My new career as a painter....

When I die – bury me with this paint brush.” OK – go ahead and laugh but the Egyptians were buried with their treasured objects! ( I know, many of you thought I might want to be buried with my computer)

When there is a job to do – there is nothing better than having the right tools to do the job – and for that matter – the best tools to do the job.

This past month we were spending all of our spare time getting our house ready for sale – and that involved a lot of painting. Hallways, exterior, stairwells and touch ups were just a few of the areas I painted using one paintbrush.

I could have gone out to the garage and hunted up an old paint brush to do the job, but when I was out picking the paint up, I decided to look at some new brushes. There were a lot to choose from – so I asked the ‘expert’ in the paint department for a good brush for ‘cutting in’. He walked straight to the display and chose one and said, “this is the one I use – and I love it.” He was the ‘expert’ – so I trusted his advice. I bought it. 

When I began using the brush, I was amazed at how well I could paint. Now I am not a painter – but looking at the results – I was amazed. I did not need to use tape to cover other trim – I was able to cut in even the smallest of places. I became so excited at the results that what was supposed to be a chore that I was not looking forward to – became a job I really enjoyed.

My husband was mortified. Then disturbed. Then finally annoyed. You see the hallway was all I was going to paint. But then I got to the stairwell – and I thought – what the heck! So I went around the corner and down the stairs. Then came the corner by the closet. Well I really couldn’t stop there. By noon I had advanced to the living room. (now you see my hubby’s concern)

And to add to the euphoria I experienced while doing the job I thought I was going to hate – was the yummy feeling in my tummy as I looked at the milk chocolate colour of the walls. Between the results of the cutting in and the final look of the room – I was in heaven. All I wanted to do was to continue to paint.

This made me think about my business. How often had I just used a tool I had on hand to do a job – not bothering to even look to see if there was a better tool to use. Perhaps this is why I put off some of the jobs I did not like to do. Maybe there were better tools?

Case in point – my new virtual assistant Raghu suggested I start using a tool called Hoot Suite. I had become tired of tweeting and updating all my social network pages. When you write as much as I do – after a while it can become mundane. What a cool tool – I was hooked immediately!

I guess the point I am trying to make is – no job has to be mundane. Not only can we find joy in doing a job and doing it well – there are thousands of tools out there to help us. All we have to do is ask an expert – and maybe invest in a good tool to help us out.

When you won’t invest in new tools and ideas – you remain mired in old thinking – and often old attitudes. 

So here’s the deal. You get to choose how easy (or hard) and fun (or mundane) it is to run your business.

Oh – and yes – my husband chose a paintbrush from the garage. (oh dear) He is still picking paintbrush hairs off the trim on the front porch….. and grumbling about painting.

Raising my arms in "Rocky - like" fashion!

Being in business is the best self development tool one could ever ask for. I cannot tell you how much fun ( and some days not so fun) that personal growth has been for me. And to think we can get paid for it!

When I think about personal growth I am often reminded of the old Wide World of Sports commercial that featured skiers that t showed the joy of success – and the AGONY of defeat! For those of you who remember it – and I know I am dating myself- every time we see that skier crash – we cringe. OW!

The truth of it is that we often avoid personal growth because we are afraid it might hurt. What we do not anticipate is the financial and personal gains we experience in our businesses as a result.

As I have mentioned – although somewhat offhandedly – I recently won Calgary Business Woman of the year. For those who know the size of Calgary – over a million people – this is no small feat.

I did not nominate myself – nor did I apply - so it was a huge surprise for me. Having been brought up in a family and culture where it was not nice to brag – I humbly played the achievement down – mentioning it here and there but never really stepping into the position of greatness that was offered to me.

Until recently that is.  A few weeks ago I sat in a seminar run by a well known marketer who was selling her services. As I sat through her presentation I mentally made note; I teach that….hmmm I teach that too…yes that is something I recommend….. – well you get the point.

Then I realized, “wow the only difference from what I teach and sell and what she teaches and sells is price point.” Unfortunately I did not have the endorsement that she had during that event.

Whose fault was that?

Mine.

False humility and ‘pooh poohing’ my accomplishments hid my ability and diminished my value. If I did not value or acknowledge my accomplishments – how could I expect anyone else to see what I could do – and attach a significant monetary value to it?

It was then that Ii realized that my resentment at not being able command a higher price and attain the contracts that I wanted was my issue and no one else’s.

So I did it. I showed my accomplishment to the leaders and they announced it to the group and I got a standing ovation. It took all my energy to raise my hands in the air – “Rocky” style and accept the congratulations. But I did it. Immediately my credibility was established and I decided that I would do this more often.

The truth is – we are all great in some areas. Unfortunately we do not often believe in ourselves – and our ability to become successful is adversely affected. We do create our own worlds, possibilities and success.

