Fun and work don't have to be mutually exclusive

When I was little, I loved to go to work with my dad. I would get all dressed up and he would take me in for the day. I didn't just sit there and color or read - I worked! I would organize the entire office; clean out his desk, organize samples, and put everything back to working order. I think I liked it a little too much for an eight year old, but that's what gave me this impression that you were supposed to have fun at work. My organization skills were honed at that young age and my love for materials (art or office supplies) started early. But more importantly, it was ingrained in me that it was important to love what you do. My father always said that he loved his work, but the happiest part of his day was when he pulled into the driveway, coming home to see me, my sister and my mom.

What things in your career do you consider to be fun? How can you incorporate more of that into your job?

Re:fresh

In the past seven years that What Fun! has been in business, I've made a lot of changes as I go along. I've changed marketing tools, tried different PR tactics, and even altered my slant on the product. I find it necessary to keep things fresh by changing them up somehow, but it's helpful to revisit things from the past, since sometimes I change things just for the sake of change. When I find these things (usually accidentally), I rediscover something that is now new and fresh.

For example, I had the soap line registered at Greatrep.com years ago - it's a service that lists your products on a web site that store buyers frequent. After a year or two, I felt like I had tapped out their customers, so I cancelled my subscription. Fast forward to a couple of weeks ago when I received an e-mail from them asking me to come back... I gave it a shot and not only did I get a ton of new inquiries for What Fun!, but also for Itsy Bitsy & Bold!

The second lesson here is to keep old clients on your mailing list - you never know when they will "rediscover" you!

Can you revisit anything from your past that might be helpful to you now?

What's it gonna take?

I read Marketing Outrageously by Jon Spoelstra while in Florida and I think this is one of the best business-related books I've read in a while. It's a quick read; concise and easy to digest. I didn't have to read and reread certain parts to process what he was trying to say.
A couple of take-away snippets...

• Ask yourself the question: What's it gonna take to _____ this year? (Fill in your own goal; triple my sales, write that book that's in my head, go back to school, etc) Spoelstra suggests writing down the question and keep it in your shirt pocket everyday, but I would recommend pinning it up in a good spot where you'll see it constantly. (Sorry, Mr. Spoelstra!) Anyway, making a list of answers to that question will make a daunting goal a little more doable.
• About a month ago, I used this quote, "Hit 'em where they ain't" when talking about taking a different avenue than your competition. Spoelstra's used the same quote, along with, "... Or more to the point: Hit 'em where they ain't strong." I find his examples really helpful in illustrating his points.
• Differentiate until you sweat. This not only goes for every company, large or small, but also any career; you want to differentiate yourself from everyone else. Play up the things that set you apart - even if it seems like it's a weakness at first.

Spoeltra's first book, Ice to the Eskimos looks really good too. It's next on my list! Let me know if you read either and what you got out of them.

5 reasons to get away...

I doubt you need these reasons, but just in case...

1. There's something about jumping on a hotel bed. I don't jump on my bed at home, but as soon as I enter my hotel room and see that King-size, perfectly made bed, I can't stop myself from being airborne.
2. Get some space - physically and emotionally. I usually don't realize how much I need it until I'm two days in and reveling in the fact that my surroundings have changed and that I don't have my daily responsibilities. I really feel like ideas come to me easier because I'm not bogged down by the day-to-day crap that gets in the way of creativity. Which leads me to #3...
3. Time to do things you can't find the time to do when you're home. When I'm home, there's always something to do; catch up on e-mails, do laundry, labels soaps, clean the kitchen, etc. When I'm away, I don't have those choices, so I get to read like it's going out of style and indulge in free time to think.
4. Get some sleep! Maybe it was the sun, maybe it was the black-out curtains, or maybe it was the relaxed state of mind. In any case, I fell asleep early and felt rested in the morning. Hallelujah!
5. Feeling refreshed when you return. I feel like I was away for a month, which makes me feel like I'm getting a fresh start on things. I came up with some new ideas while away, and am eager to keep up this level of excitement. Things that were bothering me before I left, don't seem so ominous right now.

What do you like most about getting away?

Lessons learned

The saying about learning more from your mistakes than your successes is something I totally agree with. A couple of years ago, I got a call from a company I was working with, asking if I would agree to a certain monetary deal. I completely take the blame for mishandling the situation, but I had just walked in from a great meeting when the phone rang, so I was in good mood, and caught off guard. Foolishly, I agreed to the deal on the spot and then beat myself up about it when I had a moment to review.

After a while, I realized that it was a small price to pay for the huge lesson I learned. From that point on, I never agree to anything (within reason) without sleeping on it first. Taking that time might reveal something you can't think of "in the moment". I always like to think that that one lesson shielded me from making a bigger mistake later. Whether it's true or not, at least I can sleep at night.

Sidebar #1: What would you like to see more of? Book reviews? Tips? Stories? Anything else that's missing? I am at your beck and call.

Sidebar #2: I'm headed to Florida for a couple of days, so you won't see any new posts till the end of the week. But I promise to come back refreshed and ready to blog!

One red paperclip

Had to share this. Amy passed this story along to me and I thought it was brilliant. Here's someone doing something really creative. Talk about turning things on their head to find a different solution!

Check out: oneredpaperclip.blogspot.com

What will you trade me for a 95-pound Golden Retreiever with a behavioral problem?

My line of sight

I try to focus on what's in front of me - literally and figuratively - and today it's all about the literal.

