setting up systems

Conversation #1: Kathleen McMillan

We are at a crossroads with Open Eyes Books. What exactly is our relationship to one another and to the project/business? What systems do we need to put in place to establish the business solidly and ensure clarity and success as we move forward—especially before printing any more books. We talked about where Open Eyes Books sits on the E-Myth business cycle: http://www.e-myth.com/cs/user/print/post/the-small-business-cycle

Conversation #2: E-Myth Experience

Kathleen & I participated in a conference call today. Sure it was a bit of a sales pitch, but I felt it would be really important for Kathleen and I in getting on the same page, asking the same questions about pursuing this business and moving ahead.

Conversation #3: Bill Higgins

Bill is an E-Myth Program Advisor who contacted me yesterady, almost immediately after I had filled out a form to gain access to E-Myth’s resources page. Today we had another call, this one to chat with Kathleen and I together—and serendipitously with Kathleen’s husband who had come home because the power was out at his work.

We aren’t convinced that we should invest in this kind of coaching just yet, but it was, as I had hoped, helpful in giving us common language.

I plan to either borrow their key book from the library or buy it. Either way, I need to read it and I

Conversation #4: Mark Donnelly

A few weeks ago Mark and I met on Facebook through a discussion on someone else’s page. After some SSP (shameless self-promotion) both ways, Mark ordered a copy of BlueBeary online. Today he sent me this message:

Hi Colleen, the Bluebeary book came yesterday. Wow! The calligraphy and the note were an amazing touch! I don't think I've ever received any mail with lettering like that other than an occasional wedding invitation. And, both kids were engaged before I even started reading it (they loved the cover). The only problem is that they keep wanting me to count the blueberries on the cover. :) Dangit, who put so many?!? LOL

Anyway, just wanted to let you know we got it and we love it. Thanks!!

Mark

Of course it was Rebekah Joy Plett who put all those blueberries on the cover. There weren’t so many at first, but Rebekah realized that with less she had effectively beheaded the bear!

Silent No More – Women for Life International

CONVERSATION #1:

I have some ideas for the song Child of my Heart, besides singing at The Word Guild 2010 Writing Awards. But I can’t accomplish them alone. So, believing that at least some of these ideas are God-given idea, I’m starting to send out emails and make phone calls.

Today’s conversation was with Denise Mountenay. Denise is the founder and president of Canada Silent No More and co-founder/director of Women for Life International. We probably talked about 10 minutes, but there was a powerful connection. I followed with an email that details the song’s background and ideas for development.

Denise directed me to find these videos.

I had found Denise’s number on the Canada Silent No More site and called before knowing about her involvement with Women for Life International. In this we have a huge common interest. Last week I was given the May 4th, 2010 edition of The Economist and was saddened and emboldened by two stories: “The worldwide war on baby girls” (cover), and “Sobs on the night breeze” (review of Message from an Unknown Chinese Mother: Stories of Loss and Love by Xinran).

‘The core of “Message from an Unknown Chinese Mother” is the individual stories of women who have lost their daughters. One would have to have a heart of stone not to be moved by them.’

There is local work to be done. There is international work to be done. There is work to be done, but not in our own strength or by our own means.

Guide us, O Thou Great Jehovah, pilgrims through this barren land.

We are weak, but You are mighty, guide us with Your powerful hand …

Strong deliverer, strong deliverer,

Be Thou still my strength and shield;

Be Thou still my strength and shield.

CONVERSATION #2:

McKenzie Towne School hosted me several weeks ago and then hosted Kathleen and I more recently. They’re using BlueBeary books as a fundraiser for their library. I called and emailed to see where they’re at and how much longer they want to go.

adjusting the rules

I need to rework the rules for this blog a bit. So first a preamble about rules:

The rules need to be realistic to serve me and my business, rather than obligating me to serve the blog and setting me up for failure if I don't keep my own rules! The guidelines for this blog are NOT the key metrics for my business. This blog is a mirror for demonstrating some of my business activities and progress, not a benchmark. This blog was really more of an interesting idea than a necessary function of business. The blog needs to be more than a list of names and topics—it is to be a reflective tool. If I'm too busy having conversations to put up a daily post, then the blog must take lower priority. However, the blog is helpful for accountability, so if I'm too busy having conversations to put up a weekly reflective post, I probably need to rearrange my schedule a bit.

