Practicing Practice

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Mel Brookes’ The Producers is what got me into a yoga studio for the first time. The story line really had nothing to do with the venture, but my friend Brandon’s casting as part of the ensemble did. He asked if I might join him on his adventure to professional “form” by purchasing a Groupon for 10 Yoga sessions. Thus began my journey to practicing a better me.

The decision was rather unexpected. It had been nearly 15 years since I worked out inside. Do not get me wrong, I love fitness. I had spent many weekends and probably too many weekdays riding through the woods of Patapsco State Park and navigating the roads of Baltimore County on two wheels. Why spend time inside suffering when you can do so while exploring majestic vistas?

Little did I know the new ground I discover on a stationary mat.

Yoga takes place in a studio. I always found this peculiar and my reservations were only exacerbated by the overly pleasant feeling of M power’s space in east Baltimore. The renovated building was thoughtfully appointed with muted tones, exposed brick, hardwood, and mild lighting. There was even a mural that exuded a sense of calm while reaching. The space was not one that I thought conducive to my understanding of physical growth.

Yoga has teachers. I knew the stereotypes of the smooth, soft and near tantric voice of a Yogi when I started my pursuit of wellness. Nearly all of my teachers have fit that vision with pleasant demeanor and kind spirits. Early on I did not appreciate the role. Developing endurance, muscle, and refining motion did not in my mind match calm, collective and gentle invitations. I thought my guide to strength would need to be the essence of brute and judgement.

Yoga relies on being still. I had knowledge of the poses prior to my engagement with Brandon. And I have now done many crow stands, lizards, cobra’s and a zoo worth of other positions in my training. How could the body benefit from stacis? And why would any athletic endeavour start by finding your breath and setting an intention? Did we need weights? Should we be running to get our heart rate up? I thought athleticism was defined by mobility, agility, and speed.

Yoga is a practice!

  • The space is called a studio because it is where you go to refine your craft. There is no audience, it is all about you and your work. As such that space needs to inspire and provide freedom of mind to explore what is possible.
  • It is lead by teachers. Learning is about enabling the student to try. We only try when we know we are safe and judgement does not impinge. A great yogi is one who reveals the guide that resides within the student.
  • There is great strength in stillness. No wisdom is required to build a system that can be toppled. It takes fortitude to create something that will endure. The static structures of the universe endure the test of time.
  • Our breath is a reminder of our humanity, our starting point. It is a fundamental principle that we can acknowledge and utilize as a compass. We must quiet our being to find the most important things in life.
  • A journey without a destination is a challenge. Setting a goal is the first small step towards prolific achievement.

My practice of yoga has been incredible for my whole being. I am more flexible. I am stronger. I am more open. Most importantly the spirit of the experience has allowed me to reach more. I try things personally and professional I would not have done so prior. I am practicing more and performing far better in all facets of my life. Practicing practice changes our life by changing our future selves.

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Two Thoughts on Discipline: small choices, big outcomes

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About three weeks ago I purchased an alarm clock. The reason for purchasing such a mundane everyday object was discipline. I prefer to wake up naturally and for the most part I do, but it is helpful to have something mildly surprising to elicit a push of chemicals through your body to get it started. Prior to purchasing the alarm I had been utilizing my phone for “waking up purposes”, thus my phone was by my bed at night. In reality this put most of my work in my bedroom as well. Several times in recent months I found myself looking at my phone right prior to signing off for the night. This is a mistake on several fronts. The blue screen of backlit gadgets stimulates the mind and does little to perpetuate a sleepy disposition. Those waves alone jolt the senses. The second reason it is a mistake has to do with content. The mind can not shut down for rest if it is processing information. This becomes doubly true when the information elicits an emotional response in tandem with the logical engagement. I bought an alarm clock not so I could wake up but so that I could sleep.

Another discipline that has been helpful for me lately is the lack of access to social media on my phone. About a year ago we were hosting a group of college gentlemen. It is hard to believe but that age group is now nearly an entire generation younger than I am. In the midst of their stay they noted the phone that I was using. They expressed a keen interest because it was a relic, and likely the first gadget they coveted in their youth. Anyway, all this to say my phone is old. As such, it has ailments and earlier this summer it did a hard reset. It was life changing, as in everything on the phone was lost. This was an interest space to be in. It was kind of like a forest fire cleaning out debris and making room for new life.

