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Sep 9, 2009

My Great Grandfather’s First Day of Business

barbershop chair

There was a legendary story in our household about my great grandfather’s first day owning a barbershop in the Bronx. At the end of a very disappointing Monday he compared notes with a competitor down the street. “I didn’t have one customer all day,” my great grandfather complained. “You think that’s bad?” asked his competitor. “My only customer came in, sat down and broke the chair!”

Whenever I’m having a not-so-good day, I think back on that story. These experiences are the character builders (and material for talks), especially for entrepreneurs.

I was having that kind of a day yesterday. It felt like the first day back at school after summer. I had high expectations for transacting business, but got started with a wham-bang of disappointments: travel plans fell through and a much-loved client decided to opt out of a group (for good solid reasons) I am starting all in the space of 20 minutes.

I could have crawled back into bed and assumed the fetal position or headed to the freezer for some Haagen-Dazs. But choosing escapism is no longer a part of my process. Instead, I re-framed the challenges, grabbed the learning from them and moved on. If I regard these ‘problems’ as information, I can re-calibrate my offerings, restate my needs and desires and improve my overall communications and stature.

By the end of the day I was on top of the world, optimistic and moving forward. The travel plans were re-instated, and I figured out how to move forward with offerings more suited to this economy and mindset.

And, completely unrelated, but very joyful–my husband hit a hole in one.

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5 Comments

  1. Marilee Herrera-Peterson

    Thank you for sharing, I had one of those days last Thursday.

    Yeah! A hole in one!!!!!

    Reply
  2. Susan O'Halloran

    Hi Jane,
    I’m having one of those weeks and your blog just reminded me that it’s not the circumstances that make the person but what the person does with the circumstances that count….thanks for the reminder. Congrats to your hubby. That would make my husband’s year! Cheers, Sue

    Reply
  3. janepollak

    @Sue and Marilee
    I hear that Mercury is in retrograde, which may explain our challenges and my husband’s hole-in-one. Both out of the ordinary!

    Reply
  4. JAYGE

    Well,
    Tomorrow morning is that day for me. My ENTIRE life savings, a 6 figure job down the tubes, sold my beloved jeep, living with my dad, and I can’t pay my bills for my personal stuff. I am a go-getter and this has been my dream for for 10 years.

    8 months of hard work and thousands, yes thousands (business partner and I did the math) of hours put into this one moment. I have not drawn a paycheck in 5 months 🙂 and he has been drawing unemployment for 4 months.

    Here I go It’s my shot… feet fail me not

    Reply
  5. janepollak

    @Jayge
    May you look back on this day many years from now with wisdom and humor!

    Reply

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