Original Rules

1. Have two conversations five days a week about what I'm doing and/or why I'm doing it.

2. Email counts, though phone is better and in-person is best.

3. Report those conversations here, with one post for every two conversations or so.

4. As appropriate, provide names, links, contact info, pictures, etc.

5. Have fun building a business through being a Connector (as per Malcolm Gladwell).

6. Periodically reflect on the significance of these conversations.

Adjusted Rules

1. Average two conversations five days a week about what I'm doing and/or why I'm doing it.

2. Email counts, though phone is better and in-person is best.

3. Enjoy building a business through being a Connector (as per Malcolm Gladwell).

4. Report some of those conversations here. Try to report weekly or more—e.g. by Thursday or Friday as the business week is winding down, or Monday/Tuesday after a weekend of touring or conferencing.

5. Reflect on the significance of these conversations.

6. As appropriate, provide names, links, contact info, pictures, etc.

sidetracked or tracking?

CONVERSATION #1: Kevin

Kevin and I have been talking about how I invest my time and energy and whether the things I do fit my purpose as well as accomplishing my income goals.

CONVERSATION #2: Myself

This afternoon I sat down to ponder some questions that came to my inbox this morning from Think TQ:

Are You Constantly Sidetracked?

Short-term goals are likely to be interrupted by unexpected developments. Staying focused on your destination and flexible with your plans will help you overcome demoralizing sidetracks.
"In the long run men hit only what they aim at." – Thoreau

Today's Quest...
Answer Honestly:

Where are you now, in relation to your destination? _________________________________

What roadblocks loom between where you are right now and your destination? _________________________________

What adjustments can you make in the next 2 weeks to bring you closer to your target? _________________________________

My purpose is empowering women in the arts to build community among generations and nations. I'm starting to get there, but still need to make some adjustments.

CONVERSATION #3: tutoring client & director

I realized that tutoring is something that sidetracks me. When I first arrived in Calgary, it was a gift to have a few tutoring students, but at this point it’s no longer a good exchange of time and money.

With the resulting renewed clarity, I immediately dropped one of my three families, because their daughter is an unmotivated junior high girl who told her mom in front of me that she doesn't need a tutor. Rude? Uh, yeah. It was draining my energy and the money was less than worth it — especially after mileage, travel time, some prep, and frequent cancellations on both sides. She thinks she doesn't need a tutor. I KNOW I don't need a commitment like that.

But the two biggest factors are:

1. Tutoring, especially a student who doesn't really want me there , does NOT feed into my purpose of empowering women in the arts to build community that strengthens intergenerational bonds with international reach.

2. Tutoring is a non-leveraged, nearly static activity. I have so many other things to do and this ties me up too much. There’s an important place for one-on-one, but I’m not the one to fill that gap.

So I called the director of my tutoring program and told her that I’m finished with that family as of today and will carry the other two families just until the end of June.

CONVERSATION #3: preschool director, staff & students

By comparison, today's preschoolers gave me all the positive reinforcement I could want for days to come (they were SO excited!!!). I had such a nice connection with the director and her two staff members, with a strong sense that I was (a) giving them a helpful break and (b) empowering them in their educational mission with the children and their parents. AND for each of four 30-45 minute presentations, this gig pays me double and triple what I get in an hour of tutoring, plus providing exposure to nearly 100 kids & their families, leading to book sales through the website and bookstores in the city, plus more bookings — potentially a monthly gig at this preschool in the new school year.

