Is It Ever What You Think It's Gonna Be?

I say rarely. I can't say never because I try to make a practice of not saying "Always" and "Never."

Think back for a moment and try to remember a time that what you envisioned at the start of a journey was exactly what you got at the end. I look at my life and for the most part, I've laid some pretty good plans. I've taken action on most of my dreams, but the ones that have been the most satisfying are not even close to what I thought they would be when I started.

A great example is my marriage. I am married to the love of my life and can't imagine that I could be happier. When I was single and really wanting to be in a relationship, Dave was a friend of mine. He was the friend I called when I got stood up (Oh yes I did, more than once!), when a guy had "expectations" after a burger and fries, and when I was dumped in South Korea. In an instant, we were a couple, having a conversation about how the universe had shifted, and within a few months, we were engaged, and three days after that, married. After being friends for six years, I never in a million years thought this man was meant to be my husband. For the record, I fully intended to be happily married. I was not willing to settle, I just never imagined that the man who would make me so happy would be Dave!

I purposely didn't use our ZipperBack Gloves as an example because we've only just begun our journey. But I can say this, I originally set out to license our product. I was adamant that I did not want to go into the glove business. Though I don't have any big success stories in how our empire has evolved and grown, I can say that on so many levels, we have found success and have every reason to believe we will only keep that momentum growing.

Lay a plan, take action, and then go with the flow. Be open to what options and ideas are presented to you and that some of these "not your own" ideas may be really good. Though it may not be what you thought it would be, doesn't mean it won't be great!

No Matter How Well You Plan!

What a weekend! Saturday we were in the snow and Sunday we were testing our sunscreen at the rodeo! My sunscreen didn't hold up, but sitting in the sun, on metal bleachers, it's gonna be a tough job even for SPF45!

I booked Studio KYK Photography to round up a bunch of kids so we could get lots of little happy faces, hands with gloves on them, and maybe even a crying face with "the other" gloves," to create a great booth for our two upcoming trade shows. Two great lessons came out of the day.

The first took us all back to a time we were invited to be somewhere, said we would go, and for some reason or another didn't really want to go when the time came. We did the right thing by calling to say we wouldn't be making it, thinking all along, It's okay if I don't go. I won't be missed. Everyone else will go. Well, next time you feel that way, think about this MM. For the first time in all the events I've ever planned, we had a 100% no-show! Apparently, everyone of the families (we were expecting 20+ children) felt like another family would go.

The second lesson was one we all know but this time, we put it into action immediately. We went ahead and made the best of a sno park all to ourselves, a gorgeous day, two beautiful kids, Mason & Scottie, and a picnic lunch to die for. We took lots of pictures, and though I didn't get the variety of faces and ages, we had a great day.

If you live in the Sacramento area and need a photographer, you've got to talk to Monica at KYK Studios! Monica not only did all the things you expect a professional to do, she went above and beyond in providing props, being open to all ideas, and keeping the energy with the kids light and fun. Her style is more candid, but she has a way of getting her subject to do what she wants while they continue to do whatever it is their doing. Finally, the best part, Monica has a natural eye for photography. Her shots come out with an amazing flair and beauty. Check out her work at http://www.studiokyk.com/

For a great Monday Motivator, visit my Intentional Winning blog www.intentionalwinning.blogspot.com/ for a read you'll want to print out and hang above your desk. I promise, it's really good!

What's In A Logo?

I've researched this over the last year and the articles, forums, How-To's, and What-Fors are many. Everybody seems to have a little different take on what's the second most important factor when it comes to selecting a logo, but all agree on number one. The main point you want to make with you logo is, 'This is who we are" from the moment they lay eyes on that little piece of art. In the professional world, it's your brand. It differentiates you from all other's and hopefully from all other's like you.

Our logo is good, but it's not great. Part of the problem is that our company is so new, and even worse, we're new at running it. Another issue is that there wasn't just one person responsible for the criteria and selection of the logo. I wanted a logo that could go the distance, one that would cover our initial children's product and carry us through to our adult line as well. Dave wanted a logo that really fit our kids product. Finally, the other two people on our team wanted something more corporate, less graffiti looking.

We ended up with a logo that was a variation of the image I loved. Dave made the changes and I felt that I needed to choose my battles, and this was one that wasn't as important to me...so I thought. As it turns out, I care about it more that I thought I would. I have the artwork for the logo that I would have gone with, the one that we modified to make Dave happy. I'm silently intent on finding a way to use the one I love. If you're logo really speaks to who you are as a company, you won't find yourself thinking about the one that got away.

If I were to advise someone in need of a logo, I know you didn't ask, but you're still reading aren't you? I would advise them to operate their business for a while before choosing their logo. In reality, it takes time to get up and running and for people to know who you are. Pick your business name, present something really clean and basic, and get acquainted with your company before you give it an identity. You'll do a better job and come up with something that really indicates, not only to your public, but where it's most important, to you!

When you're ready, a really great logo resource is www.logotournament.com It's a contest format where you post a "prize" for the designer of you the logo you choose. The minimum prize is $250.00. Designers from all around the globe compete for your prize money and the opportunity to be the artist for your logo. We used logotournament.com and found that the more we ranked and gave feedback, the more logos we had to choose from. A great resource for new companies who want high quality design.

