Lots to do as we re-envision our company (and skiing Killington)

There are consequences to adding 3 full time jobs to my position within the company already laden with responsibilities: HR guy as we solicit and interview and then hire, doing most of the client-facing stuff that Amanda did, and then coordinating our vendors and subs.  One of the consequences is my brain is full, so losing my phone and other mishaps should come as little surprise.

But losing your phone on the Killington Mountain over President’s Day comes with a lot of insight into phone usage.  Yeah, for a couple of days it will be inconvenient for sure, as we wait for the new one to arrive- but with all my passwords in a password app and my data and pics and videos correctly backed up the cloud, the real problem I’m running into is the 2nd layer of security recommended, the double authentication, where they send a code to your phone. Try to log into my iCloud account, nope.  Try to log into my verizon account, nope.  Try to ‘find my phone’ on someone else’s phone, nope.  I did find some workarounds, but that took a lot of time to figure out.  Thought for sure someone would turn it in, but nothing yet.  I used to be a big loser of stuff, or at least misplacer a lot of stuff - hasn’t happened in years, and only happened this time because my new fancy ski bibs were unfamiliar and I missed the pocket when I redeposited my phone after a glorious top of mountain photo.

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I’m up in Killington for a 3 day boys weekend, a tradition going on or maybe exceeding 10 years by now.  We went go Stowe for 7 or so, which was a lot of fun because we would stay in Burlington, and gather at the hotel bar as families trickled in, eat at some fun restaurants and had a good rhythm.   50 minutes to the slopes the next day was a pain, though we would always stop for fresh bagels on the west side of town from an independent baker, at 6:30am.

I like Killington because it’s a bigger mountain, and a lot more ‘blues’ of varying technical difficulty.  Most of Stowe’s slopes were somewhat steep, even in the ‘blues’.  Used to be 10 plus of us, but now just Lucas my son, a good friend John and me.  In a 3 bedroom rental in Rutland, 10 minutes from the slopes.  Seems to be a late start crowd - we get there at 8, hit the slopes, and pretty thin crowd until 10 or so, and then fades again after 2.

I don’t think many people ski like we do.  First on the slopes, last off.  Makes for some tired bodies for sure but you get a ton of skiing in.

Feels good to be out and about after the harrowing 4-5 weeks I’ve just been through.  Proves my point of a few posts ago, that you always have to have gas in the tank cause you never know when you are going to need it.  You always have to be able to be able to dig deeper and find the energy to tackle whatever is needed.  A few friends of mine said, ‘of course, we knew you’d step up and knock it out of park’ type of sentiment, and it’s nice to know that’s how I’m perceived, but when it’s just me myself and I, I can’t say I harbored the same confidence. Kicking the foot starter on the old engine, in my mind anyway, was no sure thing of an engine starting and running well.

This was a gigantic effort - to put Humpty Dumpty back together again.  No means assured, no assurance that it wouldn’t come without true costs in time, mistakes, errors, and team-stress.

But we are on the other side now, and while by no means glued back together wholly, it made it easier when I realized I didn’t want to glue it back together,  I wanted to reinvent and reimagine, so that made it more fun, more strategic, helpful, as I envision what this company maybe should have been awhile back, but you don’t mess around with the gears when everything is going great, or appears to be.

Not be redundant at important positions is an ‘owners’ mistake.  Allowing information silos to be built, is an owner’s mistake.  Allowing non-cooperative, lack of sharing of responsibilities is an owner’s mistake.  But I don’t mind the mistakes- mistakes are what defines a company,  - every company makes them, and the more you do and press forward and press your competitive advantage and try new things, the more mistakes you are going to make - mistakes are your friends - they guide you as effectively as success.

In fact, out there in the wider entrepreneurial world, I wouldn’t be surprised if mistakes are valued more at times, because mistakes add a layer of caution to your plans that success doesn’t.  Success can build over-confidence, and ‘do no wrong’ attitude, and enough of that type of thinking can really lead into danger zones, too much speed heading into the bends in the road.

Mistakes and errors are like a good wingman. What I’ve learned most in the last 4 weeks, and I’m sure there are a lot more lessons and clarity to come, is that the best tool and resource that my company has - me - has been totally under-utilized as of late.  Like your star player sitting it out.  However this company looks in after I reimagine it, the number one thing it will be is more collaborative - and that will be more fun, more redundant and better for all involved.  So maybe the re-inventing isn’t even that hard - removing the impediment to that sharing made not only the need, but the desire, to work together more among my team a really neat thing to witness.

And as I’ve said more than anything, other than wealth, other than self-determination, - one thing you get as a self-employed person is situations that demand all your energy focus creativity resourcefulness, and the outcome is largely dependent on successfully deploying ‘your all’ - not many other lifestyle choices leave you completely at the mercy of your own abilities in good times and bad, in good luck and bad.

Off to ski the Beast (Killington nickname).

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