For a whole bunch of people, the end of August and beginning of September is Back to School time. It may be because you are returning to school or you have children returning to school.
Earlier this week I saw school age children getting on a school bus and it caught me off-guard. I didn't realize that time was upon us again. I don't have children and I haven't gone back to school in fifteen years, so even though I knew it was the general time, when I saw evidence of it, I was surprised.
It made me think about fifteen years ago. I graduated from university in the spring and had started my first full time job shortly after. After a couple of paycheques, i had leased myself a brand new 1999 Pontiac Grand Am GT with all the bells and whistles including a sunroof. Now lets flash forward to about the 20th of September. It was a bright sunny morning as I'm driving to work with the windows down and the sunroof open as I thought to myself, "Another cool morning, it's been like this for a few days now, I hope it warms back up soon."
On September 20th, in Winnipeg, you are not looking at it warming up in the morning for several months but, my mind was still in summer mode. I had not started school in the fall for the first time in seventeen years. In fact, I had not started school in the fall for the first time that I can remember. It was imprinted on my brain that starting class means the weather is going to start cooling down. Crisp morning would become the norm again because I'm back in school and I am returning to normal from what ever adventure I undertook that summer.
Back to school is an exciting time. If you are returning, it means you are going to start a new adventure and learn something. It means you will get to see some people you may not have seen in a while. However, if you have no vested interest in the back to school routine, you won't even notice it pass until you see children boarding a bus or notice that they are not around during the weekday.
If you are going back to school, good luck. If you are like me and currently don't have a vested interest, enjoy the long week-end and live another great day.
Thursday, August 28, 2014
Tuesday, August 26, 2014
Who Says That?
I like my job. I know a lot of people think it's nuts to admit that but I really do. It turns out I'm pretty good at it as well. In a few days I'll receive my first quarterly bonus and I did quite well. Without boring you with the details, basically I finished at 111.9% of the target. I think that's pretty good.
As I grow in the job I realize that it is much more a job about leadership than a job about sales.
Yes, it is a sales position and yes, I sell paint. However, in Canada, Valspar paint is available exclusively through Lowe's. A Lowe's store is open about one-hundred hours a week and I service five stores so that's five-hundred hours of of potential selling time. If you do the math that's almost three times as many hours as there are in a week. So, I can't be there to sell all the paint. What I can do is enable the Sales Associates in the Lowe's stores to sell Valspar paint. I can be there on the phone when they need support or information. I can bring information and assistance.
It also helps that I represent very good paint. It's a lot of fun say you have the best paint in the store. There is no 'it's not quite as good but look at the price point.' Being part of the best leads to the best results.
I have autonomy and flexibility to do it my way. The amazing thing is my way works. It is easy for a boss to try to make you do it their way and a lot of people don't realize that just because it's different, it doesn't mean it's wrong. There have been people I've come across that couldn't seem to figure it out. That's their failure. Now a great company has my services and the results show it.
I've turned some heads, I've made a difference. I'm having fun while I do it and why wouldn't you like a job that gives you that.
As I grow in the job I realize that it is much more a job about leadership than a job about sales.
Yes, it is a sales position and yes, I sell paint. However, in Canada, Valspar paint is available exclusively through Lowe's. A Lowe's store is open about one-hundred hours a week and I service five stores so that's five-hundred hours of of potential selling time. If you do the math that's almost three times as many hours as there are in a week. So, I can't be there to sell all the paint. What I can do is enable the Sales Associates in the Lowe's stores to sell Valspar paint. I can be there on the phone when they need support or information. I can bring information and assistance.
It also helps that I represent very good paint. It's a lot of fun say you have the best paint in the store. There is no 'it's not quite as good but look at the price point.' Being part of the best leads to the best results.
I have autonomy and flexibility to do it my way. The amazing thing is my way works. It is easy for a boss to try to make you do it their way and a lot of people don't realize that just because it's different, it doesn't mean it's wrong. There have been people I've come across that couldn't seem to figure it out. That's their failure. Now a great company has my services and the results show it.
