How to be a Ninja Mouse.

With all the hoop-la these days about being an entrepreneur, we are glamorizing the concept to the point of not telling the truth. So here it is.

An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business who makes money through risk and / or initiative. Being an entrepreneur is frightening, lonely and risky. There are real life changing opportunities and risks at hand when one embarks on a new business venture.

But still we forge ahead, fueled by that feeling deep within our gut that calls out to us to be . . . . .  

The entrepreneur's quest is always inspiring. We aspire to be financially successful, unique, innovative, creative and doing work that is meaningful and worthwhile.  Magazines articles about real life entrepreneurs tell stories about people who followed their love and found success.  

Nobody aspires to be poor, mediocre, same old, same old, stuck in a run, trapped in a job you hate, and bored to death.  But somewhere along the way, that is exactly what can happen, and this once inspiring adventure becomes a ball and chain. Sometimes we exhaust our personal resources, burn out, or bail out.  

Statistics say that 80% of small business owners give up within 5 years.  I can see that. Even in a well established corporation, five years is a long time. For the entrepreneur, that can mean five years of dipping into family time and money, working long days and nights juggling managing, creating, delivering, marketing, and innovating.  

So how do the successful entrepreneurs do it?  How do they move from mice to elephants?  How did Bill Gates go from a computer lab being one of the richest people in the world? How did Mark Zuckerberg know that Facebook would revolutionize the way we interact?  

Both of these super ninja entrepreneurs were essentially at the right place at  the right time, with the right idea and the right support. 

Using the analogy of mice and elephants to compare small business to big business, mice are nimble and can move like ninjas, where as elephants are not. Mice can turn on a dime; elephants, not so much.  

But mice and elephants both require the same skill sets to be successful.  The difference is that elephants have the resources at hand, and mice tend not to.  

For example, every business needs expertise in accounting, technology, marketing, strategy, communications, human resources and operations. In a large corporation, this combination of skills comprises most executive teams. 

The challenge for mice is to be resourceful to take advantage of their ninja-like capabilities. There is no rest for us if we are carrying the weight and responsibility of a large organization without the resources. Eventually we become exhausted, frustrated and paralyzed. As one of my readers put it, "I feel like the elephant, and I can't move". 

We tell ourselves stories that keep us going and we read Inc. Magazine relentlessly studying great entrepreneurs and wonder what's wrong with us. When we feel like we are sinking, we quote what I call entrepreneur dogma: "I would rather work 20 hours a day for myself than 20 hours a day for someone else", and "I am investing in my future", and my favorite, "but I am free".  

We are the architects of our own misery when we do not tell the truth about what is keeping us up at night.   

The truth is, we are afraid because of what's at risk. There. I said it.  Fear of losing everything. Fear of failure. Fear of others perceiving us as failures.  The good news is, these fears are legitimate and possible for businesses of all sizes and types, so why not talk about it? What keeps us trapped in this spin cycle?

Brutal honesty is the only way.  Failure is imminent when we go into business with our eyes shut.  Anyone who says differently is not being honest.  Understanding risk is about seeing the road ahead in 2020. 

As an extrovert, it has been my experience that starting a business is L.O.N.E.L.Y.  I believe we spend too much time alone and in our own heads, so we are not in the practice of talking about these issues. We work out of home offices, telling ourselves we need to keep the overhead low.  As a result, we don't ask for help, nor do we have the network of helpers that those working in corporate settings do.  So we sit alone on our island and wait for our ship to come in. But that only happens in the movies. 

I believe that there are some things we, the mice, can do to overcome the perils and become the ninja mice that we are deep down inside:  

• First, we need to create a community of our own, where people of common values and complimentary skill sets can work together  and help each other. 
• Second, we need to get out of our home offices and share professional space and management services so that we can focus on the real work on creating something that adds value to the lives of people such that they will part with their time and /or money to have it. 
• Third, we need to take time to incubate the idea instead of jumping to execution and working like a dog to keep up before we know where we are going. 
• Fourth, we need to create a plan that will take us to that place and allow ourselves to explore that which does not yet exist. 
• Fifth, we need to evolve our ideas and grow in a managed way as mice, not elephants.  

