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As I said earlier about the Bikes on the Bricks, now I have a show to do. Oh @%&*. Now what?
The first thing that came to mind is I have a lot of work to do. I need a table(s), tablecloths, some type of display, and lots of bracelets. Now is a good time to take a deep breath and practice that combat breathing that I’ve learned at work so long ago. I admit, in addition to being excited, not I feel the pressure to deliver. This supervisor was very gracious with the invitation and I want to honor that support and do well.
So I begin the work. I have always liked the process of knowing something is coming and slowly making preparations to get ready. Heck, when we go on vacation, I like to take out the suitcases about a month ahead of time and slowly start putting items in. If it wasn’t for the fact that I would need to wear some of those clothes, I would be completely packed a month or so out. I know, it’s a little OCD, but what can I tell you. I can’t stand the last minute rush thing. I would rather be ready and just sit around watching everyone else scramble about.
As I’m writing this, I’m a few days from the show and have been twisting cord and making paracord items, placards and such. I even have the extra calloused fingers to prove it. I’m looking forward to the show and will definitely be blogging about it here. Hopefully it will go relatively smooth and the weather will cooperate. I’ve even had to remind myself that I won’t have everything perfect and will learn things that I could do better or eliminate completely.
I’m excited about the process and will talk with you next time, Constant Reader.
As I said before, when I was explaining to him my idea, he stopped me. Now I’m a little worried because this is unchartered waters for me. What he suggested was even better. He said that instead of doing just that, why don’t I set up a table and sell the bracelets if anyone is interested right next to their bike trailer. As you can imagine I’m smiling on the inside and it’s creeping to the outside. 🙂
It has amazed me just how helpful so many have been with this endeavor. Showing their families and friends. Coming to me with other orders for bracelets. Giving suggestions. Help coming in all directions in so many ways. I’ve had multiple people buy 5,6, or more bracelets for all the people they know and are close with. It is really touching to get so much unsolicited help. It’s actually difficult to give a good enough thank you. A few people I’ve given a few bucks to buy them lunch or given them a small item like a key chain. It seems so insignificant, but I have to remember I am trying to build something here. I can’t give away the farm, but I do want those “Angels” to know their help is so appreciated.
To all those who have helped me as I climb the mountains in this business, I can’t tell you how much you mean to me. I appreciate you. Each of you and I won’t forget. I will do my best to honor your contribution and make this a success. Again…THANKYOU.
Back to the work at hand. We’ll talk again next time Constant Reader…see you then.
I took my friends suggestion and went to one of the supervisors that has been an integral part of the police activities associated with the Bikes on the Bricks program. The thought came to me as I was going to work that morning. Perhaps it would be a good idea to get addresses to past participants that may be coming to the police training aspect of the Bikes on the Bricks and send them a flyer and/or card showing my bracelets and reminding them that they can inquire with me if they are interested. Sounds good right?
Well when I get to the office, this same supervisor, tells me he needs to get another bracelet for someone he spoke with at one of the local coffee shops downtown. This is a perfect segue.
So I tell him my idea and before I could finish it he stops me and…I’ll continue next time Constant Reader. Take Care.
This is a constant thought that crosses my mind with this business. At one point it is exciting because there are so many different ways to do things, that it is interesting picking which one. At the same time it is daunting, because I wonder am I making the correct choices. I try not to worry too much if I am doing things perfectly. I know that mistakes will come along for the ride from time to time, but I also want to make the best use of my time.
When I first signed up on Pinterest, the very first post that I commented on is a quote by Eleanor Roosevelt. It said something to the effect of “Do something everyday that scares you”. I love that quote. It reminds me that it is normal that doing something that I’ve never done can be scary. The clearest sign of courage, is facing my fear and doing it anyway or as I like to say in this digital age, “Push Send”. Which is my way of saying, let’s go ahead and do the darn thing. What do I have to lose. Most of the time what I have to lose is minimal.
