They Just Happen To Sell Shoes

If you had lived in the neighborhood where Tony Hsieh grew up, you might have met an earnest little door to door salesman just discovering his entrepreneurial spirit. Now at the ripe old age of 36, Hsieh shows us the path that took him from selling earthworms and photo buttons to running the success story known as Zappos.

As highly publicized as Hsieh and his company have been, his new book Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose  tells a far more complex story. In the first part of the book, we get to know Hsieh; in the second part we get to see the evolution of the unique culture that is Zappos.

Hsieh’s story is so captivating (and I assume that his youth contributes to his recall of details) that you may find yourself identifying with his ups and downs—and cheering for him even though you know how the story  turns out. 

To my delight, I discovered Tony Hsieh and I have a number of things in common.

1. We both became fascinated with mail order when we were kids.

2. We both adopted Las Vegas as our hometown.

3. We both believe that business is about much more than just making money.

4. We both look for lessons from diverse places (i.e. poker) that apply to running a successful business.

Much of his story is wonderfully unique, of course. From his student days at Harvard where he was more excited about building his pizza business than he was about studying to his partying days in San Francisco, Hsieh seemed to be perpetually looking for opportunities.

Although many people start a business because they fall in love with a product or an idea for a service, Hsieh is one of the ones who are fascinated and challenged by  the entrepreneurial journey. By his own admission, he isn’t all that crazy about shoes, but bringing them to the marketplace in an innovative way is the object of his passion. 

Happily, for the reader, you don’t have to dream of building an online empire in order to find the useful ideas in Delivering Happiness. There’s a stunning lack of corporate hubris and plenty of examples of how Zappos walks the talk every single day in each and every part of the business. 

Numerous Zappos folks share their stories giving us even clearer insight into how the much-quoted core values influence their daily lives. Even the story of how those values evolved shows us that this is not a business as usual operation. 

 Zappos Core Values

1. Deliver WOW Through Service

2. Embrace and Drive Change

3. Create Fun and A Little Weirdness

4. Be Adventurous, Creative, and Open-Minded

5. Pursue Growth and Learning

6. Build Open and Honest Relationships with Communication

7. Build a Positive Team and Family Spirit

8. Do More With Less

9. Be Passionate and Determined

10. Be Humble

While each of those values is described in great detail, it seems obvious to me that they provide a foundation for building a standout operation, even if you’re a one-person enterprise—or a school or nonprofit organization.

You’re going to be seeing Tony Hsieh and hearing a lot about Delivering Happiness in the coming weeks. There’s even a DH site to share in the festivities. I urge you to pay attention. This isn’t just a smart book—it’s a wise one as well.

After all, Zappos isn’t just a company that’s making it better; they’re also showing us how we can do the same.

Leave It Better Than You Found It

Last weekend I painted a picture of the bouquet of flowers on my coffee table. After I’d finished that, I wrote across the top, “Making It Better Starts Here.”

It was meant as a reminder to me that the opportunities to improve and shine surround us. That’s why Making It Better isn’t just the June theme of this blog; it’s also my summer project.

There is no shortage of projects right under my own roof, although my plans go beyond my personal environment. Impacting a larger world starts with small deeds inspired by a conscious decision to make things better wherever and whenever we can.

It was a lesson I learned years ago from a dear friend.

The most passionate environmentalist  I’ve ever known was Chris Utterback. To her, all offenses were equally serious whether it was defiling a public space with graffiti or chopping down a rain forest. She cared deeply for the earth and couldn’t understand why everyone didn’t feel the same sense of responsibility.

One day we were driving through the quiet Connecticut countryside where she lived and came across a pile of trash heaped on the roadside. She slammed on her brakes and we jumped out of the car, picked up the litter, bagged it and put it in the back of her station wagon. 

As we got back in, I sighed and said, “Planetkeeping is a full-time job.” Chris looked at me as if I’d said the most  brilliant thing and without saying so, we both volunteered to be Planetkeepers.

Planetkeeping isn’t just a full-time job; it’s a demanding one that requires vigilance and a willingness to do more than our share simply because it’s the moral choice.

Planetkeeping is motivated by a sense of responsibility to nature and other people whether we know them or not.

It assumes that we’ll take care of whatever is ours to care for no matter how difficult or challenging that may be.  Planetkeepers refuse to be influenced by the indifference and apathy of others.

Planetkeeping also demands that we stop withholding our own gifts and talents and put them to work in the service of making the world a better, happier, nurturing place.

Imagine, for a moment, how quickly things would change if everyone went through their days actively working to improve everything they touch. What would happen to road rage? To rudeness” To the environment? To self-esteem? To greed? To our communities? To litter? To hunger?

