The Middle Passage - Answering the Call

It was one of those months where people show up in your life because the encounter is supposed to happen. Some may say it's hocus pocus but I happen to believe that there is so much about life we do not understand.

As a woman who has questioned her sanity a time or two, heard the call for change, took the leap and got a toehold on the other side, I love looking back to holler at the sisters and brothers who are faced with what James Hollis refers to as the middle passage. Change can be so frightening but the reality is, it can also be rather fantastic.

Here's a few tips I learned on the journey and we've only just begun:

1. Letting go is key. This time of flux can make us question our own sanity. Part of the reason is because we love to be in control of our lives and change is all about letting go. But we have to freefall a bit to get to that new place. Let go!
2. You will make new friends. There are benefits and burdens associated with all change. Not everyone will support your decision to change or like the new you. You will make new friends and your old friends will have their own transition. The ones that are important will be with you in the new life. This change is natural. You're not supposed to hold on so tight that you can't grow. So let go!!
3. You will amaze yourself. You can do so much more than you ever imagined. We grow across our lifespans. Once you stop fearing change and actually embrace it as a necessary part of life, your life will be amazing again. So let go!!!

No matter what put you in this situation, know this - only you can take you to the next level.

Grateful for this? Really???

My friend Renee recently gave me a beautiful gratitude journal and I treasure that gift. Truth is, she was as excited about giving me the gift as I was about receiving it. Gratitude at times like this is a fairly easy practice.

But what about those times when life isn't going so great? Let's say your life is a mess at the moment? Can you feel gratitude when you're in the middle of a real crapstorm?

Your child tells you she hates you. You're on your way to sign bankruptcy  papers and you are going to be couch surfing because truth be told you can't afford to get your own place right now.

Gratitude is no warm and fussy matter. It is an essential ingredient to creating a better life even in the middle of all of the mess that we sometimes need to call living.

Here are a few tips that worked for me when the days were dim. Hope they work for you.

1. Suspend your disbelief. Sit with pen and paper and take a moment before writing to acknowledge that you are not feeling very grateful right now but you are going to suspend your disbelief for the duration of your writing.

2. Mine for gold. In the midst of my own turmoil,the cat making it too the litter box was often the only thing that I could find to write about.  If being grateful puts you in the right mindset, humour greases the wheels a little. Look around you, there are things going well in your world.

3. Keep at it. Don't give up the practice just because it appears that things are not going well. Like most new tasks, you get better by doing.


Don't give up before the miracle happens. I'm grateful for you.

Creating a Supportive Community

“We are more than a gym. We are building community and I want that community to be inclusive. Whether you are an elite athlete or are new to fitness, you will always be welcome at Rocky Lake CrossFit.” Shane Lynch is my nephew and the owner of the new “box” in Bedford. We had a sit down to see if I would come in and chat with his members about what it takes to build and sustain a welcoming and inclusive community.

“Not everyone will want to be in an inclusive gym. It was part of my mission when I opened. The folks who aren’t into that kind of environment will move on and, as we spread the word about how welcoming we are to people no matter what their fitness level, we will attract more of those people.”

Hats off to Shane - a man with a big vision.

First, Best or Different

I’m not a wine drinker but you can bet your bottom dollar I said yes to a chance to visit Luckett Vineyards. And what a fantastic experience it was. Pete Luckett knows business and I enjoyed having a brief chat with him, and watching him roll up his sleeves and get his hands in there. It was interesting because, from my experience with business folk, there are a few things that separate the successful people from those who are flash-in-a-pans. One of those things is a willingness to get your hands dirty. That’s not to say that when things are better, you don’t outsource some of the work. But a real willingness to be seen as human can go a long way to earning respect.

At one point, Pete stopped by our table with a smile on his face and a story to tell. I boldly asked for one piece of sage advice. “Are you ready?” he asked with a twinkle in his eye. Not one to be outdone in the charm department, I responded, “I am a Newfoundlander. I was born ready.”

“Be the first, be the best, or be different.” That’s it. The key to success. You heard it from the man.

In your Loudest Voice, Say "NO"

Do you ever look back on choices that you have made in the past and ask, “How did I end up here?” I know you may not want to hear it, but the truth is that we end up in places where we don’t want to be because we made choices.

Do you look back sometimes and think that if you had to do it again, you would run? Maybe ditched him at the altar, said “Not a chance” and hightailed it out of Dodge. Sometimes when we are so far along a road, we struggle to say no - even when we know we should. What will others think? How will I explain my change of heart?

