Move Down Front

We all know the story of Rosa Parks and her refusal to move her tired feet one more step to the back of the bus. So I’m not going to repeat it here. But what I will do is take a moment to acknowledge how easy it is to grow accustomed to being in the back that when opportunities to hit the front arise, they’re missed.

Usually I sit at the back or on the sides of large gatherings for many reasons but mainly – kids and bathroom. I have my children with me probably 85% of most things that I do so I’m constantly wrangling, shushing and entertaining while trying to glean experiences (church, meetings, dinner, etc). As for the bathroom, well I have two kids, and my moms out there you already know what carrying babies in your body does to one’s bladder, so there’s that.

Last week I attended a leadership and entrepreneurs’ conference. I didn’t have my kids with me; I’d avoided having a lot to drink for the morning so I decided to move up in the room. Not to the front but certainly closer than my usual perch. One of the other attendees looked at me and said, “I’m going to the front. Come on.” I was hesitant, but really there was nothing holding me back except fear, fear of being seen; fear of being held responsible for the view and things that I learned there down front.

Mind you, I’ve always been a bit skeptical of people that show up places late demanding a seat in the front. I’m thinking what makes you so special to head down there late, but maybe I should be asking the other way, why are there still open seats in the front? Shouldn’t we all want to be closer to the flames? Don’t we all deserve an opportunity and access? What does it say about us when we don’t move down front?

On that day, moving down front was just the start of moving outside of my comfort zone. As a result of taking multiple steps different than my normal path, I was rewarded at a greater level than I’d ever experienced. So today I want to you to make a decision to move down front. Is there an area of life where you’ve been sitting in the back for far too long? Drop a comment below. It’s time to move down front in 2018.

3 Things I Learned Working with My Mate

Earlier this month, I accepted a freelance writing project from the Hubby. For years I’d been saying we should work together, let me work for you, how can I help you in your entrepreneurial endeavors – and none of those things panned out. However, this time, what he needed was exactly in my wheelhouse. Before I continue, let me put a few things out there: 1- I KNOW he’s an incredible business man (he closes million-dollar deals regularly); 2- Both of us have Masters in Business so we know our stuff; 3 – Our perspectives on business are very much shaped by our own personal experiences (me – education, arts, nonprofit; him – entertainment, corporate). In all of that, I still learned a few things in my encounter with him.

1.       Setting clear expectations to begin with eliminates heartache. In working with my spouse I think the pressure was on to perform well. That’s hard when it’s arbitrary. We started our work together with clear expectations on the project.  Some of the language that was used in our conversations:

a.       This is what needs to be done by this particular date.

b.       When it is completed, I expect the finished product to be…

c.       I will provide updates on the project at the following intervals...

d.       I need your attention to the following details for finalization…

And it worked! Yes, it was formal, but it worked so much better that way. It really was black and white for us.

2.       I am worth my rate. He asked me how much the project would be up front. I told him my typical rate and payment terms, and he didn’t bat an eye. He didn’t ask for a family discount or payment plan. In his eyes, business is business. That spoke volumes to me! Moreover, when the project was completed, I didn’t have to resend an invoice, ask or throw hints. He paid me!

3.       I have to know and respect my limitations. At the end of the project potential for more work came through him. However, that next project would have demanded more of my attention and require us to work a little more closely with him and his client. I had to respectfully decline the offer and provide an alternative resource for him to consider. Guess what? That worked too! There were no hard feelings and more work will come.

Now these may not seem like big deals to you, but they were major to me. It allowed me to see my spouse in the way that others see him. As well, it allowed him to see the back and front end of the way that I do business. As a result, I think that we have better understanding of one another. I can appreciate the work he does from another angle and vice versa.

Have you worked with your spouse or another close family member? What was your experience?

But Do I Love It? Questions for Choosing Your Work

Love is a driving factor for many things we do, even the bad choices we make. Those crimes of passion highlighted on dramatic television often include someone who at one point was in love. What would happen if we took that same love and poured it into our businesses and the work that we do day to day? We’ve all heard it before that if we do what we love the money will come. Well that’s true, sort of…

The truth is we must identify what we love and are passionate about then evaluate how it translates to others. What question does what we do answer for them? What problem does our solution solve for them? Once we have a strong understanding of that, we can then use our love to labor at it. Whether you’re in business for yourself, aspiring to be or content as an employee, I want you to love what you do. I want you to wake up daily prepared to fulfill your purpose for that day. I want you to love and own the space that you’re in so much that you can’t help but perform well in your efforts. As we become more consistent in putting our hands to work, our efforts compound yielding the financial rewards. That’s how it works. We work “it” [insert whatever your “it” is] until “it” works for us. Then we do it again and experience growth. After the novelty wears off, sometimes that working gets tiring. It gets mundane. It becomes less than likeable. But like a relationship, we have to determine if we really love it, or if we’re just infatuated. Once we know it’s love then we can continue working knowing that every day won’t be an easy likeable day, but every day is a love day worth working for. Here are some questions to ask in determining your love for “it”

1.       What gets me excited about it?

a.       Is the enthusiasm sustainable, a fad, or likely to turn into something that I hate or tires me out later?

2.       What don’t I like about it?

a.       Can I live with those things knowing that they’ll be a part of the process?

3.       If the money is slow to come, am I willing to be consistent and patient enough to see results?

4.       Is there longevity, stability and scalability in what I’m doing?

a.       Am I capable of the maintenance required?

5.       Does the work align with my core values and beliefs?

6.       Does the outcome of my effort help someone else?