  

Heed the Free: A Philosophy for the Future that Leaves ROE in its Dust

On Thursday May 10, Heed the Free hit the runway as an emerging designer in Regina, Saskatchewan during the province's first ever Fashion Week.

Its creator, Sara Armstrong, is one of our own. Sara is twenty-three years old and currently working and living in Vancouver, Canada.

Born and raised in Regina, Saskatchewan, she is an installation artist and designer with a sustainable focus. She completed her Bachelor of Fine Arts in 2010 from the University of Regina, with a major in sculpture and inter media. Sara has shown and sold work in galleries across Saskatchewan.

She moved to Vancouver in September of 2010 to begin a career in Fashion. In April of 2011, Sara partnered to launch an Eco-apparel knitwear brand called, Motel June.

In September of 2011, Sara graduated with a Fashion Design diploma from Blanche Macdonald. Her design was featured on the cover of the magazine and in billboards and posters.

Her new line, Heed The Free, is up-cycled and re-purposed. She describes it as an Eco-couture conundrum, with a goal to serve a new market in exploring Eco-fashion.

Her voyage thrives upon child-like curiosity, a love affair with the handcrafted, and the Emersonian spirit. Heed the Free is fiercely independent with a goal of inconsistency as opposed to the consistency of mass production. Heed the Free is about learning and celebrating change and transformation in discovering, composing, decomposing, and reconstructing the old into the new.

Heed the Free carries a message of Planetary sustainability, love, peace and knowledge. Armstrong is dedicating 50% of her profits to the Rainforest Conservation Foundation. 

Heed the Free, along with the collection of designers and models who walked the runway last week carry another message about the Saskatchewan's future that bears heeding.

Along with the pride that I felt watching my daughter's collection walk the runway, and hearing the cheers from the crowd, I couldn't help but be impressed and inspired by the organization, quality of the event and the talent that hails from our province under sun.

Saskatchewan Fashion Week is an example of how things get done here in Saskatchewan, and the power of a vision that is nurtured and brought to life.

Directors Chelsea O'Connell, Candyce Fiessel and Chris Pritchard created a business plan that inspired volunteers, designers and audiences to come together and share in the artistry of our province's people.

I was inspired and proud knowing that these artists with business savvy are people of Saskatchewan whose passion inspired thousands and brought Saskatchewan to a place we had never been before.

I couldn't help but think about how important it will be to sustain this momentum of the arts so that designers and artists like Sara can have a career and a future here, and be proud to talk about Saskatchewan as the place where it all began for them.

In these times of economic review, we need to continue to nurture the arts and the artists for it is they who possess a vision that others can see too. Artists have the power to tell a story that numbers and Return on Equity measures never will.

Decision makers need to remember that there is more to a future than what a balance sheet can communicate.  Without heart, soul and vision, there is no future and no way to inspire. If anything, we need to continue to promote the arts and support the industry with the business tools that it needs to be successful and viable into the future rather than eliminating them.

Visit www.sararmstrong.com to find out more about Heed the Free. 

http://blogs.leaderpost.com/2012/05/10/sask-fashion-week-kicks-off-with-awe-inspiring-runway-show/

http://www.leaderpost.com/life/fashion-beauty/Local+designers+show+creations+Sask+Fashion+Week/6606512/story.html

Sex Sells for Plumbers, Planners and Communicators

Plumbing, planning and communications professionals have something in common.  Our job is to save potential embarrassment, clean up costs and help offset other forms of unfortunate nastiness. We manage that which flows downhill. It's not sexy but it's necessary.

There is one distinction between plumbers, planners and communicators. In the world of plumbing, it's pretty clear as to why you need a plumber.

It's not always clear as to why you need a planner and a communicator.

As a planner and communicator, my job is to create the elements that ensure a smooth operational flow of your business and help you get the message out.

Business plans describe why you exist in the first place, where you are going, who you are serving, your goals, and the strategies and tactics that will take you there. You say, "but I already know that, why do I need to write that down".

To that I answer, you and your business affect your family, your employees, your suppliers, your community, and your banker.  If you do not have a plan that considers the full implications of your life, then chances are something is out of balance, including your finances, your family life, your health and your future.

