Where is John Galt? And merry [Christ]mas

I am enjoying the fruits of our holiday labor now. Home with the family on Christmas day. At the same time, I've had a chance to reflect on some recent events such as the senate's passing of the insane, ineffective and rediculous heather care insurance reform bill. I think back about the reduction of freedoms Ayn Rand spoke about in her novel Atlas Shrugged and I see our freedoms being siphoned away every day. Soon the victim will be required by mandate to contribute to those who have not earned it, and the greath weath redistribution program will continue to grow.

But back to my original train of thought. My Mother in law is a liberal english teacher. We discussed Rand just a bit this morning, and she mentioned how "anti-christian" she was. I certainly believe that as an objectivist, Rand's morality and core tennants led her toward a lifestyle that I would consider "un Christ like" but at the same time, I'm not sure that I would consider all of her teaching un-Christian, and certainly not....un-conservative.

Rand rails about the mystics of religion, and to some extent I agree with her. We are not bound by earthly representations of our Father in heaven's will. We have the Bible, we have free will, and we chose to give of our first fruits in terms of tithes back to him. Much as Rand would certainly agree that an investor in a succesful business is required to be paid the return on his investment, so to does God request that we repay him out of our profits.

As Jesus spoke about...render unto Caesar what is Caesar's and render unto God what is God's. I believe that God is the source of my intelectual capital. He is the provider of the funds that are required for me to do my job effectively. He has given me my itelligence, has given me my guidance, and he has brought great success to my business. Why would I not repay my investor in just such a manner as Dagney Taggart repays the holder of her Railroad bonds (or at least, makes an attempt).

So while there is much with the lifestyle and underlying philosophy that I disagree with when it comes to Ayn Rand and her philosophy, I must say that as a Christian, a businessman, and a conservative, I must first trade value for value and repay my investors who have provided much to ensure the success of my business.

I swear, by my life and my love of it, that I will never live for the sake of another man, nor ask another man to live for mine. .... only one man did this for us...Jesus Christ...isn't it time we paid him back for his investment?

Black Friday

Well, I hope you had a good thanksgiving holiday. Thanksgiving is one of those holidays that I feel we seldom allow to properly sink in. Sitting around a table, surrounded by friends and family. We take just a moment to thank God for everything that he has provided.

This year, I am very thankful. My company continues to grow, my relationships continue to improve, and my children grow more amazing every day. What more could you ask for.

So...a thankful Thanksgiving day leads to .... getting up early to get into the office just before midnight. Yes, because "I am the man" I ended up working from midnight to 6am...to go home, then get up and get back to the office around 9:30.

As I was walking out of the house for the 2nd time today, my wife says..."Thank you for everything that you do, we love you." My response was "I know...without knowing that, I couldn't do everything that I do." She smiled...it was a moment that I think we both knew was important.

So for everyone out there...struggling with Black Friday, the potential for struggling through to the end of the holiday rush and everything that goes along with it.

Just go be brilliant!

Holiday Madness

In many businesses...retail I'm sure of it...the "holiday" season is a make or break it time of year. Its a time of year when all customer whims are requested...and for fear of losing that 5.00 bill in their hand, we're willing to stand on our head and bark like a dog while chugging a gallon of Diet Coke.

But seriously. Its a difficult time of year because you have to be prepared for the onslaught of orders and crazy demands, but you have to stay thankful for the business, and you have to put a smile on your face and laugh through the tears.

So here i am...sitting in the warehouse. Its the wednesday before Thanksgiving (tomorrow) we've had our celebratory lunch (thank you Lucille's...food is great as usual) and we're working to get as many orders into the pipeline that is FedEX as possible.

Tomorrow will be a day of Turkey and Football for much of the country, but I know I will be back here...putting in my time to get ready for the same routine on Friday. Why not take the day off? Well, there are only so many hours in the day, and I really can't afford to waste one right now. Its all hands on deck...as you hold your stomach and wonder why you had the extra helping of stuffing.

