Hazards Exist that are Not Marked.

Lessons learned from sliding down the mountain

Our family recently went on a weeklong ski trip to our favorite little village in Colorado. Matt and I have been going for years and would often sign up for ski school because we enjoy improving our technique. One trip we just happened to get paired with an instructor who we absolutely loved. We decided he was ‘the one’ and have been skiing with him ever since. He challenges us in the best ways, and we are so thankful for him – even if there are times I just want to cruise down an easy blue.  

When we first started with Gregg, neither Matt nor I had any desire to ski moguls. NONE. We could not understand why anyone would want to beat themselves up on the way down the mountain when there are perfectly groomed runs just yards away. How is that fun? We shared this with him, and I think he may have giggled. Gregg is a 69 year old man with a daughter who is among the best skiers in the world. He and his wife were too, many years ago. He still travels the world for extreme skiing all year round, and retreats to his second home in Jericoacoara for windsurfing when he needs a break. Matt and I are now skiing double black diamonds (lots of moguls and steep terrain), and we love it – usually.

Every day we ski with him, I am challenged in a new way. And this trip he really pushed us to higher limits. It was quite humbling. Matt is definitely a better skier than I am, but, unfortunately for me, Gregg doesn’t teach to the weakest link. Some days were really tough, but I learned so much. And I think many of the lessons I learned apply to the situations of growing businesses as well. I hope you find them inspiring in some way. 

Just get started. 
On Day 1, we told Gregg we are here for a week, and want to ease back into the hard stuff. By afternoon, we were skiing AMF (Adios, My Friend – or your choice of acronym for MF) and Cirque Headwall. Those are both double black diamonds. OH, OK! I didn’t realize this is what was on the schedule for today. There were moments when I was absolutely terrified, but I did it. And at the end of the day, I was immensely proud of myself and Matt!

There are times in a small business journey when the next step seems absolutely terrifying. Just like on the mountain, there are 100s of paths you can choose to take. But in order to reach your goal, you’ve just got to start. Then let the mountain (circumstances of life) guide you to the next turn on your journey.

Pick your focus. 
For our first runs of the day, Gregg usually takes us to groomed slopes to get warmed up. In those ‘easy’ moments, he gives us a technique to focus on. It’s typically about how we turn, but the focus can be to give it a lot of edge (quick turns), or give it just a little (slower slides), to keep your head focused down the mountain, or to pole touch a little sooner or farther forward. The little bits of advice are countless. But he always says you can’t focus on everything all at once. It is overload. Master one, then add the next. It will all come together when you need it- usually. 

Often, business leaders have lots of ideas they would love to implement. It can be hard to choose which to prioritize, but get one thing right before moving to the next. Zappos (shoes) and Amazon (books) come to mind. It will all work out if you get the basics down first and keep your eyes on the goal. 

Use the terrain to your advantage.
On Day 2, we started with an easy morning, but ended the afternoon on Powderhorn ♦♦. We’ve done this run before, but it was so much harder this time. It doesn’t get groomed, so it varies depending on skiers and weather. The later in the season, the tougher the slopes. What I thought were manageable moguls two months ago were now feet taller. Gregg says, “Use the terrain to your advantage.” You don’t always know what the conditions will be, but you have got to adapt. So, we had to have sharper, well-timed turns, letting the moguls guide us. When I didn’t do that, bad things happened. Ha.

Oftentimes in business, things don’t exactly go as planned. But in order to be successful, you have to listen to your audience and adapt accordingly, whether it is a different marketing strategy, a pivot in your product, or whatever else a department may be struggling with. Adapt to meet the needs of the market, don’t expect them to adapt to you. 

Keep your eye on the goal.   
Skiing down Powderhorn, I ultimately landed flat on my face. My legs were tired, and I was all up in my head trying to attack each Goliath mogul without dying. I fell because I stopped looking down the mountain. I was looking where I was currently going – where my skis were pointed, not to where I wanted to be – at the bottom of the run.  Sometimes it feels counterintuitive, but you have more control of your skis (and can go slower) when you lean down the mountain – not toward the higher ground behind you. I got up and was hoping for a clearly defined face imprint – but my only concession was a headache. I ultimately made it down Powderhorn, and all was well in the deep dark wood (this is a reference to The Gruffalo), but the mountain definitely won that round. 

