Tightrope: Stop and remember the reason you're in business

A long time friend (whom I will call Marvin) and I scheduled a long overdue luncheon meeting to catch up on each other's lives.

Marvin summed up his business activities with a quick "business is great" response and leaped into a joyous discussion about his family. Marvin and his wife Debra have been married for 25 years. They have three children ages 20, 15 and 3 years old.

He spent a great deal of time talking about the things that Gracie, the 3-year-old, was doing. He said that her display of love made him feel 10 feet tall. Each evening as he pulled into the driveway he would look up at the picture window and there she was waiting for his arrival with a happy smile and a wave. By the time he got to the door she was standing there waiting to give him his daily hug and kiss.

He said that one day after one of those greetings he mentioned to Debra how different children were today. He told his wife that their older children had never shown that same kind of affection. And then with a hint of sadness he recounted Debra's response. She reminded him that the older children had come along while Marvin was in the midst of building his construction company and he had worked 12 to 15 hours a day. The children were usually in bed when he got home and he was gone back to work before they got up, she said. It was only during the past few years that Marvin felt comfortable enough to work fewer hours, which allowed him more family time. Debra concluded that Gracie knew her father in a different way than the older children, not because Gracie was different or times had changed but because Marvin had changed.

He went on to tell me how he would never have known what he missed if Gracie had not come along. Marvin said that after his eye-opening conversation with his wife he reflected back on the years during the building of his company. He remembered his employee turnover was exceptionally high. He now recognizes that he wanted his employees to log the same long grueling hours as he had and they couldn't or wouldn't adhere to his pressure. He said that since slowing down he no longer took medication for headaches and ulcers. And his mood was more pleasant and he was enjoying life more.

Talking to Marvin made me think of my dad. My father worked three jobs to care for his family and without fail he always made a point to be home for the family dinner. And he kept Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning available for his family. My guess is that my father had to make sacrifices somewhere along the way. Maybe he let a few dollars pass him by in order to spend time with us.

It is very easy to get caught up in the daily realm of business and let other important issues go. The only way to avoid this situation is to keep in mind the reason for building a business or going to the job in the first place. Usually the reason is simply to provide for the ones you love. Could this be the reason that many business people keep a photo of the family on their desk? Could it be a reminder of what their real goals and aspirations are?

I am grateful for the Marvins in the world who serve as a reminder for us to stop and reassess how and why we do what we do. With that said I think I'll stop right here and take in some quality time with my family. I've been promising to take an interest in my daughter's flower garden, and this is a good time to help her do some planting.

Happy spring.

Gladys Edmunds' Entrepreneurial Tightrope column appears Wednesdays. Click here for an index of her columns. As a single, teen-age mom, Gladys made money doing laundry, cooking dinners for taxi drivers and selling fire extinguishers and Bibles door-to-door. Today, Edmunds is founder of Edmunds Travel Consultants in Pittsburgh and author of There's No Business Like Your Own Business, a six-step guide to success published by Viking. Her website is www.gladysedmunds.com. You can e-mail her at gladys@gladysedmunds.com.

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Tightrope: Hire someone for your PR? Depends ...

Let's take a look at a situation that might be helpful in shining a light on your question. Perhaps it will also give your husband another point of view.

Several months ago a man I know named James decided that racism was still a problem after experiencing a racial problem at his workplace. To help bring harmony to his work environment, James believed that he had diversity training skills and convinced his employer to allow him to design and conduct a series of diversity workshops that would require attendance by all employees.

James stopped by to visit me to discuss his plans and to see if I could give him suggestions in laying out his workshops. I suggested that he hire an expert skilled in diversity training to help him work through the details. I also suggested that James begin his workshops by explaining to his audience exactly what he meant by diversity.

James quickly informed me that he did not need the input from "so-called" experts and that anyone with an ounce of intelligence knew what diversity was and did not need it explained. In fact, according to James, conducting and designing a workshop was simple and could be done by anyone. I unsuccessfully tried to explain that diversity meant more than racial harmony. He turned a deaf ear to my suggestions.

A couple of weeks ago I was shopping in the store where James works and ran into him. Because I hadn't heard from him since our discussion several months prior, I asked him if he had started the workshops.

With a bit of disappointment in his voice he told me that he had done three of the six workshops he designed. At the end of the third workshop his manager who was eager to develop harmony in the store stopped in to see how things were going. He asked the participants what they thought diversity was all about and how the workshops were helping them. A woman raised her hand and informed her boss that diversity meant that if you do something wrong on the sales floor you have to quickly "diverse" into doing something else in order to straighten it out.