Here’s what I think: say no when you know that you ought to say no. I did that this week when I made a decision to walk away from a lease negotiation that really wasn’t working in my favour. When I first thought, “I can’t say yes to this,” I got the 'cringe'. Oh no, what will everyone think? What will the other party think? But then a newer, stronger voice boomed inside my head, “What is in Debbie’s best interest?” And I walked away from the negotiation. It was in my best interest to do so.

What a relief. Out a few bucks, no big deal. It could have been a lot worse to make a decision that wasn’t working for me. I wish I had the same amount of courage back in the day. What are you saying yes to when a no would be the best response?

Grateful for This? Really?

Has anyone ever said that one day you will look back on this and be grateful? I’ve been there. No matter how true it might be, there is nothing worse than hearing those words when we are in the middle of turmoil.

As the movers loaded the last box onto the truck when I was moving from a house that I had hung onto far too long, the last thing I was thinking about was how grateful I would be for this lesson. After all, the real issue was that I couldn’t afford to live in this home, but I hated change more. I should have sold it earlier, but the reality was that I didn’t. And then I was forced to sell quickly because the gig was up with Peter and Paul. Most of us have been there and those who won’t admit it are likely in denial.

Gratitude is definitely part of a healthy creative process. Keeping a Gratitude Journal has become a staple in my life. In the early days it was almost painful to take the journal out. Sure I was grateful that we had running water and that the cat made it to the litter box. But I would give up running water just to drive a car again, and turn in the litter box for a chance to make a decent living.

In spite of the process, I stuck to it because my wise friend who is an expert in this area told me it was necessary. The more I dug deep to find things to be grateful for, the more blessings I uncovered. I have so much to be grateful for. I still miss the losses, but I’ve changed focus – the big things have lost their power over me. There is joy in my life.

No matter where you are today, take a moment, sit and write one page about what you are grateful for. Do it for 30 days and watch how it impacts your life in a good way.

Women Lead

Did you ever find yourself in a position at work where you're working for a great boss who really appreciates your work ethic and generally treats you well. Do you sometimes feed him nuggets of information that make him a better leader? Do you silently lead but never get the credit? If any of this sounds familiar - maybe it's time for you to get out there and take on a leadership role.

Think about it, you're doing it anyway without any of the risk. Women make awesome leaders but for some reason, we often struggle with that internal urge to put ourselves out there.Maybe it's time in every organization for women to step out and take on those roles. 

Who Gets the Love?

Sometimes discrimination in the workplace isn't as overt as mistreating you in a very open and obvious way. Sometimes, it’s a little more subtle. Sometimes it’s got to do with who gets the love.

We all mess up at times, wouldn't you agree? If you’re really part of the inner circle, you can mess up and people help you out. They circle the wagons, so to speak, and treat you like a human being. Understand one thing: we all make mistakes in life. If you’re part of the 'in group', you’ll be forgiven and move beyond those mistakes.

When you’re not quite an insider yet and you make a mistake, well that is a horse of a different colour. In closed cultures, the rules are a little different. You’re more likely to be thrown under the bus when you mess up. That, my friends, is a more subtle form of discrimination. I could care less what the policies are. Failing to act is painful and hurtful and downright wrong. Inclusion is when you provide the same treatment to Jane as you would for Joe. Know what I’m saying? No brainer.

So, in your workplace, who gets the love?

Are You Snagged in Your Own Safety Net?

Is it time to take that leap? Leave a full time, secure job or make enough money to put your disability pension in jeopardy? Those are tough choices. I’ve made at least one of them and coached others who have made both. For me it’s a no brainer, it’s the choice between living and shrivelling up and perishing. It’s as simple as that.

“But Debbie, you don’t understand, I may put my livelihood in jeopardy and we may not be able to enjoy the lifestyle we have.” That’s very true. Find a quiet place and be honest with yourself. Are you happy with the status quo? ‘Nuf said. You know what to do.

There are no guarantees in life. Risk takes guts. We all get to that chasm in life where we either jump or turn back. A devil you know or one you don’t? That’s a toughie.

Birthing a New Era - Men and Women as Team

We are at a pivotal time in our history. Many women of a certain age are learning the real secret - life is not like we thought it would be. For many of us we are on the cusp of bringing in a new way of doing things - whether it is relationships or who gets the remote after a long day of work. Things are changing.