Yes I lost contact information but the contacts that matter have been easy to return into my phone. Interestingly enough losing the apps on the device has been a bigger deal, and frankly a more important change for me. After a brief period of mourning and coming to terms with the loss, I set about to make the phone useful. If I could recall an app I was using I put it back on the phone. That was easy, and a great first step for cleaning. It also became apparent which apps were there with my best interest in mind. Namely, if I could recall the password to get in to the app it meant one of two things: I used the app consistently enough to know my credentials for use AND the company that created the app wanted to make sure I was sentient and aware of my use of the app. Interestingly enough one of the apps I did not know the password to was Instagram.

At the point of the reset it was nearly without fail that my day started by flicking through the photo albums of other people’s lives and it ended with the same voyeuristic act. Instagram is ingenious. It’s easy and provides a strange system of ethereal rewards. The loss of the app on my phone gave me a moment to consider what it is and what I was doing with it. I could ask myself is it a tool or am I a tool. Was I really getting content that enriched my life? Was I using it to connect to people? Was it valuable for me?

It is strange to say but the loss of instagram helped me become more informed. I discovered time to dig into matters I really cared about instead of swiping up. I found emotional energy to invest in things that matter more to me instead of coveting what I did not have. The fire hurt, but once it was quenched I see new blossoms rising.

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Turning Pro

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There is a distinct feeling that comes when it happens. You will be different. This is strange because it has been small things that have lead up to the leap.

The best I can describe it is how I feel just about every morning when I head to the crossfit gym. The coaches post our workouts the night before, however I do not look at them. I just do not want to know. It is hard enough to roll out of bed pre-dawn, it would only be worse if I had some inclination of beating my body was about to take.

There is always a tinge of fear.

I am over two years into the experience of crossfit, yet every day the anxiety is real. I know what I am about to do will change me. I desire the change, yet the mind makes it hard to pursue the work.

So then I wonder what is it that keeps me going?

The gym is the place where I know I have agency. I decide to wake up early. I decide to embrace the weather during the walk. I decide to enter the sweatbox in the summer. I decide to look at the looming pain prescription on the board. I decide to warm up my body. I decide to work through the strain. I decide how far i will push my body. I decide how great I will be. I decide my future.

The same thing happens in our careers.

Turning Pro is deciding what you will do instead of letting anyone or anything decide for you.

Turning Pro is YOU finding agency over YOUR vocation!

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Taking the Next Step

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I have been saying that a lot to folks lately. It is time for my own.

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Excellence: the quality of being outstanding or extremely good

This past weekend Jenn and I traveled to Asbury Park New Jersey. The Jersey shore was felt but not truly experienced which makes for great, yet pleasant, people watching. My quick note on Asbury Park, they are doing boutiques right. What separates a boutique from a small shop is awareness of audience. You can carry highly curated and high margin goods but you have to be aware of your niche market. The beauty of Asbury is the easy vacation destination of a monied population with Brooklyn style, and the shop owners know it!

Beach trips are about reading in the sun whilst smelling tanning lotion and absorbing the beyond time notion of the ocean. You have to work to not be contemplative. I was prepared to spend my time exploring the images of Christ through History and the initial espousers of existential philosophy. Instead I got worked out by crossfit. No, I did not do WOD after WOD but rather discovered Ben Bergeron’s (he is the smiley man atop this post) book Chasing Excellence.  (Thanks to Jamie Gasiorowski co-flaneurer, and my Beatrice of Crossfit)

The book was meh on writing, but the content was on point. It left me questioning myself and my processes. Of course I wish I was in the running for fittest human on the planet; but my age, and likely my genetics, will hinder that pursuit. I found myself exploring excellence in my work. 

What does it mean to be an excellent agent?

As I am reading a coach talk about making excellent athletes, I realize my role as an agent is to make excellent artists. To be an excellent agent is to excel at making excellent artists.

So what makes an artists excellent?

That is a big question!

There is a lot of debate about what art is, so to define what makes an excellent artist is yet another level. As an agent, my definition of art and therefore an artist is what I hang my shingle on, and what will seperate me from others in the field.

In my mind (and as of today) to be an excellent artists is several fold:

Mastery of a medium

Unending supply of ideas

Ability to communicate in words

There is likely universal acceptance that mastery of a medium is part of the definition of an excellent artist. For even the non-art-scholar their is respect and appreciation for the ability to do things with a medium that others cannot. The technical prowess and the craftsmanship of an artist is likely what first separates them from the mere mortals of communication. An artist can make a canvas say things that other people are unable to make the blank page say. The ability to manipulate a medium is also important because it allows ideas to be put into action.

