Samantha's Blog

Not only are the bulbs in the ground sprouting, so are "The 6 P's of Ideas" at SmartSamantha. Our first coloring book is just about ready to help you sprout your smart ideas.  

Our goal is to have our book in full bloom by summer! It will be a fun and colorful way to nourish young ideas.

Dancing Feet to Keep the Business Beat

Wally and I are sitting here tapping our feet to the beat of the fun Dance Song.  We were introduced to this happy melody when a singing birthday card was given to me. 

Our dancing together is part of our new motto to exchange daily doses of happiness with each other and others to brighten and inspire our days.

Sprouting and growing a business takes long hours and sometimes you just need a fun way to break up the long business days.  We are working hard to get our book completed and bring new bizdoms and adventures.  Whew lots to do... 

So, here we are dancing in our office with fun dance beat.  Back to work it will be once again, but for now we are tapping our feet and paws to a happy beat.

Why don’t you try it by finding your own business beat?

By reading how other's built their ideas is a great way to sprout your idea.  See how Apple each Day new they had to change their ways to build a great idea. 

In Knowledge @ Wharton*, an article details excerpts from author Jessica Livingston’s book, “Founders at Work: Stories of Startups' Early Days." In her book, she interviews 32 startup founders of successful technology firms. 

What I could relate to as an idea sprouter is Apple founder's emphasis on time and change.  As the article states:

“Steve Wozniak's story of the development of Apple goes way back to the early 1980s. He endured his share of frustrations and roadblocks, but his passion and conviction kept him going through the rough patches."

"Entrepreneurs have to keep adjusting to … everything's changing, everything's dynamic, and you get this idea and you get another idea and this doesn't work out and you have to replace it with something else," Wozniak says. Adding to the pressure, "Time is always critical because somebody might beat you to the punch."

So remember,you might have to replace some ideas that don’t work—and quickly.  As to keep the competition away you must be willing to change right away to keep your product up to date!

*“Founders at Work Chronicles the American Idols of Startups”, Knowledge @ W.P. Carey, 24, September, 2008. http://knowledge.wpcarey.asu.edu/article.cfm?articleid=1675

“Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experiences of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired and success achieved.” – Helen Keller.

What wonderful words and those I live by.  It is quite easy to get drawn into thinking your ideas and ways of doing things are the right way and only way.  Are we not learning a great lesson with the turbulence in our financial and political worlds: Change in the way we do business is needed sometimes. 

But, this truth can be tough. 

Hope comes as Helen Keller’s words so eloquently speak that these trials give us strength—and ultimately success.

(To Read More about my creator’s word to live by see Atlanta Woman Magazine article, “Atlanta’s Top Female Entrepreneurs.”)

It takes many brains to build a business.  And when you lose a key employee, your company loses some of that brainpower. 

It is especially hard when your company is small.  Why do they leave?  Various reasons, but in the end it is hard on the company!

And as the owner/CEO/president, you may find that you quickly must discover skills and talents new to you or the work may not be covered.

So, today check your bases and think of what you may need to do if suddenly a key employee - one who covers important tasks - were to depart.  Your customers will still want the same level of service.

On the upside, an unexpected departure might help you find that some tasks can be done differently, particularly if you are required to quickly learn new skills.

So the pain might have been sudden, but in the long run, you may find things getting done not just different - but better!

A few weeks ago when I was working out with my personal power trainer, Sherri Allen of Impact Fitness, an idea hit us.  Our inspiration?  My pin-striped work-out suit, the one that passes enough in the office for business causal.  Sherri and I had been discussing the need for building up your personal strength to keep the stamina needed to run a business or move up the career ladder.  That's why I sought out Sherri.  And wow! have the returns on my investment been powerful.  And that is when it struck us..the power suit is being redefined. 

If you look at the old definitions, Wikipedia* states:

A power suit may be:

• a type of suit stereotypically associated with the 1980s. It is characterized by sharp cuts, wide shoulder pads and a stiff rigidity and was first introduced by Polo Ralph Lauren 
• Another name for a powered exoskeleton

A powered exoskeleton is a powered mobile machine consisting primarily of a skeleton-like framework worn by a person, and a power supply which supplies at least part of the activation-energy for limb movement. Powered exoskeletons are designed to assist and protect the wearer. They may be designed for example….to aid the survival of people in other dangerous environments.

And for today’s world—redefine that to a powered skeleton!  Your bones, your muscles, your skeleton are your best power suit! The one you need in our ever-changing and sometimes dangerous environments.

So, not only keep building up your mind, but build up your body.  And take it from me - the weight of the business world becomes much lighter when you have the muscles and increased stamina to deal with the challenges of building a career or business! 

(*Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powered_exoskeleton)