This week I am reflecting on a few stories from my childhood that have had an impact on my outlook, decision making process, and moral compass as an adult. Using these scenarios as a storyline can identify who I am to others, establish my self-concept, and help people gain some insight to the guy I am today. I have chosen the following three stories from my youth because I still live their valuable lessons.
Customer Service
Before I was able to legally work and learn the value of an honest wage, I mowed lawns to make summer cash. In the late 80's we were coming out of a recession and my family was making enough to keeps us kids fed, clothed, and happy. However, there was not much left over for my own personal wants like a new skateboard or "fun money". Now, since I was able to push a lawn mower I had been promoted to the Powell House Lawn and Maintenance Department which paid little for the size of our huge corner lot yard. Dad bought a nice mower I dubbed the "Green Machine" and it did the job nicely. Because this was one of my household chores, and my allowance was meager, I realized that I could double my income if I picked up the elderly neighbors yard. So, on my own, I knocked on the door, made my pitch, and landed my first customer. I mowed my neighbors yard twice a month, sometimes more often if it needed it for twenty dollars a pop. I edged, weed-whacked, pulled weeds and tidied up after. This became my weekend routine. One day my "client" approached me after my job was done and suggested a friend who could use some TLC on her yard and that her age hindered her from doing it herself. I said, "If you help me land her yard I will take five bucks off our next week's pay". This worked like a charm and I felt good about this deal because now I had tripled my income. By the end of the summer my mother was shuttling me from neighborhood to neighborhood mowing 6-7 yards a weekend. I paid for the gas and maintenance of our equipment, always made sure our yard looked great, and managed to save a little cash along the way. My mother used to remind me at the end of a long Saturday in the hot Texas sun that my efforts were helping people out and my reward was earning an honest wage. I took pride in my lawns and worked hard at keeping them tip-top for my "clients". I offered to do any odd jobs that might need doing around their houses before I left for the next "appointment". I built value in my name and my work. I took care of my yards and my yards took care of me.
I learned some valuable lessons from these summers. Do what you promise, take care of your people, and take pride in your work. These lessons are instilled in me today, and I use these tools in my work, at home with my family, and in every endeavor I take on. Customer service extends well beyond doing the minimum for people. It is going above and beyond that really makes an impact. Looking back I wish I would have given more to my mom for spending her weekends chauffeuring me around town, but I think she felt satisfied that her son was learning some important life lessons. I still mow my mothers lawn when I get the chance, free of charge of course.
Stand Up for What is Right
I learned some pretty tough lessons growing up in suburbia San Antonio. In 1987 at the ripe age of ten I was faced with a child's most terrifying experience in school... a confrontation with a Bully. This kid was big, much bigger than the rest of us, and he seemed to enjoy reminding kids of this fact every chance he could. One day at recess this bully was picking on a very small and meek child who just so happened to live around the corner from me. His name was Andrew, and Andrew was facing the wrath. Just as any confrontation on a school yard would attract the attention of almost every student within ear shot, I took notice of this unjust act of dominance. Andrew was scared, and this seemed to fuel the bully's cause all the more.
Now, I could have done a few things in this situation to help out my friend. I could have ran to grab a teacher to stop the bully from victimizing poor Andrew. I could have made an attempt to grab Andrew and run away towards safety. Both would have been the preferred method of our principal, but instead I made a very conscious decision to save my friend from the inevitable by jumping in the middle and confronting Mr. Bully. I was definitely not as small and meek as Andrew, but not quite as big as this menace. However, after a few choice words and some shoving around two things happened; one of us left a hero, and one of us left with a diminished ego and a bloody nose. Andrew didn't get bullied by the menace again.
In no way do I advocate violence to fix a problem, and with the several choices I could have made at that time I am still surprised I chose to fight the biggest kid in 4th grade. But in my heart I could not stand by and watch somebody get pushed around. It was this moment that I realized an inner desire to protect those who couldn't protect themselves. I don't remember learning what was fair and what wasn't, but I do remember the sinking feeling of watching Andrew backed up against a wall with nowhere to run. The bully preyed on weakness, and I felt an overwhelming need to turn the tables. This same desire to protect and serve directed me to join the United States Navy. As I worked my way up the ranks I have encountered several examples of injustice. Of course I have acquired a more tactful method in leveling the playing field, and I do what I can to stand up for what is right. There may always be some form of injustice in our lives, and we can't fight all the proverbial bullies, but I can say that my desire to protect has helped shape me as a leader. I have my team mates' backs through thick and thin. I have built trust in my "firm, but fair" leadership style. And, I will always do what I think is right when the time comes to act.
