I wanted to place a short entry out today to let you know that I'm still alive and thinking about the blog. I've been very busy with the new candle factory, going to market, 8 new employees and trying to survive in these precarious economic times.
I'm going to have new posts coming very soon!
Of course comments on the site or emails always are fun to receive...
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Sunday, June 8, 2008
(61st Entry) Political Correctness… not me!
The other day I had two people visit my factory to check on working conditions. They are part of a major corporation in the U.S. I believe they were very impressed with our facilities. I know that I feel very good about them.
BUT… It started me thinking… Always a dangerous thing! About art imitating life, about going to far, about imposing our will on others, about many things including political correctness…
Before in my blog I’ve alluded to how we’ve gone so far in corporate culture and our society in terms of political correctness that we can’t even ask questions to another person in order that we might be able to understand them better. If we understand them better then it seems reasonable that we can work with them better. But we’re taught, told and insisted not to ask questions.
I also began thinking about the apprentice system. A system of teaching which a student studied with a master for a number of years in order to learn a trade. Knowledge was handed down from one person to another… Parent’s to their children often starting at a young age. It is a system of learning that has all but disappeared from the U.S. culture.
As I said above I was thinking about art imitating life. I’ve often said that the movie RAINMAN with Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise struck a cord in the U.S. because it personified what many people felt at the time and still do… that the world is changing so rapidly and that there’s just a limited amount that we can comprehend. Our senses are overwhelmed.
My good friend Mike used to quote a line… “I would rather live in the greater world of confusion than the smaller worlds of certainty.” Or would you rather live in the greater world of certainty than the smaller world of confusion? To me… The latter is the definition of FUNDAMENTALIST! The problem is that when we live in that larger world of certainty and we have a crisis… the crisis is magnified thousands of times! (Quote unknown and might not be exact…)
Last night I had a dream… it dawned on me that the show… THE APPRENTICE, produced by Donald Trump and Mark Burnett was again capturing a sentiment that had been lost in the U. S. culture. This desire to be mentored by someone… in this case Donald Trump… the opportunity to learn and have career… to be passed the secrets to success… to feel secure. THEN… in my dream it dawned on me that Donald Trump should do an Apprentice show with all disabled individuals. I have no idea if this is happening, if I might have heard it or… Can you imagine Donald Trump doing a season with only disabled individuals? Can you imagine what kind of impact that this could have for the disabled community? I say do it just like any other Apprentice Season… Let The Donald be The Donald!
BUT… It started me thinking… Always a dangerous thing! About art imitating life, about going to far, about imposing our will on others, about many things including political correctness…
Before in my blog I’ve alluded to how we’ve gone so far in corporate culture and our society in terms of political correctness that we can’t even ask questions to another person in order that we might be able to understand them better. If we understand them better then it seems reasonable that we can work with them better. But we’re taught, told and insisted not to ask questions.
I also began thinking about the apprentice system. A system of teaching which a student studied with a master for a number of years in order to learn a trade. Knowledge was handed down from one person to another… Parent’s to their children often starting at a young age. It is a system of learning that has all but disappeared from the U.S. culture.
As I said above I was thinking about art imitating life. I’ve often said that the movie RAINMAN with Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise struck a cord in the U.S. because it personified what many people felt at the time and still do… that the world is changing so rapidly and that there’s just a limited amount that we can comprehend. Our senses are overwhelmed.
My good friend Mike used to quote a line… “I would rather live in the greater world of confusion than the smaller worlds of certainty.” Or would you rather live in the greater world of certainty than the smaller world of confusion? To me… The latter is the definition of FUNDAMENTALIST! The problem is that when we live in that larger world of certainty and we have a crisis… the crisis is magnified thousands of times! (Quote unknown and might not be exact…)
Last night I had a dream… it dawned on me that the show… THE APPRENTICE, produced by Donald Trump and Mark Burnett was again capturing a sentiment that had been lost in the U. S. culture. This desire to be mentored by someone… in this case Donald Trump… the opportunity to learn and have career… to be passed the secrets to success… to feel secure. THEN… in my dream it dawned on me that Donald Trump should do an Apprentice show with all disabled individuals. I have no idea if this is happening, if I might have heard it or… Can you imagine Donald Trump doing a season with only disabled individuals? Can you imagine what kind of impact that this could have for the disabled community? I say do it just like any other Apprentice Season… Let The Donald be The Donald!
