I designed those!

Tags

airport, carry-on, designer, puma, security, socks

I just made it through airport security and was waiting for my carry-on to come down the conveyor belt, along with my shoes and other personals. The woman in front of me was lovely enough and I could tell she was rushing to grab her bags off the line so she didn’t hold me up. (I know what it’s like to feel rushed – trying to grab satchels and carry-ons, making sure nothing fell into one of the bins, putting on shoes, belts, jewelry, and stuffing liquids back in my case – it’s a rush, to say the least.)

“Don’t worry a thing about it. Take your time. My bags are still being checked.”

Lovely woman looks at my shins (or so I thought) and casually and says, “I designed those!” I’m wearing black leggings and I wasn’t sure how much designing could possibly go into such things, but I didn’t want to be rude. “My pants?”

“No, your socks.” Cool! She works for a sock company that owns the rights to design Puma socks! She was very excited to see me wearing them, of course. I gave them wonderful props as they are my favorite socks and bid her farewell.

I missed my opportunity to ask her what career path she choose to design socks. I’m not entirely sure I could have asked without laughing or sounding rude, but I really do wonder how that happens.

I’m not sure she dreamed about designing socks as a little girl, but maybe this is the low rung of her fashion designing dreams. If that’s the case, at least she’s on a rung.

Are you on a rung of your dreams?

30 Seconds

“You have 30 seconds to sell me on how this will benefit my business.”

I’ve heard some refer to these 30 seconds as an “elevator speech.” If we’re going to sell anything, our “elevator” better be zesty, zippy and hit straight on how it’s a win for the person with which we’re talking. 30 seconds gives NO margin for fluff, and definitely no “ums” or “ahs.” 

Honestly, I didn’t feel ready when hit with this question this morning. I wanted to say, “really?” but that would have taken 6 seconds off my time and I needed every one of those 30 seconds. I used one sentence to state my passion, purpose and goal. A few other sentences circling around what I thought would be a win for the client – every one an ugly strike. BUT THEN I said it. This one sentence stuck and was exactly what the client wanted to hear. BAM! (Like I said it with a megaphone) He cut me off and said he was in. Come back for final details and paperwork next week. All in all I didn’t even get 30 seconds, but I guess I didn’t need it.

Two lessons: 

1. Know what you’re passionate about and be able to explain it in a sentence or two.

2. Analyze what hits home with your clients. It’s probable that what resonates with one is at the core of what resonates with several others. 

Reesee’s Peesees

Tags

candy, nickname, pronounce, Reese's Pieces

We’ve all heard it. Hardly anyone says “Reese’s Pieces” correctly. 

Hershey introduced this candy to the US in 1978 and thirty-four years later we still can’t pronounce it. How endeared could we be to Hershey if they actually changed the name of this candy to the nickname we’ve given it for years. Taking lessons from “The Y” (Formerly YMCA) and “The Strong” (Formerly The Strong National Museum of Play), Hershey could embrace what fans have dubbed the candy and be all the more endearing. 

How many of us ignore the obvious when reminded of our talent in X and how we have a knack for Z? We’re so bent on parading around “Reese’s Pieces” but the world experiences something entirely different while interacting with us. They’re trying to tell us to be authentic, to grab a hold of the nickname and the character that so easily represents us but we insist on the proper.

At what expense?  

Ostentatious Splurging

I’m in line at Wegmans and the woman in front of me is waiting to check out with her lunch. She inspects the drink cooler and snags a higher-cost drink and says loud enough for me to here, “I’m just going to splurge today.” (Justification if you ask me) I don’t respond because I can’t think of anything suitable to comment. 

What does splurge mean anyway? I climb in my car assuming it means very random bursts of spending. I stand corrected. The word is used to signify a spell of extravagant spending or a showy display – something ostentatious. It also means to spend money immoderately. (excessively)

Ms. I-need-to-justify-spending-$1.69-extra doesn’t really fit the “extravagant spending” in my opinion. Who is to say she is spending money “immoderately” except maybe that’s why she made her justification statement out loud. Apparently she knows she’s spending too much money on lunch but proceeds with it anyway.

Either way, I’ve learned a great deal about “splurging” and I hope you’ve refined your perspective also.  

 

Fault & Responsibility

Sometimes we throw off fault and blame and attribute it to “no one.” This is fine for a situation and the moment, but it doesn’t solve things for the future. If no one is at fault then who is responsible to make sure it doesn’t happen again?

 

Half way to somewhere

The literal meaning of mediocrity is “half way up the mountain.” What exists half way up the mountain? No lush valley or scenic view and very little water. Oh, but there is shelter from the wind. How ironic.

Is there value to mediocrity? 

 

Robin McKelle

Tags

jet, leg, Robin mckelle, singer, song, writer

I met a woman in the locker room; red-faced and sweaty from a great workout. Radiant. Jet-legged. Exhilarated. Exhausted. Excited.

She is a butterfly, and come to find out, also an accomplished singer and song writer. Enjoy!

 

Lion hugs

This video gets me EVERY TIME. http://wimp.com/christianlion/

Clever mistakes

Somehow I’ve managed to get tea leaves and specks in my cup of tea. Not exactly ideal, but my Dublin Breakfast wasn’t affected by my haphazard mistake.

How often do we launch something with the greatest plans and intentions and discover a mistake too big to recover? Maybe the project won’t be affected as we might think. In fact, many clever inventions came from “mistakes.”

Memory socks

A friend gave me three pair of athletic socks months ago. These socks quickly became my favorites for workouts. I think of her every time I put them on.

I know I’m quirky, but the socks are one of the best gifts (non-gifts) for two reasons; I use them all the time, and I think of my sweet friend several times a week. Thank you, lovely!

Maybe we should reconsider what gifts we give…