Needless to say after three sessions the participants were clueless about the nature and meaning of diversity. James' boss relieved him of his workshop duties and hired a diversity expert and James went back to the sales floor.

As for whether or not you should do your own public relations and marketing depends on your skills in those areas. I am a believer in do-it-yourself, if you really know how to do it yourself. Take a lesson from the above story. If only James had asked himself a few simple questions he would have saved both himself and his co-workers time and energy and his employer's money. Have you ever done marketing or public relations or any kind of promotional work? Do you even understand exactly what it is and what's involved? In the event that you take the road of do-it-yourself, do you know someone in the field who can guide you? Be completely honest and true to yourself when making an evaluation of your skills. If you have the slightest question about your ability to perform effectively, then call in the experts!

Gladys Edmunds' Entrepreneurial Tightrope column appears Wednesdays. Click here for an index of her columns. As a single, teen-age mom, Gladys made money doing laundry, cooking dinners for taxi drivers and selling fire extinguishers and Bibles door-to-door. Today, Edmunds is founder of Edmunds Travel Consultants in Pittsburgh and author of There's No Business Like Your Own Business, a six-step guide to success published by Viking. Her website is www.gladysedmunds.com. You can e-mail her at gladys@gladysedmunds.com.

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Tightrope: Don't let bad habits sabotage your success

Recently, on my morning walk through the park, I happened on a woman whom I see frequently walking her golden retriever. Mary (not her real name) also owns a resale shop. We usually stop and chat about the status of her business and the economy.

During that particular morning I noticed that both she and her dog, Cleo, had lost quite a bit of weight. And I congratulated her for it.

She recalled that a little more than a year ago her dog had started to have seizures. The vet questioned Mary about Cleo's eating and exercise regimen. Mary told the doctor that she fed Cleo the same food that she ate. And, as for exercise, she told the doctor that Cleo had no particular exercise routine.

According to the veterinarian, extreme obesity was wreaking havoc on the animal's health. The only way to save Cleo's life was to provide proper nutrition and give the animal exercise.

Mary said that Cleo was her best friend and she couldn't imagine life without him. Mary said that she had always been on the heavy side and it had never been much of a concern for her and therefore she had not recognized Cleo's extra fat as any kind of problem. But whatever it took to save Cleo's life, she was willing to do.

The veterinarian told Mary that Cleo should not eat the same food as she. However, because Cleo had spent his life eating human food, Mary said he wouldn't touch the dog food she tried to give him. That led her to changing her own diet and eating healthier.

She said her next step was to provide an outlet for Cleo to exercise. Mary had an expensive fence installed around her backyard with the hope that Cleo would run around in the space. But Cleo spent most of his days sleeping in the front window at the resale shop and had no desire to run around in the yard at home. Instead Cleo would find a nice, sunny spot in the yard and fall asleep there.

Mary was forced to implement plan B — take Cleo walking on a leash. A magazine article inspired her to buy a pedometer to keep track of steps and miles walked.

She and Cleo set out to walk a few thousand steps a day. She said in the beginning, both she and the dog were exhausted after walking less than a block. The first few weeks she said she barely took 2,000 steps the entire day and Cleo took fewer.

As Mary and Cleo celebrate their one-year anniversary of living a healthier lifestyle she told me the changes in both her business and private life have been too numerous to mention.

She and Cleo now walk four miles a day. She has drooped 50 pounds; she has energy that she refers to as almost superhuman. She applied some of her energy to her business. She has found herself doing promotional things she didn't have the energy to do before. Mary distributes fliers around her community and has staged fashion shows as fundraisers for churches and on-profit organizations. These activities have increased her business significantly.

As for Cleo, he is now a much slimmer healthier golden retriever.

It's easy to drift into a lifestyle of getting up and lying down with no thought of what happens in between. And yet it's what happens in between that makes all the difference in failure or success.

Mary had Cleo to wake her up. Most of us don't have a Cleo in our lives. Use the change of seasons to stop and assess your lifestyle to make certain your habits aren't sabotaging your success.

Gladys Edmunds' Entrepreneurial Tightrope column appears Wednesdays. Click here for an index of her columns. As a single, teen-age mom, Gladys made money doing laundry, cooking dinners for taxi drivers and selling fire extinguishers and Bibles door-to-door. Today, Edmunds is founder of Edmunds Travel Consultants in Pittsburgh and author of There's No Business Like Your Own Business, a six-step guide to success published by Viking. Her website is www.gladysedmunds.com. You can e-mail her at gladys@gladysedmunds.com.