It's not a case of women becoming empowered, it's more of a case of women and men realizing that the old model "women as caregiver, men as provider" does not work. We're birthing in a new era - we're going to be a team and it's about time.

What Kind of Woman do You need to Become?

Goals take work. That’s not news to you. You write it down. You set the intention. You take steps to make it happen. You fall off the wagon. You start again. You know the drill. Goals are not for the faint of heart.

The game changer for me came when I learned to ask myself this one question:  “What kind of woman do I want to become to achieve this goal?”

Check out this example. 2015 is the year of “strong body” for me. I have a goal that sees me changing my lifestyle resulting in a more active, slimmer and conscientious person when it comes to the benefits of good health. I’m not that woman yet.

I know the art of goal achievement - after all I make a living helping people achieve goals. I understand that goals take a lot of courage and determination.

The kind of person that I need to be to achieve this health and fitness goal is one with the courage to change. I have to be the kind of person who says no to a sale on chocolate cakes at the grocery store. I have to be a woman who jumps out of bed and into sneakers. I also have to be a woman who speaks a truth. Those chicken wings and nachos will not cut it if I am really committed to becoming a strong me.

I’m not that kind of woman yet. That’s the cold hard truth. But I will become that woman. I will gently morph into the type of person who is able to achieve that goal. It won’t be easy but a goal worth having is not one that is simple.

Have a look back at your goals and ask yourself the tough question: “What kind of woman do you need to become to achieve that goal?”

Get out there and get ‘er done.

photo by Sangudo / Flickr

Cardinal Rules for Women in Trades

So you have chosen a career in trades and you want to be amazing in your profession. They are lofty goals and many of us who have gone down that road have a real appreciation for what it takes to be someone who is respected in that workplace. What kind of person do you need to be to achieve that goal? You need to be the type of person who imposes rules upon herself even when those rules are not stated.

Here are my three cardinal rules for women in trades:

1. “Don’t get your honey where you make your money.” Show up on Day One as a professional. You’re not in a meat market. It’s not a pick-up joint. It’s a work place. Act accordingly. When we were young women in the army, we had a strict rule against fraternization. We tried to break it, of course. We also saw what happened to the people who did. If you ignore the rule, there are consequences. Maybe you won’t be called back to work next time you’re laid off because too much drama is hard to deal with. Women always get the blame; you don’t have to like it, but it is the truth.
2. Don’t tell dirty jokes, use sexual innuendos or comment on people’s body parts. Don’t open that door. You give them an inch and they will take a mile. Actions escalate. Today it’s a joke, but six months from now it’s a charge of sexual harassment with him saying, “She started it.” Don’t get yourself in that situation. Don’t accept the rope and you won’t hang yourself.
3. Observe the 3B rule: no breasts, no bellies and no bums. People who know me know that I’m well endowed in certain areas and I am proud of the girls, but when it comes to the workplace, it is minimize, minimize, minimize. Not the time or the place to be a diva.

Seems like common sense, but people who get in trouble have often ignored one of these cardinal rules.

photo by expertinfantry / Flickr

The Toxic Boss

What a difference it makes when you work for a boss who has your back. When I was a young mechanic in the army, I had the good fortune to work for a man who became the benchmark for other supervisors. Vic was not only fair, he was a gentleman, and he had a zero tolerance policy when it came to allowing anyone to bully the women. In the early 80s, there weren’t very many of us women in non-traditional trades in the army. They say the first one through the wall is usually the bloodiest and the truth was that we had a tough time in many areas. Vic had a way of dealing with people who broke the rules that let you know that you were going to be just fine. I was blessed to work for this man.

Because of this early experience, I was a little shocked when, later on, I had a boss that didn’t quite measure up. I worked for a man who was scared to confront a bully and was so two-faced that he had no one’s back except his own. What a difference it makes when you’re looked after in the work place. You can go to work, do your job and thrive. This new situation made it a chore to go to work and really impacted morale in the workplace.

When no one has your back, you need to develop some pretty amazing survival skills. With a weak boss, you’re on your own to protect yourself against bullies and people who like to abuse you. If my first encounter had been with this terrible supervisor, I would not have remained in the trade long enough to become a journeyman.

Vic ended up in a leadership role because he was not only a great technician, but he had great leadership skills. Unfortunately this is not always the case. There are all kinds of bosses out there with terrible skills when it comes to managing people. I hope you end up with the best and, if you don’t, learn some survival skills.