We may never eliminate all the Pillagers who have no sense of stewardship, but that isn’t an excuse for abandoning our efforts to make every corner of our own world as wonderful as possible…and spread out from there.

Buckminster Fuller, a card carrying Planetkeeper,  challenged us to ask ourselves this question: “What can I do that isn’t going to get done unless I do it, just because of who I am?”

That’s a question worth answering every single day.

Bringing Back Balance, Part 2

A few years ago, I noticed that I often felt as if I was on the verge of tears. Since I associate crying with sadness, I took a look at what might be causing me to feel this way.

There was absolutely nothing that was making me feel sad, so I kept poking around. What I finally realized was that I had just discovered my own Stress Response.

It was not a familiar feeling.

Running a homebased business has eliminated many of the causes of stress that plague other people. Running a homebased business that’s having a growth spurt brought stresses of its own, however.

Fortunately, one of the gifts of self-employment is the ability to be in charge of your own time. I had the choice of continuing to push myself or shift gears for a bit. 

I decided to shift and let my business run itself for a month. I also reclaimed my serenity by using what I already knew.

My own personal balance regulator came about when I decided that the theme for my life was going to be Roots and Wings.The inspiration for this came from the old adage that says, “The best gifts you can give to your children are roots and wings.”

I decided it was the best gift I could give to myself, too.

To me, roots are all those things in life that give us what Maslow called “a sense of belonging.” It’s more than just those people, things and experiences that are familiar.

Roots also come from within, from discovering who you are and what you want to do and then doing it with gusto. 

Wings, on the other hand, are all those things that keep you moving and growing, going beyond where you’ve been and what you’ve done. 

When I had my stress crisis, I took inventory and saw that the previous months had been filled with lots of Wings, but Roots had been sorely neglected. It was obvious what shift needed to happen in order to get back in balance.

In setting goals, making plans and scheduling activities, it works best for me if I have plenty of both. This often means creating opposites such as solitary time to work on creative projects balanced with collaborative activities involving other people. 

It’s not possible to divide time exactly in half to accomplish this, but it is possible to keep some of both in the mix. 

As Thoreau reminds us, “Good for the body is the work of the body, and good for the soul is the work of the soul, and good for either is the work of the other.”

Any discoveries you’ve made about staying balanced that you’d like to share with us?

Bringing Back Balance

Over a quarter century ago, writer Dianne Hales fell in love with the Italian language and has invested much time in learning to speak it. I spent the holiday weekend sharing her adventures thanks to her delightful book, La Bella Lingua.

What Hales discovered along the way—which explains why this is about much more than simply becoming bilingual—is that the Italian language has had a deep impact on creating the culture.

Readers of the book are treated to discussions about music, art, history, literature, movies, cuisine and, even, profanity (which the Italians have elevated to an art form of its own).

One of my favorite stories appears in the chapter La Storia dell’Arte where Halle introduces us to an artist that was part of the early Renaissance scene. Tomasso Guido only lived to be 27 and just a few of his paintings exist, but they were so different to the style of other artists around him that they helped other painters to see things in a new way.

He was also, apparently, a workaholic. As Hales reports, “He was so on fire with le cose dell’arte (literally ‘the things of art’ or artistic matters) that he paid no attention to the clothes he wore, the food he ate, the money he received or owed—and went down in history as Masaccio, or Messy Tom.”

Masaccio is not alone. One of the most difficult things for all of us is to create a life of balance. We all know when life gets out of balance, although we may not notice it until it becomes extreme.

Nevertheless, in every nook and cranny of our lives, balance is necessary if we are to feel peaceful and powerful. Too much of anything can throw everything out of whack.

This notion runs counter to the popular advice to make “singleness of purpose” and “blinding commitment” our operating philosophy. That is not the path to a balanced life.

A woman in a seminar once told me she’d started a gardening business  that had become so successful that she’s busy all summer long. “Now I don’t enjoy my own garden anymore,” she complained.

She had decided the solution was to give up her gardening business and find something new. I thought a more reasonable option was to start a non-gardening profit center and keep only the clients she really enjoyed. I’m not sure I managed to convince her.

 In seeking balance, we often eliminate when it makes more sense to moderate. It’s not diversity that causes us to lose our balance: monotony and repetition are the culprits.

Creating diversity can be a great balancer since it allows us to tap into different passions. It’s also necessary to constantly reassess and discard what no longer works, what we’ve outgrown. 

Next time, I’ll show you how I managed to find balance amidst the passion. Stay tuned.

