Author Archives: ljgale

Thanks, Doorman

A good doorman:

  • Greets people he knows he knows.
  • Helps strangers with no hesitation.
  • Asks “How was your day?” to anyone who might want to be asked.
  • Smiles.
  • Appreciates his job.
  • Appreciates you.
  • Moves around during work.
  • Talks with hand gestures.
  • Lends a hand.
  • Keeps secrets.
  • Talks to the mailman.
  • Likes dogs.
  • Dresses well.
  • Laughs a lot.
  • Shows patience.
  • Plays on your team.
  • Cares.

Alas, not all doormen are good doormen.

Might as well lead by example.

Soft openings

Instead of a grand opening, why not try a soft opening. Fewer people, less hype, less risk.

With a soft opening:

  • Mistakes are seen by fewer people.
  • Participants feel closer to you and your brand.
  • Highlights and lowlights are easier to consider when nimble.

Books, blogs, movies, restaurants, small-businesses, relationships, TV shows, domiciles, etc. are all similar in this respect.

Start slow with a soft opening.

Wash. Rinse. Repeat.

Two choices with job hunting

Looking for a new job?

Here are your choices:

  1. Sell yourself. Explain how you’re better than your current company. Show how poorly you were treated. Give examples of how overqualified you are.
  2. Sell your current company. Explain how great your time with them has been. Show how well they treated you. Give examples of great things your teams did.

Choice 2 gets you:

  • Higher paying opportunities.
  • More opportunities.
  • An open door to return with your current company.

Yes, a small percentage of old colleagues (ones most financially affected by your departure) will treat with you ignorance and contempt. But you get that any time you get a new job.

Might as well go with Choice 2.

What would Lucy do?

When in doubt, just think about what Lucy would do.

  • Seeing someone you’ve missed? Jump, wag and give tons of love.
  • Meeting new friends? Approach gently and make the other feel comfortable.
  • Been sitting still for too long? Get up and stretch.
  • Playing ball in the park? Leave it all on the field.
  • Feeling sick? Don’t let anyone know.
  • Just got fed? Say thank you.

Love, exercise and appreciation.

WWLD.

Lucy-1

Pivotal moments in the air

During my days flying every week:

  • A middle-aged entrepreneur said I should sell high-value, high-margin products as softly as possible. Boy, was he right!
  • A young personal wellness coach said he saw big things from me. He still emails me periodically to see if I’ve made it big.
  • A husband and wife, both scientists from rural Florida taught me about the perils of farm-raised fish. They were one of the first subscribers to Life is NOYOKE.
  • Two strangers left me alone, mostly, while I juggled 50 note cards with research for the book I was writing. The strangers varied, but they were all helpful in special ways.

For every reason flying brought me the pain, there was one that made it worth it.

Lemons, lemonade, People.

 

The summit of mount February

The month of February in a cold-weather month is like hiking a mountain.

  • Feb 1: The beginning.
  • Feb 2: “I can’t believe we’re doing this again.”
  • Feb 4: Occasional moment to enjoy.
  • Feb 12: Short break, almost to the top.
  • Feb 14: The peak of the mountain. Proud you made it safely. Will take a minute to enjoy. Excited, but the moment fades quickly.
  • Feb 15: Beginning of the decent. It’s all downhill from here.
  • Feb 17: Short break to take it all in.
  • Feb 22: “Can you believe we did it, again?”
  • Feb 26: “I’m really getting ready to be done.”
  • Feb 28: “We made it back to the bottom. Cannot believe we did it. Was it worth it? We should never do that again.”

And just like mountain climbers, we’ll do it again. Just to say we did it.

Happy Top of the Mountain Day.

The easier, only way

Want to?

  • Write a book?
  • Market your secret sauce?
  • Start your own consulting firm?

Your words might be great. Your sauce might be delicious. And your team might be rockstars.

But who’s gonna buy one, some, or hours?

Nobody.

Except, every one of your biggest fans.

Get fans first. Sell stuff second.

That’s the easier way. The only way.

Daily vacation

Activating airplane mode is the unofficial beginning of a vacation.

  • No emails.
  • No Facebook.
  • No calls.

Just pure bliss.

Lately, I’ve been activating airplane mode every day. Even if it’s just for 20 minutes, I’m refreshed like after a week on the beach.

Of course, business travelers go on airplane mode on flights for work. But isn’t that still airplane mode?

Flying for work. No flying at all. Take a few minutes per day on airplane mode.

Who doesn’t want a daily vacation?

Recognizing selfish questions

Some questions:

Q1) Where are the people from that shop here?

Q2) How do you make money blogging?

Q3) How old is your dog?

These are FAQ’s of me have always been easy to answer.

A1) Around here.

A2) Promoting products like Vitamix.

A3) Between 2 and five years old.

But upon closer examination, those questions are not what I’m being asked. The real questions are much more selfish than what I heard.

Real Q1) Do people like me shop here?

Real Q2) Should I be worried about you paying rent or that you’re going to ask me for money?

Real Q3) Can I pet her?

The lesson? Answer the question they asked. It’s rude to jump to conclusions. But, don’t be afraid to take a stab at the real question being asked. At best, you make a deeper connection. At worse, it’s a lot more fun.

 

100% to 100%

A common site:

  • Applying to 20 undergraduate programs.
  • Submitting 100 resumes.
  • Knocking on 500 doors.

It’s impossible to give 100% to each, right? So why even bother with the add-ons that only get a half-hearted effort?

Yes, it’s nice telling ourselves we tried our best by applying, submitting, knocking on a gazillion opportunities. But isn’t it better to give our best to a smaller list?

It’s certainly better for the recipients.