So, for those of you who put your name on the bottom of the check every other week...I salute you. For everyone who works retail and looks every day at the sales figures to see if you can make it through next year...I sympathize with you. And for each of us who puts on our hearts and souls on the line each and every day, I join with you in a prayer of thanksgiving that we are still here, a prayer of supplication that we will be here next year, and a prayer for peace that at some point, the IRS will just leave us the heck alone. :-)

Peace out.

Hitting the ZONE

Some times things go right...not perfect mind you, but there are certainly days when you feel that things are more positive than negative. Aside from Monday, which was an absolute disaster, this week has been a better than average week.

Production is going smoothly with a higher than average turn out rate, mistakes and returns are down, and everyone is in agreement about our aims and targets.

There is money in the bank for payroll. I can't tell you the amazing power and revalation of prayer. But when you get down to the bottom of the barrel and you hit your knees...with no earthly understanding of how you are going to get through the next pay period...God reaches down and somehow says...I've got it. As such, sales ticked up almost 200% over the past week and we are paying our bills and I am sleeping easier.

As a result, I'm looking to make some changes to make us leaner and more productive...Big changes that will not impact the quality of the product, but will mitigate the effects of the California tax code.

We are working this weekend. Almost full staff tomorrow. I like being busy...Busy is good, now I just need to get my blood pressure meds refilled so I don't stroke out before we get to Christmas.

Everyone is free to wear sunscreen

Some of the best advice I've heard provided to the younger generation comes from the song "Everyone's free to wear sunscreen" by Baz Luhrman.

...Dance...
...Live...
...Work...
...Love...

Live in NYC once, but leave before it makes you hard...
Live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft...

Respect your elders...
Don't expect anyone else to support you...
Don't mess too much with your hair...

Have a good Wednesday...I'm surviving.

I am Hank Rearden

Hank Rearden is the penultimate capitalist in Ayn Rand's masterwork Atlas Shrugged...

I see a political rally in my mind that does a mash up of Atlas Shrugged and Sparticus....you know that final scene where the Romans look out over the field of conquered slaves and ask. Which one of you is Sparticus? At which point, thousands of men stand up and state... "I Am Sparticus"... at which point they are all crucified and line the Appian Way leading to Rome.

"I Am Hank Rearden"...I am the optimistic capitalist who believes that I can overcome all that the looters throw at me. I am the man who "sees" that the greatest gift a man can give his neighbor is not the money from his wallet, but the effort of his own brow as an example of the capabilities of a man driven by his own engine...his own dream. Saying with each passing day..."I can do it...you can too. "

I am now blessed to share work space with just such another Hank Rearden...He is in the technology sector, and he too is the center of a self made company...It helps me to have a partner on my own journey. It reminds me that we...the self made...the struggling masses of small business people are not alone. Our struggles are common, and each day when another one falls, we mourn. Each day when another one picks up the standard...we join together en-masse to cheer them on.

Today we march...Tomorrow we vote...

Yes, we too will redefine the new rules for radicals...but that is for another day.

Don'tcha Love Tuesdays

Ok, well, I survived Monday. I picked up a quote yesterday which said. Courage does not always ROAR...some times it is the quiet voice that says "Try again tomorrow."... So true.

Its 10:30 am here...I feel like there is an up-tick today that will allow me to get through this week. I am hoping that the optimism I feel now will be contagious and keep the goblins away from the rest of the staff.

But beyond that...When was the last time you read / listened to Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged". I will start it again today. I love the audio book version. Its 80 hours of listening...but while I'm listening, I feel the blood of Hank Reardon coursing through my veins, I get perspective on the struggle, and feel the hope that at some point, those of us who are the engine of this economy will have the opportunity to come back out of the valley and into a new world.

What is it like to own a small business? Its the greatest struggle a man can engage in...

Its Monday...Bring It On!

Mondays can be so difficult. They can start off full of promise and suddenly turn south...or if you're in the weeds...they can be just a re-affirmation that you're screwed.

Heath care passed the house in the middle of the night this past weekend. What a joke. Who do you politicians think is going to pay for all this? Yeah, let me raise my hand higher.