Have a Nicer Flight

Many things improve with age; airline travel is not one of them. After a challenging romp through an airport, I boarded the plane and was overcome with a wave of nostalgia for the good old days of airline travel when the airlines competed for business in wonderfully creative ways.  Planes were painted in playful patterns designed by famous artists; flight attendants wore designer uniforms and were devoted to customer comfort; four star restauants prepared the food.  Flying was entertainment in the air and getting there really was half the fun.

These days, frequent flyers just grit their teeth and bear it as best they can.  Since I spend part of every month traveling by air, I try to make my flights an exercise in creative time management.  I don’t always succeed in arriving at my destination as cool and relaxed as I might wish, but I have noticed that I survive better than many of my fellow passengers who stagger off the plane looking as if they had just endured an ordeal from which they might never recover.  

How can you avoid an exhausting flight?  Here are some simple things that can make a big difference in lowering the stress and hassles of airline travel.

√ Be considerate of your fellow passengers.  Sounds obvious to me, but considering the number of folks I see who seem oblivious to others, this one needs mentioning. Cramped airplanes, indifferent service and bad food are annoyances enough.  Don’t be part of the problem, if you can help it. Your fellow passengers are not your adversaries, after all.  Think of your flight as a perfect place to practice putting the Golden Rule into action. 

√ Come prepared to amuse yourself.  I’m often surprised by the tacky books I see my flying companions reading, books hastily purchased at the airport gift shop. If you know you have a couple of hours that would be ideal for reading, why not be selective and use it to read something worthwhile?  Don’t depend on airplane magazine selection or in-flight movies to keep you occupied, either. Many airlines have eliminated both.

 

Some people, of course, use their time in the air to work. In some instances, this appears to add to the stress of travel, but, I assume, has other rewards.

√ Carry a snack.  Even on short flights, you may be overcome with hunger.  Depending on the airport to provide food can be dicey. It’s worth the extra trouble to bring something healthy along.  With all the other stresses you’re going to encounter on a trip, it makes sense to take control of your eating so hunger or bad nutrition don’t add to the strain.

√ Simplify, simplify.  It’s astonishing to see the amount of stuff people drag along when they travel.  I’ve seen folks that I’m certain were moving all their worldly possessions via the airlines.  If you travel regularly, keep a toiletry bag stocked.  You might also have underwear, nightwear, a hairdryer and an umbrella stowed in your suitcase ready to go. Pare your travel wardrobe to the bare minimum and refuse to pack anything “just in case”. 

√ Be more than a traveler.  Having something exciting to look forward to can lower the irritation encountered getting there.  If your trip is primarily for business, try to leave some time for sampling local attractions. If you are wild about railroad memorabilia or Victorian architecture or Japanese gardens, add to your knowledge in the places you visit.  Not only will it heighten your expertise, customizing trips around your unique interests will make any locale more fascinating.  

 

 While it’s not always possible to indulge yourself on every trip, anticipating at least one special pleasure at trip’s end will have a positive impact on your attitude—which is the most important weapon you have for combating whatever unpleasant surprises you encounter on the way.

Play It Again, Sam

One of the things Malcolm Gladwell discovered after researching outstanding achievers for his book Outliers is, “What we call talent is really the desire to practice.” He’s not the first person to point that out.

Three years ago, Tiger Woods told the audience of 60 Minutes that he’d been working with a coach to change his game and hadn’t mastered it yet, but said, “I am willing to lose in order to get better.” Then there’s my all-time favorite observation from Mick Jagger who said, “You’ve got to sing everyday so you can build up to being like, you know, absolutely brilliant.”

The willingness to sing every day in order to get better is as important to entrepreneurial success as it is to selling out concerts or winning golf trophies. Yet many adults recoil at the thought of practice, thinking that it leads to boredom. That’s only true if what we’re practicing doesn’t come from our passion.

What may also not be obvious is that we’re all practicing daily and whatever we practice most is what we master. We can excel at stinginess or generosity, originality or mediocrity, boredom or adventure. It’s just a matter of where we’re putting in our time and effort.

I’ve been thinking about the power of repetition since many of the people who ordered copies of the updated

Making a Living Without a Job had already read the original version. I decided to send an advance reading copy to Sandy Dempsey, who I knew was intimately acquainted with the book, to see what she thought. She sent an e-mail after she’d read about 50 pages raving about the changes. Then she wrote this review in her
Dreaming Cafe mailing.

