Tired…

For such a long time, I have been busy and struggling to keep this new business afloat.  For many months I decided that I would stick to doing what made me happy.  Then as time passed, I had an opportunity to help some friends and I decided to start sharing what made me happy.  Now, 9 months later, we are now at that point where we are making some people unhappy.

Who are these people you might ask? Competition? No, that would be too easy.  Former Employers, no, that would be such a cliché.  Neighbors? No, we are not rowdy at all.  Then, who do we make unhappy if it is not the usual suspects?  Well, frankly, it is the people that we represent and our customers.

You might be shocked at hearing this but hang on and you will see if it makes sense.  If you know me, you know that once I start after something or somebody, I rarely let up. I am like a house fly.  I will pester you until you get us what we need. I will be on the phone,  email, chat, Facebook, text, Instagram, Whatsapp, Slack and yes, even smoke signals, but we will get to a point where you will get so tired and annoyed with me that you will get me what you promised you would (if you promised, you have to deliver!)

So we have these companies and customers who are working with us and are excited to see the things we are bringing to the table and they tell us, bring it, but when we do, it frankly overwhelms them.  We do not do this to annoy people (even though we are so naturally good at it), we do this because we have a high sense of responsibility and we have made commitments with other people down the road.

I have one principal in particular who has been really good at recognizing this, and you guessed it, we are growing tremendously with them.  He is a man who recognized the Obsessive Compulsion in me and said, if I can get him what he needs, he will fight for me all the time!  And we have!, and he is no longer annoyed. He is happy. Some others are barely catching on, and others frankly just don’t get it.  Even though they want results, they are not understanding that we fight for them with that high energy,  When they do, they will enjoy the tremendous success of those who have. We feel honored to be their agents and not to be an annoyance any longer.

Psych!

Keep Calm and Stay Humble

Writer’s block…

Not sure what to write about this week. Maybe I should tell you about the deal that….no, that would be presumptuous.  Well, maybe I should share the payments that we… not that would be bragging.  Maybe I should tell you about the new account we landed… well, that would be stupid.  Ok, I know! I just told you and did not tell you.

Sometimes, an entrepreneur has to share and sometimes an entrepreneur has to stay quiet, even if he wants to share.  I particularly like to share, but common sense and other people’s conflicted interests prevent me from doing so.  Remember, this is a public blog so anyone can read (yes, I know you have been reading this…)

Anyway, I felt like today’s wisdom comes from the ability to not take it personal and I don’t.  Life is too short to worry about these details.  I would rather hug my wife or kiss one of my kids. I would rather spend lunch with one of my partners or read a good book.  I would rather shoot 9 holes and get some exercise.  I will delve neither in anger nor in despair as I see people doing so, why you ask, because I am happy and at peace.  God is fair and God is good. Don’t need much more than that.

Keep Calm and Stay Humble

Opportunities…

Some weeks ago I was talking about how I have always been patient when working a deal. Patience, as the old and famous cliché by now says, is a virtue.  No joke, it is!  I was talking about that and the way that I usually approach any new situation is to be diligent in my research, aggressive on the imagination and patient on the negotiation.  It has worked for me for years.  The only thing that sometime makes a difference is: how much do you need a deal to go through?

This is exactly where most of us mess up and appear over-anxious, under-prepared or, why not, we just need to get a break.  Well, the reasoning is that a deal is a deal, no matter what you think of it, no matter how much you push it, the deal is the same deal.  You can try to change it, but the essence of it being good or bad is what you make of it and the terms of engagement should be delimited at the start.  Sometimes, by hurrying things up, we only lose our ground at the big-boys table.  Sometimes the best thing is to wait until all stars align and you consider everything correct.  Sometimes…..

Other times you have to grab opportunities and run with them.  Weren’t we talking about patience?  Well, let me put it to you this way.  You are trying to catch a fish on the river, it usually takes 20 minutes for them to start biting, you know this by experience.  The weather is perfect, you are enjoying the day out or it might be scorching and you want to get out there, well, in any case, you are going to have to wait the 20 usual minutes.  That is the patience we are discussing.  If a usual fishing expedition takes this long, well, so be it.  Enjoy the day or cover your head, either way, you are waiting 20 minutes.  Deals are like that as well.