The business owner must think of her life's business in cycles. In the start up phase, there is investment of time and resources that is subtracted from time and resources from your family. The start up phase is tenuous and full of questions and risk. Most entrepreneurs are technicians.  They begin working at what they are good at without having business skills or the time to develop those skills. They need to be delivering the product, marketing, creating and visioning, and taking care of administrative demands. According to Industry Canada, 80% of start ups and small businesses fail because they are not good at business, and do not acquire the professional skills because they don't know what they don't know.

If the business does progress to the next phase, and employees are hired, the need for management expertise increases as complexity increases. Consider the following:

• People and Culture. Job descriptions, performance plans, and benefits helps keep people on track, and engaged. 
• Product Innovation.  Your product needs to be competitive and responsive. You need to keep your eye on what's next and make decisions as to how you respond.  
• Effective Operations.  The way you get things done becomes your reputation. You need to manage suppliers, and ensure our business is being run responsibly. Policies, processes and procedures help keep things on track and moving in the right direction. 
• Financial Security. As you move into the succession cycle, you need to think about the legacy of your life's investment, and who will take it over.

Business plans are used to create budgets, not the other way around. Putting a budget in front of a business plan is like starting a race at the end, rather than the beginning. It is putting the cart in front of the horse. Putting a budget in front of a business plan is the sure fire way to kill innovation, imagination, creativity and risk. It is short term thinking.

Yes, creating a business plan is time intensive, terrifying and not fun. It is hard work to define what it is you do and why others would be interested in your big idea.  It requires in depth market research and an in depth investigation of your competitors to the point of dreaming about them. I guarantee that if you are painstakingly investigating the thousands of companies that are out there doing exactly what you think you do, or want to do, you will become terrified as you come face to face with the reality that you can indeed fail.

At this point, you will probably need a break as your wounded ego will need to heal a bit. Plus, you need to go make some money to fuel your dream. In that healing time, if you are really passionate about what you want to do, you will come to the realization that competitors are only a risk if you are duplicating their offering. That's when the sun begins to shine again, because now you know that you can circumvent the flow of matter by virtue of differentiation.

Once you have a plan in place with clear measurable targets, you need to get creative, concise and brave in communicating it, because once you start getting the word out, your potential customers and your competitors will immediately form a reaction. You will need to be able to answer the question, "so what do you offer" eloquently and in 10 words of less, as if you were being grilled on the  Dragon's Den.

I would like to add a cautionary note: a tag line is not the answer, nor is a funky logo unless you can back it up with something insightful, unique and compelling that fills a gap your customer's mind.

I once attended a business meeting of entrepreneurs who introduced themselves around the table with the name of their company and their tag line. When it came to my turn, I told them I create business plans, and they said, for who? "For you", I said, "For anyone in business and wanting to be in business".  Most of them told me they did not have a business plan.

The bottom line is  plumbing is important, and so is planning your business and communicating it. Most of us need help with this. We need someone to facilitate the process, and keep it moving while we (the entrepreneur) needs time to heal our ego. We need someone to ask the tough questions and take us to those places that we are afraid to see and who can help us create that clear message.

I have never met a successful CEO who was not surrounded by professionals who facilitate the planning, communication and strategy development process.

Admittedly, business planning and purposeful communication are not sexy, nor is plumbing.  But as the CEO of your own making, you quite honestly need this support, whether you know it or not, just like you need a good plumber when the going gets tough.

Rebel mouse speak

In the boardroom, I have often felt like I was the only one having the conversation about the power in intention, vision and goals as eyes were glazing over. I was both vindicated and humbled when my 23 year old daughter called to give me the same advice I have been giving my clients.

She had just finished three days of orientation and training with Lululemon Athletica. It was a proud moment for me, because she had learned intuitively in 3 days what many people in the corporate world have difficulty grasping or imagining.

"You need a clear BHAG - do you know what that is? - a big hairy audacious goal - and to set an intention.  How else will you know if what you are doing is taking you along your path if you don't have a path", she explained with a rebellious tone. "Maybe Lynear Thinking is too narrow and too corporate", she said.

The clarity rung so true that cracks started to form. She had seen what I was trying to hide - that I was not being fully authentic about my future aspirations.

