Restaurants and the Purposes they Serve (6-10-20)

Happy Wednesday,

This week I want to kick off a series inspired by restaurants.  We will start by looking at the purpose restaurants serve, and how it doesn’t always have to do with food. 

One of my favorite restaurants is a local brewpub called Moontown.  The obvious purpose of a restaurant is to solve for your hunger and thirst.  For me, Moontown hits on this aspect with their brisket and this amazing chicken sandwich they make with this Bama White sauce that is a mix of ranch and horseradish.  Moontown hits on the beverage front by providing a variety of beers in different styles, and they introduce new beers on a regular basis.  #awesomeness  What I’ve come to appreciate, especially during COVID, is that Moontown served a purpose for me beyond food and beverages.  It gave me a great environment to write in.  There’s something about the wooden bar and tables, the lighting, and the atmosphere that creates a space that feels comfortable and quiet.  Before COVID, I would go to the bar after the girls were asleep and I’d bring a notebook.  I’d have a pint and some fries as I sketched out ideas for blogs, poems, and even marketing plans (don’t tell anyone on that last one😉).

What does this have to do with anything?  The situation above shows that something or some place, can serve multiple purposes in your life.  Moontown fulfilled my basic need for food and beverage, and it also served an entirely different function by providing a great space to write.  I find it fascinating that one thing can serve multiple purposes, and sometimes can even serve positive and negative functions at the same time.  Think about some of your beliefs and behaviors.  What purposes do they serve?  For me, eating sweets can satisfy a sweet tooth and also be a non-healthy stress coping mechanism.  Running can serve my need for exercise, and also create quiet in my brain so I can slow down to focus.  Building relationships with people fulfills my need to be social, and also provides me an ability to get work done.  Lately I’ve found myself reflecting more on my own beliefs, behaviors, and habits to determine if they are serving the purpose, I want them to serve.  This is leading me to think more about where I want and need to change to become a better human. 

The challenge: What purpose are your beliefs, behaviors, and habits serving?  Are they serving the purposes you want them to serve?

I stand in solidarity against injustice and in support of humanity.

Bonus: If you want to apply this concept to marketing you should read this article about jobs to be done and milkshakes.

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry

Investments and Returns (6-3-20)

Last week was about diversifying how you spend your time to help you be a better human, and Friday’s bonus entry was about investing time and effort in becoming more anti-racist.  This is our final entry in the series about investments and it is about investments and returns. 

Let’s pretend for a moment I’m a financial advisor.  I explain that you can choose to invest in fund A or B.  How would you decide to invest your money?  I bet that before you did anything, you would want to better understand funds A and B and their rate of returns.  After you understood that, then you could evaluate the tradeoffs and decide how to invest.

What does this have to do with anything?  In the above example, you would want to understand the potential return, so you could assess the trade-offs and make the right decision.  I see two applications of this idea.  The first application comes to the work we do.  We all have more work than we can handle, so we must make decisions on where to INVEST our time.  How often do you pause to think about the RETURN you could get for your effort and then invest your time accordingly?  I don’t always do this.  Sometimes I just start doing the things on my to-do list without thinking about what is important.  Other times, I get lost trying to make something perfect, and all the extra hours I put in didn’t give me much return.

The other connection is about investing in each other.  The other day my wife walked into our makeshift office, and she saw me writing an email with a meme telling the person they were awesome.  My wife asked me how much time I spend recognizing others and helping them feel valued.  I laughed, because I don’t look at that as spending time.  I look at this act as INVESTING time.  Furthermore, it’s the best and smartest investment I can make out of all the things I do.  I’d argue the same would be true for you.  Here’s why.  I want to have a positive impact on the people we serve.  I’m not smart enough or talented enough to do that on my own.  Also, the work I do is so complicated that I can’t do it on my own, so I need help to reach my goal.  As a result, I invest in people.  I give them my energy, effort, compassion, and words of appreciation.  In return, I gain teammates and friends.  These teammates and friends share their brainpower and skills.  Together, we do incredible things, ultimately delivering the impact I want to deliver in the world, which makes me feel fulfilled.  The only way I can reach my goals is by investing in others.

Challenge 1: Will you be more aware of how you invest your time and what returns you will get (for both projects and people)?

Challenge 2:  Spend a few minutes investing in someone else today with a few words of recognition or something else.

Sending peace and love,

Andrew Embry

Are we investing time and effort in becoming more anti-racist? (5-29-20)

Today Lilly recognizes a day of solidarity to support one another during this time and stand together against injustice and in support of humanity.  With this in mind, I’d like to share a bonus blog for the week.  We will stick with our finance theme and reflect on investing for long-term goals and investing in becoming more anti-racist.

When I first met with my financial advisor, I explained what the goals are for my family when it comes to investing.  One of these goals is to be able to pay for a certain percentage of college for each of my daughters.  When I shared this with him he did an analysis to see how I was doing against the goal.  When he came back, he told me I wasn’t doing enough.  If I really wanted to reach that goal, my family would need to take action and invest more time and resources into the college fund.  Since then, I’ve taken action and invested more resources to reach this goal.

What does investing for college have to do with recent injustices?  When it comes to my financial goals, it’s really simple.  I’m either investing enough energy to achieve them or I’m not.  Period.  There is NO gray space.  Merely thinking about how important it is to save for college isn’t enough.  All that matters is whether or not I put enough of my energy toward achieving this goal.  This idea of whether or not we are putting enough energy and resources to achieving a goal applies to the recent injustices we have witnessed.  If our goal is to create a society where everyone truly is equal, then as individuals we are either investing our time and energy into becoming more anti-racist or we are allowing ourselves to further a racist system.  Period. 