Good bosses:

• Stand up for you
• Set standards in the workplace that prohibit abuse

photo by Lottery Monkey/Flickr

Suspenders: You'll be Needin’ Them Now

If you intend to achieve results in your life, you have to gain control of your mind. During a recent workshop, I was passionately sharing with the class how important it is to suspend your disbelief when it comes to achieving goals. When the class was over, a student who had been sitting quietly at the back of the class made her way to the front. She wanted to know more about this concept of suspending disbelief. Actually she thought it wouldn't really work for her because no matter what she believed, she didn't have the resources right now to accomplish big change.

I loved where this conversation was heading. Achieving goals may require more resources, but the first ingredient is the right mindset. The resources will come. Dare to dream in technicolour and add a pinch of emotion and... voila!!! That is the recipe.

“So, that’s it?” she asked. I thought for a minute and, even though the explanation was a little oversimplified, the truth was that beliefs aren't the only things that need to be suspended. In a 'crabs in a bucket' society, it is often essential that you suspend your contact with some of those friends who work hard to undermine you at every turn. Those naysayers who will speak as loud as the little voice in your head to ensure that you never get ahead.

The mind is a powerful tool when it comes to accomplishing anything in life. For a while it got out of control with my 'poor me' and not being able to focus. I had to train my mind to dream a new dream and it is tough when your reality is not one that inspires hope.

So, suspend your disbelief for a second and dream a big dream. Surround yourself with folks who support you. Make sure there is alignment between your actions and your dreams. Once you develop the right mindset, you will see it as a tool you will use in all areas of your personal and professional life. Change your mind first and then your life will begin to change.

photo by Rrrrred / Flickr

Women make great apprentices, but...

“Pass that wrench to me, Debbie,” my father yelled down as I assisted him when he was repairing the furnace one day. It feels like I started my apprenticeship when I was four!! Truth be told, when girls are raised in families with tradespeople, it is not uncommon for them to learn the language of the industry just by being around it all the time.

The careers we chose (me a mechanic, and my sister and niece cement finishing) were quite natural for us. Women make awesome apprentices, but to become a journeyman, we have to have more than the hours in trade or a slip of paper. To become a functional journeyman, we have to challenge our internal belief systems.

Even after I received my qualification as a certified mechanic, I was quite content to be an apprentice during the work day. After all, it was safe to keep things going as they were. No sense ruffling feathers. The guys didn't mind having us around as much as they resented those women who looked arrogant to us. It wasn't until later that I realized that those women weren't arrogant at all. They were confident in what they did. I wanted to be just like them.

The defining moment for me was when I took the lead on some of those jobs, which was a huge risk - the risk of failure in front of folks who sometimes wanted us to fail. It meant stepping away from the women in our lives who were challenged by non-traditional women. It was a lonely place to be at times. Not quite belonging to the brotherhood, and having less and less in common with the sisterhood.

Where are you in the journey? Have you made that psychological shift yet? That's the real journey for us. Oh, the fun of it all.

2015 – Work the Plan

When you look back at the past year, what did you notice. Did things work out the way you had planned? What do you mean, you didn’t have a plan? That’s no way to live, make a plan and work the plan for a fantastic year.

Find a quiet corner and close your eyes. Take a deep breath. Let’s go.

Imagine that it is December 2015 and you’re looking back over the year ahead. Bear with me, this stuff works.

What have you achieved in 2015? Struggling to put yourself in this place – it gets easier to suspend your disbelief but don’t leave me yet. Take a deep breath. Imagine you’re responding to the question – “What kind of year did you have?”

Phrase your responses in the affirmative. Use examples below as template….

“My body is strong and getting stronger every day.”

“I have a beautiful partner in my life and we cherish one another.”

M gross revenue in my business is (fill in the blank).”

Now glorify in the feeling for a bit longer. How does it feel to have accomplished so much. Come on back to the present again. What do you need to do to achieve those goals? Make a plan and work the plan – simple isn’t it?

My First Business Coach – My Father

Long before terms like business coach, networking, pipelines and sales cycles were trendy, my father considered himself the go to guy for anything hobby farm related. He was a horse trader and my mother would swear that he would trade her if he got the right money. My father had all of the natural networking skill needed to be a successful business man. It was closing the deal that was a challenge for him. He would work a room, loved helping others and with just a rotary dial phone, he was The Connector Guy. When people needed something related to an animal, their first question would be “Did you call Randell?” My father knew the value of networking.

