Being OFF is as Important as Being ON

I had the luxury of spending some time by myself on Saturday, wandering through the packed streets at my own pace and stopping where I pleased. I spent a ridiculous amount of time (and money) in a local bookstore, and then felt inspired to sit down and write in my new little notebook. Passing by one of my favorite cafes in my neighborhood, I decided to stop in and sit there to write, rather than in my familiar apartment.

The first thing I see when I walk in to the café is Robin Williams. And who is he sitting with? Craig Ferguson, one of my favorite comedians. (My apologies to the other guy they were sitting with – I’m sure he’s amazingly funny and fabulous as well, but I didn’t recognize him)

So yes, I just name-dropped. Forgive me – I’m excited because I rarely see celebrities. Honestly, though, it’s a rather lame name-drop, as I didn’t talk with them or take a photo with them or anything. I just happened to be in the same space as them. I don’t think they even looked up at me as I walked by, but I’m sure my face registered some surprise. I had to reign myself in from being an annoying fan. I sat away from them to control myself, but did bend an ear in their direction.

It was a revelation. They are NORMAL PEOPLE. It was just three guys sitting around together, catching up, talking about work. Nothing juicy, no punchline-per-second. If you’ve ever seen an interview with Robin Williams, you would think he had no OFF switch, but he most certainly does. He’s a normal guy talking normally with friends. Conversational, friendly.

There’s a time and a place for being ON. For these comedians, it’s on stage or in front of the camera. But when hanging at a coffee shop with friends, they are themselves. Think of your business writing in the same way. There is a time and a place to lay on the sales pitch, throw in jargon, focus on the product rather than benefits. The place for this is usually not your website.

There are so, so many avenues to express your business. Your website does not have to be the one and only thing that must include it all. Sales sheets, brochures, blogs, taglines, postcards, posters, trade show booths, videos, promotions, etc, etc – all can help you share your message in a more targeted way. They do not have to be expensive or viral, they just have to get to your message to your audience in an authentic way.

Authentic being key. On stage, a comedian is a performer. Sitting in a café, a comedian is a person. He would have no friends if he was performing 24 hours a day. Authenticity is key to making a connection with your audience. Allow your website to peek into your true self. Yes, there is a way to do that while still being professional. And then experiment with other avenues that pique your interest. There’s a lot of creative space out there – use it.

How Will You Measure Your Life? - article link

From Harvard Business School professor Clay Christensen, on applying his academic principles to your personal life. Get ready to be inspired. It's a good reminder to us all that there is a deeper meaning behind all our work, and it's worth the time to think about what exactly that is.

How Will You Measure Your Life?

Backpacking & the Challenges of Your Own Business

I took my first backpacking camping trip this past weekend. That’s when you haul your tent, sleeping bag, and food into the wilderness on your back, rather than just unpack it from your car a few feet from your campsite. I was excited and nervous. Would I have enough food? Did I have the right supplies? What if there was a change in weather? I prepared myself as well as I could, thanks to backpacking enthusiasts on the internet, and was on my way.

The four of us were tackling Half Dome, the most recognized peak at Yosemite National Park. None of us have ever climbed it before, but have heard stories about how all kinds of people, big and small, have climbed it. I’m not sure about those stories anymore. It was scary. Much scarier than I had anticipated. I’m talking about the cables up at the top. But just when you think you may not make it, and when your heart is beating its fastest, you dig deep to continue and finally reach the top. And then you are rewarded by the most breathtaking views of the park. We had started out really early that morning and at one point, were the only four people up there.

Over the three days, we hiked close to 20 miles. I have never hiked for multiple days in a row, nevermind for such distances. We would go for hours without seeing other people. Just us and nature. It was so peaceful. We saw beautiful sunrises, beautiful sunsets, high peaks, mountain streams, lots of trees, lots of squirrels and chipmunks, and even a bear. We got water from streams, climbed up and up some more, celebrated dehydrated food, and kept walking even when we wanted to stop.

It was a phenomenal weekend. I learned a lot about backpacking, and about myself. As cheesy as that sounds, it’s true. When not distracted by cell phones and email, you’re left with just your hiking partners and your thoughts.

So here are a few of mine, forged over a few days of walking. It seems to me that a backpacking trip shares a lot of things in common with building your own business.

Prepare as much as you can
Research what you can, but as some point, you just have to start and see what happens.

Gear is important
Backpacking is more successful with efficient equipment. Lightweight, compact, not more than you need. Make sure you have the few key pieces that will really make a difference.

Sometimes you don’t know where you are
You may not have the best map, or maybe the trail is taking longer than you thought it should. Check in with signs when you can, and don’t wander too far from the trail. Keep heading in the direction you want.

You have to go up high to enjoy the coolest stuff

But it’s a real challenge to push yourself there

It’s a mental game
When you’re tired, the last thing you want to see is a trail going straight up. How will you get yourself through it?

Your hiking partners can make the difference in your success
When you are losing at your mental game, those around you can inspire you in a new way. Never hike with naysayers.

There is a lesson in everything
Learn from this experience, and make the next one better.

You can go further than you ever thought you could
Without the encouragement from each other and the fact that we had to keep going to get back to basecamp, we would not have gone that far and pushed through the tough spots. It’s there within you, you just have to wake it up.

What other things have you learned from hiking? And what are some of your favorite hiking spots? I'm ready to take another journey...

Business Lessons from the Library

The library is one of my favorite places to work. It’s rarely quiet but has nice desks, free wi-fi, people, and loads of knowledge. I feel inspired and focused when I’m there. I guess I also look around a lot, as I found myself observing the library workings. That humble place can teach us small business owners a thing or two.

Go the extra step
There is a library employee walking around the shelves, rescuing abandoned books and straightening up the books within their stacks. This, of course, is not necessary. People will still come in search of knowledge, whether or not the spines of the books are flush with the shelf. But why not make it a little easier for people to find what they’re looking for? Make the place feel a bit more comfortable and welcoming?

Think of this in terms of your website, or your customer service system. We can all put out the minimum to suffice, but we can also put out something better with a bit more effort.

Have a system, but be flexible
The Dewy Decimal system – brilliant. From its humble beginnings at Amherst College, Massachusetts, in 1876, the system is now used in over 135 countries. It turns out the system has gone through 22 major revisions since then, integrating new categories such as photography (770) and paranormal phenomena (130). The libraries themselves also updated their system by creating a digital card catalog and book tracking system.

Jennifer Shaheen at Entrepreneur.com recently highlighted the need to build a flexible website that will grow with your business. Same goes for your business plan, marketing plan, business model…

Give your knowledge freely
Without any money or identification, you can sit in the library and enjoy all the knowledge it offers. For a few minutes and a few key strokes, you can sign up for a library card and check out books for free. The library asks for your information so they know where to find you should you never return the book – they do not ask for your info to add to their email newsletter or to spam you.

We cannot give away all our products for free, or that would not be business. But we can find a comfortable balance between tight-lipped and sinking ships. When you offer profound expertise (meaning, profound content), people will keep coming back to you – no need to force the issue.

There is not enough time to read everything
Just in the fiction section alone, the choices are overwhelming and my “to-read” list gets longer each week. But there is no time to lament over what has not been read. Either pick the top choices, or become a full-time reader.

Sound familiar? It’s the blogosphere, and it’s even more conveniently located than the library. There are many, many great ones to read (ahem… why, thank you!) but unless you want to trade in your business for reading, you have to bypass some and stick with the ones that resonate with you.


See you at the library. You'll find me in section 780.