Casey J’s Blog

Yesterday I took our new lab Sadie on her first walk. She was so excited and I could barely get the leash on her as she jumped and licked me nonstop. As we walked on the trail around Castlegate she pulled me all over the trail. I’m sure I walked double the distance than I normally do on the same trail. As I watched Sadie I noticed she had no patience. She couldn’t go fast enough and she couldn’t resist being pulled to the next great scent. (Great to her at least) Nothing ever seemed to totally satisfy her and she was physically doing herself in trying to find whatever she was looking for. Always looking for the next great thing and quickly forgetting or appreciating the last thing that brought her pleasure. I couldn’t help to think that we as humans do the same. Almost work and worry ourselves to death trying to reach some grand goal. When we reach it most of us are already looking for another since we are not satisfied once again. We run our mind and body down throughout our life submitting ourselves to unhealthy stress that will only be back again when we realize we still didn’t fulfill ourselves. We’re pulling our life in the direction we want to go instead of asking where we should go. Being Sadie’s master I know where we are going and I know the path, but the temptations that surround her are her guide. In our life it can be money, pride, anger, a relationship, or a vast number of other things. I figured out a few years ago when I found success that the emotions and things that we crave do not fulfill. They just raise the bar to more elaborate things, more complicated emotions and difficult relationships. Leaving me with the same longing. For me once I stopped thinking of my own goals and started focusing on how I can help others with theirs, my life changed. I also stopped making my own path and starting asking God for guidance in everything I did. I started to listen, and in turn I started to hear. I started to ask how I can do things instead of when. I still get off on my own path sometimes chasing the latest scent but I’m much more quick to be aware of the right path and adjust.

Many of us that own businesses or rely on networks of people to influence and do business with, have it all wrong. First what is a “Tribe”? Seth Godin defines it as a group of people connected to each other, to a leader and to an idea. In your business are you trying to build customers or build a “tribe”? Do you have a tribe of followers that look to your products, services or ideas? Instead of looking for a group of people that fit your business or product, have you ever thought about starting with your ‘”tribe” and develop or adapt products for your business that fit them. What do the people you know and that respect you need? You may already have a business or a service and don’t want to start a new one and that is ok. What does your tribe need when it comes to that particular product or service. Don’t mash them in with the general public. You know more about your tribe and can customize to them much better. As a marketer we’re always looking for more research and more targeting ability but we don’t even start with all of the data we have on our own tribe. Or if you don’t feel that you have a defined tribe why not spend the time to build it first and develop your product or service around it. In real estate we talk a lot about SOI or “Sphere of Influence” or a potential “Tribe”. But what most agents do is use it as an easy marketing target. Should these individuals really get the same thing as everyone else if you really know them and understand them. Have you taking the time to understand them and find out what they need? What if you could deliver other information, services and products that maybe at your disposal that is needed and wanted. After that what would they think the next time you approached them about your product or service. You would probably not have to, they would call you. Customers can be passionate about your product or service. A “Tribe” is passionate about you as well. Which is better? Which will build a relationship and not just the next sale.

My generation had it pounded in our heads that we were supposed to get a high paying job(no matter what we really wanted to do), work hard and save until we’re 65.  Then we would relax, live the good life and do whatever we wanted to do.  I never questioned it until a few months ago when I woke up.  First of all I’m not saying not to save money.  Do save money, especially in these economic times.  Don’t do what the government is teaching us: to spend more during these times to stimulate the economy.  We can’t print more money, thank God, like they can.  What I am saying is that the great retirement vision is not what it’s made out to be.  Below is a list of reason why retirement is overrated:

1)  You could die before then!  (about 2.5 million people die each year in the US)

2) Your retirement could be gone no matter how long you work for a company.

3) You could hire the next Bernard Madoff to manage your investments.  (His clients thought they knew him too)

4) One of the main factors in common with people who live the longest in the world work well into their 90’s.  They are also some of the happiest people

5) One of the biggest complaints retirees have over 65 is that they are bored and lonely.

6)  There are more opportunities than ever before for people over 65 to run businesses on the web and from their home.  Many web businesses allow you to work from anywhere in the world as well.

7) The number one reason couples get divorced after 65 is because they are together too much and drive each other crazy.  There goes half your retirement right there.

8) Your kids don’t want to see you that much and either does your dog.  Ok, maybe your dog does.

9) Your currently working 60-80 hours a week so you can have money to retire but in the mean time you missed your kids growing up and your spouse doesn’t know you.  See number 7 above.  If your spouse knew you better all those years you might not be driving them crazy now.  Or at least they would be used to you.

10) Enjoy life now and enjoy the people in your life now.  We only control today and that should be where your happiness and fantasy reside.

