When I first got to this office I took up residence at the front desk and was told to make it my own.  In my head, that meant organize it the way that I wanted and feel free to buy supplies (pen holders, calendars, etc.)  As the company (companies) grew, I was able to concentrate solely on writing and editing and a new admin- Shanna, moved into the front desk.  She was given the instruction to make it her own, as well, and to “de-sterilize” the office a bit.  Resultantly, we’ve got some classy touches here and there that make the front room look polished and professional- AND she decorates for holidays.

Rich and Ron talk about company culture quite a lot- and one thing I’ve heard them focus on is making sure that the team members are comfortable and have up-to-date equipment.  Sure, you can get the job done anywhere, with almost anything- but it can be a big motivator to provide an attractive environment and nice tools.  An even bigger motivator is to allow team members to make decisions and changes based on their preferences.  As the owner, do you really care what kind of plants or pictures hand in the entry way?  Perhaps, to a certain extent.  But consider the freedom and respect your team will feel as you let them exercise authority over their main work area.

Also: I bought a new laptop for school, and for ease of travel have been using it for work as well.  Rich had one of our engineers set up a VPN so I could access the file structure from school, home, or anywhere.  It was perfect, except I beginning to feel a bit of eyestrain trying to see everything on my small laptop.  I asked if we could hook up a bigger monitor and actually expected us to take one of the old monitors from our pile of computer parts so that I could see things more clearly.  Instead, Rich went out and bought a brand new SAMSUNG flat-screen- and when I hook my laptop up, I can drag things from screen to screen.  I might be a bit of a dork, but the ability to have two work surfaces for one computer was a little bit exhilarating for me.  It was a cool new toy, incredibly useful, and beyond my expectations.

Let me clarify: you do not need to try and “buy” your team members hard work, but it is a sign of respect and an invitation to make the task their own if you provide them with tools and freedoms necessary to do their job.

A special emphasis is given throughout the book, and here in the office, on priorities. Rich and Ron believe whole-heartedly in the idea of always keeping priorities straight throughout the entrepreneurial roller coaster. Life is not constant, and never will be. But our priorities should be. There will always be something else that we could do, another opportunity or responsibility that can come up, that can cause us to push the important people and things into the background. Often we think it is just temporary, but many times it can become a permanent negligence. Especially in the world of entrepreneurship where so many sacrifices have to be made, it is so important that there are certain things we are never willing to sacrifice. For Rich and Ron, these things include the safety and security of their families, their relationships with their spouses, and very importantly, and frequently neglected in our world today, their relationships with their children. They are both so intimately involved in their family’s lives, and no matter what happens at work, continue to keep those relationships strong.
I learned personally the importance of this concept this last week, as I lost my cousin in a tragic car accident. She was only twenty-two years old, and was returning to Utah after spending Thanksgiving with her family in Seattle. The loss of someone we love seems to always cause us to re-evaluate our lives and our priorities. Seeing a life cut short so unexpectedly has made me reflect on my life, and truly face the fact that I may have neglected relationships, goals, and many things I enjoy. And what do I sacrifice these things for? It seems always to be something that is only temporarily important, but that takes priority. Maybe I don’t see an old friend because I have to study for a test. Or I have put off spending time with my brother and sister because I feel too stressed with work. As I have reflected over the last few days, the most important thing I have realized is that it should not take a loss so great for us to see the important things more clearly. We should not regret that we did not spend more time with someone only after we have lost them.
As Rich and Ron discuss in the book, the goal of entrepreneurship should not just be making money. In life we need to have a drive for the things we do. When we have pure motives for our actions, such as desiring to be successful in order to provide security to our family, or in order to participate in humanitarian causes, our most important relationships will not be sacrificed, because they are the reason we work so hard. The death of someone so close to me will never be easy to understand, but it has helped me to think about my motives for doing the things I put my time into. I have learned how important it is that I commit to keeping my priorities, no matter what comes up. The right priorities shouldn’t just be important when we have time for them to be.

This weekend my husband and I had quite the interesting experience: we found out that an honest-to-goodness criminal/peeping tom has taken up looking through our windows. John got home late on Friday night to find him in the backyard- and when we contacted the police and our neighbors they knew who it was, immediately. With their advice, we got going on a few projects we’ve been procrastinating. Projects such as getting a real lock for our front door (ahem…getting a real front door), fixing the lighting in the entryway, getting curtains and blinds for all the windows, and getting to know our neighbors a little more. We could have and should have done those things when we first moved in, but there’s nothing like a little fear to get you moving in the right direction.

