When I woke up this morning, it was Wednesday and I stood on the scale, 187.2 lbs. Good news. The upside is that I've lost 3 lbs in 3 weeks even with all the ups and downs. It's hasn't been a pretty journey but it's at least moving in the right direction. If I could just keep my mouth shut from ice cream and M & M's. I'd be happy. Again, I think I come by it honestly at this time of year. There is something primal in me that wants to eat carbohydrates in the form of junk food.
I'm loving my work life right now, it's the best it's ever been. If I could live like this for the rest of my life I'd be the luckiest guy in the world. I get up, do my thing on the computer, drink my coffee and figure out what I'm going to do for the day as it unfolds. I think about work stuff I need to do and training stuff I need to do and personal stuff I need to do and plan it out. I have absolutely no guilt about not working a full 8 hours a day, 5 days a week and now have gotten to a Zen feeling about it.
I think the main difference is my confidence in myself and my re-adjustment of my work life and relationships. From a confidence standpoint I know I'm capable and bring lots to the table in ways of closing sales and providing solid advice. From a work life re-adjustment standpoint I realize that no boss or employer owns me. I'm my own person regardless that they pay me. Just because I work for them does not mean I'm an indentured servant and cannot look for other opportunities or do my own things on the side. If I'm not doing the job for them, they always have the option to fire me and I'm in sales and my performance is very easy to monitor.
Before I could leave the office to get downtown for the event I had my daily conference call with Poochie. He went over some of the SEO stuff with me. I must say, Poochie and Abbey are very smart. They are impressing me with their smarts and take initiative attitude. This is the best employer - employee relationship I've ever had to date. And if they start slacking, with one phone call I can get Poochie II or Abbey II. It's a very awesome situation and I make sure I talk to them near every day and keep them busy with tasks. No greater feeling than knowing someone is doing your homework as you're training or watching TV.
I drove to the event with Chris, my former partner. He was very quite on the ride, not speaking much. I was talking and keeping the conversation going and at one point said to myself, "fuck this, if he wants to be unsocial or has an issue with me, why should I talk". Then I just shut up and we drove for the most part in radio silence. I know Chris, he's still a partner in Embassy and I'm sure he's been poisoned about me by Ken and my Dad, although Chris is a person that makes up his own mind. I just figured, "hey buddy, you're your own person, I'm mine, I'm not going to work at keeping this conversation alive if you're not going to put through the same effort". As I drove I was laughing to myself, thinking "Chris you are such a dick". It became a game I was playing with myself seeing how long I could be quiet or have no meaningful conversation. Two can play that game. I won.
The event was quite good and surrounded by pomp and circumstance. They had the commissioner of the Canadian Football League, the owner of Lulu is also the owner of the Hamilton Tiger Cats and they had the voice / commentator of the CFL as the interviewee. They also had some good video about Lulu and video on Angelo. Before the event Chris and I said high to Bob Young, the owner of Lulu and Angelo Mosca. Angelo's got to be in his 70's and he's still big, walks with a cane and just standing still is sweating all the time. After the interviews, they had to have 3 people help pull Angelo out of the chair to stand up. Still he a very charismatic guy. I got a signed copy of his book and may actually read it. Only because I got to meet him and the interview caught my interest. If I read it it will be the first book I've read in a very, very long time, other than an audio book.
Wayne also came. I sent him the invite and thought it would be a good event for him to introduce himself to Bob Young. Bob had never met Wayne. After the event, Wayne, Chris and myself went for lunch with the primary purpose of talking about the photo book division and it's future. Wayne said for the year he's lost about $490,000, which I was aware off. We are currently doing about $2,000,000 and Wayne figures we will need about $4.5 - $5 million to break even or start making a little money. I agreed with that. His concern is that doubling the sales in short order is a difficult thing to do and is it realistic. Good questions.
I told him that I feel more so than ever that we are on the cusp of success. That it's been a near 8 year journey for me being in the photo book space, we have near 90% of all large U.S. websites that are printing in Canada printing with us. All are expecting big volume increases and more will decide if they are coming on board by the first quarter of next year. I told him that I'm 80% sure that things will happen and that if I was only 50% sure I'd tell him. I also told him at by the end of April 2012 if we don't have the volume or the new accounts signed on then we won't for another year. I see April 2012 as decision making time. Lots of positives could happen between now and then. If we make it to April 2012 and things go well then I can see my role / position lasting long term.
Even though I think things will work out, I'm not certain. There is that 20% uncertainly, so in the meantime I'm going to continue to look for other opportunities in earnest. I told Wayne that at the end of the day I know that plant needs to make money, if it doesn't then Wayne won't make money and I won't make money. My big concern is with respect to my current commissions. I know we are going to sit down and lock horns over them in the not to distant future. Even though I have an agreement I'm certain that when it comes down to Wayne writing me a big check he's going to tell me that I know they are not making money in the photo book plant and want me to take a reduced or renegotiate my commission. I know this is going to happen.
I know it's going to happen because I've got to know Wayne. At lunch he mentioned that Embassy is wanting commissions on my new sales and any new sales that the Embassy sales people have brought in, which in fairness was part of the sales agreement. Under the agreement, Wayne paid cash, took over debt and was to pay 5% on all sales for the first two years. If the sales grew he paid more, if the sales declined he paid less. Now Embassy is wanting the 5% on new sales, specifically the accounts I brought it. Which is part of the agreement and in my sub agreement with Embassy as part of my sales purchase I get a percentage of the 5% paid to Embassy. It's in my best interest to grow the sales and have Embassy collect more money from AG.
