Taco & Money

A brief note this gorgeous Friday afternoon to followup with the story of Senior Taco - the most adorable little Mexican beach dog you ever did meet. Apparently he's going to become Scottish.

Huh? you ask. Well, I finally heard back from the main contact in Mexico who has been trying to figure out Senior Taco's status. Turns out that a week before I was down there a group of vet students from Scotland had visited to spend some time spaying/neutering and generally taking care of the dogs. One vet student in particular absolutely fell in love with Sr Taco (how could you not) and so has been working feverishly to get him sent back to her. For a long while it was looking iffy as to whether it would actually come to pass but apparently he's going to be shipped there in July.

I hope he finds a great home in Scotland. Having a vet student as his 'person' gives me hope that he'll be really well taken care of and very much loved. I do worry how he'll adapt from the heat and sand of Mexico to the cold and rain of Scotland. But if I'm honest with myself our winter rain/cold really isn't that much different from Scotland. I hope he does well. Vio Con Dios!

As for the money part of this post. I wonder if I should be worried that the company 'money tree' currently looks like this:

That's right, it currently has no leaves. What you can't see is that it has a bunch of new shoots starting up. But honestly, it looks damn pathetic right now!

Working With Your Hands

Sorry for the two posts in an hour but I meant to add a link to this NYTimes article last week but then the older dog got sick:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/24/magazine/24labor-t.html?_r=1&em

It's a fantastic article about working with ones hands (ie - jobs like plumber, chef, construction) versus working in a 'service' industry (ie - finance, marketing, etc) written by a guy who is a mechanic with a PhD. It's a great look at the how the culture of the US has become service-oriented. Not only is the article very well written, but it definitely spoke to me as someone who has struggled with the love of working with my hands versus the prestige and money that typically comes from more service-oriented jobs.

If you don't have a NYTimes account you may have to sign up for one if you want to read the article.

Weekend Away

For awhile there it looked like our long weekend plans were going to have to be shelved when my older dog got really sick Wednesday night. By Friday she still wasn't doing too well and we were attending to her according to the vet's recommendations but weren't too hopeful we could escape for the weekend since we knew we couldn't realistically throw a sick dog into the boarding facility even though it is an amazing facility and they take incredible care of our dogs. Then our amazing friends who had organized the entire weekend invited us to bring the dogs along so we did - although we were very worried that the dogs would be a nuisance. Though we're nuts about our dogs, we realize that not everyone feels the same way about a) our dogs and/or b) dogs in general and told both dogs on the way up that they had to be on their best behavior otherwise they were going to sleep in the car during the weekend. Apparently they took the threats to heart because they even surprised us with how well behaved they were.

The weekend away was just what we needed. My better half and I can definitely become slaves to our routines so shaking things up for the weekend was a fantastic reminder that we do need to get out of our normal day lives from time to time. We went up to Winthrop in the north Cascades to a house that friends of ours had bid on at an auction. It was our first time in that section of Washington and I was stunned by how beautiful it was. Truly an amazing part of the country made only better by good friends, great food, lots of wine, and lots of outdoor activity. The activity also knocked out the dogs (another explanation for their good behavior) so they'd crash early in the evening but then wake up at 5am ready to go. Worried that their activity would wake up the others, hubby and I would take them out then for a long walk (it's very light that early in the morning in this neck of the woods this time of year) and we got to see all kinds of wildlife. It was also the best time of day to NOT see other kinds of wildlife as we learned - first hand - that the area also has a ton of rattlesnakes. Having done most of my hiking/backpacking in high mountain climates I know all about what to do when face to face with a bear or a mountain lion but know absolutely nothing about snakes other than the cold fear that takes hold of my heart when I hear that infamous rattle.

So now that you have a recap on my weekend, what does this have to do with work? First of all, as mentioned above, it reminded me that we do need to get away on little weekend escapes from time to time. It doesn't have to be anything fancy or expensive - camping is a perfect example - but something to take us out of our day-to-day. I blissfully did not think about work at all during the weekend and I can't tell you how refreshed I feel right now. Secondly though the weekend made me realize that I need to simplify my life. This weekend was all about taking joy in the very simple things in life. Walking, running, swimming, riding, good food, good friends, good wine. That's pretty much what it boiled down to and I can't tell you how happy I was. I love my work but there's a lot of extraneous worrying that I've been doing and subjecting myself to. For example, I'm part of a yahoo group of manufacturers in my industry and there's always some sort of drama going on over there. I need to keep checking the boards for information (such as retailers who are refusing to pay manufacturers so I make sure not to do business with them) but I need to detach myself from it and not let a lot of the other angst that goes on over there bother me. So from now on, skim the subject headings and just read the threads that are truly relevant to where I am in my business.