I've turned some heads, I've made a difference. I'm having fun while I do it and why wouldn't you like a job that gives you that.
Saturday, August 2, 2014
Taking a Look Around
A nation's capital is often a very interesting place to visit. Annually, many tourists flock to Ottawa to check it out. Sometimes I get a bit annoyed as they slowly walk and gawk about but, ultimately I understand they are just enjoying the sights of Canada's capital.
A friend of mine moved to the Washington DC area so I took this opportunity to check out another nation's capital. As I write this I am still in the area and will be seeing more tomorrow before I head back to the Great White North but I wanted to share a few things.
Unlike Ottawa, which was already a community (and many say nothing more than an overgrown logging town) before it became Canada's capital, Washington was designed to be the capital from the beginning. As such, they had the opportunity to make everything work together. For the most part, they got it right. Pretty much everything is purpose built, buildings were not purchased to be used by the government such as the Prime Minister's residence in Ottawa. I'm not saying one way is better than the other but as you move about Washington, you can tell it was set up a specific way.
A lot of time and effort was put into the monuments. I must say they are very impressive. They are big. They make statements. They also work together to make a generally pleasing area to visit. The National Mall is well thought out and the various components work with each other. You can walk from one attraction to another quite quickly and it all ties together well. I was very impressed.
Although I had heard that the White House was a bit understated for where the head of The United States of America lives and works from, when I saw it, I really had that feeling. It by no means is a small building but compared to some of the monuments to Presidents that have been built, it seems rather regular. I know it wasn't supposed to be too grand or opulent but I was taken aback by how it looks. All that being said, it is still much bigger than my living space.
Some of what I saw today made me think while some of it made me dream. A capital can be a very inspiring place to look around. I had those feelings today. Some of it came from looking at the Wright Flyer in the Air and Space Museum while some of it came from looking at the legacy of a nation that purposely tried to define itself.
Today was a good day and it has triggered some interesting thoughts about what is possible and how to go about making it happen. That is an important aspect of a national capital. It must be a place to make a nation believe it can be great. It must make you see what others overcame and have you root around in your soul to find a better you. If you let it, Washington DC can do that. When you go to any memorial, you can see how some people saw a bigger picture or did more than expected. It will stir something up in you, at least it did for me.
When you get a chance go somewhere and take a look around. Hopefully it stirs something up for you.
A friend of mine moved to the Washington DC area so I took this opportunity to check out another nation's capital. As I write this I am still in the area and will be seeing more tomorrow before I head back to the Great White North but I wanted to share a few things.
Unlike Ottawa, which was already a community (and many say nothing more than an overgrown logging town) before it became Canada's capital, Washington was designed to be the capital from the beginning. As such, they had the opportunity to make everything work together. For the most part, they got it right. Pretty much everything is purpose built, buildings were not purchased to be used by the government such as the Prime Minister's residence in Ottawa. I'm not saying one way is better than the other but as you move about Washington, you can tell it was set up a specific way.
A lot of time and effort was put into the monuments. I must say they are very impressive. They are big. They make statements. They also work together to make a generally pleasing area to visit. The National Mall is well thought out and the various components work with each other. You can walk from one attraction to another quite quickly and it all ties together well. I was very impressed.
 |
| Me in front of the White House |
Some of what I saw today made me think while some of it made me dream. A capital can be a very inspiring place to look around. I had those feelings today. Some of it came from looking at the Wright Flyer in the Air and Space Museum while some of it came from looking at the legacy of a nation that purposely tried to define itself.
Today was a good day and it has triggered some interesting thoughts about what is possible and how to go about making it happen. That is an important aspect of a national capital. It must be a place to make a nation believe it can be great. It must make you see what others overcame and have you root around in your soul to find a better you. If you let it, Washington DC can do that. When you go to any memorial, you can see how some people saw a bigger picture or did more than expected. It will stir something up in you, at least it did for me.
When you get a chance go somewhere and take a look around. Hopefully it stirs something up for you.
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