The Value of Education
After my fifth year in college, and looking at the amount of student loan debt that was accumulating quickly, I made a choice to leave school without my degree and enter the workforce. In 2001 I was 23 years old. An old buddy of mine from high school had ventured off and started his business selling beautiful redwood plays sets on the outskirts of San Antonio. This guy was unique, and a true entrepreneur in every sense of the word. He was self educated, motivated, and exercised a kind of self-discipline that inspired me. He just opened a new store and needed a sales person to run a location in an upscale area of the Texas hill country. I asked and he gave me my first shot at being a professional sales person.
I had always been a people person, and talking with strangers never bothered me. My friend, and now boss, would always be talking about stuff he read that helped him become successful in sales and business. He introduced me to authors like Zig Ziggler, Tony Robbins, and Stephen Covey. He told me selling was an art, and more importantly he showed me ways that I could improve myself and abilities. I remember meeting in his office one day and admiring his well-developed library of books behind his desk. I asked him if I could read some of his books on the top shelf, and he said a few words to me that I can still hear in my head. He said, "if you want to read the top-shelf books you need to stand on the books you have already read."
For some reason this simple lesson took a hold in me. From that day on I developed a hunger for knowledge. This desire was far greater than anything I felt during my time at college. I guess I just wasn't ready to build a foundation then, but now I couldn't get enough. I owe so much to my friend for opening my mind to the power of knowledge. Since that day, after all the twists and turns I have navigated to get where I am, I still seek with an un-quenching thirst sources of self-improvement. To me, life is a finite time to learn and grow. We can all do something each day to improve ourselves and the world around us. As a leader I have found that I can hand out the top-shelf knowledge I have amassed thus far, but it is far more rewarding to see people stand on their own stack of knowledge and reach for the top-shelf themselves. Sometimes it takes just a little encouragement to point someone in the right direction, and in the end there is nothing more valuable than educating yourself.
Customer Service
Before I was able to legally work and learn the value of an honest wage, I mowed lawns to make summer cash. In the late 80's we were coming out of a recession and my family was making enough to keeps us kids fed, clothed, and happy. However, there was not much left over for my own personal wants like a new skateboard or "fun money". Now, since I was able to push a lawn mower I had been promoted to the Powell House Lawn and Maintenance Department which paid little for the size of our huge corner lot yard. Dad bought a nice mower I dubbed the "Green Machine" and it did the job nicely. Because this was one of my household chores, and my allowance was meager, I realized that I could double my income if I picked up the elderly neighbors yard. So, on my own, I knocked on the door, made my pitch, and landed my first customer. I mowed my neighbors yard twice a month, sometimes more often if it needed it for twenty dollars a pop. I edged, weed-whacked, pulled weeds and tidied up after. This became my weekend routine. One day my "client" approached me after my job was done and suggested a friend who could use some TLC on her yard and that her age hindered her from doing it herself. I said, "If you help me land her yard I will take five bucks off our next week's pay". This worked like a charm and I felt good about this deal because now I had tripled my income. By the end of the summer my mother was shuttling me from neighborhood to neighborhood mowing 6-7 yards a weekend. I paid for the gas and maintenance of our equipment, always made sure our yard looked great, and managed to save a little cash along the way. My mother used to remind me at the end of a long Saturday in the hot Texas sun that my efforts were helping people out and my reward was earning an honest wage. I took pride in my lawns and worked hard at keeping them tip-top for my "clients". I offered to do any odd jobs that might need doing around their houses before I left for the next "appointment". I built value in my name and my work. I took care of my yards and my yards took care of me.
I learned some valuable lessons from these summers. Do what you promise, take care of your people, and take pride in your work. These lessons are instilled in me today, and I use these tools in my work, at home with my family, and in every endeavor I take on. Customer service extends well beyond doing the minimum for people. It is going above and beyond that really makes an impact. Looking back I wish I would have given more to my mom for spending her weekends chauffeuring me around town, but I think she felt satisfied that her son was learning some important life lessons. I still mow my mothers lawn when I get the chance, free of charge of course.