My desk is where I spend the majority of my time, so I make sure that when my eyes wander from the computer screen, I see things that motivate me or make me smile; inspirational quotes, funny pictures, my goals for the year, motivational notes and personal mementos. I don't have any rules for what gets pinned, taped or propped up around me - and I regularly rotate my little shrine. I like that wherever I look, I see something that makes me feel good.

What's in your line of sight?

Q&A: The big break

What was your first big break in the business?

Less than six months after my first trade show, I got a fax from a buyer for Nordstrom ordering for all their California stores. It was the biggest order I had received at that point, for a whopping $9000 (1/3 of my yearly pay at my last job) and I was shocked. It's not that I didn't see the company being a success or being big, it's that it made it real. Between the big name and the number of zero's behind the nine - it validated my venture. They didn't even try to drive my price down, which is why I will always have an undying love for Nordstrom. That, and the lounge-like bathrooms that could house a small village.

Oh yeah, and the shoes.

What do you consider to be your big break in your career?

My magazine "issues"

I have admitted before that I have an obsession for magazines. I have to be careful in the grocery store not to pick a slow-moving line, or I'll be tempted to pick one up and then it will be added to my ridiculous collection at home. The worst part is - my weakness is exacerbated by my job. 1. It's part of the market research I have to do 2. It helps me to read what my customers read 3. That's how I get most of our editorials on our products.

That said, I stumbled upon a new magazine called "Wondertime" and had to pass it along. After flipping through a couple of pages, I realized that it was different from all the other parenting magazines out there. The focus is on the "simple joys of raising a child, and to see the world as our children do - as an awe-inspiring place"

My favorite article ("Dalai Mama" by Catherine Newman) was written by a mom who strives to work less on her to do list and more on the here and now of raising her kids. Other articles ranged from how to raise a kind child to teaching your kid to love books to relaying your family's history. I loved the overall feel of the magazine and thought it was very well done. If you pick it up, let me know what you think!

What are your favorite magazines?

Success as a Springboard!

I was glancing through a book I haven't picked up in a while, "If it ain't broke... Break it" by Robert J. Kriegel and the first page I turned to had the word "Springboard" in bold - so it caught my eye. The section is about not sitting back and reveling in your success, but using it to get even further.

"Use success as a springboard, not as a pedestal. A pedestal is static and presents a big stationary target, which makes it easy for someone to knock you off it. A springboard keeps you in motion, continually reaching for greater heights."

I try to take advantage of some of our successes. For example, when I knew I was going to be on QVC, I sent out a press release about our good fortune to a number of magazines and newspapers and in turn, was featured in three publications. It wasn't just to let them know that they could buy our products at 4 am on QVC (that was a bonus!), but really it was to build credibility through the QVC name and get attention for the company by making our own news.

What have you used as a springboard?

What did you want to be when you grew up?

I've been asked this many times, I guess because no one can imagine that you dream about making soap when you're little or majoring in soap-making in college (neither of which I did.)

I think I was a budding entrepreneur in the womb; I was probably developing products to sell to the other babies in the nursery. From very early on, I would create new products and be convinced that they would actually be brought to the marketplace. I created a cartoon strip that I honestly thought would be next to "Peanuts" in the Sunday funnies. I fashioned an E.T. figurine that had a toothbrush where his magic finger was; I was sure that would get kids to brush their teeth. I wrote a "family newspaper" that was chock full of breaking news about the other 3 people in my family, that I would then sell to these same family members for a quarter. I started a jewelry company called, "Bead it", a small symbol of my infatuation with Michael Jackson. When I found out 20 years later that someone had actually used that name for their store, my father said reluctantly that he knew he should have trademarked some of my ideas.

I wasn't just playing for the sake of play, I always thought the end result would be seeing it on store shelves. As I got older, career choices ranged from archeologist to veterinarian to magazine publisher, but I was constantly creating new products that fell just short of mass production.

It's interesting to think back on the things that you wanted when you were young and how things have changed (or not changed, in my case) My parental units fostered creativity and the belief that we could do anything, which I think ultimately led to my sister and I creating the line of empowering baby gear. When you believe that you are creative, confident and powerful, anything is possible.

What did you want to be when you grew up? Were certain paths encouraged by your parents?

The Pay-off of Spring

My sincere apologies for being M.I.A. for the past couple of days, but I am a firm believer in playing hooky every now and then, and when the cherry blossoms are out in D.C., I can think of no better excuse. Friday was one of those days -- a cloudless sky, 70-something degrees, and gasp-inducing pale pink blooms seemed to spring from nowhere. Again, I'm reminded why we put up with winter... the payoff is just so great.

Speaking of pay-offs, I sometimes wonder whether owning my own businesses are worth everything I've put into them; the money, the sleepless nights, the lack of a reliable paycheck, the stressful days when I'm ready to give it all up and be a meter maid (Not that I would do that - I think that's got to be a terrible profession. I hope my large readership of meter-maids doesn't revolt, but seriously, nobody is ever happy to see you.)

Anyway, I'm always amazed how one tiny, miniscule piece of news can send me on a high. Hearing from a magazine I've been trying to get into, getting word that a large chain is interested, or even getting an e-mail from a happy customer, can turn my day around and remind me why I chose this life. Just like a gorgeous spring after a particularly cold winter, I remember what I'm doing it for... because this is what I'm most passionate about and because I couldn't imagine doing anything else.

What is your pay-off? What makes it worth it for you?