Author: k

Celebrate The Small Wins

I saw multiple bumblebees
in the small clover patch
I’ve been nurturing.

I celebrated that win.

I finally finished
a very challenging chapter one.

I celebrated that win.

We were told
the interest-free loan
covering our
solar power installation
has finally progressed
to the review stage.

We celebrated that win.

Yes, we talk about
celebrating the small wins
often
here on client k.

We need these reminders
because the rest of the world
definitely
does NOT celebrate them.

Often we focus
on all
we have yet to achieve
and not everything
we have achieved.

And we need to celebrate
the small wins
because…
well…big wins
are usually a collection
of small wins.

Small wins can also
motivate us.
They show us
our plans are working.
We’re making progress.

Also…
celebrations create
a happier life.

Celebrate the small wins.

You Should Admire Your Mentor’s Strategies

A buddy was complaining
bitterly
about her mentor.

I asked her
if there was anything
she admired
about her mentor.

She struggled
to come up with an answer,
finally saying
her mentor was successful.

I then asked her
if she would want to achieve success
using her mentor’s strategies.

She admitted
she thought her mentor’s strategies
were unethical.

We are heavily influenced
by our mentors.
That’s one of the reasons
we partner with them.

Ensure you admire
your mentor’s strategies.

Those strategies
are likely to become
yours.

Why Our Prices End With 99 Cents

A buddy of mine
will buy an item priced at
$19.99
much faster than
an item priced at
$20.00.

Why?

Because 1 is much less than 2.

That first digit
in the price
makes a huge difference to her.

It makes no d@mn sense.
It is only a penny cheaper.
Yet many of us
think the same way.

It is called
left-digit bias.

As Jeff Haden explains
“the leftmost digit of a number
disproportionately
influences decision-making.”

We perceive
prices ending with .99
as being bargains
and we buy more.

Researchers estimate
“ending every price with .99
would boost profits
by as much as 4 to 5 percent.”

End your prices
with .99.

How Long Are You Willing To Wait?

A loved one
buys fully grown plants
every year.
She isn’t willing to wait
to have the garden
she desires.

Another loved one
buys seedlings.
He’s willing to wait
a couple of weeks
for his filled out garden.

I like planting seeds.
I’m willing to wait
three, four, five months
for a producing garden.

There’s nothing wrong
with any of these patience levels.

But it is important to know
how long we are willing
to delay our gratification,
especially with building a business.

It will determine,
for example,
if we
buy a fully operational business
or
invest in an existing franchise
or
start a business
from absolutely nothing.

How long are you willing
to wait
for results?

An Uninsurable Future

Business owners have
the choice
between
renting their locations
and
buying their locations.

In the past,
if the business owner
had the funds and/or the credit,
it often made financial sense
for them to buy
their buildings and/or lots.

It was rare
that the land would decrease
in value.

And it was assumed
the site could be insured.

Today, we can’t assume that.

Due to climate change
and other factors,
many places, many structures,
many lots
can’t be insured.

If they can be insured,
the insurance premiums
are often larger than
mortgage payments.

Factor
the current insurance situation
into your buy vs rent calculations.

It is a significant variable.

Project Managers Align

The zucchini/courgette plants
are starting to flower.

These plants have male flowers
and female flowers
and you need both
to create viable fruit.

The male and female flowers
don’t always
flower at the same time.

It is the gardener’s job
to align them,
which sometimes means
picking the male flower
and saving it in the fridge
until a female flower flowers.

Project managers have a similar job.
We align people and tasks and resources
to ensure the production
of a viable product/service.

It doesn’t happen naturally.
It requires work.

Put in that work.

Hate Threads

Every so often,
someone will start
a social media thread
by asking all the things
readers (customers) hate
about romance novels (products).

I’m always tempted
to read those threads.

If I know
what readers (customers) don’t like,
I can craft a better-selling story (product),
right?

Wrong.

Because there’s a hater
for every story (product)
out there.

There’s nothing I can produce
that will make everyone happy.

And reading those threads
annihilates
my confidence,
my joy,
my drive to create.

There are hate threads
in almost every industry.

Protect your passion
and your happiness.

Don’t read them.

Ask The Correct Person For Advice

A garden-loving woman
asked
a garden-curious man
to spend an afternoon
weeding her garden
with her.

The man,
worried she was using him,
posted about this date online.

Many, MANY people said
she WAS using him.

Some other people said
she was testing him,
determining
if he could complete tasks.

None of those people
were gardeners.

Because weeding isn’t merely
a task or a chore.
It is an act of nurturing.
It is caring for things
she cares greatly about.

Inviting someone
to weed a beloved garden
is an act of trust.

Most non-gardeners
are disasters at weeding.
They cause great harm
in gardens.

The invitation wasn’t a test.
The man had already passed
that test.
It was an honor.

But he likely won’t ever
realize that.

And he will likely destroy
an otherwise wonderful
budding relationship.

Because he asked the wrong people
for advice.

Be careful
about who you ask
for advice.

Watch Wet Bulb Temperatures

News programs normally report
on dry bulb temperatures.

That isn’t the temperature
that kills people.

Wet bulb temperatures
kill people.

Wet bulbs temperatures
factor in
humidity.

Anything above 35C/95F
is dangerous
for humans.

Our perspiration doesn’t
evaporate.
Our cooling systems
break down.

It doesn’t matter
if we’re super fit
or young
or wearing sunscreen.

We could die.
Our employees could die.
Our customers could die.

If your business
is outside-based,
watch the wet bulb temperatures.

(That is sometimes
reported on
as the ‘feels like’ temperature.)

Take action
if the temperatures
reach the danger zone.

Mistakes Are Valuable

I’m growing cauliflower
for the first time
this year.

I doubt I’ll harvest
any cauliflower.

I started the plants
at the wrong time.

I didn’t cover them
with insect netting.

I made many, MANY
other mistakes.

And that’s okay.
That should be expected.

When we do anything
for the first time
-start our first business,
produce our first product,
make our first sales call,
etc.
-we WILL make mistakes.

Those mistakes,
if we learn from them,
are valuable.

Knowing what NOT to do
increases our odds
of success
the next time.

Learn from the mistake,
ensure you don’t make it again,
and move on.