IS YOUR “COMFORT ZONE” REALLY THAT COMFORTABLE?

Why is it that when we’re told to do something that will be beneficial to us, and accept it to be true, that oftentimes we choose to avoid it? The voice that only we can hear tells us that we’ll start… someday.  We’re told that by eating lighter portions of our favorite foods and exercising on a regular basis that we’ll lose weight, build stronger muscles and live longer. Countless books are written stating that our financial freedom depends on spending less and saving more.  So, I’m wondering, why are we not following the advice of others and eating healthier, exercising more or saving money?  The answer is simple: Being comfortable in our current lifestyle, and changing the aforementioned habits at a root level means changing our comfort zones and most of us are not ready to do just that.

 Why not?

Uncertainty.  Every day we face uncertainty, uncertainty to move forward because some level of fear of the unknown inhibits us from seeing the bigger picture.  We need to constantly remind ourselves that where we want to be and who we want to become is going to be our reality, so long as we work at making it so.  Don’t get me wrong, it’s definitely hard work and requires a considerable amount of self-discipline but, isn’t that what’s great about creating your own self-fulfilling prophecy and doing the things you really want to do?  Ruben Gonzalez, author of The Courage To Succeed, wrote “every success you’ve ever had or will ever have is the product of your courage to act and the courage to endure.” 

Do you want to watch life go by sitting on the sidelines?  I don’t!  I wasn’t raised to believe that something is too good for me-with that mentality I’ll always find ways not to do my best or quit.  I was raised to reach for the stars, and I know I’ll attain them.  Like I said, it’s tough at times but I imagine what I want and I try to create the lifestyle that looks just like what I’ve imagined; even when it rides up against my current comfort zone. There are things that I want to accomplish and I have already made up my mind that I’m not settling for less.  Why would you?  I want to stay healthy and eat better (a constant challenge) so I get out of bed, caffeine deprived, and drive my sleepy self to the gym.  Not everyday, but I know my ultimate goal and I do what it takes to get it done. 

I wish you the greatest success and hope you look at life in a way that constantly challenges your comfort zone so you can achieve the greatness that life can provide.

KENYAN BUSINESS INTERNSHIP

I’d like to congratulate "http://www.heartlandinternational.org" Heartland International, a non-profit organization in Chicago for its successful efforts in developing a training program designed to bring young Kenyan entrepreneurs (ages 25-35) to the United States. The training program offers preparation for learning entrepreneurial skills that can be utilized in their communities in Kenya. Heartland International paired these individuals with small businesses within the Chicagoland area that matched their own businesses in Kenya. I had the opportunity and pleasure of hosting a business intern from this group.

My assigned intern, Ms. Justine Ayieye, owns her own cleaning business in Kenya. She spent several days with my staff and gained valuable experience in practical and everyday business situations. Ms. Ayieye’s responsibilities included taking on marketing tasks (passing out flyers in designated areas) and operational tasks (scheduling customers and crew members). Having Ms. Ayieye around provided my staff and I a first hand look into her own business and the challenges she faces. She recognized several differences; such as, the equipment that they use and in the time it takes a crew to clean a home. My team also found the distinction in business practices to be enlightening. For example, I couldn’t take the shocked look off the faces of my team when they found out how low the pay per cleaning is in Kenya.

I would also like to send a special thank you to the Women’s Business Development Center (WBDC) for their invitation to be a panel speaker at the beginning of this program. I have to admit, I was a little nervous in answering a bunch of questions but the other panelists and our facilitator, Ms. Meg Herman but the experience was definitely a learning one.

I congratulate Justine and her fellow Kenyan entrepreneurs for taking two months from their personal and professional lives to visit our country and learn about our culture, our people and most importantly the business aspects of an entrepreneur in the United States. I wish each of them every success in their future endeavors and hope to have the opportunity of seeing them again.

