond beating myself up for these mistakes and embracing them since it has defined who I am and what I do on a daily basis. Last year was a very successful year and I attribute it partially to being able to avoid repeating missteps. It’s not to say I am mistake free these days, but at least they are not repeats and I don’t beat myself up as much any more.
Join me this year in celebrating our successes, no matter how small and turning past mistakes into competitive advantages. Who is with me?
