On my desk at
work sits a variety of “chachkies,” a Yiddish word
meaning trinkets. These were collected with others from my many years of business travel. These dust-collectors remind me of the past,
yet often inspire me to think about events and opportunities in the future. Three pieces that stand out for me are a ceramic tall mouse, a stone paperweight with
the words “Soring into the Future” embossed
on it and a rubber outhouse I was handed
at a trade show.
The TALL MOUSE figure
I bought from one of my customers in Southern California. Tall Mouse Arts and Crafts was a four-store chain owned
by Jim and Ricki Bremmer. I was on a courtesy
call with his buyer, Kim Donahue who told me the story of how the store got its
name. In the mid-1960’s the founders of the company, Richard and Mariam Oehllam
were at a New Year’s Eve party with lots of champagne. Party guests were
milling around enjoying each other’s company, and they were talking about a
name for the store when somebody suggested, “You
need to invent a better mousetrap.” Thinking a mouse trap a bit inhume, someone
suggested that it would be better to just “build
a better mouse.” There happened to
be a cartoonist at the party who quickly sketched several drawings of different
mice, the long-legged mouse stood out and was purchased from the artist. So basically, as Kim stated, “it is how all good ideas happen—a party,
champagne, and a cartoonist!”
The tall mouse
reminds me to be creative, to think differently and to not listen to the
conventional wisdom. To follow one’s
passion, with vision and enthusiasm.
The paperweight with a stone base was a gift given after graduating from the 1993 Wholesale Florist
and Florist Supplier’s of America’s Management Institute held at Cornell
University. Since 1982, there have been
37 Management Institute Institutes and I have attended 29 to date. I love learning, networking with my industry
peers, and experiencing new ways to apply these best practices to our
business. This educational event also
helps me share the knowledge I learn with customers who appreciate the ideas I bring
them as a valued and trusted advisor.
This
paperweight reminds me to continue to be a life-long learner and to “Soar into the Future” by continuing to
grow, challenge and adapt to the changing winds of the marketplace. It’s often be stated that the only one who
likes change is a baby, with a dirty diaper. One should embrace change
otherwise you’ll start to stink from within.
Which brings me
to the third object in this grouping, a rubber outhouse. This was a promotional giveaway at a special
event show from a waste management company.
In the party, wedding event business if you don’t have a necessary room
close by, your event might turn out crappy.
This “stress reliever” is intended to be squeezed when one was feeling overwhelmed
and needed to redirect their angst. I walked up to the folks who were standing in
front of a gleaming, outhouse on wheels.
And said, “How’s shit going?”
One replied, “Pretty regular” and we
all had a good laugh. A salesman threw
me this rubber outhouse and said, “squeeze
this the next time you go. It will help
with the experience.” More
laughter.
The rubber
outhouse reminds me to have fun and laugh in your business. As I have often stated, “I’m going to FUN If
it’s work find someone else.” It also
reminds me to, GSD = GET SHIT DONE. Crude
perhaps. Yet in business, if you don’t
GSD you go HUNGRY.
Three simple souvenirs
which sit on my desk. They remind me to continue
to be creative, think differently, to continue
life-long learning, to get shit done
and have fun doing it.
