Learning From A Tattoo Artist

While on a business trip to Las Vegas a few months ago, I was surprised to find that what used to be called "tattoo parlors" have now become quite upscale (No, I did not get one). Then when reading a recent issue of Loyalty Magazine, I found an article entitled, "Branding Secrets of a Tattoo Artist." I thought I would explore some of the factors that have brought this industry to the mainstream.

Turns out that successful tattoo artists know how to be good Ringmasters. Here are the key thoughts the writer got from her discussion with Ronnie "Mooch" Mendoza, Operations Manager of H&H Tattoos in Las Vegas.

• Hire the right people (Performers in circus terms): Their number one consideration is how customer-focused the candidate is.
• Provide a personalized experience (people have unique needs): They take extraordinary steps to insure that the tattoo process and actual procedure have the customer's comfort and desired vision in mind.
• Build the brand through the customer community (get others to tell others about the standing ovation they gave you)

The most telling quote for me in the article was, They [Tattoo Artists] know that each interaction represents a 'moment of truth' that can enhance or erode their brand, heighten or undermine customer loyalty, and positively or negatively affect company revenue. How different would our days be if, as the ringmasters of our circus, we aligned every interaction, task, and thought toward accomplishment of our purpose? We might find that our days would be "marked" with more standing ovations from others AND ourselves.

Cut Out The Dreaming-Part 2

Last week I learned that Facebook recently hit another record of participants-500 million! They interviewed several people and asked them why they liked FB and the answers given were the typical ones-stay connected with friends, reconnect with old friends, etc. But one answer shook me. Someone responded, "If there were no FB, I would die." Granted, it was an emotionally charged statement that was probably not meant with the impact it had, but it still indicated (to me anyway) a less than healthy attitude toward this type of social media.

In the last post I mentioned my struggle with a writer's advice that you should cut out things you are not good at or which you can not excel. On the flip side, should you be so connected to something like FB that it consumes you and becomes a major source of your happiness and in an extreme case, your very existence.

Granted, I don't know the person making the comment. But I think she highlights the need for all of us to examine how we spend our time and what is a priority for us. FB is definitely an example of an act that can literally take over your circus... if you let it.

Noblesse Oblige

OK, I have heard the term "noblesse oblige" in the movie Mary Poppins but am embarrassed to admit that until recently I have not known what it meant. Noblesse Oblige means "noble obligation." In discovering the definition of nobles oblige, I was surprised at the thoughts that those two words together stirred in my mind and heart.

What is my noble obligation? If you just think about an obligation, your mind goes to simple things like appointments, paying taxes, stopping at stop signs and so forth. But you add the word "noble" and your thoughts are raised higher. What is my noble obligation to leave a legacy in life? What is my noble obligation as a husband and father? What is my noble obligation in my work? In relationships, to friends, to God, in doing right? These are deep questions that require deep thought. Have you defined your noble obligation? In Juggling Elephants, we call it your purpose. Others call it your mission statement, values, roles, goals, etc.

Commit to yourself to block out the "thick of thin things" and do some deep thinking about what your noblesse oblige is. Write it down. Make it a living document that you edit, adjust, add to and refine. Now if I could just figure out what "supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" means, I will be good.

What’s A Linchpin?

A dictionary definition of a linchpin is "something that holds the various elements of a complicated structure together." Seth Godin (I am one of his biggest fans) just published a book entitled, "Linchpin: Are You Indispensable?" He presents the case that we can just go with the flow or we can see ourselves as someone who can make a difference and really matter-a linchpin.
The choice is ours to be the ringmaster of our circus. It truly is a decision that we must make... that we will make-one way or the other. Not being a linchpin/ringmaster is the easier decision. We can then just be reactive or be acted upon. Being a linchpin means that we have to determine our purpose, be creative, decide what we want to be and do, and then execute on our plans. Sometimes, we even make mistakes and fail. Being a linchpin is truly the road less travelled.

I would highly recommend Seth Godin’s new book, "Linchpin: Are You Indispensable?" He teaches how to add emotion and passion back into your work and your life, thus making a difference.

The Butterfly Effect

According to Wikipedia, the butterfly effect is "a phrase that encapsulates the more technical notion of sensitive dependence on initial conditions in chaos theory."

The easier way to illustrate the theory is to read Ray Bradbury’s science fiction short story, A Sound of Thunder. To make a "short" of the "short story:" A group travels way back in time to go on safari for a T-Rex. The hunting guide warns the hunting party that they must stay on a path to avoid disrupting the environment and only kill animals which were going to naturally die at the same time. When they come across a T-Rex, one of the party gets scared and runs off. After the T-Rex is put down (it was going to die naturally anyway) the group returns to the future. When they arrive back in the future, they find differences from when they left. The language has changed, people and the buildings have changed and the outcome of an important election has been reversed. The hunting guide turns to the individual who ran off. He asks, "Did you leave the path?" Upon inspection of his boots, they find a dead butterfly, whose death apparently is the cause of the changes to the future.

Do we sometimes stray from "the path" or the plan that we have created for ourselves? What are the butterflies on our boots? What do we choose to do or what do we choose NOT to do that has an impact on our future?

We all can look back to pivotal moments in our lives where we have made choices, for good or bad, which have impacted our future. Fortunately, most of our choices don’t have catastrophic impacts like in the Sound of Thunder. But, we should determine to be aware of our choices and the outcomes/effects that are associated. Tying our performance with our purpose is an important strategy in helping us guide our future. Referring back to our purpose on a regular basis and making sure that our actions, decisions and behaviors are in line with what matters most to us will help us determine a successful outcome of our future-butterflies or no butterflies.