<i><b>**The “New Rich” measures wealth in time and experiences over many years of life and a body of work.**</b></i>

You’ve heard a lot about College Station being very insulated from the recession. While I think it’s true we are more insulated and we found that with the mortgage crisis, that was the precursor to all of this craziness. The crisis is much wider than it was and although the crisis may not have affected us yet the fallout from it could. I’ve been out speaking with small business owners in BCS and what I’ve heard is that they have seen a significant drop in their college student business. Many of us may live here but the students parents who in many cases are paying the bills and bringing revenue into our area live in other cities that are most likely more affected and will be more affected by the recession. If a students parents loose a job it makes sense the students budget will tighten up and it looks like that is happening. It also makes sense that many parents like myself are tightening budgets because of the unknown. This in turn affects spending here. We are very blessed for our largest employer to be a large university that has a very stable and safe infrastructure but what about the other major employers outside the education spectrum. Health care is next, and yes it is stable but the more people that loose jobs the less people that will have insurance to go to the doctor. And even the ones that do have insurance will second guess visits due to a rising co-pays and having to reach limits. With prescription co-pays ranging from $5 - $100 I second guess my visits all the time. I always seem to need the $50 prescriptions. One of our top employers in town has a main client base of the auto dealerships. That’s not the most stable environment as we found out last week when a another one suddenly closed its doors. I think we’re still in good shape but being safe and being prepared is something we can learn from all of the people in other cities that were not.

The economy and our inability to control it can make us feel lonely, scared and bitter these days.  Financial problems are still one of the leading cause of divorce and suicide.  In College Station we’ve been very blessed to have the University and a strong medical community to keep us protected to a degree.  But people are still feeling it and suffering.  Even the people that are not in financial trouble can be angry and bitter due to political changes, what could have been and slow business.  We’re all in this together and attitude can solve a lot of problems as well as help you make it through without damaging your health and your relationships.  Actions can also help you.  Being generous, geting involved helping people that are worse off than you.  Stay busy and focus your attention on others rather than yourself.  I came across the graph below and I’m posting it next to my desk to help remind me of where I need to be.

Last entry I talked about my goal of cutting out the fluff this year.  Simplifying my life for the better.  What about our information intake?
I love to stay informed and learn.  The Internet makes it possible to find all the information we need.  But there is so much access that we can’t take it all in.  How many of the blogs, RSS feeds and e-mail newsletters do I actually read.  Whenever I sign up for one I feel like I need it and I want the info.  But in reality, out of all the many sources I  actually read about 20% of them.  So how can we cut back?
Unsubscribe to the ones you never read immediately.  The sources you read once in a while but come weekly, change the settings so you receive them monthly.  Focus on the top 20% and whenever you find a source you want to add, cut an existing one.  Use a timer and schedule your “Info/Education Time”  and when it’s up it’s up.  This includes traditional sources like newspapers and magazines.  They’re even worse due to the piles of paper stacking up in the corner of your office or living room.  If you don’t read them, unsubscribe today.  I think we can be so informed that it keeps us from talking to people.  Instead of trying to know everything yourself get outside and go to the local coffee shop and don’t be afraid to ask people what’s going on.  You never know who you’ll meet or what you’ll find out.  Just like you leverage your employees and vendors at the office, leverage your information sources.

The Pareto principle (also known as the 80-20 rule,  the law of the vital few and the principle of factor sparsity) states that, for many events, roughly 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes.  Business management thinker Joseph M. Juran suggested the principle and named it after Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto, who observed that 80% of income in Italy went to 20% of the population.  It is a common rule of thumb in business; e.g., “80% of your sales come from 20% of your clients.”
I’ve been reminded of this principle many times throughout my sales career and recently when I was reading the book “The 4-Hour Work Week” by Timothy Ferriss.  In the book Timothy applies this rule to many aspects of his life including his business.  After working 60-80 hour weeks for a couple years in his online nutritional supplement business Timothy figured out that out of 165 clients he served, 20% gave him 80% of his revenue.  He also noticed that the other 80% included almost 100% of his problem clients.  The next day he fired 80% of his clients and started focusing more on the 20%.  He ended up more than making up for the 20% lost by up selling his new client base.  He also made a profile of the customers in the 20% and started using that to find new business.  His customer management time went from 60-80 hours to about 20 hours.  When I worked at Google we found the same scenario.  We then promptly moved 80% of the customers we were managing to an online management system with some customer service phone support.  Yes we did hear some complaints but those were the people that were already always complaining anyway.  After being reminded of this principle I started thinking of how I could apply it to other parts of my life in 2009.  Out of all the junk in my home I probably only use 20% of it on a normal basis.  I know I only wear 20% of all the cloths in my closet.  Of all the magazine subscriptions and monthly services we’ve signed up for I bet we only utilize 20% of them routinely.  Now I’m on a mission to find the 20% and cut the rest.  Maybe in some categories it’s more like 50% but that’s OK to.  My goal in 2009 is to simplify my life so I can have more time to focus on the things I want to focus on like Family, friends and those dreams and goals I never have time to realize.