THE ART OF NETWORKING

This week I attended a couple of networking events and I couldn’t help but think of him. I watched people who were seasoned networkers and others who were just beginning and I wondered what he would tell anyone who asked how to do it.  As a teacher of business process, we often reverse engineer a task to see what the component parts are. I look at my father to see what that was. He would walk into a room and walk right up to a person he didn’t know and introduce  himself. He had the confidence to do that because he loved his people and he knew it was going to be fun. He would tell a story, make them laugh and set up a time to meet again. When we would get outside my father would pull a pencil from behind his ear and ask me to write a number down. Horse men don’t have business cards.

CONNECTING AFTERWARD

As a connector guy, he provided value add first. He always helped people find the people they needed to connect with. My father would be on the phone most evenings and we would hear him say “I’ll tell you why I’m phoning you. I got a fella needs a ……”  I know he’d tell you to help someone get what they need and the sale will come. I meet so many people who try and sell in that first introduction.

PUT ON A HAPPY FACE

Nobody likes a stick in the mud. We would rather buy from someone who will also give us a light dusting of humour with our sale. My father always made people laugh. It makes people feel good and we remember people who make us feel good. We do business with folks we know and trust.

FOLLOW UP

I can hear my father say “I must give buddy a call.” I’d ask “What for?” My father didn’t need a reason. People loved hearing from him and talking about what they had in common. In the conversation he would be planting seeds about this and that. It wasn’t awkward, the conversation naturally went that way. My father would tell me not to push too hard too early.

Last night I read the poem to him called  “The Race”. We both enjoy it and it’s about getting up again after a fall. Don’t worry about getting it right the first time, get up and try again if it is a flop the first time.

“You’re never going to get good at it if you give up.” Happy Networking.

3 Steps to Getting Over Frustration and On with Business

Don’t quit – frustration is a call to action.

Are you frustrated and ready to throw in the towel? I’ve been there and I’m glad that you’re here reading this. One day I am  sitting here with a friend and I am pissed. I’d worked my ass off to get where I was and where I was wasn’t all that great a place. No sales, can’t pay the bills – one failed attempt after another.

I QUIT

After a long rant I said “I quit. I was never meant to be in business. No one wants what I’m selling. I’m not cut out for this. I’m done!! Yes they were strong words but they were even stronger if you know the context. I was living on a disability pension. I am legally blind and even if I was not disabled, finding a job at my age is a challenge. Giving up was the equivalent of saying “I’ll just live on my disability pension for the next 30 years or so.” I was frustrated.

DON’T MINCE WORDS

My good friend Peter was great at not mincing words. He said “Debbie, listen to yourself. You’re not a quitter. You haven’t invested all of this energy to quit. Frustration is a call to action.”

He was right and it was just what I needed at the time. I licked my wounds and took a good hard look at myself. I am now headed down a new road but not before I learned a few lessons. If you are frustrated, here is what I would suggest:

TAKE 3 NOT SO EASY STEPS

1. Take a break and take an inventory of what you can do. You’ve got a lot of great skills that got you into business in the first place. Maybe you need a couple of new skills to get you to the next level.

2. Seek out help if you need it. Have you really humbled yourself or are you pissed because it is not coming easier to you?  I needed a coach to get me through this one.  Skills you need in business have nothing to do with selling the features of your product. It’s about learning to market.

3. Get a Peter in your life. Loads of people will tell you what you’re doing right. Most people won’t be honest. But a true friend will give you the goods. I’m grateful that Peter made me mad enough to get help that day. Find someone who will give you that kind of support.

Debbie describes herself as a resultant entrepreneur who is having the time of her life.

Budgets in 5 Simple Steps

Like most lessons I have learned tendency to wait for hard knocks before I get it. Not always the best choice, but it is what it is.  When I went bankrupt, I forced myself to learn how to budget. There was no way I was ending up back in that place again. Might I assume that you’re reading this because it is your time. Welcome aboard – you’re in great company.

In my program on financial literacy called The Buck Stops Here, I teach many new skills. We usually wind up needing these skills because somewhere along the way we missed that class on financial savvy. Maybe there was no class. I’ve only ever known borrowing from Peter to pay Paul and then hitting up Matthew and Mark. It only works for so long.  If you’re still reading, the good news is that you’re about to change all that.

People fail at diets and budgets because they take on too much all at once. I suggest a gentle approach. But hey, it’s your life.

TRACK SPENDING

Track your spending  for a minimum of three months to get a real sense of what your spending habits are. Where are you leaking valuable money? Tracking is like slowly pulling your head out of the sand. It gives you a lazer sharp focus on where the dough is going.