My head believes I am Calgary Business Woman of the year 2010. My heart rejoices. The Universe now prepares the way for success when I marry the two together.

So – what’s holding you back?  (hmmm what you think?)

For anyone interested in pursuing their dreams and starting the journey to success – contact me for one free laser coaching session. Yes for free. You now have no more excuses!

An adventure in bread making

Ah – another “be in the moment” lesson teaching me to live in the here and now!

As many of you know, last fall I was notified that I was nominated and had won Calgary Business Woman of the Year 2010. As surprised as I was – I also refused to acknowledge the significance and wanted to ignore or bury the excitement I felt about it.

(Yes, I avoid feelings like the plague. I would rather think and make sense of things)

So instead of allowing myself to become excited – I denied the feelings and became the feeling. I started doing things without thinking because I was in that ‘state of hyper excitement’ not available to think or even be aware of what was going on around me.

Air head might have been the best description and I am sure my husband, although he refrained from saying it out loud – called me that and a few more choice names before the day was over.

To avoid my ‘day of the event’ excitement and nervousness, I decided to bake bread. From scratch. Yeah – smart huh?

Swedish Cardamom Wreath was my choice and I buried myself in the fragrant aroma of the cardamom – an Indian pepper.

I placed the dough in a slightly warm oven to let it rise. (For those who have visited my home – they will understand that room temperature at my house is not conducive to bread rising!)

After running a quick errand – I came in the house to get the dog and head to the dog park with my hubby. It was a glorious Sunday and I was determined to relax. I checked on the bread and it did not appear to have even begun to rise. So I turned the oven on to 150 degrees, adjusted the wet tea towel over the bowl, closed the oven door and headed out.

We returned home one hour later to a house full of blue smoke and the smell of burning fabric. (smelled very much like wood smoke)

You guessed it. I ran to the kitchen to find the tea towel half burned up – and the dough only slightly risen!

The lecture I endured following the airing of the house was minor compared to the realization that I could have been attending the awards banquet in my jeans and sweat top. Pretty scary stuff for someone so concerned about how they appear to others.

Oh yeah – and the house could have burned down.

I hope I learned my lesson. As much as I like fireman – I would rather see them in a calendar then hosing down the ashes of what once was my house.

Here and now Mandie. Here and now.

Oh – yes – and the bread? It tasted great! 

(PS. Thanks to who ever nominated me - and the businesses in Calgary that supported me as well!)

Ground hog Day - a lesson finally learned

Groundhog day – the movie I mean – recently taught me something. Amusing as it may seem to some – it took me over 20 years to learn the lesson that the movie was trying to get across. I realize now what the movie was about – and I am wondering if perhaps I had ‘got it’ earlier – I might have had an easier life!

For those of you who never saw the movie – Bill Murray wakes up day after day with the same thing happening, sequence by sequence exactly as he had the day previous. Nothing changes. He has the same disagreements and the same conversations over and over. The theme is about experiencing the same lesson over and over until you learn it.

Yeah, I know. We talk about stuff like this – but do we really learn our lessons in life? Judging by the conversations I have with others, who get stuck in a circle of behaviour that repeats over and over – not very often.

Case in point - I travel frequently by air – and as a result have to endure the disrobing, dismantling and de-shoeing at the airport security line every time I am scheduled to travel by plane. The problem was that I had the incredible “you been selected for a personal search” record of 8 out of ten visits. That’s right – out of 20 trips through the security line, I was ‘randomly’ searched 16 times.

At first I was upset, then curious, then disgruntled and then furious. It got to the point that I arrived at the security line up thinking that I should just ask them to search me. That way it was my choice and I could choose if I wanted to waste their time instead of having them waste mine.

For those who know me – I do not even come close to appearing like a security threat. So I began to rationalize. Did I appear too confident? Did I disrobe too early, knowing what to take off and what not to take off? Did I look too organized? When I go through the detector – it NEVER beeps so what is the deal?

The last trip I took, I waited in line patiently, nestled between about 10 true blue cowboys – hats, rodeo jackets and all. Some smelled of alcohol – a raucous bunch. I figured I was pretty safe looking in comparison as I did not have any spurs on my shoes – but I took them off anyway.

Three cowboys went before me – none of them taking off their boots. None were asked to. Then it was my turn – and you guessed it – I was selected for the ‘random search’.

I immediately demanded to be searched in private – as was my right to do so. This time though – I lost it. I became verbally abusive, difficult and vented my anger demanding to know what I had done to be chosen. A supervisor was called in and assured me I was chosen randomly. After the search was over – I complained to the supervisor – advising her of the poor job the security personnel had done.