Friday, June 6, 2008
(60th Entry) Adventures in San Miguel
On Monday we did indeed open our candle factory. We spent the day doing the final touches, installing and testing the actual equipment. And then… on Tuesday morning we melted paraffin for the very first time. A very exciting moment!!!
My family sells and now makes “in house” the Santa Rosa Mexican Church Candle… They’re made the traditional way… the paraffin is poured over and over the wick to make a candle that flows… to see examples… go to www.roseannhalldesigns.net
I worked in the corporate world for 11 years and ran a non-profit organization for approximately five years prior to that. The experience of helping and watching my family open a business in Mexico 2 ½ years ago has been the most amazing learning experience in my life. I wish that I could have had this experience prior to going into the corporate world. I have learned more about people, business, factories, production, motivation and most of all I have learned an incredible amount about myself. I hope that I’ve been changed by this experience. I think I have.
My life in San Miguel de Allende Mexico over the past two years has been an incredible adventure. It started because of hurricane Rita in September of 2005 which was coming towards Galveston, TX… but missed and of course we all know the out-come… more devastation to Louisiana. The family business couldn’t get the 18 wheeler full of inventory to Galveston, so over-night practically we moved the business to Mexico.
Our first two years in the business were spent just as they were in Galveston. We bought items and then wholesaled through out the U.S. Six months ago we opened our first factory and this week our second.
Mexico… is a very interesting place! Doing business can be not only interesting, but sometimes very frustrating. When you’re raised in one culture and have learned what to expect… coming to a new culture to do business can be definitely interesting.
For those who have read the blog before, my goals in the Mission Statement are apparent. In our two new factories, I’m making progress on hiring disabled individuals. Of course there are obstacles, but nothing impossible. It just takes time.
I’ve come so far in fulfilling my dreams in the Mission Statement. We’re so close. Times are tough right now and it’s taking everything we have to survive through these economic times. They too shall pass… We’ve invested a lot in the hope, dreams and future of all of our lives. Life is a gamble!
The interesting thing about dreams is that sometimes you do things that might seem impossible, irrational… things that you might never do if it was just for business. I think about Martin Luther King’s speech… “I have a Dream!” How important are your dreams? How far are willing to go to fulfill them?
What I’ve learned these past two and a half years are the things that are important to me… in my life. What do I value? What do I believe in? Who and what are important in my life?
I think I’ve talked in my blog before about my life changing during my adolescent years. I’m beginning to have those qualities back that I had as a child, the one’s that I lost along the way in life.
I talk often about this desire for us to “just go on with life”, not searching or asking questions. I’m beginning to see that for me… I lost “the dream” and I see what happens when we do that. It’s so easy for us to get “hardened” by life… to just go on!
The irony… I’m back in Mexico! I grew up coming to Mexico every summer until the age of 12… adolescents! I came back 2 ½ years ago… there’s something magical for me in Mexico. It goes back to when I was young. There are only two places I go that I have the feeling that I’m at home… Mexico and New York City.
So much more to express…
My family sells and now makes “in house” the Santa Rosa Mexican Church Candle… They’re made the traditional way… the paraffin is poured over and over the wick to make a candle that flows… to see examples… go to www.roseannhalldesigns.net
I worked in the corporate world for 11 years and ran a non-profit organization for approximately five years prior to that. The experience of helping and watching my family open a business in Mexico 2 ½ years ago has been the most amazing learning experience in my life. I wish that I could have had this experience prior to going into the corporate world. I have learned more about people, business, factories, production, motivation and most of all I have learned an incredible amount about myself. I hope that I’ve been changed by this experience. I think I have.
My life in San Miguel de Allende Mexico over the past two years has been an incredible adventure. It started because of hurricane Rita in September of 2005 which was coming towards Galveston, TX… but missed and of course we all know the out-come… more devastation to Louisiana. The family business couldn’t get the 18 wheeler full of inventory to Galveston, so over-night practically we moved the business to Mexico.
Our first two years in the business were spent just as they were in Galveston. We bought items and then wholesaled through out the U.S. Six months ago we opened our first factory and this week our second.
Mexico… is a very interesting place! Doing business can be not only interesting, but sometimes very frustrating. When you’re raised in one culture and have learned what to expect… coming to a new culture to do business can be definitely interesting.
For those who have read the blog before, my goals in the Mission Statement are apparent. In our two new factories, I’m making progress on hiring disabled individuals. Of course there are obstacles, but nothing impossible. It just takes time.