During lunch Wayne mentioned to me that Embassy is wanting to get the 5% on the new sales that I've generated. I was surprisingly quiet on this issue. I didn't want to take his side nor Embassy's, at least in front of Wayne, it is in my best interest for Embassy to get more. Chris was also there and I know anything I said or did would be relayed back to Ken and my Dad and I wanted to make sure I handled this correctly and didn't appear to agree with Wayne. I told Wayne that he would have to check the agreement, I thought it was any sales increases attributable to the people that were part of the Embassy sales team at the time of purchase. But that he needs to check it.
Wayne went on a tangent saying that Embassy needs to understand the investment that he made in photo book equipment and that he is losing money and they need to adjust their expectations accordingly. They need to cut him a break. I didn't say anything one way or another, inside I felt that he was wrong and he's a big boy and when you make an agreement you stick by it. The amount payable would be approximately $50,000 more than the $100,000 he was expecting to pay. I then told him that I'm no longer a partner in Embassy, I sold my shares and I have not spoken with Ken in over a year, we are not on talking terms. I'm glad I told Wayne that so I don't get caught in the middle. All negotiations would be between Wayne and Ken and if Wayne asked me to get involved he now knows I'm not on speaking terms with Ken or my Dad and it will not help in any way. Wayne then commented that "I hope they don't think they are getting any commission for the work Al Nolan brings in". Al technically qualifies as an increase of business through my efforts. It's going to be interesting to see how this plays out with Embassy and AG.
My biggest hope is that Embassy stays alive to pay me. They still owe me about $30,000 over the next two years. I was wanting to use that money to pay for our Roth European vacation next year. That's the plan. It's weird, I don't care what happens to Embassy, but I need to, I want them to pay me out. Mentally at this point I'm assuming I'm not going to see any monies from them, although I'm hopeful.
During the meeting Wayne had his arms crossed much of the time. In most sales training I've taken they show research that 93% of all communication is non-verbal. I took this as a sign and even flat out asked Wayne if he has decided on a firm direction for the photo book plant? Does he want to continue it? Move it? Sell it? Change it? He said he's still committed to the business, "in for a penny, in for a pound" and that yesterday they just ordered at $75,000 cover maker and are looking at ordering more card finishing equipment. I guess that means he's in, but for how long?
I also told him that my focus is to get the business profitable, it's in both our best interests. I said that there is always a way to make money and if it comes down to having to sell, merge, or change the business dramatically I understand. Without directly saying it, I wanted him to understand that he can be frank with me, I don't mind hearing the bad news, I'm not going to run. I'd much rather know what's going on and be part of it than be blindsided by it.
I'm anticipating that he will try and reduce my commission. I'm also anticipating that I'm going to be into some other business(s) in the next year or two. I'm also planning to keep the money coming in from AG as long as possible. If I can pull half decent money out of them for services rendered and also have other businesses on the side that's what I'm going to do. I'm not going to get into a big fight and throw the baby out with the bath water. I also like Wayne and he doesn't own me. There is no reason I can't do it all, work for him and work for myself in a business that affords me flexibility. I have no plans to purchase a business that chains me to it. I need to maintain this flexible lifestyle to which I have learnt to love.
Training wise I took today off. I noticed that my left foot joints crack when I flex my foot. Just as I thought, this past weekends ride separated the joints by pushing so hard up those hills. I also wanted to give my upper body a rest after 5 km and my body is stiff right now. I'm doing the shuffle down the stairs. I've learnt the hard way that that is a sign I need more recovery time. Not to mention my run times are very slow. Another sign of my body needing recovery. I'm assuming my foot is going to need 3 - 4 days of lighter activity to repair. I'm taking some protein drink, Tissue Rejeuvenator and flax seed oil to help the healing. I often think that good oils have much more of a positive impact than we think they do.
Food wise I was perfect up until after dinner. I could have had my 1800 calorie day. I was close. Instead I went for a ride with Alice and picked up some ice cream and M & M's. No big deal. I had one awesome eating day yesterday, not today, and I will have another one tomorrow. Heck, if I can just go every 2nd day eating awesome and the other not bad and train properly I still think things will work out fine. The one major positive is my spirit is still strong to succeed over the long term, I have not hit any despair. It's just some of the small battles I'm losing. Strange as it sounds, I feel I'm on track.
On the family front, I was walking by Reid's desk and saw his workout schedule he put together. I thought two things, good on him for the plan and two, man does he have perfect printing. On the computer front I upgraded my mac to OS Lion. Different, yet there is some things I really like. I always find it's easier to stay with what you know than try something different when it's not completely necessary, like upgrading my operating system or using a new interface with blogger or any software upgrade. I always go for the upgrade out of principal, I never want to get to that state of not embracing change. I've been there in the past and no growth comes from routine.
No Training - Recovery
187.2 lbs
3234 calories
Below I put the video that Lulu.com presented about their business. Very well done. Explains there business perfectly.
2 comments:
Man, good for Reid putting that list together. Bet you can't do all that haha.
He must be artistic, typically people with nice hand writing are artsy people.
Make sure you are giving your body enough proteins and carbs to rebuild the muscle you are breaking down... I know you want to lose weight, but doing 100 mile suffer fest rides and 5k swims definitely put a hurt on the body too. Better to show up race day fat and ready to race than injured and skinny haha.
Man, you think too much about your work. My only concerns is who is going to call up and yell at me today for screwing up their project haha.
M, yes, he's very artistic. Good call.
Yeah, work is a priority now, like tris' 5 years ago. Going a figure it out. Boo Yah.
B
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