Spiritual Business

Away we go

Big meeting today with what seemed to be lovely people. I tried to tell them that we too are lovely people also but I think I sounded like an overeager date. Ah well. Nerves got me.

Basically everyone who is pitching for the account will be saying the same thing. 'Pick us, we are great blah blah blah.' How do I get cut through? I can't I guess, short of them ringing out clients to find out that we are indeed lovely and clever.

I wished though, they had been in car at the petrol station with Gandalf and the Organised Aries while we ate Mentos and talked crap and discussed my bad shoe choice. That's the ease of us. We all like each other and this bodes well for our clients. We get it done and we enjoy it while we are doing it.

I wonder if I had offered them a Mentos, if this would have helped?

I suppose it's kind of like a first date, we ran though our questions, they ran through theirs and then we all shook hands politely and we said our goodbyes.

What I really wanted to say is that we do our best all the time. We love our work. We protect you from the issues and let you take all the credit if the ideas work. We go beyond and our most uptight clients send us chocolates when the job is finished. We get letter from important people saying "Thanks and you saved my skin." We fulfill your unexpressed wish whenever possible. We have even been know to recommend carpet cleaners for our clients. We are a real relationship, not just a one nighter.

 I said nothing because that would be creepy and clingy and a little stalkerish. They need to go with their gut. But if they do choose us then we have Mentos and carpet cleaner and creative flair for days.

Later.

Bali High

Down the street from me was a small corner shop. What we quaintly call in Australia, a milk bar. Over the last year I have watched its demise. While at first I found it amusing how bad the shop was, with its faded indonesian dancing puppet hanging in the doorway. We called it the God of Warm Drinks and Chips, as that's all they sold in the store, the fridges long gone and the owners desperate for any sale.

Then one day there were makeshift curtain in the store windows. In front of the curtains were crudely handmade painting on cheap canvas, from the $2 shop. Then weeks later in front of the curtain were T-shirts and odd clothing items. They were all for sale, the hand written notes said, that were stuck to the window.

Business was slow it seemed as the clothes hung in the window for weeks. Then one day they were gone and replaced with ball point pens and a few calculators, that were strung from fishing line from the top of the window. It was sad and pathetic and heartbreaking to watch.

I worried for them. Their slow and agonising extinction was following the trajectory of the global economic crisis. I understood how they felt. In desperate times, people act desperately. 

Then one day they were gone, like so many small businesses in hard times.

Yesterday I was thrilled to see that there was new glass being installed. new doors and new display cabinets. It is a positive sign I think. Things are looking up. Change has come and I wish them well. I look forward to seeing what will fill the cabinets and send them golden light of prosperity.

Do ya wanna dance?

So, we get all prepared for this big ol' meeting. Massive. We spent 2 weeks on the presentation. I wore makeup and a new knit. The Fire-Starter had her sexy shoes on. Gandalf was rocking a pink shirt.

The only trouble is we were not expected. Yep. crickets were singing in the background. Tumbleweeds rolling through the board room. It was like our prom date had not turned up and we were desperate and dateless. (Their diary had not been updated correctly or something like that!)

I tried hard not to be shitty. Finally we were seen. I spoke upfront and asked if we were wasting peoples time, mostly ourselves. Nope, apparently it was all good. After that the meeting went swimmingly. Honest and upfront. Keeping it real. Keeping it like us.

If they want us after that then we have a chance of making it work. Sometimes the best relationship start out with a spanner thrown in the works. I think it is the universe testing what we would be like together under duress? How we would behave on Survivor Island together?

I don't know the answer to that yet. If they ask us to dance then at least we will know each others groove. If they don't then best want to dance with us, we know it is because we will step on each others toes.

Anyway, in the very least, I got a new knit out of it.

Duck off

Gandalf and I made the decision that we will only hire people who will make themselves the best they can be.

After spending time with the Libran Sylph, a past staff member, now doing he her thing in Ol' Blighty, on Friday. I was almost like a proud parent. Everything she is achieving, I knew she could do one day.

Now, trust me, do not believe that I had a much of a hand in where she is now, but every time she didn't believe in herself, I told her I thought otherwise. We encouraged and pushed at all the right moments and now she is living her best life. The level of care and concern she gave our business was second to none and quite frankly I do not want to hire anyone who thinks working at our business is, in the words of a past staff member, " just a job, why do you care so much?"

This attitude is the lone ranger in the business. The one who does not care about any outcome that does not effect them. Finger pointers and snakes in the grass. I have hired them and been charmed by them. No more.

We hire for talent and potential. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, it's a crap shoot.

Some peeps say that want to try to do their best but can't bring it, some take to self and professional development like a duck to water.

I have mostly ducks at work now. People who love to learn and do new things. They make it seems easy but are paddling like hell underneath and doing it with flair and style. The best ones are optimistic and kind. They love what they do and do what they love. They are in their sweet spot when they come to work and share the sugar around. There are days when I retire to my office, tears pricking my eyes with the sheer relief and joy that these people come into work everyday and I never, never take it for granted.

So for us from now on, we only want ducks goddammit!