This weekend also helped me realize that I need to extricate myself from the nonprofit Board I'm on. I hate hate HATE feeling like I'm quitting something but I've been struggling with the fact that I'm not sure it's my highest and best use right now. And I'm not sure I'm necessarily adding a substantial amount of value to the organization given that everything I've worked on for the last six months has basically fallen apart for one reason or another (though not because of lack of trying or work). I'm thinking that it may be better for me to volunteer at that organization or another similar one to, for example, go in and do some of the menial chores they need help with or help organize paperwork, rather than being on the board. Now I just have to figure out the best way to remove myself without pissing anyone off.

Not Quite The Day I Had Planned

I'm one of those 'list' people who write up lists because a)I can't remember a darn thing without it and b)I derive great satisfaction from crossing things off said list. So I had my list all ready to go for today and then it got blown to bits. My eldest dog got violently ill last night so this morning consisted of taking her to the vet where they could inject her with 500cc's of saline to get her hydration back up to par and the afternoon was spent cleaning the floors and taking the lower floor area rugs to get $400 worth of cleaning done to them. Nuff said, right? Thankfully she seems to be doing better.

During this massive afternoon cleaning spree I have had time to think some about my goal to get more direct customers this year rather than simply rely on wholesale sales. I'm slowly starting to build up a little direct customer database, will be adding a newsletter feature to my website soon that should help, and even signed up to possibly participate in a local juried show which may either prove to be successful or a huge waste of time. But at $175 at least it's not a huge waste of money! However, I was wondering at what point it makes sense to have a catalogue printed up? I'm having one made up for the wholesale end of things and am debating whether I should have one made up for the consumer side as well. Don't get me wrong, it wouldn't be mailed out to a random bought database of names, just to those who's names I've collected in my database. While on the one hand I know that a lot can be achieved through email marketing, I also sort of think that a catalogue makes the products/company seem more "real" then simple email marketing. And I have some really great looking photos that just jump off the page. However, if I plan on adding new products in Spring 2010 then won't the catalogue quickly go out of date? And will I actually use a minimum run of 250 catalogues before that point in time?

What do you guys think?

Movies that make you think

The better half and I had a rousing Saturday night (I actually loved every minute of it!) of eating pizza and watching Steep - a ski movie that tries to explore the heart and soul of extreme skiing and the people who made it what it is. I'm a wanna-be ski rat who is only just now coming to the realization that extreme skiing is not in my future. Course right now I'm actually debating whether any skiing outside of xcountry is really in my future since ski boots would top out right where the "BIG" break in my leg occured - that's right, there was more than one break - and the thought of substantial pressure at that spot makes my stomach do flipflops. Besides, at $80+ for a lift ticket it's too expensive to go out and not enjoy yourself.

But I digress. Steep made me think about a few things in relation to my business. At one point in the movie some of the extreme skiers talk about setting goals and achieving them and pushing the boundries in life. And that's what made me think. Sometimes the actual business of running the business takes me away from those two things. What are my goals for the company (and as a subset, for me as an individual building and leading the company), and how are we pushing the boundaries with regards to new products we're developing, customer service, etc. Things to think about.

What Not To Do

The economy is rough, we get it. And not surprisingly companies big and small are pulling out every trick in their marketing books to try and get you to notice them and possibly even place an order. Some of these tactics are good - for example, the little BBQ shack running a coupon in our local newspaper that has brought in tons of new business for them, including me who had been wanting to try the place but never got around to it. Buy one get one free is a great reason to go. Turns out it's likely the best BBQ joint in Seattle so we're now regulars!

Other marketing tactics though are not quite as good. So I present to you a Top 5 list of bad marketing moves (compiled via a rigorous FaceBook survey of my friends):

1. "Please hold"...Your phone rings so you pick it up only to be greeted with "Please Hold for a very important message." As my friend so aptly said "Um, you called me?"

2. Spelling 101...If you want me to purchase something from your business it would likely help if you spelled my company name correctly. I am a little more leniant about this when it comes to personal names since there seem to be 800 spellings these days for the same name, but a company name should be something that's easy to double-check via the internet. Or how about even checking it against the email address you used to send the message to me cause the company name is spelled correctly there!