So I'm grabbing my purpose and getting more firmly on track!

wish I had you here …

Sometimes our conversations have a wider impact that we could not have imagined or intended. For example, my song ‘Incidentally.’* One conversation at summer camp in the late 1980s led to a long-time friendship with Lisa. In 1992 ‘Incidentally’ was prompted by a very sad letter from her. As I began to sing it in public, other people resonated with it—to the point of weeping and sometimes even ‘claiming’ it as their own. That was a strange transition for both Lisa and I—to realize that a private exchange had become publically important and that neither of us ‘owned’ the song anymore. It’s still “for Lisa”—and now it’s for with anyone else who has ever felt this way.

In February, my friend Sherry had a similar experience with this song:

It has been a long day. As I am writing this I am listening to “Incidentally” and man this should be my theme song right now. It would so be my mom's song with me. She always knew what to say when I was having a hard day. The words to the song really speak to my soul tonight. For the most part I have been doing well, but I am still struggling with some things. The line about not knowing how to trust Jesus... I love the question, “what do I do when he doesn't seem to hear?” cause that is where I feel like I am tonight.

Because of the things that are going on I am tired of living on the outside and tired of hurting. But the line "that’s why I am so glad I have you, you’re someone I can talk to, I know you understand but you’re so far away, and I wish you were here to hold my hand" means a lot to me because I do wish my mom was here to hold my hand through this time.

People tell me I am a lot like my mom in my faith, and how I go through dry seasons, but I also know that no matter what Jesus will be there. My mom used to hold my hand when I was little, and Jesus has held my hand since I was created.

Anyway thanks again for sharing the music God gives you. It heals through tears, and this song is helping healing my heart from a lot of wounds, and helping me through today. (used with permission)

   

So Sherry started sharing ‘Incidentally’ with people around her: friends, colleagues, students. Sherry works as an educational assistant in a private school Here are some responses from high school students:

Christine: The song made me feel sad and peaceful at the same time. It is a very touching song and thought that there was desperation for God.
Samantha: It’s about a girl who is tired of her masks! She has someone to talk to but they are far away. Makes me feel lonely, scared but hopeful too.
Carly: Feel I could fall asleep to this song at night, Love the piano in it. Made my heart feel better.
Jon: Feel happy and want to take more time to talk to Jesus. Was blessed by the song.

Sherry added, “Colleen I hope this encourages your heart. I wish you could have seen the kids faces...I could tell their hearts were blessed. It made the teacher cry.”

You just never know where one conversation will lead: to a friendship, a song, and many, many blessings.

 

* ‘Incidentally’ was originally recorded on the album Good Storyline and re-released on the EP Prairie Soul. You can listen to ‘Incidentally’ and purchase the digital download or the CD at www.colleenanddara.com.

work, work, work, fun, fun, fun

“This is going to be fun!” declared little Isabella.

Some conversations lead to paid work, others lead to clarification. I’ve been tutoring with Tutor Doctor Calgary, and they recently advertised for an educational consultant/office assistant. So yesterday I chatted about the possibilities with Ollie and realized that the consulting work would be more of what I’m doing with the books and music: sales, bookings, customer care, etc. If I’m going to take another job, I’d like it to be something more predictable, something where I basically show up and do what someone asks me to do—and something more cohesive and stable than tutoring, which involves going from house to house. I like the Tutor Doctor philosophy of house calls, but I can’t commit to more of it right now. That said, I will probably contract to give them some admin support in the near future.

As long as I’m freelancing and networking, instead of learning a new system, I will keep growing with what I know: the books and music.

That said, I have found some work that I can (mostly) just show up for: teaching music for Keys to Music. Isabella is one of my new students and she’s right: this is going to will be fun!

 

p.s. Karen Greenstreet says self-employment is “the best lifestyle I know.” Then she qualifies that statement: “But it is hard work, plain and simple.” It’s The Hardest Way to Make Easy Money.

oops – find my lizard brain

I’ve been using Windows Live Writer, a wonderful centralizing tool for blog management. Unfortunately, sometimes I don’t notice which blog I’m actually posting to. Until today I always figured it out before clicking “Publish.” So, the newest 2 Conversations post accidentally went to the Siretona blog: http://siretona.blogspot.com/2010/03/my-lizard-brain.html. Enjoy!