I’ve had a sneak peak at the newly revised Making a Living Without a Job: Winning Ways for Creating Work That You Love by Barbara Winter and it is going to knock your socks off. I am blown away and even though I have read the original numerous times, the new edition has so many new stories, ideas and resources to inspire, my head is spinning.

I even thought about sending a copy to the President. He could use it as a blueprint to empower and inspire the nation – a nation that was founded on the entrepreneurial spirit.

In reality this book should be mandatory reading in every high school and college and every adult education program This book could change your life!!

Needless to say, Sandy’s review knocked my socks off and I was immensely grateful.

I also realize, of course, that someone who reads this book before they begin their joyfully jobless journey will notice very different things than they would a year or two after opening their business. To paraphrase Clifton Fadiman, “When you reread a book and find more in it it’s not because there’s more in the book. It’s because there’s more in you.”

While we’ve all heard that practice makes perfect, that’s not quite true. Practice makes permanent, but we can only get better if we’re paying attention while we do it. Then we begin to notice where our practice is leading us. We discover only weeks after starting a yoga practice that we can turn our heads farther when backing up the car. Or we find that our fifth media interview is smoother than our first. Sometimes we see that we’re farther along than we thought and sometimes it shows us we need to practice more diligently.

Are you willing?

The Driving Force: Don’t Run Your Business Without It

Last week, the NY Times published a popular article called On to Plan B: Starting a Business. The piece talked about people they called accidental entrepreneurs, folks who had lost their jobs and decided to go out on their own. The story was illustrated with a photograph of one such entrepreneur, Lisa Marie Grillos, who, along with her brother started a business making chic bags for bicyclers. The bags are roomy enough to hold a wallet, keys and a cellphone and hook over the bar on the bike. In many ways, the idea seems so simple, obvious even, but I’d never seen such a thing.

Those bags–and thousands of other good business ideas–seem to be answers to the question that’s been the theme of this blog all month: How Can I Make it Better? It’s a question that calls the creative spirit into action. It certainly is the driving force for inventors and designers. But it doesn’t stop there.

I’ve been quietly studying the most interesting people that I follow on Twitter. Every last one of them seems to be passionate about making things better for their customers and for their followers on Twitter. They pass along useful links, offer encouragement, and enthusiastically rave about the success of their friends. It’s a striking contrast to the folks I see on the news ranting at public forums and rallys. It bears no resemblance to the nasty comments left anonymously on blogs or YouTube.

I’m more convinced than ever that leaving it better than they found it is the driving force behind the kinds of businesses I admire. One of those businesses is Innocent Drinks, the UK smoothie makers. Ever since I discovered them, I’ve eagerly awaited their funny weekly mailings and visit their Web site from time to time to see what’s new at Fruit Towers, their headquarters.

The other day, I received an e-mail from Cheryl Kempton, a Minnesotan-turned-Londoner, alerting me to a surprise she had sent my way. A few days later, I opened my mailbox and found a package wrapper from an Innocent Drinks veg pot. Cheryl knew I would be amused by their clever label copy. She was right.

Then Sandy Dempsey posted a terrific YouTube video of one of Innocent Drinks’ founders, Richard Reed, talking about Integrity in Business. I urge you to spend 9 minutes watching his inspiring talk about what drives this innovative company.

Then get up and make something better.

Still Waiting for Someday? Cut it Out

 

When thirteen-year-old Summer Riley lost the iPod she’d received as a birthday gift in May, she was devastated. After she stopped scolding herself, she decided to earn the money to replace it and set up shop selling lemonade. In July, in Las Vegas, with temperatures topping 110. Selling for 75¢/cup, Summer brought in $10-$12 a day. Her entrepreneurial spirit caught the attention of a local reporter, which is how I learned her story.

 

Summer’s enterprising approach to getting something she wanted struck me because I read her story shortly after receiving yet another e-mail saying, “Someday I’d like to attend one of your seminars.” I hear that all the time. I also know that the folks who are wistfully thinking about participating in such an event will probably never show up. 

 

Sadly, they’re missing a critical portion of an entrepreneur’s mindset. It’s so basic that I spend a fair amount of time talking about it in Making a Living Without a Job seminars. It’s not difficult, but it requires some conscious practice. Simply put, people who accomplish their goals, who lead rich, fascinating lives focus on What they want to achieve and then explore options for How they’re going to do so.

 

This seems to be a totally foreign concept to those who have been conditioned to operate with a fixed income mentality. On the other hand, the entrepreneur decides on the destination and then creates the project that will get them there. It’s just another exercise in creative problem-solving. 

 

The good news is that it can also be learned. Use this simple three-step process:

 

√ Decide on what you want to accomplish.

