Tag: writing

This is still broken

Posted on by Carl Weber

I couldn’t help but count. I was waiting for my friend at a popular coffee shop.

Nine out of every ten cars. Including my friend.

They all drove over the curb. It seemed odd at first, but it was almost every car.

There was both surprise and panic on each driver’s face. “What just happened?”

Various degrees of possible damage to cars. Especially the low ones and to rims.

The sudden jolt of the SUVs going “off road.” Not so smooth when jumping the curb.

I couldn’t help but think of that TED talk.

Almost 20 years ago, Seth Godin gave a talk called “This is Broken.” It is easy to see things broken all around us after watching.

Seth gave examples of things broken for various reasons, including “not my job.”

This popular coffee shop has a problem. The parking lot is tight.

Customers are damaging their vehicles. The curbing and layout were part of a plan.

The plan was approved and met some standard. The reality is different than what was planned.

The plan is no longer working. Someone decided to put a large cement paver in that space to help ease the pain of each curb jump. To mitigate the issue.

This is Still Broken. The original design is not working.

Yet, it will be someone’s job to repair the curbing, and perhaps periodically replace the cement paver.

Yet, it will be someone’s job to fix rims, and pull dents.

Yet, it will be someone’s job to reply to possible claims.

But, whose job is it to fix this?

Whose job is it to develop better designs and regulations?

Whose job is to find what is broken and offer solutions?

Look around you (especially after you watch Seth’s talk). You may be surprised what is broken around you.

(Warning: you cannot unsee this video and you will notice everything that is broken!)

You will see what others can’t.

You will notice what is broken.

And, it just might be your job to fix it!

20,089

Posted on by Carl Weber

20,089

Yesterday I couldn’t help but reflect on that number.

20,089 days.

20,089 days of existing on this planet.

20,089 days of such variety.

There were good days, and bad.

There were easy days, and hard.

There were successful days, and failure.

There were joy-filled days, and sorrow.

There were adventure days, and mundane.

There were healthy days, and sick.

There were intentional days, and carefree.

There were helpful days, and helpless.

There were wild days, and tame.

There were days.

And, there are more days to come.

How many more days?

10,957?

Many of the 20,089 days have been dominated by The Narrator seeking to limit my perception of what is possible.

This voice has been trying to convince me that I am not good enough or less than.

But there is a whisper of a new voice.

Faint gentle sounds.

Encouraging. Inspiring. Calling.

I think I know its name.

It has always been here.

It has tried to break through, but has been overshadowed.

I am trying to hear that voice in the midst of all the other noise.

All the other distractions.

All the past days.

I think I know its name.

Five years ago. A good friend sent me a story for my birthday.

ROOKIE MISTAKE

“I suppose you’ll want me to come back,” she said.

“I’ll clear my calendar,” I said. “Whenever you want to stop by.”

You never say “whenever you want to stop by” to your muse.

In your intoxicated bliss, make sure she adds her next visit to her calendar – in pen.

***

Iain Young didn’t get a good look at his muse. He’s pretty sure he wouldn’t recognize her.

My friend was pointing the way.

The Muse.

My Muse.

Your Muse.

For the next 10,957 (or however many days we have) let’s seek out that other voice.

The inspiring one.

The encouraging one.

The one that reminds you that all work and life is creative.

The one that calls you to more.

The one that reminds you that you can!

The one that says “what is possible?”

I think our Muse wants more appointments with us – in pen!

Why do we do these things we do?

Posted on by Carl Weber

We start businesses when we already have a job and a full plate.

We go back to school while juggling work, life, and home.

We write stories, and more stories, and sometimes books.

We get other certifications and trainings.

We side hustle on our side hustle.

We quit our jobs and become free agents.

We purchase a second business.

We leave the security of a familiar place to start fresh.

We move on to our second careers.

We move on to our third careers.

Why do we do these things we do? 

It would be so easy to stay comfortable.

It would be so easy to stay put.

It would be so easy to stay.

But, we don’t stay.

We move.

We move forward on our secret dreams.

We move forward on the next idea.

We move forward on that next goal.

Why do we do these things we do?

There is a small voice that says, “What if?”