A Lesson Learned

Is it possible to gainfully learn something from someone whom you see as unsuccessful? Be it a neighbor, a friend, a co-worker, or member of the family. In life, I have spent the greater part of my adult life listening to people who had great ideas and who inspired me to do better. Yet I viewed many as people who rarely seemed to emanate success in their own lives. For example, I have heard the myriad of “how to have a great relationship” from neighbors who later filed for divorce. Or in business, I have been told that “this is how to market yourself to be successful” from business consultants who were finding it difficult to run their own businesses. So, I ask myself, do I turn a deaf ear when someone offers advice on a subject I know they know little about?

In the past, I have struggled with the notion that I knew more than my neighbor, my friends, and god help me my parents. And yet, in recent years I have come to the standing realization that I have so much to learn from the very same people who I thought otherwise had much to offer. What I thought “I knew” was not at all what I know now.

I am bitterly aware that listening was one of my shortcomings. I didn’t listen close enough to what they were saying because if I did I would have been smart enough to utilize some of those thoughts and ideas into accelerating my personal and professional growth. I would have attended more events, more networking meetings. Been involved in more projects. I would have (albeit reluctantly) taken opportunities that were made available because someone thought it would be good for me.

As a business owner, today I look for and listen attentively to those who can offer any advice no matter how small. I attend after hours networking events even when I’d rather be at home or finishing a project at work. Why? Because that’s where people share their ideas, their opinions, and their triumphs and tribulations. I may learn something valuable that would immediately help my business grow and then I may learn of what not to do because it would hinder the growth of my business. Or I may learn about an idea that may not help me in any way but may help someone I know. What’s ironic is that at times I may even learn something about myself.

A continual goal of mine is to “listen”, even when I feel someone isn’t (at that moment) making any sense. As a kid, I remember sitting around a dinner table with my parents and their friends (always against my better judgment) hearing “the” adults talking business and life. I would think to myself and often times to my dismay out loud that I would be different, I would make my own rules, I’ll do it my way. And as I would vocalize my thoughts, I would hear “it may not mean anything to you now but wait until you’re my age, you’ll see.” All I’d like to say to them is that I remember and I thank you. I am not only hearing you but also listening.

Business is tough and life is tougher. It is up to me to make every opportunity count and to learn something because it may be of value sometime in the future if not now.

Sweeping Dimensions Commits to its Employees Personal Saftey

How many small companies invest in the personal safety of their employees?

Next week Sweeping Dimensions will be hosting a self-protection seminar. On what started as a team-building event for our employees has grown to include friends and family. This article is written mainly because of the overwhelming feedback I have received from everyone I have mentioned the seminar to. I have not once been questioned on “why” I am hosting the event. I have gotten lots of “when” and “where”. It is surprising to me how excited my staff are of this experience. It’s been a long time since I have heard a common conversation among them. A few are looking forward to “defending” themselves against a fellow employee. Hmmm…..that sounds like trouble!

Robert Bartkowski, owner of www.whitecollarwarrior.com, is instructing our group next Tuesday. Mr. Bartkowksi, a student of martial arts for the last 17 years, will educate us on effective, efficient and easily applied self-protection skills in the (hopefully) unlikely event we become a target to an attacker. What appealed to me about his program is that we do not need to learn tons of ways of beating off an attacker, we only need a few good ones. It’s not about strength or size that matter, it’s about using basic techniques that cause the most pain. Which is kinda cool, since several of our staff are older and petite and for some ungodly reason believe that they couldn’t defend themselves.

I am thankful that I have employees who like what they do. Who take great strides to arrive to our offices before dawn and often times go home after the sun has set. I feel a responsibility to them. I also have a responsibility to my nieces and nephews who are growing up in a world that is different and scarier than the one I grew up in. Knowing that they too can utilize techniques that can keep them from harms way is priceless to me.

As with my staff, I too am looking forward to Tuesday’s seminar. I have ton’s of stress and aggression built up and the idea of Mr. Bartkowski in full gear (the assailant) waiting for us to practice what we’ve learned is extremely tempting. I guess I’ll have to buy a lot of ice for when he goes home.