I’ve come so far in fulfilling my dreams in the Mission Statement. We’re so close. Times are tough right now and it’s taking everything we have to survive through these economic times. They too shall pass… We’ve invested a lot in the hope, dreams and future of all of our lives. Life is a gamble!
The interesting thing about dreams is that sometimes you do things that might seem impossible, irrational… things that you might never do if it was just for business. I think about Martin Luther King’s speech… “I have a Dream!” How important are your dreams? How far are willing to go to fulfill them?
What I’ve learned these past two and a half years are the things that are important to me… in my life. What do I value? What do I believe in? Who and what are important in my life?
I think I’ve talked in my blog before about my life changing during my adolescent years. I’m beginning to have those qualities back that I had as a child, the one’s that I lost along the way in life.
I talk often about this desire for us to “just go on with life”, not searching or asking questions. I’m beginning to see that for me… I lost “the dream” and I see what happens when we do that. It’s so easy for us to get “hardened” by life… to just go on!
The irony… I’m back in Mexico! I grew up coming to Mexico every summer until the age of 12… adolescents! I came back 2 ½ years ago… there’s something magical for me in Mexico. It goes back to when I was young. There are only two places I go that I have the feeling that I’m at home… Mexico and New York City.
So much more to express…
Monday, June 2, 2008
(59th Entry) The hiatus is over…
Things have been crazy, but then when isn’t it? If you’re doing things, taking chances, trying to do new things… then life is always going to be crazy.
We open our new candle factory today! OK… the maestro is here along with his wife and two employees. I have four new house guests. If you recall from earlier blog entries this is my second maestro to move to my life. The first was… the grabado maestro, glass carving. Victorio is the candle maestro and is a great person. I have a much better feeling about this experience as opposed to the last.
My family makes the Santa Rosa Mexican Church candle. It’s made by hand… by pouring paraffin over and over the wick, building up layers. The candles are wonderful. They’re kind of like my family and me. You either love them or hate them… but you definitely have an opinion on them.
Also you probably recall from earlier entries my struggle with the factory… the problems, etc. Well… for better or worse I finished it and we’re starting to actually make candles tomorrow.
I’ve missed my blog writing. Things got pretty overwhelming with two factories coming on line within six months of each other… not to mention the U.S. economy… sales are slow… tough! Fortunately we have a loyal following which helps.
If you read the Mission Statement you can see it’s ambitious. It involves every aspect of my life. I wish all of this was happening at an easier time, but it is what it is! Things are beginning to come together… the factories, products, website, employees, etc. We’re hoping to hire 12 more employees in the next month. Some are for the candle factory and others will be for the grabado. Of course my game plan is to follow my Mission Statement… We’re working with some government organizations that are very interested in what we’re trying to accomplish... as with all governmental organizations it takes time and lots of patience.
So… as I said the hiatus is over. My goal is to write several entries a week…
We open our new candle factory today! OK… the maestro is here along with his wife and two employees. I have four new house guests. If you recall from earlier blog entries this is my second maestro to move to my life. The first was… the grabado maestro, glass carving. Victorio is the candle maestro and is a great person. I have a much better feeling about this experience as opposed to the last.
My family makes the Santa Rosa Mexican Church candle. It’s made by hand… by pouring paraffin over and over the wick, building up layers. The candles are wonderful. They’re kind of like my family and me. You either love them or hate them… but you definitely have an opinion on them.
Also you probably recall from earlier entries my struggle with the factory… the problems, etc. Well… for better or worse I finished it and we’re starting to actually make candles tomorrow.
I’ve missed my blog writing. Things got pretty overwhelming with two factories coming on line within six months of each other… not to mention the U.S. economy… sales are slow… tough! Fortunately we have a loyal following which helps.
If you read the Mission Statement you can see it’s ambitious. It involves every aspect of my life. I wish all of this was happening at an easier time, but it is what it is! Things are beginning to come together… the factories, products, website, employees, etc. We’re hoping to hire 12 more employees in the next month. Some are for the candle factory and others will be for the grabado. Of course my game plan is to follow my Mission Statement… We’re working with some government organizations that are very interested in what we’re trying to accomplish... as with all governmental organizations it takes time and lots of patience.
So… as I said the hiatus is over. My goal is to write several entries a week…
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
(58th Entry) Disability and Motivation
OK… This video clip is a little long… sorry… but… They really are extemporaneous. Except for the quote... that was planned.
I think the thing that surprises me in this video is how the issue of asking for help and coming across as demanding plays into the issue of motivation as an issue of taking responsibility.