Powered By WizardRSS.com | Full Text RSS Feed | Amazon Plugin | Hud Settlement Statement

View the original article here

Tightrope: Don't let bad habits sabotage your success

Recently, on my morning walk through the park, I happened on a woman whom I see frequently walking her golden retriever. Mary (not her real name) also owns a resale shop. We usually stop and chat about the status of her business and the economy.

During that particular morning I noticed that both she and her dog, Cleo, had lost quite a bit of weight. And I congratulated her for it.

She recalled that a little more than a year ago her dog had started to have seizures. The vet questioned Mary about Cleo's eating and exercise regimen. Mary told the doctor that she fed Cleo the same food that she ate. And, as for exercise, she told the doctor that Cleo had no particular exercise routine.

According to the veterinarian, extreme obesity was wreaking havoc on the animal's health. The only way to save Cleo's life was to provide proper nutrition and give the animal exercise.

Mary said that Cleo was her best friend and she couldn't imagine life without him. Mary said that she had always been on the heavy side and it had never been much of a concern for her and therefore she had not recognized Cleo's extra fat as any kind of problem. But whatever it took to save Cleo's life, she was willing to do.

The veterinarian told Mary that Cleo should not eat the same food as she. However, because Cleo had spent his life eating human food, Mary said he wouldn't touch the dog food she tried to give him. That led her to changing her own diet and eating healthier.

She said her next step was to provide an outlet for Cleo to exercise. Mary had an expensive fence installed around her backyard with the hope that Cleo would run around in the space. But Cleo spent most of his days sleeping in the front window at the resale shop and had no desire to run around in the yard at home. Instead Cleo would find a nice, sunny spot in the yard and fall asleep there.

Mary was forced to implement plan B — take Cleo walking on a leash. A magazine article inspired her to buy a pedometer to keep track of steps and miles walked.

She and Cleo set out to walk a few thousand steps a day. She said in the beginning, both she and the dog were exhausted after walking less than a block. The first few weeks she said she barely took 2,000 steps the entire day and Cleo took fewer.

As Mary and Cleo celebrate their one-year anniversary of living a healthier lifestyle she told me the changes in both her business and private life have been too numerous to mention.

She and Cleo now walk four miles a day. She has drooped 50 pounds; she has energy that she refers to as almost superhuman. She applied some of her energy to her business. She has found herself doing promotional things she didn't have the energy to do before. Mary distributes fliers around her community and has staged fashion shows as fundraisers for churches and on-profit organizations. These activities have increased her business significantly.

As for Cleo, he is now a much slimmer healthier golden retriever.

It's easy to drift into a lifestyle of getting up and lying down with no thought of what happens in between. And yet it's what happens in between that makes all the difference in failure or success.

Mary had Cleo to wake her up. Most of us don't have a Cleo in our lives. Use the change of seasons to stop and assess your lifestyle to make certain your habits aren't sabotaging your success.

Gladys Edmunds' Entrepreneurial Tightrope column appears Wednesdays. Click here for an index of her columns. As a single, teen-age mom, Gladys made money doing laundry, cooking dinners for taxi drivers and selling fire extinguishers and Bibles door-to-door. Today, Edmunds is founder of Edmunds Travel Consultants in Pittsburgh and author of There's No Business Like Your Own Business, a six-step guide to success published by Viking. Her website is www.gladysedmunds.com. You can e-mail her at gladys@gladysedmunds.com.

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Tightrope: Stop and remember the reason you're in business

A long time friend (whom I will call Marvin) and I scheduled a long overdue luncheon meeting to catch up on each other's lives.

Marvin summed up his business activities with a quick "business is great" response and leaped into a joyous discussion about his family. Marvin and his wife Debra have been married for 25 years. They have three children ages 20, 15 and 3 years old.

He spent a great deal of time talking about the things that Gracie, the 3-year-old, was doing. He said that her display of love made him feel 10 feet tall. Each evening as he pulled into the driveway he would look up at the picture window and there she was waiting for his arrival with a happy smile and a wave. By the time he got to the door she was standing there waiting to give him his daily hug and kiss.

He said that one day after one of those greetings he mentioned to Debra how different children were today. He told his wife that their older children had never shown that same kind of affection. And then with a hint of sadness he recounted Debra's response. She reminded him that the older children had come along while Marvin was in the midst of building his construction company and he had worked 12 to 15 hours a day. The children were usually in bed when he got home and he was gone back to work before they got up, she said. It was only during the past few years that Marvin felt comfortable enough to work fewer hours, which allowed him more family time. Debra concluded that Gracie knew her father in a different way than the older children, not because Gracie was different or times had changed but because Marvin had changed.