Stand Up for What is Right
I learned some pretty tough lessons growing up in suburbia San Antonio. In 1987 at the ripe age of ten I was faced with a child's most terrifying experience in school... a confrontation with a Bully. This kid was big, much bigger than the rest of us, and he seemed to enjoy reminding kids of this fact every chance he could. One day at recess this bully was picking on a very small and meek child who just so happened to live around the corner from me. His name was Andrew, and Andrew was facing the wrath. Just as any confrontation on a school yard would attract the attention of almost every student within ear shot, I took notice of this unjust act of dominance. Andrew was scared, and this seemed to fuel the bully's cause all the more.
Now, I could have done a few things in this situation to help out my friend. I could have ran to grab a teacher to stop the bully from victimizing poor Andrew. I could have made an attempt to grab Andrew and run away towards safety. Both would have been the preferred method of our principal, but instead I made a very conscious decision to save my friend from the inevitable by jumping in the middle and confronting Mr. Bully. I was definitely not as small and meek as Andrew, but not quite as big as this menace. However, after a few choice words and some shoving around two things happened; one of us left a hero, and one of us left with a diminished ego and a bloody nose. Andrew didn't get bullied by the menace again.
In no way do I advocate violence to fix a problem, and with the several choices I could have made at that time I am still surprised I chose to fight the biggest kid in 4th grade. But in my heart I could not stand by and watch somebody get pushed around. It was this moment that I realized an inner desire to protect those who couldn't protect themselves. I don't remember learning what was fair and what wasn't, but I do remember the sinking feeling of watching Andrew backed up against a wall with nowhere to run. The bully preyed on weakness, and I felt an overwhelming need to turn the tables. This same desire to protect and serve directed me to join the United States Navy. As I worked my way up the ranks I have encountered several examples of injustice. Of course I have acquired a more tactful method in leveling the playing field, and I do what I can to stand up for what is right. There may always be some form of injustice in our lives, and we can't fight all the proverbial bullies, but I can say that my desire to protect has helped shape me as a leader. I have my team mates' backs through thick and thin. I have built trust in my "firm, but fair" leadership style. And, I will always do what I think is right when the time comes to act.
The Value of Education
After my fifth year in college, and looking at the amount of student loan debt that was accumulating quickly, I made a choice to leave school without my degree and enter the workforce. In 2001 I was 23 years old. An old buddy of mine from high school had ventured off and started his business selling beautiful redwood plays sets on the outskirts of San Antonio. This guy was unique, and a true entrepreneur in every sense of the word. He was self educated, motivated, and exercised a kind of self-discipline that inspired me. He just opened a new store and needed a sales person to run a location in an upscale area of the Texas hill country. I asked and he gave me my first shot at being a professional sales person.
I had always been a people person, and talking with strangers never bothered me. My friend, and now boss, would always be talking about stuff he read that helped him become successful in sales and business. He introduced me to authors like Zig Ziggler, Tony Robbins, and Stephen Covey. He told me selling was an art, and more importantly he showed me ways that I could improve myself and abilities. I remember meeting in his office one day and admiring his well-developed library of books behind his desk. I asked him if I could read some of his books on the top shelf, and he said a few words to me that I can still hear in my head. He said, "if you want to read the top-shelf books you need to stand on the books you have already read."
For some reason this simple lesson took a hold in me. From that day on I developed a hunger for knowledge. This desire was far greater than anything I felt during my time at college. I guess I just wasn't ready to build a foundation then, but now I couldn't get enough. I owe so much to my friend for opening my mind to the power of knowledge. Since that day, after all the twists and turns I have navigated to get where I am, I still seek with an un-quenching thirst sources of self-improvement. To me, life is a finite time to learn and grow. We can all do something each day to improve ourselves and the world around us. As a leader I have found that I can hand out the top-shelf knowledge I have amassed thus far, but it is far more rewarding to see people stand on their own stack of knowledge and reach for the top-shelf themselves. Sometimes it takes just a little encouragement to point someone in the right direction, and in the end there is nothing more valuable than educating yourself.
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