Today I was able to spend the day with a group of teenagers doing service projects and also participating in what are called Rope Courses. Ropes Courses are designed to test your mental focus and personal fortitude as well as generate team building experiences. One of the obstacles in particularly got both my nerves and brain going. This was called the Vine Walk.
The course involved a thin metal cable stretched between two poles about 20 years apart. The cable was bout 30 feet about the ground and placed up above the cable about 6 feet were several dangling ropes separated along the cable about 10 feet apart. These ropes could be held on to as you walked the quivering metal cable. Now these dangling ropes did not provide much stability, but just enough when pulled taunt that you would not spiral off of the cable.
Of course as you climb up the poles and attempt the traverse, you are on belay and fully harnessed for safety, but it really does cause your nerves to jitter as you attempt to carefully step across this “vine”.
What I discovered as I was doing this, was if I focused on the far end point of the cable, looking across, but not directly down, and deliberately blocking out the height factor, I was able to slither across that cable. When I would turn sideways with my feet and attempt to monitor the cable and its flex directly beneath me the cable would shake almost as vigorously as my nerves were.
As on this rope, so is it when creating a business. You can’ think much about how high you are, you have to trust the harnesses and belay, and focus on the end point placing foot over foot as you go. If you look down and spend too much energy on your exact position on the “cable” you tend to get wobbly and are more likely to fail.
Being an entrepreneur, my nerves were conditioned to the adrenaline rush of the vine walk on the ropes course and it did not paralyze me, as a matter of fact I found it invigorating.
I noted that a few of the young women that were gymnasts crossed the vine with grace. I didn’t! My crossing was plain ugly, but end of the day it does not matter, we both crossed it just the same. Both count and so it is in entrepreneurship. Most do not have the courage to even try. Getting across is the key, not how graceful the walk is.
As a child I grew up in a small town in Southern Utah. I had amazing parents. My father completely lost his sight when he was four years old. Despite being completely blind, he went on to become a successful Attorney. My mother was equally amazing. She was 15 younger than my father. One of their greatest fears was my mother would be widowed for much of her later life. Ironically fate played an awful trick and my mother and she died of breast cancer at the age of 58 leaving my father the one alone.
My mother was one of the strongest people I know. She had the courage and determination to become what I call a trend breaker. Despite all odds and with immense sacrifice she went on to be the first one in her family to graduate from college. She blazed a trail not only for all of her brothers and sisters to follow, but also all of her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. Growing up in my parents home, B’s were not acceptable. It was never spoken, it was simply understood.
My brothers and I collaborated and determined one of the best ways to honor my mother was to create a scholarship in her name. Our mother was always behind the scenes ensuring others received acknowledgment and award. It was with great joy we brought our mother into the spotlight by awarding scholarships to deserving young women in her name.
Today I drove down to Beaver High School and experienced a rush of emotion as I awarded scholarships to 3 young women whom have the great potential that my mother realized and we believe will be trend breakers in their respective families. These three young ladies are:
1st place - Courtney Ann Rogers
2nd place – Shannon Joseph
3rd place – Whitney Whitbeck
At the request of several of my associates, I post the scholarship information and a bit of my mothers background relating to her intense drive to obtain her education.
Laurel Christiansen was a born in a small town in Sevier County Utah. She was the first in her family to attend college and she did so at great personal sacrifice and with dogged determination. She was a trend setter who broke through many barriers allowing her brothers, sisters and her children to follow. After college she came to Beaver High School to teach Art. She married John Christiansen, the blind County Attorney and had four sons. While her children were young she took a break from teaching and focused on instilling a love of education in her children. She then returned to teach 1st grade at Belknap Elementary. She is fondly remembered by many in Beaver as a “Master 1st grade teacher”.
She raised four boys and twelve foster children. She loved with all of her might and strength her daughter in laws, grandchildren, and masses of elementary school children. Our mother’s impact has always been from the background. She has taken no public spotlight. Her life’s song has been sung in beautiful support by those around her. Through this scholarship we wish to publicly honor the incredible and lasting impact that this amazing woman has made.
Excerpts From My Story’s Song
Applicants, in preparation for this scholarship, please read the following Excerpts from Laurel Christiansen’s Biography titled My Story’s Song. This will give you a better feel for what this scholarship is about and what we are looking for in a successful candidate.