Recently I was stopping to get gas and a quick car wash after dropping my kids off at school.  Not very exciting but what happened was very exciting to me.  I got gas and drove to the back where the drive through car wash was located.  Then I forgot my little ticket with the code on it.  I always do that.  I rush back to the pump hoping that no one else has started using the pump.  There it is the ticket flapping in the wind.  I grab it and head back to the car wash.  I enter the code and I start my journey.  The soap rains down and then with the first pass of the scrub arm everything stops.  No scrub, no rinse, no nothing.  The machine is frozen with my car soaking in soap.  My day started off slow and I was already a little bit frustrated and now I’m stuck in the car wash.  I decide to drive forward wondering if I would damage my car but I make it without an incident.  But I have a car dusted in soap or what they tell you is soap anyway.  I pull up to the front of the store, walk in to the clerk and waited for them to say to me.  “Sorry sir but you have to call this 800 number because the car wash is owned and operated by a different company.  To my surprise they didn’t say that.  Immediately they apologized and a tall thin man with a five-o’clock shadow and a rough voice jumped over the counter and said. I’ll met you in the back and fix it so we can re-wash your car.  I got in my car, drove around once again and started to enter the wash.  The man rebooted the system and thought it would be OK.  Well once in more suds came down and once again it froze.  Before I could go into freak out version two I got a knock at my car window.  Here was the man in the car wash apologizing again and acknowledging that I was busy and had places to go.  “Lets try it one more time”  he said.  Ok, one more time.  I’ve already gone this far.  So around again and into the wash.  This time the man stayed in the car wash with a strategy to hold up the bar and give it a push before it could freeze.  It all started and I couldn’t keep my eyes off this man who was being washed as well.  Pink, blue and orange soap in his hair and beard.  He was soaked while he strained to hold up the bar in these conditions.  But no go again.  The man yells through the window.  “One more time”  I drove around now seeing this as more of a heavy weight fight and I was rooting for the underdog to win.  The third round started and the wash rained down more than ever.  It was like this machine knew it was fighting.  I could see the man was counting and timing his attack like a panther in the wild.  Through my sunroof I could see the mighty bar approaching and as it did the man jumped and I saw his hands grasp the bar and pull with all of his weight.  At this point he was hanging on the bar and riding the beast.  This time the beast gave in.  The bar kept moving and the wash continued.  The man jumped for joy and so did I.  I stayed in the car.  He gave me a big thumbs up and smiled while standing tall in the down pour waiting for the job to be complete.  It was and as I rolled down my window the man said.  “‘I’m really sorry for the inconvenience”.  I reached out to give the man a $10 bill thinking if anyone deserved a tip, he did.  He looked back and said “Don’t worry about it, it’s my job”  I still left him with the $10 and drove back to the store to compliment his work to the manager.  Yes I ended up spending $20 for a bad car wash but Great Service.  Bad service happens and it’s not always the fault of the employee or the business.  The difference is taking the responsibility and doing everything in your power to correct it.  I’ll take that any day.

We know we should always try to shop at local businesses when we have a choice.  The recent bailout has still not helped banks to open up the credit flow just yet, and it may still take awhile. Businesses in our area will still be feeling it especially during what is projected to be a slow holiday season. The lack of credit will make revenue that much more important.  Anything we can do to help that by shopping in town can help.  It may cost you a little more but the money you save at the gas pump by staying in town should help you cover some of that incremental costs.   Next month I’ll be launching a local shopping guide that will help you find everything you need right here in Bryan/College Station.  Lets make it through all of this together!!

We could learn a lot from Joel Osteen.  I tend to like pastors who speak from both sides of the fence telling you the good things and the bad things.  I like to be reminded of what we need to be doing and that we are forgiven when we mess up.  Joel Osteen on the other hand usually spends most of his time speaking on grace and all the sugary things.  I like Joel and think he fits a need and gives hope to a lot of people that need it.  He brings people to God and lets them know they still have a chance.  In many cases people that are ready to give up.  Some people, including some pastors have said that he sets people up for disappointment because no matter how much we preach about hope, opportunity and grace, when people leave the church or the TV is turned off, reality sets in.  Personally I think you need to hear both sides but know that hope and grace is real and always at play.  Why am I talking about this?  The other day Joel Osteen was on a popular political news show and was being asked about the presidential race.  As he always does he gave one of his simple, positive answers that I thought we could all learn a lot from going forward.  He said “no matter who wins the election it’s up to you to control you happiness and your destiny”.  He was basically saying that you own your happiness not some politician in Washington.  Will a McCain or Obama Presidency make your life or business a little easier?  Maybe so, but whatever the obstacles, policies, etc. etc. all you can do is vote.  After the election we own our own happiness and all the complaining and “if’s and but’s” won’t do anything but bring us down.  Vote and then educate yourself to the winners plan and work your positive strategy around it.  Move forward immediately, no matter which candidate wins.