But where do the ideas come from?

When we speak of creativity, we are talking about the appearance of ideas out of seemingly nowhere. Observations, connections and unexpected mash ups are the essence that puts art beyond the category of craftsmanship. An excellent artist can readily chat you up on concrete scientific knowledge or delve into the current political state of society or certainly explore the cultural phenomenon dejur. Artists are not only aware but have given thought to the world.

There are geniuses out there who have mastery of a medium and a never ending supply of ideas that can whip reality into alignment by the mere act of bringing something into existence that did not exist before. However genius is hard to come by, just as the perfectly proportioned body for ultra fitness is elusive to the majority. What most artist also require to be excellent is an ability to communicate through words. Yes, they must master a second medium. An artist certainly does not have to, nor should they, define the meaning of their work, but they must be able to provide the context of the matter for it to transcend from object to subject. An excellent artist must be articulate either in spoken word, or written, to enable ALL audiences to find meaning in their work.

Now, if only I had a concept for a gym to equip an artist to work on the traits of excellence.

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Writing a social enterprise business plan.

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The Johns Hopkins University center for leadership education has hosted a business plan competition for the past 13 years. In 2011, they expanded to include Social Enterprises. I was asked if I might serve as a judge for this new field. Envisioning Apprentice and Shark Tank, of course I obliged. It wasn’t until I gained access to eight 25 page plans that I realized this was not an hour long reality show. In the spirit of doing things right, I spent hours with each plan considering how to heighten the prospects of 8 businesses and 20 odd entrepreneurs. It was an enriching experience.

Despite knowing the work load I offered to judge again this year. Based on my first judging experience and another year of operating my own social enterprise I had much better grasp of what it means to utilize entrepreneurial concepts to create social change. In particular, I understood that an effective social business will create BOTH financial value and social value. The key to the plan is to demonstrate both. A plan that shows that the business is sustainable economically and defines and measures impact is well on its way to changing the world. Unfortunately the later, defining and measuring impact, is exceptionally hard. (Future blog posts will explore this)

In the process of judging plans I took notes. I noted similar things about most of the plans. After reading all the plans I compiled a document exploring common missteps. Below is what I shared with all of the groups.

Social Enterprise:

Social enterprises serve two purposes: impact on society and economic sustainability/profit. Both purposes should be presented in the business plan and emphasis should likely be placed on the economics. However, the plan should clearly define the social impact that is being created and how it will be measured.

The Executive Summary:

The summary should be a summary. The summary’s purpose is to quickly compel a reader to go further. It should certainly define the product/service, the market, the position in the market, the potential (change and profit), and most importantly the ASK.

Product/Service

An entity must know what business it is in. What value is it providing? As a social enterprise this is clearly defining the social change and the product/service that the entity will sell to achieve that social change. It is important to differentiate between a “user” someone the entity may be serving and adding value to and a “customer”, someone who will pay the entity for the value added.

A side consideration on product and value: If the business is producing technology, IP is very important. The world is changing with regards to protectionist standards on IP (google-economy, free-economy) Are there ideas on how else to extract value from the product/service? Google provides its amazing service for free to end users. How do they make money? Could these concepts work in other businesses?

The Market:

The markets of a social business includes all entities or individuals who could receive value from the product or service. The most important market to explore in a business plan is the market that will be paying for the value provided. Market research should be focused. Just because the entity sells a product on-line does not mean that the market is the entirety of on-line retail. If the entity sells baby products the market is likely mothers. Make the research meaningful by pinpointing exactly who the entity is providing value to. If the market is undetermined, spend more time thinking about the value provided. Social enterprises likely have several markets to consider.

Competition

The purpose of industry analysis is to know the competition. Every business has competition. If there is no competition and the business is as great as the plan is stating, it will not be long before there is direct competition. Which entities are most likely to become competition?

To know the competition is to know what they do, and how they are different. Principles are a great starting point. Mission is another place to look, and then look at strategy. Know numbers about them. How big physically, on paper, and in the minds of consumers?

Think about whether they are competition or are they entities to collaborate with in business. In 2012 it is easy to find and foster partners. This can be an invaluable strategy for business. Who is nominally doing what the entity proposes but not quite? Could the entities work together, instead of against one another? Building a business with a partner in mind could also be a GREAT exit strategy.

