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.

My 7 year old son loves baseball. So much so that he wanted to play baseball for his recent birthday party. Of course, we made it happen – in the freezing cold. Moms and dads vs the kiddos. One mom wasn’t interested in playing, so she was kind enough to take pictures and videos. After the party, she sent me the one below. It is the birthday boy himself. I laughed out loud. He (unnecessarily) slid into home, but didn’t quite make it. Then he discreetly (and gracefully) turned into pushup position and scooted his feet to the plate, likely thinking no one was watching. HA! I’m certain someone more clever than me could come up with great memes for this one!

But, considering I edit for a living, you can imagine what it made me think… How sometimes you can manage to get a hit (come up with a great idea), make it all the way around the bases (get support and buy-in from peers as you work on the project), and come so close to scoring (completing the project), but need just a little help crossing the finish line (final edits). 

Sometimes you hit home runs, but sometimes you need someone else to hit you in. Turns out I’m pretty good at that.

Baseball analogies/metaphors/idioms are limitless in the business world and real life alike. I’m certain some of you are even tired of them. But, a run is a run, no matter if it’s from a home run or an RBI. Teamwork is my specialty, and I’m on-deck to hit you home!

Feel free to reach out with any questions: tina@dearlyza.com

Recently, my sister-in-love and best friend of over 20 years asked me to create a short, casual video for her class about grit. She is a middle school English teacher and likes to keep the assignments interesting. She normally has her students ask their friends and adults in their lives for examples, but this year she decided to ask some of her people, as well. I was honored to make the cut, but also a little nervous – what would I say to this group of preteens that might actually keep their attention?

Grit isn’t a word or characteristic that I think about often, like focus, drive, motivation, or persistence. In fact, my brain immediately began craving breakfast (grits – for those of you who do not live in the South). But grit is so strong and powerful, encompassing each and all of those, plus a little something extra. Grit pushes you through when it gets hard, when your goal seems to be just out of reach. 

In the process of figuring out what I might say, I got lost in my memories, searching for my own Rocky Balboa story to share. Though sometimes I feel stuck, or bored, or “not enough,” I actually found an arsenal of accomplishments to choose from. I had forgotten how hard I worked to get to where I am today. In my mind, graduating college, scoring my first job, getting married, and buying a house were reduced to life’s mundane inevitabilities. But, I jumped a series of hurdles to reach each of these goals. Becoming a “real adult” took grit. HA! Many years of mini-goals summed up in a few short phrases. Each of those accomplishments had moments that I questioned myself, my abilities, my why. Then, each accomplishment led to the next. 

I also thought about discussing the grit I see in my kids. They inspire me daily. Learning to swim, learning to read, potty training, riding a bike. In the beginning, these are all hard things. We have to be brave enough to be bad at something in order to learn something new. 

When my oldest was three years old, he learned to swim. I took him to a local water park to celebrate – just me and him. He was having a great time in the kids’ area, but kept eyeing “the green slide” he could see from afar. He could not resist the collosal tunnels and turns. Over 36in, he was tall enough to ride with an adult. We talked through it and he was ready to give it a try! We climbed what seemed like endless stairs. His excitement was palpable – and contagious. 

Then, when we finally reached the top,  he peered over the rail, scanned the park below, and suddenly realized how high we actually were. His face immediately transformed. His smile turned to tears and he was so scared he couldn’t even bring himself to get in the float. It was a calm family ride that he and I could do together. He was screaming and shaking, and we were up there for probably ten minutes. I almost let us walk back down all those damned stairs and go back to his comfort zone, but I talked him into sitting in the tube and just closing his eyes while I held his hand. We made it down. He absolutely loved it. 

We climbed those stairs and slid through those tubes countless times again that day with the biggest smiles. Not just because it was fun, but because he was proud of himself. This experience of fighting through his fears pushed him through many challenges in the coming years. Was this grit at three years old?

Sometimes we will grow frustrated, or scared, or tired (often right before the fun part). But when that happens, we have to learn to rest, not to quit. We start off on the right track then get derailed for whatever reason. And that is ok. We have to get back up and keep going. It will be worth it. We can do hard things. 

I ended up recording a video about training for a half marathon. I didn’t go into detail in the video, but each day was a challenge. I constantly doubted if running 13.1 miles was even possible for me. Every time the mileage increased, I did not think I would be able to run the entire distance. But I did. It may not have been pretty, but I did it. And it is an accomplishment I’m still immensely proud of today, not because of how I placed in the race (I was in much better shape in my younger years), but because of how hard I pushed myself to even show up on race day.

