Rescue Desk

When I flip the calendar from July to August, it’s usually met with a groan and exasperated sigh.  Why? Because August is the worst month. Ever.

August is like the Sunday night of the calendar year. When I was a kid, it meant a few short weeks until school started. Throughout my career, it usually meant a few short weeks until the beginning of an insanely busy fall season.  My usual glass-half-full optimism battles with glass-almost-empty pessimism because I know the clock is ticking. I spend the entire month feeling like I’m staring down the barrel of busy.

There are no holidays, it’s ridiculously hot, and it’s long – 31 days.  There’s no “like ripping off a band aid” quick solution to getting through it. Believe me, I’ve tried. Some years I mark off the days with a big red marker.  Other years I’ve bought myself a little present for every week I got through without incident. Last year I went so far as to cut out the word “July” and tape it over the word “August” on my wall calendar, trying to convince myself it was like July was a reeeeeeeaaaaaallly long weekend. 

With the exception of an occasional birthday, the only good thing about August is September follows it.

But, this year is different. For the first time, I can actually do something about it.

I’m sure there are others who share my aggravation with August. This year I’m channeling my empathy into my work. Thanks to what I do, I can effectively use it to make a difference in someone else’s end-of-summer blues.

My job is to make my others’ jobs easier by taking care of details of their to-do lists, so I have a feeling many are starting to feel the same way I do. They look at their projects, task lists and looming deadlines, wondering where the summer went when they thought they’d have all the time in the world.

Well, I’m here to help. I know exactly what it’s like wondering if you’re prepared for the next busy cycle. Details you didn’t consider crop up, to-do lists are littered with addendums of addendums, and you think you’ll never be ready.

But, you will be ready. September is going to roll around whether you like it or not. Time is the great equalizer … everybody has the same amount, no matter who you are or how busy you are. The difference is in how you use that time you have. You can spend time stressing about the details, or let someone else handle them and spend time planning for the big picture.

A friend of mine is editor-in-chief of a popular local arts-and-entertainment magazine in the Milwaukee area. She is an extremely gifted writer, and the first thing I always flip to when I get my copy is “The Editor’s Desk” letter, where she draws on her sharp wit and quick intelligence to muse about everything from business to politics to raising a family.

This month she wrote of “mavericks and leaders,” and it gave me pause to think about how I envision the future of my own little business, and that of my growing number of entrepreneurial friends.

She writes about the paths taken by free-spirited souls, and considers the inevitable fork in the road when the world’s mavericks need to decide if “fulfillment lies in the initial dream or the cultivated goal.”

“Mavericks are the mythic darlings of American culture,” she writes. “They work tirelessly in pursuit of the personal goals while bowing to no man; they are the innovators, the self-made millionaires, the rock stars. They don’t punch a time clock. For hard-working free spirits, this is probably the best life imaginable…

“One thing not taught in maverick school, though, is the catch: the successful ones will find themselves at another fork in the road, and they’ll have to make a choice: to stay free and accept the limits of the one-man band, or to build something larger than one person can achieve. ..”

The conclusion of her essay turns to the important implications of having mavericks-turned-leaders at the helm of change and innovation (especially in an election year). Although, I think anyone working hard at blazing their own unique trail may find themselves reflecting on their own need to cultivate the direction of their free-spirited vision.

Mavericks and Leaders   
-Vital Source magazine (July issue)

Since launching my business earlier this year, a huge part of my time is spent networking. After all, I own a heavily referral-based business, and the more people I meet, the larger my client base grows.

But, I recently went through an interesting exercise with a consultant friend of mine, who asked “How much are these events costing you?”

“Um … well … I leave from these events with the same amount of money I went with … so … nothing?”

I knew it was the wrong answer, but I wanted our conversation to segue into my friend’s area of expertise — cost-effective networking.

I’d never put any hard numbers behind my networking. Thankfully, I’ve been pretty lucky just relying on word-of-mouth combined with a little research, and I’ve found success at most of the events, speakers and meetings I’ve attended. But, our conversation was a reminder that my time is valuable, and that it’s OK to cherry pick.