Own it. It’s your life and you need to take responsibility for it if you want to make changes. When you have had a chance to digest it, you’re ready for the next step.

OPEN THE BILLS

In this day and age, many of our bills are taken directly from our bank account. How many of your bills are stacked in a pile unopened? Take inventory of you must pay out each month. Print off a statement of each bill and don’t miss any. Stick them in a binder – let’s call it the budget binder. Don’t miss any – gym membership, car insurance, line of credit, student loan payment, etc.

WHAT IS COMING IN

How much money do you have coming in during the month? Many folks have a steady income – job security and they can count on the same money from week to week or month to month. Fixed income is easier to budget. Entrepreneurs have a different reality as you know. But you can still budget. What do you have coming in each month?

GET THE CALENDAR

Take your calendar and a black marker. Put the income in on the dates that you will receive it. Now take your red marker and enter the bill payments on the date that they are coming out of the account.

Don’t stop there – remember the tracking that you were doing. Look at the miscellaneous spending that went on. Put those numbers in if they are realistic.

No one is watching you. Don’t try and make a budget of what you should spend. Make it real – what will you spend your money on this month? If you are in deficit, you are in deficit. You can’t change all of the bad habits in one day. Give yourself a break. Have a long hard look and again, own the budget. It’s yours and as scary as it is, it is real.

We are all done sweeping things under the rug.

MONTH END EVALUATION

At the end of the month you pull it all out again. Because you have continued the practice of tracking your spending, you can now enter the actual numbers. You may do this periodically throughout the month. Either way, it’s all there in black and red. How did you make out? Were there any surprises? Do you need to make a change or two. It is up to you where you go from here. Do you need to take a second job?

It is your choice after all The Buck Stops Here.

A Bowl of Coffee Anyone? Staying motivated when the arse falls out of her.

Anyone who has been in business for a while knows that it is not for the feint of heart. Truth is it toughens you and teaches you how to be creative when it comes to problem solving. In order to be successful in business I believe that you also have to have a hunger to succeed, a real determination to get the job done. You’ve got to have a willingness to figure it out. Once you have it, nothing can stand in your way not even when things go wrong in the kitchen.

There’s a Hole in my Bucket

As I started to fill the pot with fresh water, I noticed it pouring right out the bottom – the arse had fallen out of her. No pot,no coffee. Now anyone who knows me knows that I have to have a morning coffee. I’ve  walked 8 miles in my jammers uphill in a snowstorm to get a cup of Tims. Lately I’d taken to brewing my own because it was too far to walk and I don’t drive.

We had a class A crisis on our hands. I tried shoving a mug under there to catch the coffee but the mug was too big and it was a bit tricky. The original lid on the pot actually sat against a mechanism that opened a valve where the coffee flowed out. My mug was not cutting it. After a few choice words, I decided that I’d have a tea. Truth be told, I didn’t want tea – I wanted coffee and I was hellbent on getting one.

What Have You Tried

In business when we hit a roadblock we need to get creative but only if you’re hellbent on getting it done. If you’re certain that you are going in the right direction, you won’t let obstacles stand in your way.  Will you? Just because you got turned down for that loan or grant, are you going to take that as a reason to quit or are you going to kick the creativity into high gear. It really is your choice.

I get clients who are ready to throw in the towel and when they tell me how big the obstacle is I do ask what they have tried. They pay me to help them make good decisions.  What about you – what do you do when faced with an obstacle. Have you really tried everything? Really? Really?

Get ‘er Done

I looked at that coffee maker and thought about my father – he taught me how to figger things out – he was a hardy Newfoundlander – a cross between Red Green and MacGyver. If he was here, he would size it up for a minute and then he’s say “Hang on now Debbie, I’ll show you how to fix that.”

My father knew what most business people know, there is more than one way to get the job done. Sometimes you have to be creative. Inspired by my father, I got up and got a little bowl and placed it where the pot should be. I then got a spoon and pushed up on that little valve and what do you think happened? You got that right – that coffee was flowing into the bowl, nice and hot and with a rich aroma. I was a happy camper.

You’ll be Tested

In business, like in life, you’ll be tested. Sometimes the test will really be a test of your commitment. If you’re walking away every time you have a challenge, you may not be in the right career. If you have a hunger, the right determination and a willingness to get creative, you will get the job done.

A bowl of coffee anyone?