I do think about these things ahead of time, but they're not scripted. As I watch them, I'm often surprised at the things that come out and the things that I thought I would say and didn't.
I think the thing that surprises me in this video is how the issue of asking for help and coming across as demanding plays into the issue of motivation as an issue of taking responsibility.
I do think about these things ahead of time, but they're not scripted. As I watch them, I'm often surprised at the things that come out and the things that I thought I would say and didn't.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
(57th Entry) Crap in, Crap out… Good Luck, Bad Luck!
Things happen in life. We’ve experienced many unexpected problems… potential problems, interruptions, etc. in our attempt to do the things we’re trying to accomplish. We used to have a saying in corporate life… crap in crap out… if you have bad input you get bad output. You make decisions based on the information that you’re given. When you’re given bad information you make bad decisions. It’s that simple.
We’re in the middle of building a new factory. I was given some very bad information and I made some very important decisions based in this information in regards to building the factory or moving to a new location. There’s no reason to go into all of the details. Needless to say it’s frustrating!
It’s always easy to blame everyone else when things happen to us in life. In this case I could and sometimes do, but this is business. Business is business. I should have had several quotes before making any decision, but I didn’t. I trusted one person. I made a bad decision. I have to live with the consequences.
Building a building is much like dealing with a disability. You get the best advice, consultation and then you have to make your own decisions. You then live with those decisions… the consequences.
Almost twenty years ago some very good friends of mine called to ask me questions about a decision that they were about to make regarding their daughter. They were making a decision to have an operation that could have life long consequences. There were no clear cut answers and the results were not completely known. It seemed… this is the clue… What seemed logical, intuitively correct… is! Sometimes this is what you have to go on,, all you have to go on.
We make decisions in life based on the information that we have. Sometimes we have to make decisions for others. In those cases we and they must live with the consequences. Twenty years later everyone looks back at that operation and concludes it was a great decision. But what if it wasn’t? Everything has consequences… positive or negative.
I’ve had to make decisions that I’ve had to live with that those close to me didn’t necessarily agree with or even really understand why I was making them. Sometimes we make decisions and things happen that we didn’t imagine would happen. Sometimes there are good unexpected results.
I haven’t found the good unexpected results in the factory debacle yet… but I’m looking.
We’re in the middle of building a new factory. I was given some very bad information and I made some very important decisions based in this information in regards to building the factory or moving to a new location. There’s no reason to go into all of the details. Needless to say it’s frustrating!
It’s always easy to blame everyone else when things happen to us in life. In this case I could and sometimes do, but this is business. Business is business. I should have had several quotes before making any decision, but I didn’t. I trusted one person. I made a bad decision. I have to live with the consequences.
Building a building is much like dealing with a disability. You get the best advice, consultation and then you have to make your own decisions. You then live with those decisions… the consequences.
Almost twenty years ago some very good friends of mine called to ask me questions about a decision that they were about to make regarding their daughter. They were making a decision to have an operation that could have life long consequences. There were no clear cut answers and the results were not completely known. It seemed… this is the clue… What seemed logical, intuitively correct… is! Sometimes this is what you have to go on,, all you have to go on.
We make decisions in life based on the information that we have. Sometimes we have to make decisions for others. In those cases we and they must live with the consequences. Twenty years later everyone looks back at that operation and concludes it was a great decision. But what if it wasn’t? Everything has consequences… positive or negative.
I’ve had to make decisions that I’ve had to live with that those close to me didn’t necessarily agree with or even really understand why I was making them. Sometimes we make decisions and things happen that we didn’t imagine would happen. Sometimes there are good unexpected results.
I haven’t found the good unexpected results in the factory debacle yet… but I’m looking.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
(56th Entry) Time flies…
March and April were sparse months for entries into my blog. It was the beginning of March when things became difficult with the grabado factory (glass carving). Our maestro decided to leave on a whim. We wondered what we would do to survive.
Well time has passed and we’ve managed to keep on going. Things seem to work out…
In our grabado factory we have four workers. Two of whom are disabled. Things have settled down since I last wrote about this and we’re producing glass. We also have a new maestro teaching several times a week who really seems to be a positive influence on the employees. (Entries 45 to 49 talk about the maestro from Hell who left)
We’re also in the process of building a candle factory as well. And of course this is a whole other source of issues and repercussions… to be discussed later.
Where am I in terms of “My Dream”, my goals and my Mission Statement? And of course Reality!