Having a basic idea about a group’s membership or event’s attendees is an obvious place to start. If your business caters to other businesses, for example, attending Chamber events or checking out local referral-networking groups is a no-brainer.

But, don’t stop there.

Pull out your business plan and take a look at your ideal clientele. How large is your ideal client? Five employees? A hundred employees? What’s their estimated annual revenue? Can they easily afford and appreciate the value your business provides?  Which department do they oversee? Accounting? Human Resources? The whole enchilada?

Find out where these folks hang out – it could be industry association meetings, a monthly happy hour, or even in an online networking group.

Another thing I’ve found, which can sometimes fly in the face of your research, is to pay attention to your gut and watch the interaction.

I once attended a weekly referral networking group as the guest of a business acquaintance.  I did my due diligence ahead of time, and it seemed like it could be the perfect fit … the representative businesses fit my clientele criteria, the weekly meetings fit into my schedule, and I appreciated the group’s vision.

Well, while the businesses certainly fit my client base, it turned out very few of the attendees were the decision-makers I needed, nobody came up to say hello or introduce themselves, and 95% of the referrals were one member simply using another member’s services … I knew I’d burn through that pretty quickly.

So, before filling up your calendar with networking events and meetings, take the time to determine the investment you’re making. Ten or 15 minutes of quick research could mean the difference between a few hours of potentially wasted billable time or finding yourself in a room full of potential clientele.

Like most small business owners, I’m always conscious of presenting my best self to clients and business acquaintances. I have a quality (albeit relatively small) collection of jackets, skirts and business suits, I never leave the office without my bag filled with business cards and brochures, and I walk into every meeting and event fully pulled together.  After all, who’s going to trust a professional virtual assistant to keep them organized if she’s not organized herself?

But, let’s face it, sometimes always putting my best professional foot forward takes its toll, especially after several weeks of back-to-back meetings, networking events and staying on my toes when clients call.

My pulled-together self has a secret weapon – R.U.N.  When I execute the launch sequence for R.U.N., I do so far out of sight from my day-to-day professional self.

Codename: R.U.N.

Operation: Rachel Up North

My family has a dinky little two-bedroom cabin that’s planted right into the middle of the Wisconsin north woods.  It’s the first place I run to whenever I’m lucky enough to have a brief lull in my busy schedule.

The first thing I do when I get there? I scrub any trace of makeup off my face, I pull on my favorite pair of old jeans, get my trusty red baseball cap down from the closet, and slap on an oversized $3 sport watch I picked up at a local flea market.

No business suits, no leather-bound portfolios, and no PDA tethered to my hip.

The “raw” me lives like this for two or three days … scouting the nearby trail for firewood, wading in the nearby creek with my dog, taking early-morning hikes looking for a glimpse of the resident black bear, living on hot dogs, and quietly meditating in front of the fire … and doing it all in ratty jeans, baseball cap and cheap watch.  The only technology allowed (per the insistence of my mother) is the 15-year-old microwave in the kitchen.

Last time I returned from a recent three-day retreat from my north woods hideaway, I got to thinking how imperative it is for me to occasionally get back to basics. It’s undeniably one of the biggest weapons in my business-building arsenal. When I’m R.U.N.ing, I simply let whatever happens, happen. I let my thoughts come and go freely. I don’t let a clock dictate my day. I ban the words “I should” from my vocabulary. 

It never fails to provide me with the energy and enthusiasm required to tackle challenges that await back at my office with gusto, and gives me the perspective I need to think outside the box.  I liken returning from my R.U.N. to the middle-of-the-night answer that comes after days of swimming around in the muddy waters of a seemingly impossible question. 

So, take it from me, sometimes the best thing to do when you’re feeling claustrophobic under mounds of paperwork and projects is find a place where you can spend some time just “being.” Be with yourself, be with your family or friends, be with your thoughts.  But, most importantly, just be.

And don’t forget your baseball cap.