I hit my knees and pray that we'll make it though the week. That's what Mondays teach me.

There is a God, I am not Him, and sometimes I just don't know what he has in mind for me.

I Love the IRS

Woke up this morning to find that the IRS had taken 5500.00 out of my business account. Funny thing is, no one over there seems to know why and this has led to almost 3+ hours on the phone, and still, no one knows what is going on or why it was done.

My guess is that this is from a payment due earlier this year that I drove in to their facility personally...perhaps they did not put it in the system. Either way, once the IRS gets a hold of your money, I've found there is really no way to get it back right or wrong.

Left my keys in the warehouse

I left my keys in the warehouse and now its locked up tighter than a drum. Crap

Sometimes you have to get dirty

Its another one of those dreaded thursdays. I don't like them althought Survivor is back online so it makes it almost palatable. But seriously folks, can't you give me a break?

Its been a long week, almost over. But all in all, i've been yelling alot this week. So when things get really bad, sometimes you have to realize that the only way people will learn is if they follow. In this case, they have to follow me.

I'm the guy who had the idea, I'm the guy who started the company, I'm the guy who gets to lay awake all night wondering why the IRS is calling me. That's me, I'm the guy.

So, when you find that hell has dropped by with its handbasket, its time to get dirty.

Today I moved out of my nice office upstairs, and moved to a smallish desk out on the production floor. Things had begun to slip, and i knew that if i didn't get my arms around it, it could mean the reputation of my whole company... So once again, Its time to get the team out of the weeds and get them back on course to success.

instead of writing these blogs from my nice computer in my nice office at my nice (but messy) desk, I am now writing from my netbook....in the warehouse.

In the end however; you can only yell and scream so much, sometimes you have to dig down and kick some butt. You can't tell them to take that friggin hill...you actually have to grab the flag, raise the sword, and lead the charge.

So today...I'm leading the charge, and hoping that my head don't get blown clear off with a canon ball heading my way.

over and out...may your day be better than mine and may we both prosper tomorrow.

btw, i knew that kid they thought was up in the balloon was hiding in the house all along...lol

Stop, Focus, and Think

Ok, so...sometimes opportunities just drop in your lap. You don't go looking for them, but you wake up one day and there it is. Just like a big leaguer stepping up to the plate and finding that for this bat, they are letting them use the T-ball stand. You sit there and consider your good fortune, you are thrilled with potential and the mind starts racing...Almost like you won the lottery or something.

But you know what. Those of use who believe in the entrepreneurial spirit know that nothing is ever as easy as what you think, and that you have to really dig deep to find the gold in any business. You don't just walk out and pick up piles of money.

So over the past few weeks, I've been considering such an opportunity, a wide blue sky kind of opportunity. But you know what...its time to hunker down and focus on the projects that I've already got burning. I realized that reaching out for a new opportunity, something that has great potential, but also risk...would put everything I've built at risk.

So...after looking in the mirror and evaluating it without the emotion of the new and better idea filter...its time to put this new idea aside until we get everything else done around here.

Stop..Focus..Think..ACT

Its Tuesday...What's your excuse?

Its Tuesday morning. I've begun again to listen to Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. I need it like a drug, it gives me a focus for a time, a feeling of connectedness. An understanding that the struggles of today are no different from those that have been met before with victory.

Alas, my office manager got a phone call this morning from a customer who chose to throw her weight around for no good reason. She was unsatisfied that she did not have her products as quickly as she had wanted, (all being delivered within our normal time frame). So I picked up the phone and left a message for her that we were firing her. Deactivating her account was a step in the right direction. I simply do not wish to do business with people who I KNOW will be nothing but difficult in the future.

While I certainly drive to increase my business, I've found that many times it is just best to stand your ground and refuse to take abuse from the people we server...at some point, revolt is in order.

So, like Eddie Willars in Atlas...we seem to struggle against the immense vastness of the darkness...the occasional opportunity to push back and strike a blow for goodness and justice with our bare hands...gives us the power to move one more mile down the track.