When growing a business, sometimes it is easy to get lost in the details of individual projects. It is incredibly important to know your goal (though it can change), so obstacles don’t derail you. Of course it isn’t a straight line from start to finish, but having and keeping a steady sight of your goal keeps you from wasting resources on unnecessary tangents. 

Accept and learn from mistakes.
Gregg likes to make fun of me, because it seems as though I have to fall in order to have a good ski day. It is as if I have to show myself that falling is ok in order to get over the fear of it. I don’t fall on purpose, and it often happens in the most mundane of situations. Then, I get over it. I made many mistakes over the week. Sometimes I recovered before anyone noticed, and sometimes they hurt. But I learned from each one – big or small. Once, the lesson was how to shove my ski into feet of snow on a steep mountain so it creates a level platform to put my boot back into. Another time it was that I had to take my ski off to get my body back into a less contorted and more manageable position to ski. Sometimes it was simply that the snow condition can change quickly, and I’ve got to pay attention. Often it was that I’ve got to lean forward into my boots, not back on my butt, or that I’ve got to start my turn a little quicker. And when you fall, you’ve got to lead with your head to stand back up.

We are people. Mistakes are inevitable in all aspects of our lives. As long as we make the choice to learn from them, move forward, and not harp in the shadows of each mishap, we (and our businesses) will be better for it. We have to forgive ourselves and others, then move on.

Don’t let fear paralyze you.
As mentioned, my husband is a better skier than me. He is often waiting for me at the bottom of the tougher slopes. Sometimes it takes me longer because I freeze with anxiety when I am in areas with large moguls and/or tight squeezes (like in the trees). I suddenly worry that I will just topple over head first down the mountain or into a tree. Sometimes I don’t want to move at all.  In those cases I have to take deep breaths and slide down to a more comfortable spot, which means shifting the weight in both feet to slowly loosen my edge grip. Sometimes even that scares me. You mean I have to leave my little safe space on the side of this mountain? Yep- I’ve got to get down and we’ve got to pick up the kids from ski school in 15 minutes. “Slide, turn, slide,” is what Gregg tells me. Just keep going. We have to do the hard things even when it is scary. 

Sometimes obstacles or goals seem just a little too tough. Sometimes it just doesn’t seem worth the trouble. But you have got to keep moving forward and keep taking the necessary steps to your goal. You can do it – even if it’s not exactly how you planned. And you will be better for it. 

Believe in yourself.
Turns can be hard, especially when it is bumpy. One small mistake and I’m flying down the mountain out of control – yard sale! But turning properly and confidently is oh so rewarding, and now I’m that much closer to conquering the run. Turns are the foundation of skiing. You have to turn to maintain control. But the funny thing is, for a brief moment, you have to lose control and let the mountain guide you. Gregg says, “Skiing is nothing but a series of linked recoveries.” The key to strong turns is shifting your weight largely to the outside foot and leaning slightly down the mountain. This means taking weight off of your inside foot. It can feel unnatural. I want both feet solidly on the ground! But that’s even more dangerous than taking the risk. As Gregg says, “You can do it, just turn!” 

In business, it is so easy to get overwhelmed. No matter your position within the company, nearly all small businesses are simply figuring it out (with each turn). Believe in yourself, and when you don’t have the appropriate skill set for a task, consult with those you trust, so you can believe in your decisions.

Have patience and encourage others.
On Day 4, we had family ski. The boys were paired with an excellent ski instructor this trip and graduated to level 6. It is so fun to watch them get better. They zoom through trees and around moguls as if they’ve been doing it their whole lives. In the beginning, they both had plenty of frustrating moments. But Matt and I tried our best to stay positive and encourage them to keep trying – even when it was hard. I have no doubt they will be better than me before they are teenagers. In many ways, they already are! They are getting good at jumps and terrain parks in ski school – and that is something I likely will never even attempt. 

