Handy Manny a Business Mentor?

My humble and sincere apologies for taking this long to update my blog. The craziness of summer combined with my little one starting school, and everything else in between left me with little time to focus on writing. However, Fall is here, things have settled down and I've got lots of content stored up in this brain of mine just waiting to pour out.

Part of the morning routine in our household involves watching an episode of Handy Manny before school. For those of you who are not familiar with the show, Handy Manny is a Hispanic cartoon character who lives in the fictional town of Sheetrock Hills. He owns Handy Manny's Repair Shop and he is the "go to" guy in town for anything that needs to be fixed. I should also mention he has a toolbox full of talking tools who help him get the job done.

That being said, the show is one that is actually bearable to watch as a parent and maybe I tune in a little too much but I started to derive a few business lessons from watching and thought I would share my findings with you in good fun. So without further ado, the following is what I have learned about business from Handy Manny:

The Power of Team
If there's one concept Manny understands it's the power of "team". Although his business is called "Handy Manny's Repair Shop", he knows he cannot perform any job without his trusty tools, Felipe, Turner, Stretch, Squeeze, Pat, Dusty and Rusty. It takes the whole team working together and communicating to get the job done correctly. If one of the tools has a problem the others jump in to help him out. Manny relies completely on his team of tools and is the first to admit he couldn't do what he does without them.

Resourcefulness
Manny is very resourceful and knows exactly where to go for what he needs, Kelly's Hardware. Kelly always has whatever Manny needs in large supply and Manny knows he doesn't have to waste time searching all over town. Because of Manny's good relationship with Kelly (personally I think they have something going on but that's just my opinion) he knows that he can trust her and her store to help him with any job regardless of how big or small it is.

Attitude
Even under the most challenging circumstances Manny maintains a positive attitude. There have been many situations when he could have said, "you know what, I can't do this". But he perseveres, relies on his team for support and on some occasions breaks into song to boost morale. He also never shows concern in front of his customers. He waits until he gets back to his shop and then he and the tools talk about solutions to the problem.

Outstanding Customer Service
I'm not positive whether Manny has the only repair shop in town or not but whether he does or he doesn't he has a reputation of being the best in the business. He never fails to provide top notch customer service and goes above and beyond to make his customers happy. His phone never stops ringing because word gets around fast in Sheetrock Hills and one happy customer leads to several referrals.

Master Networker
Manny doesn't hide out in his repair shop when he's not busy working, he is out in the community. Whether it's at Kelly's Hardware checking out the latest tool catalog, or Mr. Lopart's candy store or participating in charity events, Manny is a visible presence around town. He says hello and strikes up a conversation with everyone he meets and often times those casual conversations lead to new business. He's never pushy about what he does, he just lets the conversation flow naturally and always with a friendly smile.

Manny is definitely one to watch in the business world. I'm sure any minute now Manny will be writing an ebook, starting a Mastermind group or holding do it yourself home repair teleclasses. Hmmm I wonder if he needs a VA.

Let Your Light Shine

This week we’ve had a number of untimely celebrity passings: Tonight Show sidekick Ed McMahon, Charlie’s Angel Farrah Fawcett, Music Icon Michael Jackson and most recently, the man known as the King of Infomercials Billy Mays. Though all of these individuals left their own mark on the world with their unique talent, style and personalities, they share one thing in common – they all loved what they did and let their light shine through in their work and everyday lives.

Hearing of these incredible losses one after the other this week really got me to thinking. Their time came far too quickly but they will all be remembered for the short time they were here because they put everything they had into what they did and how they lived their lives. It made me a little sad that the majority of us go through life just living by the status quo. We go to our jobs, take care of our families and find ourselves tired, exhausted, even resentful sometimes.

I grew up being taught I needed to go to college, find a job stay at that job for 30 + years and retire with a gold watch. No one ever introduced the idea to me that I could be successful with my own business and make money doing something I actually liked doing not only what was expected of me. I think at one point or another we all get caught in the trap of not following our hearts because we need to put food on the table or we worry that others will think we’re crazy for leaving a steady paycheck and benefits for the unknown. Yes the unknown is a bit scary but these days there’s no guarantee that the 30 year job will be there tomorrow. In my opinion, I’d rather be in control of where my next paycheck is coming from instead of relying on someone else to make that decision for me or worrying about pounding the pavement in hopes that someone thinks I’m “qualified enough” to work for them.

I prefer to dance to the beat of my own drum and let my light shine through what I do and who I interact with on a daily basis. Is it a challenge? Yes. Is it difficult sometimes? Sure. Would I trade it for anything? Absolutely not, because I’m doing what makes me happy, contributing to my household and living life on my terms. If something isn’t working, I can fix it. If I don’t like something, I can change it. If I want to move in a different direction I can do so without waiting for a promotion or approval from anyone.

I live a simple life in a small town because I choose to, not stuck in a city I hate just because there may be opportunities there.

The life I am creating is my “why” for doing what I do. I am in control. I have no limits. Though I am an unknown compared to the four fallen souls we lost this week, I’d like to think I am similar in that they all impacted the world in a positive way by doing what they loved and doing it their way and in my own little way I am doing the same thing. If my time came tomorrow would my picture be plastered on Access Hollywood and all over the Internet? Probably not, but somewhere, somehow I have made a difference in someone’s life and that matters more to me than a gold watch for 30 years of service where no one will remember my name when I walk out the door.

Farewell Ed, Farrah, Michael and Billy, thank you for shining your lights for us all. You will be missed.

Change Is Good!

I hope you're sitting, I know it's a shock but yes, I'm back! For my loyal readers I apologize that it's been so long since I've updated but as most of you know my family and I recently moved from Vegas to Michigan (see previous post for the back story). Now that things are put away and a routine has been established I finally feel like I can get back to writing.

Though not completely settled (my hubby is still in Vegas with our stuff and our 3 cats and I'm flying out on the 21st of June to make the 3 day drive back with him), we are realizing more and more every day that this change was exactly what we needed.

The biggest joy out of every day is being able to watch my daughter play outside by herself which she could never do before living in a big city with no yard to speak of. She loves being outside exploring with the neighborhood kids, saying hello to the mailman, and her new favorite thing, taking care of her very own tomato plant.

This change has also taught me a lot about what I'm made of. With my husband not being here I've had to be mom and dad. And without my daughter being in preschool at the moment I've also had to be teacher and playmate not to mention trying to operate my business. Thank goodness for family support but even still, it hasn't been easy. But we're doing it. I've learned I'm much stronger than I gave myself credit for. I've also learned that I can get by with much less than I thought with most of my stuff still in Vegas. I actually don't miss a lot of it.

I'm eating healthier and enjoying walking in my neighborhood with one of my good friends. I've lost about ten pounds since moving back without much effort, just small changes.

I am more creative now than I've been in months. Maybe it's all this fresh air, or maybe it's just because I was bogged down with "stuff" and noise before, but ideas are flowing and I'm definitely in my creative zone right now.

I've also decided to start another business which I'm really excited about. Details coming soon. I finally feel like all of the pieces to my puzzle are falling into place.

Sometimes change is what is needed to get out of a rut and jumpstart your life. It might not be as drastic as a cross country move, maybe it's making a career change, a new apartment or house or even a new outfit. However big or small, I invite you to explore what changes might affect your life for the better. Would you like to be doing different work than you are now? Living in a different location? Be 10, 20 or 30 pounds lighter? Have more energy? What changes could you make in your life to make those things happen? What is holding you back?

Thanks for sticking with me! It's great to be back!

Until next time, have an amazing week!