Be well, reach far, stand tall...While Alive...LIVE

Everyone Works on Monday!

The subject line comes from a movie which i have been known to watch on occassion. "DAVE" where a common many becomes the president purely as a result of his resemblance to the actual president. Lest I digress...He runs a small job placement company, and his motto is "Everyone works on Monday!"

Mondays are full of possibilities. Even on those weeks where I have put in massive efforts, even on the weekends, Mondays still represent something new and possible. So, as much as the rest of the world seems to dread Mondays....I might actually go so far as to say that I look forward to them. (But I still hate sundown on Sunday for some reason)

Monday is good today. The phone has not rung much (which for an internet business is a GOOD thing...since only people with problems pick up the phone to call, everything else is handled on line and through email). The personell issues were minimal, and almost everyone showed up for work ready to go. I have a meeting with my business partner (my wife) and some good clients later tonight in Laguna Beach. Perhaps this will be an above average week...

We'll see when we get to Thursday.

I Hate Thursdays

I don't know about the rest of you, but Thursday seems to be the hardest day to get through for me. The weekend is still far away it feels and the opression of the mountain of work yet to be accomplished is heavy enough that you know you will be pulling weekend shifts.

When i was young, Thursday was always the night you couldn't wait for. Even if you had nothing to do, you could still stay in and watch Must See TV with Friends and...hmm whatever else was part of that whole Must See TV night. Now I look forward to those weeks when a new Survivor is on, and that's about it. I am lucky if I don't fall asleep on the couch as my kids climb over me.

Well, I've run out of gas...have a great thursday night

I wish I were Don Draper

I'm a "Mad Man" fan. Not only am I a fan, I also got my degree in advertising back when advertising still consisted of TV, Print, and Radio.

Advertising is viewed by many as a "fun" and "exciting" industry, and Mad Men has done little to dispute that. Ad men are viewed as endlessly creative, sexy, and torn between their creative tendencies and their need to "do the right thing". Trust me...its none of those things.

Which is why I think it pertains to my blog. Self employement is nothing like what you think it is. Is it true that you can sleep in till 9 or 10 and let the staff take care of things? Sure...but the reality is that you were likely at the shop until 5 or 6 in the morning, and the reason you don't come in until 10 is because you needed a minimum of 3 hours of sleep each night.

Self employement is the toughest job you will ever take a chance on. You are bound by a chain of reponsibility to your employees, your are bound by a chain of knowledge that you will NEVER be able to work for someone else again, and you are tied to your business by the debts that you needed to incure to get started. It is the main reason that most businesses never reach beyond their infancy...most people just can't deal with it.

I'd like to think that I'm one of those people. Its Tuesday here. I've just instituted a new schedule that actually mandates 6 hours of sleep per night, and a couple hours of "family time" in addition to "dinner". I am excited by this change of life...

Why? Because I'm tired of working till 5, going home for 2 hours, then working another 18 hours, getting a 2 hour nap, and then working till 4. Repeat until you can't move. I'm tired of eating out of vending machines and drive throughs. I'm tired of knowing that my kids are growing up while I'm working to pay taxes and the social benefits of the people around me. I am hoping that by putting the family first...I can get some of that magic back that brings joy and hope to my life again...

I think its worth a shot.

And to Don Draper...As tormented and torn by your inner demons as your are...I think you had it pretty good. At least you didn't have to worry about an entire political establishment that was out to steal your shiney new Caddy and turn it into a Prius. Grow a pair, kiss your kids, and be thankful we still live in the greatest country in the world!...at least for now.

Lets get this party started

I have no doubts that this blog post will only be read after the fact, since this is the first post and not even my wife knows that I've opened this account. (I normally leave all this stuff to her).

I am a small business person, struggling to survive here in Southern California. It is not easy. It is a daily struggle against all things political, financial, and personal.

I am hoping that by blogging my experiences, I can both learn more from my day to day experiences as well as perhaps provide insight into what we as small business people go through on a day to day basis.