They had missed searching my hair which was pinned up with a 6 inch pin. As a former police officer, having searched hundreds of people on their arrest – I knew this was a favourite spot for women to store knives and other weapons. I told them that they were truly incompetent!

Through the entire process, part of me watched from the outside myself at what was happening. I observed my behaviour and began to ask myself if this is the way I wanted to be treated ….etc. “Of course not” came my retort. “So what is the deal?” my good self asked my naughty self. Through a series of questions, I finally realized what was going on. And I also realized the lesson attached.

While in policing, I really regarded security personnel as ‘wanna-be’s”. They were never as well trained as police officers – and often those who could not cut it as cops were hired as security officers. The truth is I had no respect for their position and what they did. Little wonder that the lesson I had to learn was one of respect for those who held security positions at the airport.

I realized at that point that they were regular people with a position of authority – and that I needed to respect that. After an apology to the supervisor for my behaviour, I realized how important it was to respect others, not just those I chose to respect.

The result? That simple mindset of respect for my fellow human beings and their positions has resulted in a much calmer experience at all the airports I frequent. And it is no surprise that I have not been chosen for a personal search since I changed my mind.

The funnier piece of this story – I finally learned my lesson on groundhog day. Thanks to Bill Murray – I finally got it.

The four magic words of business

Really - Four Magic Words.

When I was small, I clearly remember my parents asking me for the ‘magic word’. I am sure as I raised my children that I too asked them for the magic word when they asked me for something. And the word was magic – because you knew if Mom asked you for the magic word, her answer to your question was likely yes. So 'please' became a natural part of our vocabulary.

In business there are magic words that we sometimes say but may rarely consider. When was the last time you focussed on ‘service’ instead of commerce? It’s true that commerce is the result of ongoing transactions within an organization – but s this the only thing that our businesses are reduced to?

How can I serve? Magic words in more ways than one.

A customer hears “how can I help you” on a regular basis – but rarely hears the question “how can I best serve your needs today?” It is hard to imagine anyone wanting to serve in this day and age. It seems that we regard serving as beneath us. Business has been reduced to the exchange of goods and services for a fee.

“How can I serve?” changes everything.

It changes:

• How we look at our business
• Our attitude
• Our willingness to do what it takes
• Focuses on helping and not exchange of services for a fee

Asking how you can serve another focuses on the pay it forward attitude not the “what can I get mentality”

Serving another is the most spiritual connection we can make with another human being. It keeps us humble and sets an entirely different and non-competitive tone to business. When we serve we - do our best. True service is offered in the spirit of love.

Just think how those magic words can change your business. When no longer focussed on making money – we are rewarded monetarily and serve with joy. Adding the service mindset to any position – whether it is your own business or a business you work for brings the joy and contentment back into our work.

So tell me – How can I best serve you?

If you are looking for coaching please contact us for more information.

Easy... easy like Sunday morning...

I may be giving away my age - but the song "Easy like Sunday morning" by Lionel has been playing over and over in my head when I think of the last phone call I had with a supplier.  But first let me begin with....

I am not always easy!  Although I try to be fairly mellow about most things - I know that I am a tough customer. I do my very best to be polite but I expect to be treated with respect as I am purchasing a product – or may be purchasing one – and I would hope that the company I am dealing with would like continue to do business with me.

But lets turn the table. From a business perspective – I wonder – am I easy to do business with? Are you?

Recently, I have had several experiences that taught me a lot about how we can make it easy to do business with us. Let me explain.

This past week, I was doing some business house keeping. Over the holidays I had found several over charges on my credit card, noted some accounts that were being mailed to the wrong address and decided to switch all my business purchases to one credit card. Many of these jobs were quite simple in nature – but added together they took me the better part of a week to get done. Here are some of the issues I encountered:

• One supplier refused to speak on the phone with me. All correspondence had to be done via email. This resulted in 25 emails to get cleared up - because the business overcharged me and I wanted reimbursed. Total time spent for 25 emails – 1.5 hours
• One supplier did not have my account information viewable – so I had to call and leave a message to change my credit card number. Then after I received a call back I was sent a form to fill in and fax back. Total time spent – 35 minutes
• The phone company said they changed my billing address after the first 25 minute call – but one month later I called back – was transferred to 4 different operators who all had to verify who I was and my account number and two pieces of I.D. before they changed the billing address a second time. Total in tow calls 1.25 hours 
• A mail support supplier over billed me by $75 dollars and when I asked for a refund they would credit the card – but they had the incorrect address. To change the address I had to send and email on letterhead to the company. I used the email address they gave me and it bounced. I had to call back and start over. Then they told me it was MY responsibility to check and see if the refund went through. Total time spent – 1.5 hours

These are only a few of the activities that consumed my week. 