One day I sent a text to a few people that I’ve worked with over the years and showed them a picture of the “Thin Blue Line” bracelet. A few contacted me and ultimately bought a bracelet or three. One of my good friends, gave me a suggestion that I couldn’t pass up. He reminded me that here in Flint in September of every year there is a motorcycle event we call “Bikes on the Bricks.” It is similar to the wildly popular “Back to the Bricks” custom car event that is held in Flint every August. He suggested that I maybe have a table in the event during the police motorcycle practice and competition.
When we talk again, Constant Reader, we’ll continue with this course of events.
Well that is what I was saying on the post that I had to do. Or should I say we had to do. We didn’t really take any type of a vacation last year and were really looking forward to the trip this year.
Our destination: Mackinaw, MI. It’s a lovely, quaint place at the tip of the mitten in Michigan. We call it our “Martha’s Vineyard”. It is a wonderful place to unwind and recharge your batteries. The water is blue and it’s just a beautiful place to be.
   
We also went with the kids to the Detroit Jazz Festival to catch some great music and relax a bit. We had a special treat this year. We were able to secure a room on the 63rd floor of the Detroit Marriott Renaissance center and on Saturday night we enjoyed a great fireworks show from the comfort of our bedroom. Watching over the Detroit river and seeing most of the fireworks exploding at eye level from our vantage point was something else.
   
I have to say that while we were gone, I couldn’t wait to get back to the business and get back to work. Actually one morning while we were eating breakfast in our room, we got into an informal conversation on several things that I could do with Paracordsandmore.com. My wife and daughters were extremely helpful with their suggestions and I can’t wait to put some of the ideas to work. Speaking of work; back to the regular post tomorrow. No rest for the weary.
See you then constant reader.
I spoke a few post ago on how lessons can be learned. I also spoke a bit of how a lesson can come at you hard and fast and at times when you least expect it. That was the lesson I got, real quick, when that deputy asked me if I had a website. As I’ve said previously I had been working on a site and was dealing with the kinks that would obviously present themselves. He reminded me to do one thing…hurry up about it. I’ve since thanked this deputy and given him a key chain as a token of my appreciation. He doesn’t really think he did anything special.
I’ve got something important that has come up that I need to do so I’ll catch you next time constant reader.
I truly believe the title. We are all teachers in some form or another. We can teacher others, intentionally or passively. We can even teach ourselves a thing or two from time to time.
I used to wonder how that happens. The answer I came up with is that our minds, the unconscious parts of our minds, remembers everything that we’ve experienced in our lives. Not just the things that we pay attention to but the mundane details that seem trivial or insignificant. Our subconscious mind can process a large amount of things that our conscious mind frankly doesn’t even pay attention to. I believe that is how we can teach ourselves things.
I bet you’ve had an experience like I have. You might be sitting somewhere and think about something; a question that you have been pondering perhaps. All of a sudden an answer to that very questions presents itself and it feels right to you. Without even researching if the answer is correct you know. You know in your gut that the answer is correct. That is, I believe, how we teach ourselves things or skills.
We can also teach others. Be that directly or indirectly. A lesson can be learned from most of our life’s experiences. That is a big reason why I am writing this. I want to for nostalgia sake be able to look back at the journey and see how far I have come. If, along the way, someone can read my words and take a lesson from my experiences, good and bad, that would be wonderful. I have done that with others; learned lessons from their challenges and zeniths. Perhaps I can do that same thing for someone else. My way of giving back to the universe I suppose.
We’ll see where it goes from here Constant Reader.
I know I said in the last post that I would give more details on the Thin Blue Line, “Sheriff’s Edition”, but I’ve got something else on my mind. As I thought further, I can imagine someone reading this blog might just wonder why am I writing about my business endeavor.