I went back to the drawing board of my own business plan, but I changed the experience by changing the language. I asked myself these questions: what would you dare to do if you could not fail?

Immediately my mind took me back to the beginning when I started university with a goal of being a writer and a journalist.  That was my true love then, and continues to be.  Writing is like breathing to me. I write because it puts things into perspective, not just for me, but for others who read it as well. I use journalistic principles of truth and balance in my writing, and I take an objective view to understand the situation, interpret what it means and who is affected.

The second question I asked myself is what do I do that I would do for free. Again, the answers are there in  my daily life. I love to teach yoga inspired fitness classes because for that hour, my goal is help everyone in the class become successful in their own practice.  Physical fitness, wellness and balance are vitally important as it helps me to put life and work into perspective. I also work with two non-profits as a board member.

Finally, I asked, who is there with me?  Again, easy peasy.  The people that I want to work with and spend time with are those who have a desire to get somewhere, to improve their own path and to help others in the community.

The planning process asked me for a 10 year outlook. O.M.G. That makes me 10 years older than I am now. At this point, I begin to panic.  That is not enough time I tell myself.  I waited too long.

After talking myself off the ledge of my own making, I came to the realization that time is what life is all about, for it is the only commodity that we cannot buy back. Time is the great equalizer. What we do with time is what matters.

I confirmed my intention to live and work with passion, and to work through purpose, with purpose.  I set goals to write and publish, building on my love of journalism.  I also set goals to help people reach their goals and shining the light on what is standing in their way, with information and words, and a little zen.

Knowing where you came from and learning from the experience is an important part of moving forward. I know that working for money alone is not as valuable as time.  

Now my time and talent is spent working with organizations with limited capacity but great opportunity. I help them navigate government bureaucracy, plan the way ahead, and develop the means to be successful and competitive in the market place. I am their mouse, if you will, their facilitator. The person that moves them to action.

My work is focused on people who are genuinely trying to get somewhere, and who are secure in the fact that they may not know everything there is to know.

I work for sustainable change with individuals and companies who have a socially and economically viable desire.  Through cooperation and collaboration with others like me who have the talent, professional knowledge and expertise and the desire to help others achieve their goals, we can move elephants. Yes, I am a mouse in the world of elephants. But I am a rebel mouse who can do mean a Chaturanga.

Namaste.

Rook to Queen. Check, Mate.

I love a good game of chess. It's all about strategy and mind mapping. So the recent news of Sask Tourism becoming one of Saskatchewan's newest CIC crowns has me thinking.  

The Government of Saskatchewan's budget included $22 million in efficiency measures as a result of the following:

• Seniors and children will pay more for drugs, saving $10 million dollars. 

• The film industry funding has been cut with the winding down of the Film Employment Tax Credit, saving $8 million dollars. 

• The Enterprise Region Program has been cut, saving another $4 million. The Regina Regional Opportunities Commission (ROCC) funding was reduced. 

The budget giveth, and the budget taketh away, just as the good book says.  We are told a new tourism crown corporation will be created. The Minister of Tourism, Parks, Culture and Sport says the move is all about aligning tourism with other economic developments in the province. 

In strategy terms, "aligning" is just another word for "restructure". It usually refers to reorganizing current holdings in order to optimize and leverage (take advantage of) competencies and resources and to do more than what is possible in the current structure.   

So let's think for a moment about what other tourism and economic development interests could be "aligned" with the likes of tourism.  

Consider the Revitalization Vision which envisions the development of commercial buildings, condos, entertainment, shopping and a commitment to the arts and sports, brought to life by the entertainment facility, where we can "express ourselves". Put our best artists and performers on display.  A state of the art residential neighborhood will be built to create affordable residential units.  The overall goal is to create mixed income neighborhoods, where we will attract diversity and ethnicity. 

Uploaded by cityofregina on Apr 18, 2011

Regina Revitalization project announcement video. 

 (I  hear the Coca-Cola song in my head  . . . "I'd like to buy the world a home, and furnish it with love. . .")