He went on to tell me how he would never have known what he missed if Gracie had not come along. Marvin said that after his eye-opening conversation with his wife he reflected back on the years during the building of his company. He remembered his employee turnover was exceptionally high. He now recognizes that he wanted his employees to log the same long grueling hours as he had and they couldn't or wouldn't adhere to his pressure. He said that since slowing down he no longer took medication for headaches and ulcers. And his mood was more pleasant and he was enjoying life more.

Talking to Marvin made me think of my dad. My father worked three jobs to care for his family and without fail he always made a point to be home for the family dinner. And he kept Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning available for his family. My guess is that my father had to make sacrifices somewhere along the way. Maybe he let a few dollars pass him by in order to spend time with us.

It is very easy to get caught up in the daily realm of business and let other important issues go. The only way to avoid this situation is to keep in mind the reason for building a business or going to the job in the first place. Usually the reason is simply to provide for the ones you love. Could this be the reason that many business people keep a photo of the family on their desk? Could it be a reminder of what their real goals and aspirations are?

I am grateful for the Marvins in the world who serve as a reminder for us to stop and reassess how and why we do what we do. With that said I think I'll stop right here and take in some quality time with my family. I've been promising to take an interest in my daughter's flower garden, and this is a good time to help her do some planting.

Happy spring.

Gladys Edmunds' Entrepreneurial Tightrope column appears Wednesdays. Click here for an index of her columns. As a single, teen-age mom, Gladys made money doing laundry, cooking dinners for taxi drivers and selling fire extinguishers and Bibles door-to-door. Today, Edmunds is founder of Edmunds Travel Consultants in Pittsburgh and author of There's No Business Like Your Own Business, a six-step guide to success published by Viking. Her website is www.gladysedmunds.com. You can e-mail her at gladys@gladysedmunds.com.

Powered By WizardRSS.com | Full Text RSS Feed | Amazon Plugin | Hud Settlement Statement

Tightrope: Hire someone for your PR? Depends ...

Let's take a look at a situation that might be helpful in shining a light on your question. Perhaps it will also give your husband another point of view.

Several months ago a man I know named James decided that racism was still a problem after experiencing a racial problem at his workplace. To help bring harmony to his work environment, James believed that he had diversity training skills and convinced his employer to allow him to design and conduct a series of diversity workshops that would require attendance by all employees.

James stopped by to visit me to discuss his plans and to see if I could give him suggestions in laying out his workshops. I suggested that he hire an expert skilled in diversity training to help him work through the details. I also suggested that James begin his workshops by explaining to his audience exactly what he meant by diversity.

James quickly informed me that he did not need the input from "so-called" experts and that anyone with an ounce of intelligence knew what diversity was and did not need it explained. In fact, according to James, conducting and designing a workshop was simple and could be done by anyone. I unsuccessfully tried to explain that diversity meant more than racial harmony. He turned a deaf ear to my suggestions.

A couple of weeks ago I was shopping in the store where James works and ran into him. Because I hadn't heard from him since our discussion several months prior, I asked him if he had started the workshops.

With a bit of disappointment in his voice he told me that he had done three of the six workshops he designed. At the end of the third workshop his manager who was eager to develop harmony in the store stopped in to see how things were going. He asked the participants what they thought diversity was all about and how the workshops were helping them. A woman raised her hand and informed her boss that diversity meant that if you do something wrong on the sales floor you have to quickly "diverse" into doing something else in order to straighten it out.

Needless to say after three sessions the participants were clueless about the nature and meaning of diversity. James' boss relieved him of his workshop duties and hired a diversity expert and James went back to the sales floor.

As for whether or not you should do your own public relations and marketing depends on your skills in those areas. I am a believer in do-it-yourself, if you really know how to do it yourself. Take a lesson from the above story. If only James had asked himself a few simple questions he would have saved both himself and his co-workers time and energy and his employer's money. Have you ever done marketing or public relations or any kind of promotional work? Do you even understand exactly what it is and what's involved? In the event that you take the road of do-it-yourself, do you know someone in the field who can guide you? Be completely honest and true to yourself when making an evaluation of your skills. If you have the slightest question about your ability to perform effectively, then call in the experts!

Gladys Edmunds' Entrepreneurial Tightrope column appears Wednesdays. Click here for an index of her columns. As a single, teen-age mom, Gladys made money doing laundry, cooking dinners for taxi drivers and selling fire extinguishers and Bibles door-to-door. Today, Edmunds is founder of Edmunds Travel Consultants in Pittsburgh and author of There's No Business Like Your Own Business, a six-step guide to success published by Viking. Her website is www.gladysedmunds.com. You can e-mail her at gladys@gladysedmunds.com.

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