√ Brainstorm possibilities.

√ Get busy.

 

Start with a small goal and find a new way to make it happen. Then do it again and again. It’s how we grow a business, it’s how we invent an interesting life. The only equipment that’s needed is imagination and a willingness to put it to work. As Summer’s father told the newspaper, “If she wants something, she finds a way to afford it.” Smart dad, smart daughter.

 

Speaking of smart parents, bestselling author Jacquelyn Mitchard wrote a wonderful essay on Why Passion Matters. It’s one of my favorite discoveries of the week.

 

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

By the way, we still have two spots left in our upcoming Follow Through Camp. If you want to move a project ahead, revive a neglected idea or improve your goal-setting skills, find a way to join us on September 11 & 12 in Chaska, MN. It’s going to rock.



Open with a Hook: A True Story with 7 Openings

 

When I was driving home from California yesterday, I heard the news that legendary 

newsman Don Hewitt had died. One story said that when he got the go ahead to produce 60 Minutes, CBS told him, “Don’t make us money. Make us proud.” He did both, of course.

 

Hewitt had a simple rule for that long-running program: Tell Me a Story. 

 

That’s good advice for marketing your business or captivating an audience, too. When I read this piece by  Paul Hellman, I asked for permission to share it with you. To my delight, Paul agreed. 

 

 

********************

 

 

1) “Do you think he has a gun?” I asked my friend.

 

It was past midnight. We had driven to an isolated place where a big, muscular guy was waiting for me. He wanted money.

 

“This guy doesn’t need a gun,” my friend said. “He could kill us with his bare hands.”

 

(Let’s pause for a second to talk about stories. Ever use them at work? They’re one of the best ways to capture attention. But first, you need a good opening.)

 

2) (Same story, different opening.) I knew I was in trouble when my friend drove off. It was the middle of night, in the middle of nowhere.

 

“Come back,” I yelled. “I have no money.”

 

(A good opening hooks us. “What happens next?” we wonder.

Try opening with a problem.)

 

3) “Every night, 20 new people hate my guts,” the big muscular guy said. “On a good night, 30 people.” Then he spit. “I could care less.”

 

(You can also start with a character.)

 

4) “A few hours ago,” the big muscular guy told me, “we watched you get out of your car, leave the parking lot, and walk down the street. That was your mistake. You should have

never done that.”

 

(Begin your story anywhere; it could be the first thing that actually happened, or it could be the middle.)

 

5) “It’s your own fault,” my mother said. “I would have never parked there.”

 

(It’s ok to embellish. My mother, for example, never said this, for the main reason that she’s been dead for several years. But it’s certainly something she might have said.)

 

6) When I returned to the parking lot after dinner, my car had vanished.

 

(Think about what you want to reveal in the opening, and what you want to leave out.)

 

7) “Apparently, you can’t read,” the big muscular guy said. “Otherwise you would have seen the sign in the parking lot. ‘If you walk off the premises, your car will be towed.'”

 

Tip: Use stories. Try different openings. Be careful where you park.

 

p.s. The tow guy demanded cash ($112) for my car. My friend, who had driven off, came back and took me to an ATM.

 

(c) Copyright 2009 Paul Hellman. All rights reserved.

 

 

Consultant, author & speaker, Paul Hellman has helped thousands of professionals improve their effectiveness at work.

 

Paul’s columns have appeared in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and on public radio and TV. His latest book is Naked at Work.

 

Visit http://www.expresspotential.com/

Email paul@expresspotential.com

 

NEW WORKSHOP: Stories that Work

 

6 Good Guidebooks for the Joyfully Jobless Journey

A great personal library is one of the best investments you can make—providing you read and learn from the contents of the books that line your shelves. Here are half a dozen that are loaded with advice, information and inspiration.

Good Business by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi take the principles from his bestselling book Flow and examines how creative thinking and values are being integrated into businesses large and small.

Small is the New Big by Seth Godin gathers blog posts from this prolific innovative thinker. It’s a delightful hodgepodge of good ideas plus plenty of real life examples of small business doing things in creative ways.

The Big Moo, edited by Seth Godin, is a collection of essays by thirty top creative entrepreneurial thinkers. A perfect book to carry and read in waiting rooms or airports.

Reality Check by Guy Kawasaki. Loads of good ideas on a wide range of entrepreneurial subjects including innovating, communicating and doing good.

Whoever Tells the Best Story Wins by Annette Simmons make a convincing case for learning to communicate through story and then shows you how.

The Small Business Bible by Steven D. Strauss is the reference book to keep close at hand. It will answer questions you didn’t even know you had.