The final one was a call to American Express Merchant Services. It was after 5 pm – but I tried calling anyway. I got an operator after pressing zero only one time! (wow!) When I explained that I wanted to close the account - the operator asked me why. I explained – and she offered to reimburse me for 6 months of fees and created a better solution where I would not have monthly fees.  

I did not even ask for a refund -  they offered it!  Then they made it so easy to do business with them - I could not find a reason to leave!

Now that is one SMART company!

In 5 minutes I was refunded 30 dollars and had a pleasant conversation- and remained a customer! Now there was a company that was easy to do business with!  Easy like Sunday morning even!

I thanked the operator and told her how I she had been the easiest call I had all day. She laughed and told me the same was for her – that I had been her easiest call.

The lesson I learned was that even big companies can have customer friendly policies. Most do not – but creating easier ways for a customer to do business with you can make everyone’s day a lot less stressful and enable them to be more efficient!

This opened a whole new door for me to re-examine my policies and determine how I can be easier to do business with. If you are having a lot of push back or difficulties with clients – chances are – you are not that easy to do business with.

Is it time for a change? I mean really – isn’t life complicated enough?  If you are looking to create more customer loyalty, streamline your processes and make it easier for people to do business with you – why not consider a coach? More information on coaching here

Creating Massive change - all by my little lonesome self!

At some point over the last several months, massive change occurred in my life. I cannot tell you what day or what time it was that this happened. 

In fact, I can honestly say that at no time did I come to the huge realization that I wanted to make things different in my life. There was no tear jerking movie, no speaker with a killer keynote and no tragedy that sparked the realization and influenced the decision. 

If I were to get very clear on how the massive change happened – I would have to say it happened easily and occurred seamlessly. How?

I just started doing things differently. That’s it. I began by changing one small thing at a time. Just one thing. 

When did I make the first small change and what was it?  I cannot lay a finger on it - it is a mystery even to me.

What I do know is that at some point I came to understand that our lives are made of very small moments in time. Each one those moments connects with the last moment and the next moment to create a minute, an hour, a day and in essence a lifetime. 

In each of those moments we make decisions, some conscious and some not so conscious. Yes, we make thousands of decisions every day – many of them based on a decision we made yesterday and even years ago.

Each one of these decisions in and of itself may have very little effect on our lives in the moment – and so we think that they are insignificant. But we fool ourselves if we think this way.


Take for example - that one chocolate. It has very little affect on our weight.  It is of little significance if we pop just one into our mouth – in fact it may even have a temporary beneficial effect. (oooh those taste buds!)  How can something so small be bad for us?

Then there is the morning we decide it really is ok to sleep in an extra hour – or hit the snooze button one more time. How could a few extra moments of snuggly, sleepy, dream filled moments hurt us? It’s pretty obvious – it cannot.

However, our lives are the sum total of each of these small decisions we make.  You get to decide if they are detrimental only after all the decisions added up will be the outcome you desire.

I guess the moment when I realized this – although I still cannot say when it was – I began to become present in the moment and consider each thing that I did. In a way, I stepped outside of myself and looked in. What was Mandie doing right now – and why was she doing it?

It was a simple step really. It did not take any extra effort to be present in the moment. And so when I wandered to the cupboard for that one cookie that wouldn’t really hurt to eat – I thought about the decision to eat it. I asked myself when was the last time I decided that one cookie would not hurt – and when would be the next time? Was I really tricking myself, little by little?

The same thing applied to things I did in my professional life. I began to stay present in the moment. Was what I was telling a client entirely true? Would I really have time to do what I said I would do? Was I telling stories or truths? Was I listening or thinking?

As people around me made new year’s resolutions – I decided not to. Massive change all at one time is unmanageable. In order to create massive change we need to change only one small thing – and that is the decision we make right now. Not yesterday’s decision and not tomorrow’s decision.

Have I seen massive change in my life? Most certainly. I am losing weight – because I am making one small decision at a time. I can get up at 5:30 each morning to go work out – not with one big decision to do so, but by making one small choice to set the alarm for 5:30 and then trust myself to make a good decision when it goes off in the morning. And if I do not make the right decision in the morning – I think about how it felt to let myself down like that.

But in my business is where these changes are showing up most. Each thing I do – I do for a purpose. If there is no purpose – I ask myself why I am doing it – and then change to something that does have a purpose. And most importantly, I am present in the moment. It is when we are not present that we repeat bad decisions, bad behaviours and nothing changes.

Do you want to make your business more successful? Start small. Change how you do things – mimic the successful. One small step at a time. One month from now, all those little changes will amount to massive change. A year from now – you might look back as I am doing now, and ask yourself “when did things change?”

Those small decisions really add up. What will you change today?

Copyright 2010 Mandie Crawford

Want to learn to mimic the successful?  Success coaching may be your answer!