First of all I like to write. I find it enjoyable and relaxing, but I’ll be honest I find it difficult to do any consistent type of daily handwritten journal entries. I’ve tried several times, but always find cramps in the hand are more prevalent with writing than typing. It’s also hard to write as fast as I think. I look at this as a way of doing journal entries in a relaxed and fun way. No pressure.
I’m also somewhat nostalgic. I like to look at things and remember the journey that led up the event or finish line. I like to dream at times and the dream I have for this business is that it will continue to grow at a steady pace. I desire for it to maintain a comfortable income for my family and feel for the most part that it is happening easily and effortlessly. I don’t want something that is a headache and a pain to do. I want it to fun. Now I’m not stupid and think that a business is going to always be peaches and cream and fun all the time. What I do want is for it to feel worth it. To feel a measure of success that reinforces the decision to do it in the first place.
I’ll see you on the next entry, Constant Reader.
When I went to the Sheriff’s Department and showed them the version that I had made especially for them, many of them told me that they really liked it and appreciated something a bit enhanced just for them. I made a bracelet on the same theme of the “Thin Blue Line”, but I added a brown stripe woven in. I called it the “Sheriff’s Edition” and it was really well received. A few of the deputies still desired to have the more traditional version, but I bet 75% wanted the unique one.
It’s funny. When I first put that design together earlier in the year, I initially made a bracelet with just the brown line on a black bracelet. It looked a little mundane, so I chose not to go that route. It looked much better in conjunction with the blue line. I also had a time coming up with the name. I’ve always felt the deputy sheriff is most definitely a part of the thin blue line, so it didn’t seem right to isolate them and push them away from that rich tradition. I wanted to include them, but in a slightly different way. I also wondered what to call it. I thought of the “Thin Brown Line”. That didn’t sound too good. I’ll let you pause for a moment and think of what comes to mind with a thin brown line. I even thought about calling it the “Skidmark”. I thought that would be disparaging and that is not what I wanted to do. Then it hit me. Keep it simple and called it just what it is.
When I first presented the bracelet to the deputies at the jail, one gentleman in particular raved about the unique design and commented that Sheriff’s around the country may be interested in this. He asked me if I had a website. Crickets. All I could tell him was that I was working on it. Actually I was. The site that you are reading this on is what I was creating, but I hadn’t finished it yet. I wanted so badly be able to tell him to check out my site at…fill in the blank. This was good though. It sparked a fire in me and reminded me if I truly want to do something with this endeavor, playing the game lightly would not work. I have to approach it with a reckless abandon, even if that means learning many things that I don’t know or have never done. I talked to this deputy I believe on a Thursday. By Sunday, my site was up and running. My wife Amy really helped me fine tune some of the more visual details.
On my next entry, Constant Reader, I will let you know more detail of the “Sheriff’s Edition” and how it panned out. See you then.
Along with commemorating a significant event in this endeavor, I had an idea, that maybe some of the very positive comments I got from people that bought paracord items, was that maybe I could transform them into testimonials for an upcoming website. I made up this real nice letter and bought envelopes and went down my list of customers and sent out about 50 to 70 letters. I asked everyone to email me their story of their purchase or feelings about the bracelet or other item or write it down on the letter and return it to me. I sent those letters out and then it happened. Wait for it…wait. BAMMM. Nothing. Not one. NADA. Goose Egg. No one sent or emailed me anything. At first I was quite bummed, then I realized I better get back to work if I want this business to do something.
I want to make sure to put this information out along with the positive. There is no way that all plans will be linear and work perfectly. I expect that and try to look at every setback as a learning experience. This was definitely one. It wasn’t the worst thing that could happen, but it is one of those things that can be humbling and remind me that I have a lot to learn. On the other side, it still was a good idea. The fact that it didn’t work out doesn’t mean I made a mistake. Perhaps I should have followed up with some of the people that spoke so highly of the bracelets. I will continue to listen and learn from all the aspects of this endeavor.
I’ll see you next time, Constant Reader.
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