Hiring disabled individuals… We’ve found 3 to 5 individuals in wheel chairs that Mary (my office manager) and I are going to interview next week. I’m really excited about this. Of course this brings new issues that will have to be resolved. We’re going to have to make new grabado equipment that will accommodate wheel chairs. We need more machines anyway. We currently have six stations and are looking to add 4 to 6 people.
The real problem is transportation… and then some issues with accessibility of our buildings. So far I’ve found only one van in town that has a lift. This belongs to one of the local government agencies. We’re working with several government organizations that have an interest in helping us. They’re visiting next week and hopefully will help us address this issue. If not, I’ve thought of several other possibilities.
Last week our four grabado individuals produced 425 pieces of carved glass. The week that the maestro from Hell left we produced 300 pieces. Now the maestro was full time and was producing glass as well during the week. Our new maestro comes only to teach, not to produce and is there approximately 8 hours a week.
It’s funny about having dreams, goals! When they’re laudable people tend to be enthusiastic, say how wonderful it is, etc. You enter into new endeavors full of energy, thinking that you can accomplish them.
Life is full of surprises… first, when you have a dream you’re really on your own no matter what. This should be obvious, because it’s your dream. However… It’s so easy to think and feel that others will jump on board, because of the comments that you hear. And because it’s your dream! Why wouldn’t everyone want to jump on board? It’s a good cause.
Second… people do jump on board… just sometimes not the people you ever really imagined or in ways that you would have thought. But it’s still your dream!
One of the things I mention in my Mission Statement is that I want to work in the area of motivation… so I’ve been thinking a lot about this subject lately.
One of the bottom lines about motivation is that it’s about responsibility. This is my dream… I am responsible. An inevitable result of motivation is responsibility. Once you start, and especially if you involve others and other’s lives, you’re responsible for finishing.
When I started all of this I had no idea how it would unfold. In the middle of this I have no idea where it will lead. The amazing thing is that with every hurdle that we’ve encountered we’ve survived.
Well time has passed and we’ve managed to keep on going. Things seem to work out…
In our grabado factory we have four workers. Two of whom are disabled. Things have settled down since I last wrote about this and we’re producing glass. We also have a new maestro teaching several times a week who really seems to be a positive influence on the employees. (Entries 45 to 49 talk about the maestro from Hell who left)
We’re also in the process of building a candle factory as well. And of course this is a whole other source of issues and repercussions… to be discussed later.
Where am I in terms of “My Dream”, my goals and my Mission Statement? And of course Reality!
Hiring disabled individuals… We’ve found 3 to 5 individuals in wheel chairs that Mary (my office manager) and I are going to interview next week. I’m really excited about this. Of course this brings new issues that will have to be resolved. We’re going to have to make new grabado equipment that will accommodate wheel chairs. We need more machines anyway. We currently have six stations and are looking to add 4 to 6 people.
The real problem is transportation… and then some issues with accessibility of our buildings. So far I’ve found only one van in town that has a lift. This belongs to one of the local government agencies. We’re working with several government organizations that have an interest in helping us. They’re visiting next week and hopefully will help us address this issue. If not, I’ve thought of several other possibilities.
Last week our four grabado individuals produced 425 pieces of carved glass. The week that the maestro from Hell left we produced 300 pieces. Now the maestro was full time and was producing glass as well during the week. Our new maestro comes only to teach, not to produce and is there approximately 8 hours a week.
It’s funny about having dreams, goals! When they’re laudable people tend to be enthusiastic, say how wonderful it is, etc. You enter into new endeavors full of energy, thinking that you can accomplish them.
Life is full of surprises… first, when you have a dream you’re really on your own no matter what. This should be obvious, because it’s your dream. However… It’s so easy to think and feel that others will jump on board, because of the comments that you hear. And because it’s your dream! Why wouldn’t everyone want to jump on board? It’s a good cause.
Second… people do jump on board… just sometimes not the people you ever really imagined or in ways that you would have thought. But it’s still your dream!
One of the things I mention in my Mission Statement is that I want to work in the area of motivation… so I’ve been thinking a lot about this subject lately.
One of the bottom lines about motivation is that it’s about responsibility. This is my dream… I am responsible. An inevitable result of motivation is responsibility. Once you start, and especially if you involve others and other’s lives, you’re responsible for finishing.
When I started all of this I had no idea how it would unfold. In the middle of this I have no idea where it will lead. The amazing thing is that with every hurdle that we’ve encountered we’ve survived.
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