Over the years I've enjoyed my share of work
"hiatus." In the midst of each and every one I
had to change my ways. Or as Frank frequently
reinforced - "You're no longer the boss." While
it usually took several months of adjustment,
I finally got used to the idea that no one except
myself was at my beck and call. Honestly, I'll
admit said awakening wasn't always pleasant.
Especially when I had to assume responsibility
for tasks others were much better at doing than
I. Nobody likes to do their dirty work. Hence
three years later, our mega fridge ice maker is
still not working. I simply can't deal with it.
All of us excel at certain things while we fail
at others. Now that I've once again exited the
corporate arena, I'm slowly embracing my new
reality. Which is that if I don't do it myself -
chances are it won't happen. Don't get me
wrong - Frank and I enjoy what is an equal
partnership. Over the years we've divided up
all tasks into his and his. Each of us assuming
responsibility for half. However there still are
bits and pieces unassigned that hitherto were
done by others much more capable. Meaning
that now I required to be a jack of all trades.
An active participant in things I'd rather not be.
When it comes to around the house work I'm
fairly comfortable with my limited abilities.
Hence I can easily handle minimal painting,
patching, and touchups. When it comes to the
yard, Frank maintains full control. However
I'm willing and able to pitch in as directed.
Given my professional background, I still can
shovel anything with gusto - including snow.
As my Dad was a trained electrician he taught
me how to avoid going haywire and burning
down the house. Related to the plumbing, I'm
smart enough to stay out of hot water. And so
I know who to call in case of emergency.
All of the above indicates my willingness to
sweat the small stuff. However as we establish
our new shop - my resolve has been put to the
test. In the old days all the details, logistics,
and project management were handled by an
extremely talented team down the ladder. Thus
my primary job was strategy, planning, plus a
lot of political maneuvering. Now I find myself
bearing the responsibility of making it happen.
By myself... on my own... and sans the savvy
that other's readily offered prior. And let me
assure you that it's a beyond humbling dive
into what can only be deemed adult education.
Fortunately there are many resources readily
available both locally and via the internet.
When it came to forming our corporation -
a friend helped us do it sans pricey lawyers.
A feat that was much easier than expected.
Given both of our backgrounds in creativity,
Frank and I worked together on our new logo.
A process in which ultimately the best man
won. Together we've share many of the other
responsibilities. The most exciting of which
is procuring antiques, vintage, and new items
from a variety of resources. A task of which
we find both thrilling and slightly terrifying!
This week I built our website. A process for
which I used to pay big time players mega
bucks to make it happen. Or in my agency
days, kept the secrets of e-commerce hidden
in order to over charge accordingly. Suddenly
I need everything for nothing. And fortunately
there are websites and services willing to help
me for just that. Shortly after I logged onto
www.wix.com I was soon building my own
website. Post purchasing a web address (URL)
I was able to create an e-commerce site that
not only looks great... it actually works. So
maybe I'm not as stupid as I thought I was?!
If nothing else my foray into the intricacies
of website construction and design has been
easier than expected. I simply followed their
direction (a task not easy for any man) and
slowly put the pieces together. While it's if
nothing else cookie cutter, our site is more
than adequate for this phase of development.
Throughout this process I've learned that one
can do almost anything when forced to. Plus
learn something new along the way. Proving
that even an old dog can be taught a new trick
or two. Next I must venture into the world of
public relations. Wish me luck...
Click here to visit our new website at www.cvhomemt.com