The first year of college at BYU was very challenging and difficult for me. I had earned enough money to pay tuition and start out the year; however, my resources quickly diminished with the many expenses of school. So, during my second quarter at BYU my father helped me pay tuition. Still, paying the cost of living expenses was left up to me. I soon became a familiar face at the BYU employment office. I checked there weekly to find any little “odds-and-ends” jobs to earn money. Dora Young, who shared the bedroom with me, and with whom I had become very close, suggested that I take my money and purchase a sack of whole wheat and some powdered milk. She stated that it would keep me alive and eating. It did! Wheat and powdered milk helped me survive. This first year of college was by far the most difficult and challenging for me. I just about didn’t make it financially, and my grades suffered terribly as well. However, I felt very determined to receive an education and to eventually graduate. The learning process gave me joy and satisfaction, and mattered very much to me.
During my second year my love and appreciation for education deepened, as did my desire to become an art teacher.
By my third year, I was taking many classes in my major. I decided to go into Art Education (Secondary). I took a very heavy schedule, 18-20 credit hours per quarter. Despite the extra load my grades were much better and I felt at peace and happy. After completing two additional quarters I decided to attend the summer block as well. At this time I needed to get a student loan so that I could finish out my last year of schooling. I remember that when I applied, the fellow interviewing me asked me many questions. He told me he would give me the loan, for which I was very grateful. He stated that he did not encounter a girl like me very often. He felt that I was unusual because I was so determined to finish my education. He said I seemed more like a foreign student, and that I had values like an “old-fashioned girl.”
In making the decision to teach, I determined that I wanted to stay and work somewhere in the state of Utah. That was where my family was. I also wanted to teach in a small rural town because I was a farm girl at heart. I was interviewed (grilled, may be more accurate) by both Ogden and Salt Lake City, but my heart was won over during the interview with David Pierce from the Beaver County School District. The position of art teacher at Beaver High School was exactly what I wanted. I accepted Mr. Pearce’s offer immediately.
I remember as I was younger in my career, everything was black and white. My opinions were strong and quickly formed. My views sharp and my perspective decisive. As I have grown older and been exposed to more cultures and experienced the dilemmas and challenges of the world, the once thin line separating black and white has expanded to a much larger thick grey line.
Yesterday I spent some time with a young man for whom I have tremendous respect. This is a young man who is in the early stages of his career, has been bitten really hard by the entrepreneurial bug, and is creating a successful web design company. In so many ways he reminds be of myself 20 years ago. He is intensely passionate, has very strong opinion, and is insanely talented. I have every confidence he will succeed.
The lengthy discussion that I had with him yesterday, related to a moral stand that he was taking relating to what type of web sites he was comfortable designing and his willingness to decline business that did not meet his moral standards. I can not help but respect anyone who is willing to take a stand and draw personal boundaries. In this apathetic world many people have become desensitized and are not willing to step forward and stand up for what they believe to be right.
As we discussed, it became very evident that we have many of the same long term goals and value systems, however on a few points we have dramatically different views.
It caused me to reflect on those simple days and in some ways longingly wish for the ON or OFF perspective that I did when I was just out of college. That being said, I have found that much of the richness of life comes from understanding and learning the perspectives in the thicker grey line. It may be messier, but it is also more rewarding to take the effort to look at the “beast” from a different angle.
We all have different upbringings, perspectives and value systems. In life, there is no simple black and white with a thin line. It is by making the attempt to understand each others perspectives, what motivates each other, and why we view things differently that unlocks the power of great advances. The lamest and most ineffective teams I have managed have been those that were homogeneous where everyone saw things the exact same way and everyone got along. The most powerful teams I have been involved with were compiled of members with extremely diverse backgrounds and differing perspectives YET all focusing on a common goal.
Looking for solutions in The Thick Grey Line requires more focus and effort, but when you find the solutions they not only last longer, but also mean more.
This past month I have been working with Warner Music to analyze a number of their artist’s sites and help them develop a viable search and strategy. Today I began working on the site of Michael Buble. I think I have single handedly loaded the home page more than the rest of the USA combined. Now that is saying something because he was on Oprah today.