3. Overly Familiar...This is when someone cold calls you and leaves a (as my friend wrote): "imagine cheesy, overly suave voice (saying) Liiiiisa, this is Hunter So-and-so. Give me a call! No, you can't fool me into thinking I know you with the overly familiar greeting, and yes, I can use reverse lookup."

4. Time Zone Challenged...(this is especially annoying when your work phone is also your cell phone or you have your work phone forward to your cell) You have my contact information and it blatently shows that I'm on the West Coast. So why do you choose me as your first phonecall of the day when you're on EST? Do you think if you call me early enough I'll be so sleep-logged that I'll ante up my credit card and buy whatever you're selling? Along those same lines, don't act miffed if I don't return your call until 11am EST...that's 8am PST which I think is a perfectly reasonable amount of time to return your call.

5. Soft to Hard...Yes, sounds rude and it is. But I'm talking about the soft sell that turns into a hard - persistent in a never stop calling way - sell. Here's an example; you sign up for a webinar to gain useful information. In doing so you have to give them your contact information. Said webinar is decently useful until it turns into a hard sell of the companies products. But really you can't fault them too much since they did sponsor the webinar. It's when they start calling/emailing you incessently after the webinar to try and sell their products that they cross the line.

Do you have any particular favorites? Let me know!

And so as to not start the weekend on a negative note I learned about this brilliant marketing move this morning from Air New Zealand (http://www.boston.com/travel/blog/2009/05/air_new_zealand.html). It almost makes me wish I were single again...almost...(see yesterday's post for why I wouldn't trade in hubby for a trip to New Zealand. Not to mention that since hubby and I went to New Zealand for our honeymoon it would likely be in a really bad taste to take Air New Zealand up on this offer)

Taco Update

As it's rapidly becoming aware to me that Taco has a greater following then I do (though if I had ears like that I'd probably have a really large following as well!) I wanted to give a quick Taco update. I talked to my contacts in Mexico and it 'seems' like Taco may have already found a home. I say 'seems' because no one really appears to know the whole story so they're doing a little more digging to try and figure out what's going on.

I said at the beginning of all of this that I would try to follow the course that the Universe/God/Whomever you choose to believe or not believe in set out so am trying to stay true to that. But if I were to get a phone call tomorrow saying that apparently he is still a stray and still looking for a home I'd likely be on the next flight out to Mexico to go get him. If anything changes I'll definitely let you know.

Which just goes to show what an amazing husband I have. Let's be honest, that guy puts up with a LOT. My not having an income is just one of the many many things that would drive weaker men insane. The fact that in my head I own an entire plethera of animals with names like Jezibel Bunnicula, my imaginary floppy-eared bunny, and Hazelton, my stubby-legged pony who is also apparently named for a famous rehab facility, would honestly push most men over the edge. So he deals with a lot but when push comes to shove he not only knows when something is truly important to me like this whole Taco experience has been, but he's also willing to support it wholeheartedly even if that does mean I go down to Mexico on a wild goose chase. Or would that be a wild dog chase? And at the end of the day you really don't need much more than someone who believes in you and supports you unconditionally, do you? Now if I could just convince him that a floppy-eared bunny would be a beneficial household asset in that it could mow (eat) our sod roof I'd be all set.

What's Up?

Work right now is...well, the best word is probably "disjointed." I have a ton of little projects that need to get done right now - some of which relate to one another and some of which don't - and I feel a little bit like my head is spinning around. I've slept horribly the last two nights with all of these works thoughts running through my head. The biggest issue right now is developing some new packaging for a new product line we're launching this year. With every other product I've had a pretty good idea, roughly, of what I'd ideally like the new packaging to look like. This time the only thing I know is "sustainable" in that I want the new packaging to be eco-friendly. But that's it. I believe that when I see it I'll know it but that's not a whole lot of descriptive information to give the graphic artist. When I met with her on Friday though (at the mall, and let me tell you, even if at the mall for a meeting there's nothing like being inside a mall on a relatively beautiful day at 1pm in the afternoon to make you feel like waste of life. But then again, I have serious 'mall' issues. Though being in the mall did help facilitate the spending of my REI dividends so that made me happy!) she promised that she'd be able to pull out whatever is inside my head into something I'll like outside. I want to believe her, I really really do.