Back to business.  Since alignment tends to happen on the current portfolio of economic interests, let's take a quick look at our most treasured and viable economic engines, our Crown Corporations. SaskTel is in the business of telephones and television; SaskPower keeps the lights on. SaskEnergy keeps us warm in the winter and our BBQs glowing in the summer.  STC provides bus service within Saskatchewan, albeit at a loss.  Information Services Corporation keeps the records straight on who owns what, SOCO is all about technology, Sask Gaming is all about entertainment, casinos and tourism and now there is soon to be a corporation dedicated to tourism and other fun stuff that promotes economic interests.    

Now, I am not a betting woman (seriously, I have a $5 dollar limit when it comes to losing money) but I would guess that when it comes to defining fun, the Minister is not referring to our utilities, bus service, technology development or our information. Clearly, these are not fun, but they are necessary, and not to be gambled with.

So in this game of chess, I would venture the next move to be an alignment of crown investments that connect the businesses of fun and tourism to support our economic growth agenda. Maybe then we can recoup the $22 million we lost today (to the power of infinity and beyond), so that we can improve the lives of our seniors, children, create a place for families to live quality lives, where private enterprise businesses generate the balance of economic strength, where neighhoods and schools are safe, where we appreciate and celebrate the arts and the artists, and still be that tourism mecca we so long to be, such that tourists want to come by the busload to spend their time and money here.   Ah strategy. It's always entertaining.

Governance,Gravity, Risk and Jack Rabbits

The word "Risk" has baggage, unless your name is Jack and you can run at a speed of  72 km/h. 

When we think of risk, we think of bad things.  But risk is not bad. Risk is risk. Sometimes you have to take a risk to reap the rewards.  That is the definition of competition, after all. Nobody ever accomplished anything sitting on the couch. Sometimes you have to take a chance. Sometimes you have to take a leap of faith.  

I was reminded of this today as I was driving down the street when a jack rabbit, in full momentum raced across the intersection as I was approaching it.  He was fully tucked, ears back and fully committed to crossing the street.  I saw him, as did the other drivers, and we gave him the right of way.  I thought, now that's what you call taking a risk and having faith.  

But in governance and business, faith doesn't always cut it.  That's where Enterprise Risk Management  comes in.  

ERM is the responsibility of the Board of Directors. It is one of the tools used to inform direction and provide oversight in the achievement of the direction.  And like all things in governance and gravity, what comes up, must come down.  The question is how.  

I implemented an integrated ERM program for a gaming organization.  I researched the industry best practices in ERM and talked to the experts both here in the business community and abroad. My goal was to implement ERM as an integrated function within the organization's governance framework. 

So I began at the board table where the responsibility for the enterprise lies.  My first step was to review the Board of Directors Terms of Reference to ensure ERM had a strategic home.  The Board approved the changes, including assigning the responsibility to a committee.  

From there, the work was focused on creating the program, including the policies, processes and tools. In doing so, I found that education and communication were the first priority because  ERM is a conversation about what could happen, how to take advantage of the opportunities, and how to minimize the threats. 

Establishing a language as part of the process helps to define the words and guide the conversation to reduce the impact of making emotional decisions, or decisions not based on the best information available. 

Inevitably, emotions enter the room with risk is on the table. At that time, it is important to step back and remember that risk is just that.  It is not fear. It is an event that could happen.  "It could rain tonight".  Fear of getting wet or of lightening is the emotional attachment that we bring to the table. 

Moving through the strategy and ERM continuum is an evolutionary process and takes practice.  If an organization's leadership team is fear based and reactionary, then fear will be a motivator.  Fear is not rational, so running an organization with fear leads to some irrational decisions. The other extreme to the fear based culture is that of empathy and arrogance.  Some times, people view the risk discussion as fear mongering, so their minds are also closed to the possibility. Neither is good. 

The facilitator of the process has to take the conversation away from the emotion and into the facts. That's why it is valuable to integrate strategic planning and ERM. The strategy conversation is about possibility and change. And those tend to be good things.  So weaving the "what could happen that could impact our strategy" question into the process helps to soften the fear factor.  

Having the conversation about what could happen, and then backing it up with facts, trends, probability and impact is a good thing.  When we look at the world through a different lens it is like looking at something from someone else's perspective. We usually learn something that we did not know, and we broaden our strategic horizon as a result. 