Starting a business is hard. Growing a business is hard. I hope you have someone to help push you forward – especially when you have to just close your eyes and pray for the best. Grit to great.

The importance of using proper grammar cannot be overstated. If you’re data sheets have mistakes, THAT is what people will notice. <- see what I mean! (You’re should be your!) It is always a good idea to have someone else review anything you plan to publish, ideally someone who understands grammar.

I love to review for grammar. If that is what you need, count me in! It will be quick turn around and the least expensive of the services I offer. This is because it doesn’t require creative thinking. It is like a math problem, you solve it and it’s done.

Here are some grammar jokes to help remind you of some of the terms you learned in high school.

• An Oxford comma walks into a bar, where it spends the evening watching the television, getting drunk, and smoking cigars.
• A dangling participle walks into a bar. Enjoying a cocktail and chatting with the bartender, the evening passes pleasantly.
• A bar was walked into by the passive voice.
• An oxymoron walked into a bar, and the silence was deafening.
• Two quotation marks walk into a “bar.”
• A malapropism walks into a bar, looking for all intensive purposes like a wolf in cheap clothing, muttering epitaphs and casting dispersions on his magnificent other, who takes him for granite.
• Hyperbole totally rips into this insane bar and absolutely destroys everything.
• A question mark walks into a bar?
• A non sequitur walks into a bar. In a strong wind, even turkeys can fly.
• Papyrus and Comic Sans walk into a bar. The bartender says, “Get out — we don’t serve your type.”
• A mixed metaphor walks into a bar, seeing the handwriting on the wall but hoping to nip it in the bud.
• A comma splice walks into a bar, it has a drink and then leaves.
• Three intransitive verbs walk into a bar. They sit. They converse. They depart.
• A synonym strolls into a tavern.
• At the end of the day, a cliché walks into a bar — fresh as a daisy, cute as a button, and sharp as a tack.
• A run-on sentence walks into a bar it starts flirting. With a cute little sentence fragment.
• Falling slowly, softly falling, the chiasmus collapses to the bar floor.
• A figure of speech literally walks into a bar and ends up getting figuratively hammered.
• An allusion walks into a bar, despite the fact that alcohol is its Achilles heel.
• The subjunctive would have walked into a bar, had it only known.
• A misplaced modifier walks into a bar owned by a man with a glass eye named Ralph.
• The past, present, and future walked into a bar. It was tense.
• A dyslexic walks into a bra.
• A verb walks into a bar, sees a beautiful noun, and suggests they conjugate. The noun declines.
• A simile walks into a bar, as parched as a desert.
• A gerund and an infinitive walk into a bar, drinking to forget.
• A hyphenated word and a non-hyphenated word walk into a bar and the bartender nearly chokes on the irony.

– Jill Thomas Doyle

As you begin creating content, there are basic concepts about your company that you will need to know and understand. 

What is your mission? 
What is your vision?
What does your company do?
What are your differentiators?
Who is your target market?

Sometimes the answer to these questions can be difficult to simply define. Sometimes, easy. Often, you know the answers when you start your company, but you lose it through the process of creating the business. Now you have a great product or service, but need to figure out how to share its value. Understanding the basic compass of your company will help you create the proper messaging. 

These questions are always among the first that I ask my clients. This way, I have a clear understanding of the direction of the company before embarking on tactical tasks. It is very important that every action the company takes is supporting these statements. 

Here are a few quick tips to guide your answers: 

What is your mission statement? As defined by Google, “a mission statement is a formal summary of the aims and values of a company, organization, or individual. A good mission statement can surprise, inspire, and transform your business. They provide a clearly stated purpose of your business and the goals you have for succeeding. The best mission statements go hand-in-hand with corporate philosophy and culture and help guide a company from the present into the future.”

Example: Google: To organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful. 

What is your vision statement? “A vision statement is an inspirational statement of an idealistic emotional future of a company or group. Vision describes the basic human emotion that a founder intends to be experienced by the people the organization interacts with, it grounds the group so it can actualize some existential impact on the world.A mission statement is the roadmap for the company’s vision statement.”

Example: Google’s corporate vision is “to provide access to the world’s information in one click.”

What does your company do? With technology companies, this question can be hard to articulate. It is important to have an elevator pitch that clearly and simply states what you do. There are always details to consider and technical jargon to iron out, but you need a quick and easy statement that anyone can understand.

What are your differentiators? What makes your company/product/service ‘better’ than the competition? What do you do differently?

Who is your target market? Do you know exactly who you are trying to sell to? As specific as target personas or as broad as job position or type of company.