Course running throughout all my packaging and work thoughts are the Taco thoughts. I've spent a ton of time this week on the phone or email to various people trying to figure out the logistics of how getting Taco out of Mexico will actually work. I'd say I'm about 3/4 of the way getting all the logistics nailed down and am one step away from booking myself a flight to Mexico to go get him. Craziness I tell you. Hopefully it will all come to pass and the pup won't be too scared by the flight home.

Operation Taco Rescue

Seems fitting, and somewhat ironic, that Operation Taco Rescue begins on Cinco de Mayo. I'm hoping that proves to be a good sign. Here's where it stands as of now. There appears to be a pretty good network of people on the island I was on (and the island the dog is on) who can help get this dog to the States (or worse case scenario, up to Vancouver where I'll drive up to pick him up). The issues are 1. waiting for these people to get back to me (Mexican time - especially on Cinco de Mayo - does not seem to be the quickest) 2. getting a clean bill of health from the vet and all the associated paperwork 3. getting the pup on a plane that will actually allow the transportation of dogs across the border and has the least number of layovers between Mexico and Seattle and 4. getting this all done before it gets too hot down south to fly dogs. I'd put this whole operation at about a 25% success rate right now but I'm still holding out hope.

Before anyone gets on me about how many dogs there are here in the US to save I will say that I know that full well. I am the proud owner of one rescued pup (she was shot by her former owner and left for dead) and am on the Board of a local no-kill shelter that pulls animals from shelters that do euthanize. So I'm well aware of how many animals here in the US need homes and families to love them. Yet there's something about this dog. Just something I can't put my finger on. Well, try this out for size - a picture taken this morning by my parents who are still in Mexico. Lil Taco was sleeping outside their door waiting for them in the morning:



How could you not love that little face? So how the heck does this relate to work and entreprenuership? Two ways...

1. This whole episode has reaffirmed for me that what I really want to do is buy a bunch of land somewhere and run a rescue organization. I want to have a more hands-on way to help everyday. This is something that literally moved me to tears in the airport on Sunday and I can't tell you when I last felt so strongly about a "career." That being said, I absolutely love running my own company now but this rescue idea is what I see as my 'golden' career. While I of course would love to be doing that now, it's not a reality so the question is - and this is what I'm continuing to run through my head for the last few days - what steps do I need to take now, both with my company and myself personally, to help get to that point in the future. Becoming profitable is obviously step #1 so that's one big thing to work on.

2. Secondly, I'm struggling with the role I currently have with the nonprofit rescue I'm on the Board of. The nonprofit is in a growth phase and is experiencing all the issues and problems that normally accompany any company/nonprofit at this stage. However, I sorta feel like being on the Board, while beneficial, may be keeping me too removed from the actual hands-on helping that I may need to do. On the other hand, being on the Board does help set the entire strategic mission of the shelter and help the shelter work towards rescuing even more animals. And it's great training for that future rescue of mine, isn't it? I am struggling with the desire to do more 'hands-on' while not detracting from the somewhat limited time I actually have with my own husband.

Wow, that was a lot of therapy I just threw at you, wasn't it. If anyone actually read this far I'll buy you a cupcake next time you're in Seattle. It's the last I can do. In the meantime, keep your fingers crossed for Operation Taco Rescue for me, will ya?

Vacation Takeaways

I've been MIA for a the week enjoying myself in sunny Mexico. Thankfully one of the takeaways from the vacation was not swine flu. Though I did get to walk through a thermal scan on my way through the airport which I found both slightly freaky but also highly cool at the same time.

But a week away was highly needed - more needed I now realize in hindsight then I realized beforehand. I needed a little time to get away. I, of course, brought some work with me, but I didn't really touch it except for one afternoon. And without a computer, the nearest internet cafe being 30min away, and me being too cheap to use my Blackberry in Mexico and pay the exhorbinant international roaming charges, I just couldn't really "connect." Odd to be that out of touch but really nice at the same time.

Here's a pic of one thing I did want to take away. A beach stray named - depending on our mood - Sandy or Senior Taco. I'm working on getting him into the States and to come up here but I'm not too convinced it's going to happen. And I'm struggling with the issue of whether a dog who doesn't have an "owner" or normal source of food is just as good off as a dog who does but lives in the land of fences and leashes. Trying to just believe that if we are able to get him into the States it's meant to happen and if not it's not.