But what happens if, as you are waiting for 10 minutes, an eagle soars up from the lake with a big fish and loses its grip and guess what, it lands right on the boat.  The drop numbs him.  What do you do?  Do you call the eagle on its cell phone and tell him you have something that is his? (male eagle), do you throw the fish back in the water and say a prayer for him? do you save him on the cooler and go home?  do you save him on the cooler and wait your other 10 minutes to get your usual fish?

Well, not to break any rules of fishing etiquette, and assuming you can keep the fish that fell from the eagle’s grasp without a lawsuit of some kind by an idiot, I would say that the opportunity landed on you and you must take advantage of it while you take care of your usual business. You must be decisive and make sure not to lose focus of you current task.  You fishing technique always yields as patience pays off.  The opportunity that dropped by (pun intended) is an extra good thing that you will immediately take advantage of and also take care in the immediate future.

This week, the eagle dropped something and we are keeping it. We will keep at our current pace and enjoy this opportunity.  We should be thankful for our work that we were in the right boat, on the right lake and that the arthritic eagle was passing by.

Stay Calm and Keep Humble…

It is what it is…

For those that know me in business, this is one of my favorite sayings.  It reflects the fact that 1) I accept reality, 2) Reality does not bother me, 3) If it bothers me, there is no point in it.

I have learned, as many of us have, that life isn’t really about what you want. It really pays no attention to your wants or needs, it’s a bitch and then you die.  Well, before you get all negative on me and think I am turning evil here, I mention this because unless there is an unforeseen event in your life (like a tragedy), your life is mostly what you make of it with your everyday actions, thoughts and feelings. You decide the path you will follow and you paint the line on the road ever so broadly with the way you conduct yourself as a human being.

I hope that I conduct myself in an honorable manner always, and if I don’t I hope that I reason it out, before life makes me real aware of it.  Be careful when you read this, do not think that I am saying that tragedies are brought on by your actions.  What I am saying is that, other than unfortunate events, our current state of being is the result of all of our own willful actions, so there you go, it is what it is.  No way around that.

I will enjoy my philosophy time this week and will entertain myself with some work over the weekend, being that business calls for it.  Yes, I remember I said I wanted to rest 3 days a week. Well, that is not part of my reality YET.  I did not want to work weekends, that is not possible YET.  And when it is time and it is possible, it will be the result of the decisions made today and yesterday and so on.  So life is to be enjoyed and then you live!

Stay Calm and Keep Humble….

The moment of truth…

Every project needs to be evaluated at certain points in its life. The best way, according to theories, is to set a date of evaluation of project at the onset. The date we set in our minds was March 31st. Well, wouldn’t you know that date has come and passed and well, we have to decide if we follow on or stop right here.

Not to be dramatic, let’s evaluate quickly on a couple of fronts:

  • Revenues: not where expected, probably miscalculated from the beginning, Should have been more realistic and careful about how we would project these out. Although we have been doing very well in our consulting projects, we have not been doing as well in our brokerage business. Our projects have taken more than expected to get off the ground and that puts pressure on cash flow.
  • Expenses: again not where expected. Although they remain particularly low and honestly, we are a responsible team, they add up every month. Our expenses base is probably at 20% more than our revenues in cash terms. That means losses accumulate each month.
  • Outlook: sunny with a slight chance for showers. Things are marching along. As mentioned before, a little later than expected but actually a little better than originally planned. I have not doubt of my capabilities as an entrepreneur and I say this humbly, but I made a great and my best decision when my partners came in looking for a job and I took a chance on them, without any revenues, 4-5 months ago.

Decision: well a couple of weeks ago I said I was doubling down like the gambler, and believe me that I am. I will re-evaluate the project in 60 days and see where the roads take us. I am not afraid of failure, just like I am not bothered by success. They are only emotions in different directions. It only means that the planning was good, the stars aligned, that was God’s plan and the circumstances were in our favor. It is nothing in the grand scheme of things. Only a positive result in the financial evaluation of a project. The real victory is walking away from a place where I was not happy anymore. A place where I did not feel it was good to be because we were going in different directions. A place that gave me a lot and that I poured my heart and soul into. That is the real triumph, to walk away from obscene amounts of money and be smiling because you are proud of your actions.

I see my kids EVERY morning that I am home and have breakfast with the little ones, and say goodbye to the older ones when they leave for school. I see my wife, EVERY day when I am home and enjoy the time spent with her at home and at work. I am happy and that is not a tragedy. That is the real measure of success of the project. The financial stuff is only a small piece of reality and a way to make a living, nothing more.

Stay Calm and Keep Humble…