Some Birthday Lessons

Today is my 49th birthday. It's hard to believe I only have 365 days left in my 40s. I hear that the 50s are the new 30s, but until then I'll enjoy where I am in my life today. Because of some dear friends who are kind enough to invite us to Martha's Vineyard during this week, I have for the past several years had the pleasure of celebrating my birthday on the beach. This is pretty special to a guy whose astrological sign is Cancer the Crab. According to the Chinese zodiac I was born in the year of the dog. I'm pretty sure I was also born under a sign that read "Retail." I've had a lot of ups and my share of downs in life, and I consider myself extremely blessed. Blessed because of the wonderful people who have been in my life and shared with me the lessons that enabled me to succeed in retail and in life. For me, they're really one and the same. Here are a few of those lessons that stand out today: - You're only as successful as the people you have around you. Never be afraid to hire the best possible person and learn from her. - Ask for help when you need it. Offer to help when you don't. - Surround yourself with positive people who love life and love you. - Never regret the past. Use it to create a better tomorrow today. - Always remain teachable. Learn something every day. - Stop saying why something won't work and start asking how you can make it work. - Stop repeating, "I really need to." Either do it because you need to or decide you don't "really need to" after all. - Prioritize your day and always put the customer first. - Treat your employees well, they'll treat your customers well, and they'll treat you well. - No matter what your title, if you're in a leadership role you always go first. - Passion trumps knowledge and skill. Never try to cover the lack of knowledge and skill with passion. - Never shy away from a difficult conversation with an employee or a friend. You'll both be the better for it. - Be happy for others. - Always say, "thank you," "please," and "you're welcome." Expect the same from your staff and your children. - Refuse to allow gossip in your store. It kills more sales and profits than any big box competitor could. - Sometimes bad things happen. It's one thing to be a victim; it's another to stay one. - No matter the cause, if I'm bent out of shape about something the problem is always within me. If I don't believe that I'm giving others the power to control me. - If you don't take the time to enjoy the rewards of your hard work why work hard? - It's okay to know that you can't please every customer, but you can sure try. - And last but not least, at the end of my life it won't matter how much money I earned or how much praise I've received. What will matter is how well my children will have learned and applied their own lessons for a good life.