There is something that keeps us moving.

There is something that reminds us to try.

Moving, leaving, starting, and trying seems to be part of us.

Why do we do these things we do?

I am not entirely sure, but let’s keep doing these things we do.

(Sorry for the hiatus, but we are on the move again.)

 

 

Happy Anniversary

Posted on by Carl Weber

anniversary-2x

This morning this little icon appeared in WordPress, along with a quick note:

“Happy Anniversary with WordPress.com!
You registered on WordPress.com 5 years ago.
Thanks for flying with us. Keep up the good blogging.”

Wow, it has been 5 years.

Where did the time go?

268 posts.

53.6 posts per year, right on target.

So many words.

Too many to count.

So many ideas.

Fun to wander back through. Did I really write that?

So many thoughts.

Will this continue? Will these thoughts still find their way into the world?

Thank you for reading.

There are so many other things you could do with your time and energy, thanks for making the choice.

Thank you for sharing.

Both for your ideas/lives/experiences with me, and for sending this out to those around you.

Thank you for coming along for this journey.

This little experiment only works when we take the journey together.

I wonder what the next 5 years will bring?

Stories, progress, setbacks, wins, losses, fears, edges, goals and life lived and observed.

Take the Journey

Posted on by Carl Weber

gI_90214_8303Frontcover

A good friend recently published her story of taking an adventure across America. It was great learning more about her story and her journey. This book serves as a reminder for all of us to go ahead and take the journey, take the risk, and to live a life worth reading about.

From spotting Moose and various other creatures, to sarcasm and obscure Simpson’s references (loved this part), through fear and doubt, loss and love, Gloria Jean invites us to ride along with her on a larger quest to find treasure in places less traveled.

There is something magical and awful about road trips. They require us to put in the hours to reach a goal, especially when there are faster and easier ways to take the journey. Maybe that is the point to racking up the hours behind the wheel: all those miles give us opportunity to think, process, and wonder.

Thanks Gloria Jean.

Thanks for setting the example for the rest of us.

What journey is waiting for you?

What risk should you take?

Go. Live. Write.

We are all waiting to read your story.

The Customer Experience

Posted on by Carl Weber

Field Notes Sweet Tooth

I recently found Field Notes as a way to regain the lost art of writing things down. Their designer, Aaron Draplin is an amazing speaker [see his Ted talk], and you can tell his philosophy and approach have permeated the company and experience.

[Let me be really clear up front, this is not a paid advertisement. I do not have anything to gain by writing about this product. I purchase them just like anyone else and I typically do not mention actual companies or products in this post, but the repeated positive experience has created an exception.]

There is something about writing something down, especially in an electronic age. The feel of the paper, the ink of the pen. Recent studies have found that writing things down (versus typing) may help us learn and retain more.

I have been filling up my own Field Notes memo books over the past years. Savoring each word, idea, and memory. They captured thoughts from random to sacred. Sitting on a park bench writing down dreams and ideas felt special and meaningful.

I have started giving them away to my close friends, inviting them into the experience.

Recently I subscribed to their quarterly shipment.

I expected to just receive the newest and latest colors/styles each quarter. But I began to realize it was more than just a few books.

Many companies sell you products.

There is something you need. You order it or go to the store and purchase it. You use it up. You purchase it again.

But a few companies invite you into an experience.

Something different, something unique. The more you spend time with them, the more you feel like you are part of something more.

As each quarterly shipment arrived, there was always something extra.

A pencil.

A pen.

A small gift.

When one shipment arrived, it even included candy to celebrate the “sweet tooth” edition.

They are also the company with the “who to blame” check box, to make sure the got the order right.

The experience continued.

I kept thinking to myself, this company is different, the experience feels different, and somehow special.

The other day another package arrived.

It was not time for another quarterly shipment.

It was something different.

To celebrate their 30th quarterly shipment, they sent along a bonus “Thank You” to all of the subscribers, customized to us.

Going the extra mile to make your customers feel important moves the relationship from a product to a customer experience.

What can we all do to move our customers from products to an experience?

To Field Notes: Thanks for leading the way.

Field Notes Carl Weber