Rich, Ron and I just finished up work on a chapter entitled Fire in the Belly, Nerves of Steel. One section in the chapter addresses the very issue I’ve been talking about here: fear, and more than fear, terror. Does the thought of starting your own business terrify you? Do you stay up at night wondering what will happen if your receivables don’t match the payables, or what you’ll do if you have to go without a paycheck for a few months? Whenever I hear about people leaving the corporate or “job” world and striking out on their own, it’s often accompanied by a great deal of fear, but can that be a good thing? I think so- you can use it. So you absolutely hate speaking in front of people, and you realize that as the business owner you’ll have to pitch your ideas to the clients. Well- let your terror motivate you to prepare; use it as energy and reason to be as ready as you can, and then, when it’s time to present, push it away and watch what happens. Whatever your fear, whatever your situation, make it work for you, and let it drive you toward success.

The holiday season is upon us!  I know that there can be a lot of grumbling about hearing Christmas jingles in stores before we even carve our Thanksgiving turkeys, but I absolutely love it.  This season is the perfect excuse to re-evaluate our selfish factor and see where we can contribute more, whether it be in our business environment, our communities, or the world.

Holiday season was kicked off with scheduling the office Christmas Party- a time for our team and significant others and friends to get together and celebrate the season.  On the agenda for our get together is dinner out at a local restaurant, a white-elephant gift exchange, and a community oriented charity drive of some sort.  We’re still figuring that one out.  I hear whispers about Rich and Ron each planning some sort of game or activity to contribute as well- so I’m excited to go and spent some time together as an office.

As the wreaths and the red and green lights go up around the office, I am reminded of a section of the book entitled,  A Higher Power Purpose.  Niether Rich nor Ron wanted to include a long lecture on the joys of giving, but powerful personal experiences led to a section detailing their feelings about the connection between entreprenurialism and generosity.  It’s just a few hundred words, encouraging entrepreneurs to have a higher purpose for success.  Yes, money and freedom are key aspects of building your own business, and, in many ways, measures of success.  But what about the freedom to use some of your resources for projects and causes that matter to you?  Rich is passionate about the Himalayas, and has found a lot of joy in finding ways to help children in Nepal receive educational materials.  Among the rewards that Rich and Ron have listed for themselves down the road is opening a formal philanthropic company designed to heighten their efforts in Nepal.  Entrepreneurship can be hard work.  If your only end goal is to further yourself and your bank account, it’s easier to say, “I think I’ll let this one go,” or, “I think it’s time for bed.  I’ll try and hit this goal tomorrow.”  Find a cause that inspires you, that will motivate you to work towards that next level of success- and then be true to your intentions.  This principle is not limited to Christmastime, but wouldn’t it be a great time to start?

Yesterday Rich had me help him out with something fun for the book. He was calling to speak with Kristy Dunaway and capture her great success story. She shared with us her involvement in a jewelry company called Lia Sophia. Kristy got involved with it when she was living in Utah and her best friend introduced her to the idea. Her entire story will likely end up in the book, but to sum it up, she was given an opportunity and once she decided to commit to it, she was successful beyond belief. And she continues to do extremely well in this company.
One of the most important things I think that Kristy shared is that it was at the moment she decided to commit herself to the company that the business really started to snowball. When she first started to get involved, she was unsure of whether or not she really wanted to do it. While it was taking off quickly on its own before she even decided to go into management, she said she truly had to make the decision to pick it up. And once she did, she experienced immense success.
Committing to something is not easy, in business or in any other aspect of life. Millions of people cannot commit to a relationship, to a major in college, or even to a color of paint for their walls. And this is a problem that is becoming more prevalent in all areas of our society. The ability to commit is now a rare and commendable trait to have. Why is it so important? In business, especially bootstrapping, if there is not a commitment, there is rarely going to be success. Things in life take time, work, and patience. And all of these things require commitment.
With so many money making schemes around now, especially in college when everyone wants quick cash, it is hard to determine what is worth your time. Recruiters always share an outrageous success story of someone in their company, making everyone think that will be them in just a few months. The fact is that what sets those successful people apart is their level of commitment and what they are willing to give. And the majority of people do not understand the true amount of commitment, and not everyone has what it takes. Kristy is definitely someone who does have it, and her incredible story is a result of that.