A Surprise!

After all the doom and gloom this week, Dave has a surprise for me. All I know is I'm to clear my calendar and dress for the top down. On the car! I'll let you know on Monday what the day had in store! Happy Friday!

Glad That One's Over!

My last post shared my crappy day. This led me to ask the question, "Is it okay to tell the truth when you're feeling crappy, or is it better to smile and make nice?"

I feel the answer lies somewhere in between. If you know people well, you certainly can tell the whole truth. But even with people who you may not know so well, I think it's okay to be who and where you are.

My feelings are that I don't think people want to open an e-mail or get a blog update that finds them smack in the middle of a pity party. It's no fun to know your friends are down, especially when there's nothing you can do. It also doesn't appeal to me to think of bringing people down when I'm down. The flip side is that people want to help and they need to know you're real. Someone said to me, if you don't ever show the other sides of you, people will think A) you are superwoman who they could never live up to, and/or B) you're a fake. I agree.

I'm up and optimistic most of the time. When the weight of the world starts to get to me, I may feel it for a bit, but then I take action. I start looking for the ways I can make changes that are proactive. I think the world would be a better place if we had social permission to have a bad day and not feel like we're "less than" for it.

Ultimately I believe that having my health, the love of my family and friends are the most important aspects of life. When I'm having a crap day, I recognize I'm still able, and I can be who I am and I will still be loved!

The Downs...That Eventually Come.

Being an entrepreneur is hard work. Those of you who do this know the reality, you have successes, good news, people who cheer lead, and then there are all the other days.

I had one of the days that scare the hell out of most people, but to an entrepreneur, it's just one of "those" days. Just in case you don't know what I'm talking about, it's the day when you realize how far out on the limb you really are. You take note of the interest rate and finance charges that are accruing while you're working your @#$ off trying to make the money flow the other way...back into your account. The unexpected things that happen in your personal life like your checking account being compromised...which of course means filing a police report, notifying the credit bureaus, closing the account, opening a new one, ordering new checks, new debit cards, re-entering all your bill pay and making sure everything is paid on time. Your family needs you to be happy, or at least reasonably so, and you just don't feel like it, but you smile anyway. When all of this, and more is on your shoulders, your world becomes very heavy.

For me, I'm an entrepreneur from my very core. There is just nothing else I can be happy doing. Here's what I know, no matter how long you've been on your own in business, these days are never easy. The truth is, the hardest part about having one, is admitting you're having it!

We're A Leading Mom In Business Winner!

I'm feeling mighty proud. Not just to be recognized as a leading mom in business, but this is our first winning emblem!

It will never go without saying that our business can never be successful without all of you! You are the people who support me, my family, mentor me, help us financially, listen as I work my way through this entrepreneurial education, buy our gloves, share our story, and on and on I can go.

Thank you and here's to many more!

Round Three!

I got the third copy of our agreement with our manufacturer. Before I tell you if it was right, I want to share with you a little something I was advised of. I am not a lawyer, lord knows you can read these pages and know that! The individual who shared this nugget with me is also not a lawyer, but they play one on TV, no just kidding, I couldn't help myself! It doesn't matter if any of us are lawyers or not, this piece of information just made sense.

When I got the second copy of our agreement and it was exactly the same as the first (without the changes), it was my inclination to write the thing myself and send it back to them corrected. I starting spouting off about how I could just do this myself when the words, "No, just hand write the changes on their original and mail it back to them." came quietly across the air waves. The low volume of the voice made me listen as I continued to hear, "...the party that originated the document has more responsibility for it's contents in a court of law than the party who signs/agrees to it." Really? Wow! It makes sense really. When you write something, you know completely what you are putting on the table. There is a much larger margin for error if you are simply reading, interpreting, and hopefully understanding what you are agreeing to.

The woman who is responsible for drawing up the documents for our agreement received my notes and asked me to please make the changes and send it back to them. I did, electronically, and e-mailed the document back to her. She printed it on their company letter head, with the changes, CEO signed it and sent it back to me to "agree to." I did, and mailed it back...at my own expense! They did not provide a third stamped self addressed envelope! Laughing!

You Gotta Do The Sales

So many people I meet have great ideas but think they can't do the sales. You gotta do the sales! Nobody can sell your idea like you can! Why on earth would you want anyone else to it for you? They won't present your product with the same passion you will. They can't talk about how you came up with it or why you think it's best thing since the hot shower!

If you really think you can't sell than you can't. But maybe if you think about it as sharing your story, or giving them the opportunity to know about what you've created, maybe it will be easier for you to se....uh, I mean present your idea. Whatever it takes, open your mouth and tell the world about you and your great idea. No matter what happens, it will put you one step closer to where you want to be.

When They Don't Like It

How do you deal with the people who don't like your idea, or product? Have you had anyone actually tell you they don't like it? I have, well sort of. My experience has been that people have gushed and been so impressed that I have a product, that they can't see the item itself, for any real intent or purpose. They hold the glove, slide the zipper and just keep saying, "Wow, you really created this?" The only people who have been less than impressed are the people who have never put a glove on a kids hand, and then they just sort of look at me with a, "Duh" kind of blank stare.

Now that we have placed an order and actually have these wheels in motion, I'm noticing more feedback. Everything from why are they black to water resistant, why not waterproof? I have my mentors telling me I should have done this or that (Mark, you know I appreciate all your feedback, but where were you 6 months ago?), when in fact, the decisions are made, and the deal is done for this coming season.

The reality is you have to keep moving and making decisions while you learn. I'm no expert and looking at the black gloves that I vowed would never exist, you can see that I've compromised. Good thing for me, I can see the bigger picture and this is just round one of many. Next year they will be in colors and in three times as many stores. I will have taken copious notes from those guiding me, and I will continue to have to make decisions while I'm still not an expert.

Not everyone will like what we do. That's okay but I want to know. I'll bet that whatever it is they don't like is our next "New and Improved" glove. To hear how great you and/or it is feels good, but you'll never get the mileage out of the good stuff that you will from the negative feedback. It's all in how you look at it. If they don't like it, ask why, and then really listen. That's probably the best feedback you'll ever get.