Strategic partnerships can be meaningful competitive advantages. However, in order for it to be an advantage it needs to exist and it must be somewhat exclusive. If a business relies too heavily on a strategic partnership it may be cause for concern because what happens to the business if the relationship alters. It is also important that the relationship be defined. There should be a contract. The contract should define the relationship and some level of exclusivity if the partnership is to be a true advantage.

Type of Business Entity:

It is easy to assume that a Social Enterprise should be a non-profit or a Benefit Corporation (a recently developed business structure in MD). If this model is chosen clearly state why. Any type of entity can do social good.

Non-profits have advantage’s but there are disadvantages as well. In particular non-profits are not known for garnering outside investors. Furthermore, most of the money “invested” into non-profits comes with strings attached.

The benefit corporation is a new and unique entity in Maryland (and several other states). The model protects leaders (board and executive staff) from legal proceedings if decisions are made that support the mission at the expense of stock holder value. The model is great for making the social statement that accountability is beyond the traditional bottom line. However, the model has additional requirements of accountability. In particular it must prove that it is achieving the social good of its mission statement. Furthermore, the model has not been tested in court.

A B-corp is NOT a business entity. It is a certification similar to LEEDs. It verifies that businesses are considering multiple bottom lines (planet-people-profit) It is a third party audit of social benefit, not a legal tax entity.

If you are interested in other unique business models I suggest you check out the L3C entity in Vermont.

The Team:

The reason to announce the team is not to give the authors and founders recognition. Use the space to clearly define roles and why each person is qualified to be in a specific role. Undefined roles leads to organizational confusion, and the wrong person filling a job is cause for concern.

The team must demonstrate a mastery of the product or service provided. If murals are the product and the team is without an artist, it brings into serious question whether the entity can produce the product. Do not underestimate the significance of roles either. Community organizing is as much a skill as ruby on rails developing.

Business in 2012 requires more then analytical minds. The team should highlight general business skills (negotiation, selling, marketing, legal) and consider the softer skills (creativity, communication, and organizing) of the entire team. Demonstrate that the whole brain (not just the left side) will be working on the business. If skills are lacking they should be accounted for either in advisory positions, or with a strategy to obtain them.

A side note on resumes: include numbers to show work rather than stating it.

Marketing Strategy:

Marketing is all about stories. An entity must know the stories of its customers/users, its own story, and know how to get its customers/users to connect with its story. Marketing is a VERY important part of business. If people do not know about the entity, they will not purchase the product. For example the web is a huge place and just because a site is up does not guarantee that people will use it or even find it. Marketing budgets are easy to under estimate. Seriously consider how to understand customers stories, entity stories and sharing both.

Financials:

This is a great place to go further on the ASK. Define how much and what kind of money is sought. A grant, contribution or gift with no expect return payment. A loan/debt with scheduled repayment and interest. Equity, an offering of ownership. If it is a grant, know what the expectation for its use is. If offering a loan/debt, the payments need to be accounted for in the financials. If it is equity, demonstrate the expected return on investment and exit opportunity. A time line of need is also helpful, and may make the investment easier for an investor. Yes it is helpful to have it all up front, but if it will not be used up front the investor has lost the time value on that money.

If making forecasts, which must be done in complete financials, assumptions will be made. Clearly state the assumptions and why they are reasonable. It is better to be conservative on revenue, and liberal on expenses. Make sure that the expenses cover the entire spectrum of what the entity is doing, and know that marketing is apart of EVERY business.

It is important to pay ALL staff including founders. It might seem reasonable to forgo pay but paying people does several things. It says that this is a job and has a sense of professionalism. It also provides an opportunity to hold someone accountable. It is fair to expect that staff will deliver value if something of value is being provided to them. If you are smart and have value, investors will have no problem sustaining you! Not paying yourself or other important players is a non-sustainable model.

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The Artist Statement: How do artists share their story?

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I am new to promoting art. In the past month I have been asked to critique a couple of artist statements. These things are extremely hard to write. In a couple hundred words an artist is suppose to capture what could be years of technical work, and a lifetime of experiences.

This process is not exclusive to traditional artists. We are all creative and often have to articulate our work and the journey that has lead to its creation. And; it is helpful if done in short order. At some point we all by choice or necessity will deliver an elevator pitch about our work. Why not write it out and be prepared.