Here We Go Again!

So I blogged about holding my ground when my manufacturer sent over our agreement and it was not our final agreed upon draft. I was quite proud of myself for letting them know it needed to be corrected, rewritten, and sent again. As I write this, I find it funny that I would be proud of myself for doing good business. Crazy! Anyway, I got the new draft in the mail on Monday and guess what? It's exactly like the last draft, and the original one they proposed to me in the first place.

Is this intentional or could it really be that they made the same mistake twice? It's certainly possible, but my gut is telling me that I'm being tested. This time, I took some good advice and instead of calling them to bring this same issue to their attention, again, I simply put Post-Its where they need to make changes and mailed it back to them...in their SASE. I expect I'll either get a phone call explaining why they didn't really mean to agree to my terms, or they'll send the corrected agreement. If it's the latter, I'll gladly sign it and send it back. I wonder if they'll send another SASE?

"Oh, I Could Never Do That!"

Have you ever heard someone say those words? Or worse, have you said them yourself? It's not in my nature to say never so I can't recall the last time words like those passed over my lips. I can tell you that since I've entered the world of product development and inventing, I've heard those six words over and over again!

I can look at my own history and see the familiar, "I didn't know what I didn't know, so I didn't know I couldn't." Did you get that? Laughing! It never occurred to me that developing a product and getting it to store shelves was anything other than just another job. It certainly didn't fall into the category of landing a national commercial, or any commercial for that matter. In my mind, now that's hard work!

As I mentioned earlier, I'm not one to shy away from a challenge, so it didn't occur to me that I couldn't do that either. I started by finding classes, a photographer to take my pictures, an agent to represent me, and off I went on audition after audition. Before I knew it, I was doing local commercials (Beck's Shoes and Hewlett Pacakard), regional commercials (Friendly's restaurants for TV and Albertson's radio spots), and industrials (Volkswagon and WalMart). I even did an infomercial for a teeth whitening product. If you happened to be awake a 3 AM and saw the infomercial for RapidWhite Pro that ends with a red-head saying, "RapidWhite Pro makes me feel sexy!" That's me. The national commercial is yet to come, but rest assured, it will air!

You can do anything you want to do. You can find the information to get the ball rolling, you can rally the people who can help you get to the next level, and you too, can see your product on store shelves. As you get to know me, you'll know the saying I'm most known for is, "Whatever you think, you're right." If you think you can, you can. If you think you can't, guess what? Exactly! So, what do you think?

Are You Getting Your Education?

There are many subjects you can learn about in college and just as many you have to learn in RLU...Real Life University. I didn't go to college and every bit of what I know I've learned from life experience, and on the job training. I've been so fortunate to have highly successful people willing to mentor and guide me. The rest of what I know, I've sought out on my own.

RLU had me reading as many books on a given subject as I can get my hands on. I sought out any kind of weekend class I could find, and I asked for help. I once ran into a professional in the mortgage field in a hotel hallway. We said hello to each other, made some pleasant small talk and then went our separate ways. As soon as I was back in my room I was kicking myself for not picking his brain and asking a few key questions. In a split second decision to not let this moment pass me by, I picked up the phone, asked the hotel operator to please ring his room. While the phone rang and with my heart racing, he answered. I stuttered, "Hello, Mr. H..." and from there we had a wonderful 15 or 20 minute conversation. He answered my questions, gave me some tips, and even told me to feel free to call anytime. WOW! That was a 20 minute mentoring call that would normally have been hundreds of dollars. Because I called and asked for a few minutes of his time, he said yes.

Read books, connect with professionals, and don't be afraid to ask for help. Even if help is just the opportunity to spend a few minutes in the mind of the professional you want to be! People want to help, and there's no better compliment than to ask for someones professional advice. Everyone is accepted at RLU, and like any institute of higher learning, you will get out of it what you put in! Go! Start! You have nothing to lose!

Holding Your Ground

I got my signed agreement from my manufacturer on Saturday and it wasn't right. The CEO sent the original agreement, not the one with my changes that he agreed to. I read it several times and thought to myself, should I just sign it and let it go? No! I picked up the phone and left a message that this is not the right agreement (contract) and asked that he sign and send the agreement with the changes.

By the end of the day on Monday, no communication. No call, no e-mail. Tuesday morning, still nothing. Tuesday afternoon I sent an e-mail with the amended contract and I highlighted the changes. The CEO replied immediately and apologized for the oversight. He said he would get it corrected and back out to me asap. I'm sure I've not done everything right, but I'm not going to go through anything with a half-hearted attitude. This is my business, my life, my future and all those "My's" are really My Family's. There is nothing more important to me than my family and their well being and security.

This is business and accountability is paramount. Do your part and hold your other part accountable. Everyone wins in the long run! Maybe the short run, too!

PS Happy Tax Day. To all my entreprenuer friends, here's looking forward to the day that we owe more in taxes than we've ever made in a year! Laughing!