Small businesses often like to hire promising fresh graduates, largely because they are cheaper than veteran professionals. Sometimes it can be frustrating teaching them the ways of your world, but it will be worth it.  And the reality is that they likely already have at least one skill set in something you don’t. Putting in the time and effort to teach and encourage them will benefit both of you, and they will never forget you.  

Listen to your leader.
Though Gregg may take me to runs that are out of my comfort zone (which I love and appreciate), he has yet to take me somewhere that I was not capable of handling. If I start to freeze up, he leads me down turn by turn. But this one time I was feeling confident and didn’t listen to what he said. It was family day and we were making our way down a mogully black. He took the kids to the other side of the mountain and told me to follow, but I thought I was fine where I was. I ended up accidentally jumping off of a large mogul/small cliff, landing, and skiing straight down a wall of ice, then into softer snow where I completely wiped out. It hurt, and I immediately regretted my decision. I probably should’ve checked with him first. One of my sons said I should’ve looked before I leapt. Good advice. 

Though it is important to believe in yourself and stand up for what is right, it is also important to listen to your leader. They often have the experience or foresight to know when you’re headed down the wrong path. If you are the leader, it is up to you to make sure your teams are on your bus. Otherwise, they need to get off at the next stop, and it is your responsibility to make it happen (so no one gets hurt). 

Know when to rest and when to quit.
Unfortunately, I actually hurt myself when I vaulted off of the mogul and crashed uncontrollably. It immediately reminded me of when I flipped my Grand Cherokee across four lanes of traffic about 17 years ago. But I didn’t have a seatbelt this time, and just below my knee got jammed up. I skied home to rest the remainder of the afternoon, hopeful it would be fine the next day. No go, though. Sometimes mistakes have consequences.

My original lesson learned for this section was going to be “Rest, don’t quit.” But sometimes quitting is the right thing. Sometimes you aren’t the right fit, no matter how badly you want to be. And you’ve got to be able to evaluate, “Should I rest and press on, or should I move on to the next thing?”

Have fun.
Gregg likes to say, “Left foot, right foot, smile.” Ha. He says that more than any other phrase! What’s the point of it all if it’s not fun? Of course Matt and I love skiing, this wouldn’t be our choice of vacation if we didn’t. But sometimes (just sometimes) it’s easy to get a little too serious trying to accomplish the next feat. It really is better when we take that moment to smile. 

Starting and developing a business is serious – for sure. It’s your livelihood, and that of all the employees at your company. But I guarantee your culture and attitude will improve if you take a moment each day to encourage smiles and have fun. 

Conclusion
After getting defeated by the last half of Powderhorn, I felt like I no longer knew how to ski. It was as if I had built this tower of skill and confidence, then those moguls knocked it all down and ate it up.(Is that how they got so big?) That feeling was tough to handle, and I think it led to my embarrassing tumble on family day. But was it worth it? Absolutely. I really tested my limits and (mostly) enjoyed the ride. Sometimes mistakes have consequences (they could result in failure) and that’s just part of it. We learn from it and rebuild, armed with our arsenal of lessons learned.

I remember putting on my first pair of skis in my 20s. I did not even consider that one day I would ski double blacks and safely enjoy it. Anything that wasn’t flat made me nervous. Though I’m definitely still learning, I also appreciate how far I’ve come. 

What an incredible trip! Colorado never ceases to amaze me. I hope my boys are also learning so much more than just how to ski.

P.S. Friday was checkout day. We woke up to the news about the Silicon Valley Bank calamity. Then after waiting at the airport for a couple of hours, our flight out of Aspen was officially canceled. No worries, we rescheduled for a flight in Denver early Saturday morning. We would just rent a car, drive 3.5 hours, and hang out in Denver for the night. Unfortunately, something was happening with the tunnel on I-70. We couldn’t go over it, couldn’t go under it, we had to go through it (reference to Going on a Bear Hunt). It took us nearly 8 hours to get there. Whew, what a day! Another lesson learned – sometimes things happen that are completely out of your control. Just keep doing the best you can.