I’m a huge fan of Simon Sinek. I love his enlightening observations and business philosophies. One of my favorite clips of Simon is the very first one I saw of him, which was the first Ted Talk that he gave called Start with Why. It’s brilliant, simply brilliant! If you haven’t had a chance to watch it, please do so when you have a chance.
While talking with my wife one day, I was explaining to her that knowing WHY we do things is only the START. That’s why Simon says, Start with Why. In order to build a successful business with a loyal clientele we must focus on HOW. That’s the next step!
“It’s not about doing certain things, but doing things in a certain way.” Wallace D. Wattles, The Science of Getting Rich
It’s about the process, because only a good process can produce consistently good results. That’s why having a good process in place is so important to creating a successful business. Anyone can groom a dog, but unless they do it in a certain way they will never have the success and fulfillment that many skilled groomers get to enjoy. So what is this certain way of doing things?
The secret is enthusiasm. Having a positive attitude. It’s not just feel good, “woo-woo” stuff. It’s science. It’s actually common sense. Think about it. Has anyone ever erected a statue to celebrate the life of a critic? No, because pointing out the negative side of things doesn’t inspire anyone. Doing things with a pleasing attitude, and with enthusiasm makes all the difference. It’s inspiring to watch, and to be a part of!
If you cannot bring yourself to feel enthusiastic about your job, you are in the wrong line of work. If you are in the wrong field, I would recommend getting out. Brian Tracy says that you should get out of a job you don’t like the same way you would get out of a burning building! Because that’s what that job is doing to your spirit. Soon you’ll have no passion left for anything. Les Brown warns us that most people suffer their first heart attack on Monday mornings because they’re going to jobs that make them miserable. Quitting your job may just save your life 🙂
When I look at the people who inspire me, they all have one quality in common. They all have an uninhibited passion for their craft. They are filled with enthusiasm when they speak of their work.
One such person is Chef Alex Atala from Brazil. He was featured in a Netflix series called The Chef’s Table on the second episode of the second season. In it he said something that really hit me. He said that in school he learned that the “Mise en place” (the preparation work) was the most important part of the chef’s day. “Mise en Place” is a French term that simply means, everything in it’s place. He said it’s all about the Mise en Place, and the Mise en Place does not start in the kitchen. It begins out in the field. I love that! His passion for understanding every ingredient makes him outstanding in his field. Anyone can cook, but they must cook in a certain way in order to stand out like he does.
This is a clip of Chef Alex Atala from the Netflix series The Chef’s Table:
Knowing WHY we do what we do is so important. “People don’t buy what we do, they buy why we do it. What we do simply proves what we believe.” Simon Sinek
But that is only the beginning. Once we’ve figured out our personal WHY, we must figure out our own personal HOW. Because “it’s not about doing certain things, but doing things in a certain way” that brings us the results we want. People don’t pay for reasons, they pay for results. You’ll never hear anyone say, “He wasn’t able to do the job, but boy, you should hear his reasons! He’s got some great reasons why he couldn’t deliver the results!” It just won’t happen.
So Start with Why, but then Focus on How.
Jun the Groomer 