There are no guarantees in life and in business. We do the best we can and use the best information possible to make the best decisions.  But letting fear into the decision will only limit  possibilities. Think of the Jack Rabbit.  He went for it, and we got out of his way.  Smart rabbit. 

Kate's Story: A Perspective on International Women's Day

Kate Mandziak was born January 9, 1914 in Canada to Ukrainian immigrants. Her mother died in 1918 from the Spanish Flu leaving 3 children. Kate's father remarried. They had 17 more children in total (one deceased).  Kate married my grandfather, Mike Dribnenky when she was 22. They and their four children lived in a Soddy, which consisted of a kitchen and a room where the family slept. The floor was wood and the walls were white washed, remembers my mother.

Today is the 101st anniversary of International Women's Day.  On this day, we reflect on the journey that women have been travelling and recognize the women of our lives.  This year's focus is "Empowering rural women to end hunger and poverty".

Kate Dribnenky was my grandmother. She was a farmer, a pioneer, and a mother of four. She enjoyed reading. She possessed a keen insight into human nature, the way things were, and why, remembers my aunt. 

She cooked 3 meals a day, worked the fields, tended to the animals, and managed the household, all without running water or indoor plumbing. She cooked on a wood stove until about 1973.  

She used a wash board and a clothes line.  My mother remembers in the winter she would wash the clothes and hang them out on the line. Then she would bring the frozen clothes back into the house to thaw. Eventually she got a wringer washer.

In the pioneering days, life was tough and beyond what many of us can imagine. The family slept in one room, heated by a pot belly stove. It was so cold water would freeze overnight. Their house was miles away from services.  Communication was non-existent with the outside world, and transportation was time consuming. 

The family built a new house in the 1950s, which had a full basement with a wood furnace. There was no plumbing or septic system, however. They got power in the early 1960s. 

  

Through my childhood, my brother, sister and I would visit the farm, spending our days playing make believe games, gathering eggs, feeding the pigs and helping with the harvest. To us, it was fun, not work.  We knew by comparison to our city life that her life was difficult and that she worked hard.


Kate passed away at 59 as a result of a fire at the farm. While this memory of her life is very painful to this day, it is important to reflect on the life that she lived, and how her tenacity, grace and perseverance created the foundation for our family of women.


To this day, I remember her smile and the sound of her laughter when I listen for it.  When I am avoiding something, I remember her telling me, "Lynn, sometimes you just have to do the dishes".


2012:

When I think about her life and that of women today, there are major differences in infrastructure and technology. But women are still fighting poverty, lack of  education and influence over themselves. We continue to be voiceless at policy level. 


Poverty among women is practically institutionalized and well accepted, it seems.  The feminization of poverty is a concept that describes a situation where the number of women in poverty is increasing at a much faster rate than for men, so that poor people are disproportionately female.


Here are some statistics:  

• Single mothers: 51.6% of lone parent families headed by women live in poverty.
• 41.5% of single, widowed or divorced women over 65 live in poverty.
• 35% of women on their own under 65 live in poverty.
• 44% of Aboriginal women living off reserve, and 47% of Aboriginal women living on-reserve live in poverty.
• The average annual income for Aboriginal women is $13,300, compared with $18,200 for Aboriginal men and $19,350 for non-Aboriginal women.  
• New immigrant women between 25-44 years old who have a university degree and work full-time earn $14,000 less than Canadian-born women. 

Poverty and Violence goes hand in hand, according to Amnesty International:  

• Violence keeps women poor, and poor women are most exposed to violence.  Women who suffer from violence lose income and their capacity to earn a wage is impaired.
• Being poor may make women make difficult choices which puts them or keeps them at risk from violence. A woman who is economically dependent on her abusive partner may see no way to support herself and her children if she leaves. 
• Access to education is a key driver in poverty and abuse. A girl who becomes pregnant as a result of a rape may find herself excluded from school, with fewer prospects of finding safe work and an independent future.

From 1914 to 2012, the question is what has changed?  Women continue to be facing poverty, isolation and voicelessness at alarming rates.   We continue to be under-represented in positions of leadership and policy making where change begins.  Perhaps that is where we need to begin.