How do you know if an musician is really good, well today I discovered the answer. If you actually look forward to the music playing when you start a web page, that is really a good first step. Very seldom do I find the web home page an acceptable location to play an unsolicited song. The second litmus test is if you have head the song 11,452 times in one day and have not went insane, then you might have know that they have a little talent.
As I was driving home tonight, I heard on the radio that Michael Buble was performing in SLC on July the 17th 2007. I have on my task list to order tickets. I am even considering downloading one of the Michael Buble ring tones.
Last week I worked on a site that was heavy metal, and I will put it this way . It was NOT “my mothers type of music”. For that matter, it was not my type of music either! Anyways, at the end of the day I was so stressed out and onery that my family hid under the furniture whenever I entered a room.
Tonight I found myself light, happy and in a great mood. I even went and downloaded 2 of his CD’s onto my Ipod.
I know all the head shrinks have already told us this, but the music we listen to makes a huge difference. You can “Call Me Irresponsible” but I am a new fan of Buble. If you have not heard his music before, it is worth checking out.
This week I have been in Korea and Japan with my wife and business partner Curtis Blair. This being our wives first time to Japan and Korea, I have really delighted in watching their reactions to the new sounds, sights, smells, and cultural differences. I have enjoyed watching Curtis’s wife Lisa attempt to choke down Sushi and attempt to navigate the depth of a bow. I have enjoyed watching my wife attempt to deal with the shoes on shoes off ritual, or the sitting on the mats cross legged. Which actually spawns one fun quick little story
As we were taken to dinner at a the Sushi restaurant, you have to take your shoes off to then go up to the little grass floor when you sit cross legged. Gaye did not have any socks on, so she noticed some little slippers setting on the side. She thought that the purpose of these hot pink “little kitty” slippers was to wear as she went onto the upper clean floor. so she stepped into the slippers and went up on the floor. Well…… soon the workers came running in looking horrified. Gaye had not only stepped on their clean floor with shoes, but had taken one of the other guests. Oopps. A slight cultural melt down. Luckily our hosts were gracious and we all had a good laugh about it.
A number of years back one of my team members Ed Anderson and I were traveling in the UK. We had some experience that seemed a bit odd (I don’t even remember what it was) and as I make the comment, Ed turn to me and said, “It’s not better, It’s not worse, its just different.”
This has really stuck with me through the years and I have learned that if we take the time to understand not only the culture, but the motivations, and reason behind the differences. There is typically strong reasons for the different ways we approach things and we are very close minded as we think our way is the only correct way to do things.
As I prepare to golf for the first time in Japan today, I am hopeful that it is Not Worse, and not to much different. I guess some constancy in life can also be a good thing.
This past Friday I had the opportunity to have a discussion with one of our new team members. This young man has a tremendous amount of zeal and reminds me of myself in the early years of my career. He has an insatiable entrepreneurial spirit, and with out doubt will have great successes in his life as he becomes more seasoned. Friday my partner and I sat down and had a discussion with him regarding the week and the amazing efforts of the other members of the team. As we concluded I made a statement to him that is appropriate to share in this management metaphor context. The comment was:
The race very seldom goes to the fastest
The prize to the smartest
The award to the most beautiful
Or the brass ring to the most clever
Most often, the individual who simply refuses to die and is willing to keep going, keep pressing, and keep trying when everyone else stops is the one who eventually will get the win.
Determination, persistence, and an unconquerable soul in my opinion are the most important elements of establishing a successful new business.
I would much rather have B talent and A effort on my teams than A talent and B effort.
I do not recall a week in the past 10 years where I have seen a team work so hard, so committed, so focused, and so intensely driven to accomplish a series of goals. Much of the team has been working through the night this week to complete a successful product launch.
I take great pride and joy in associating with individuals who are striving to do something of significance against all odds.
One of my favorite quotes is:
Do it
Do it now
Do it with a purpose
and make no small plans
for they have not the magic to stir the soul of man
The win or loss is not as important to me as how the battle is fought, however, I find myself craving this win as much as I recall craving anything in a long time. Due primarily because of the tenacity and spirit of this rag tag little team of warriors who refuse to die despite all odds.