Below are the thoughts that I have shared with the artists that asked for my thoughts. I will continue to share these ideas and work to refine them. The first portion is very basic to writing, but a good reminder for anyone. The second half is pertinent to writing about art. However, if you change the semantics just a little it could apply to most any transactional experience. Transaction is an exchange based on a need or a connection.

A couple of thoughts on writing:

  1. Be concise! It is better writing and easier to read. Remove ALL words that are extraneous.

  2. Write in the active tense. It is more direct writing and keeps the audience engaged. The action is right in front of them.

  3. Avoid verbosity. It is easy to speak with clichériddled philosophical terms that sound great but have no meaning, especially when talking about art. Imagine a 6thgrader reading your statement and understanding your idea.

A couple of thoughts on art:

  1. Meaningful art is art that people connect to. People connect for a variety of reasons:

  • aesthetic (they like they way it looks)

  • emotional (they like the feeling the piece exudes)

  • emotional (they like the feeling the piece gives them)

  • personal (they like the story of the work)

  • personal (they like the story of the artist)

  • perspectives (they like/(are challenged by) the new view of the world)

  • philosophical (they like the idea being presented)

  • technical (they appreciate the skill that the work required)

  1. A connection to art is what leads to a financial transaction for the art.

  2. Art should speak for itself. However; for those less trained and experienced with art, the statement should help them, not confuse them. And even for those trained and experienced in art, the statement should enrich the experience not bog them down.

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I have two book recommendations that have shaped these philosophies:

The Elements of Style: By William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White

Active Sights: Art as Social Interaction: Timothy Van Laar and Leonard Diepeveen

THis post may or may not have been fueled by this.

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Why Right Now?

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The time has come. I have decided to start blogging. But why write now?
 
I confess this first post is for me. I will likely need to revisit it in the future to find encouragement in why I felt it important to express my thoughts to the world. In the end, I do not want to contribute to this notion.
 
I find my self writing now for 3 significant reasons.

  1. Writing is a good thing.
  2. Surprisingly, more people are interested in what I have to say.
  3. Writing is a habit I want to form and what better time then Lent.

I have a bias towards non-fiction writing. In particular, I like a good biography. As I have read the lives  of savory (and less savory) folks, I find myself wondering how so much is known about the lives of people that  have shaped history. It then dawns on me, that many of my hero’s were meticulous note takers of their own lives.  Rockefeller kept a personal ledger on him at all times. Ego likely compelled many to  document their lives, but I also think they understood the value of writing out your thoughts.  Written thoughts are easier to remember and much easier to manipulate into a plan. And, writing is a window to our own mind and therefore a tool for creativity. Julie Cameron sings the praises of writing in Artist Way, a book on recovering creativity. She prescribes 3 long hand pages every morning before you do anything else.
 
The corollary to this point is that writing is not my forte’. I have hidden too long behind my degrees in engineering as a reason for my inability to accurately capture a thought in media. I am 10 years removed from solving a differential equation and now in an industry that relies on telling stories. It is time to refine my skills in the fire of “comments”. Critique is welcome on the writing itself and the content.
 
Writing is an important practice, but why am I compelled to share my ponderings. Lately, I have been pleasantly surprised by the number of people who want to share their ideas with me. I have been even more surprised when they ask what I think.  A couple of things have happened in these conversations. I find myself repeating anecdotes and thoughts, and I realize that what I think might have value to other people. My writing will increase efficiency and may benefit more people. Not to mention a few people I respect have been giving friendly nudges to put some thoughts down. I assume this is so they can respond or include it in their own philosophical rhetoric.

Writing will help me and it may help others, but why start now? I am quite late to the blog-o-sphere but I recognize that our current age runs on Google juice. Blogs provide the nectar of that juice. Furthermore, last Wednesday marked the start of Lent. One of my take-aways from Lent is the notion that prior to fulfilling his passion, Jesus spent a duration of time fasting and studying. Even the son of God took a moment to shape his destiny by developing habits. What I find interesting is that we often highlight the sacrifice (fasting) and not the addition (study). Good discipline is BOTH removing excesses and adding healthy activity. I seek to add a good habit this year. I hope you enjoy.

This post may or may not have been fueled by this.

A note about what is to come. As a promoter of Art; I hope to share musings on public art, community art, entrepreneurship, social entrepreneurship, and many other challenging and interesting topics.

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