The recent murders of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor along with Amy Cooper leveraging her white privilege to harm Christian Cooper have continued to demonstrate that there is no such thing as neutral when it comes to racism and matters of race.  There is no middle ground.  You are either investing the time, effort, and resources to make things better or you are not.  Merely thinking that racism is bad isn’t enough.  Trying to be colorblind is not okay.  Merely thinking that you aren’t racist and wouldn’t commit the same acts isn’t enough.  We (and by we I mean primarily white people, because white people are the ones who have the most power to address these issues) need to do better and be better.  We say we want an equal society, and if that’s true we need to take action to make that happen. 

Challenge: How are you investing your time and effort to make things better?  What are you doing to become more anti-racist?

In full vulnerability, I know I can do more and do better, and that’s something I’m continuing to reflect and act on.  Resources with suggestions on things you can do

Sending you love, peace, and prayers,

Andrew Embry

The Importance of Diversifying your Investments (5-27-20)

Last week was about 401(k)s, the company match, and understanding what “match” you offer to others.  This week is about the importance of diversifying.  Any financial article I’ve read or expert I’ve spoken with has mentioned the importance of diversification within a portfolio and across investment vehicles.  The primary reason you diversify is to minimize risk and enable better outcomes. 

What does this have to do with anything?  What if we thought about diversifying the way we invest our time the same way we thought about diversifying our financial investments?  Are we diligent enough to diversify how we spend our time across the different aspects of life?  Whether diversifying financial investments or time investments, you primarily to it to reduce risk and enable better outcomes.  In the finance world, if you dump everything into one investment and it goes wrong you lose your money.  In the non-finance realm, if you dump all of your time into one thing, you lose out on so many aspects of life that make it worth being human.

Have you ever allowed yourself to be totally consumed by something?  For me, it can be work.  Last week I hit a wall, because I realized I was putting all my time into work and neglecting the other aspects of life.  This realization inspired this week’s blog.  Throughout my life I’ve seen individuals who put all of their eggs into the work basket, and then never find the fulfillment and joy they were looking for because they didn’t diversify their time investments.  The most content happiest people I know are the ones who diversify their time across aspects of life.  They invest some in work, some in their partner and/or family, some in friends, some in a cause larger than themselves, and some in themselves and their hobbies (even if the hobbies have no “payoff”). 

Challenge 1 : How are you investing your time?  Are you diversifying enough to be the best human you can be?

Challenge 2:  Especially if you are an official leader with authority, are you taking the time to let others know you are diversifying your time?  Are you taking the time to let them know it’s okay to step away from work to spend time on themselves, their spouse, their kids, their friends, etc.?  In case you don’t know, the act of you sharing could go a long way coming from you.

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry

401(k)s and Matching (5-20-20)

Last week was about investing in relationships with people in tough times.  This week is about 401(k)s and the company match.

The 401(k) is one of the most popular retirement vehicles out there.  There are different nuances to the 401(k), but there are some similar components.  There is the amount that you invest and often there is an amount or percentage that a company is willing to match.  The company match is a mechanism used to encourage people to invest in their retirement.  If your company is going to offer a 6% match, you’re likely to put a minimum of 6% of your salary into the 401(k).  If your company match is higher or lower than that, you are likely to follow suit and at a minimum invest that amount of money in the plan to take advantage of the free money. 

What does this have to do with anything?  The company match is just a way of encouraging you to take action to invest.  What if we applied this same thinking to leaders, culture, and teams?  Throughout my experience in work and life, I feel that most people will match the energy/vibes of their leader.  If the leader sets “the match” with behaviors that drive inclusion, teamwork, high standards, and performance, then others will rise to match that.  If the leader sets “the match” with behaviors that drive competition between teammates, distrust, and lack of clarity, then others will match that.

Take a second and look at yourself and your leadership.  What “match” are you offering to people?  How are you offering that “match”?  How are they responding to that “match”?  Gut check yourself.  If you don’t instantly have clear answers to those questions, then you probably aren’t guiding people as well as you think you are.

The challenge: As a leader, what “match” are you offering?

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry

Are you investing in relationships when times are tough? (5-13-20)

This week we are going to start a series inspired by investments.  This week is about investing in relationships, even when times are tough.

COVID has unleashed ripple effects across our entire economy which has created volatility in the market.  As a result, there have been many individuals who have withdrawn their investments and/or stopped investing.  Instead, they focus on conserving whatever resources they currently have.  The individuals who are doing this are focused primarily on the short-term.  Other individuals might look at things more long-term and choose to continue to invest during these times, believing that the long-term benefits will be more than what they are currently putting into the market.

What does this have to do with anything?  What if I told you the above situation wasn’t about money or stocks?  What if I told you the above situation was about investing in your relationships with others?  How would that change how you thought about things?

I don’t know about you, but in times of stress I’ve found that it is easy for me to become consumed by work or the situation at hand.  As a result, I stop putting time and effort into the relationships with the people around me, and I withdraw inside myself.  This might help me short-term, because it conserves energy.  However, long-term those relationships have weakened and have lost the opportunity to grow into what they could have been.  I’d argue that when times are tough it’s even MORE important to invest in the relationships with the people around you, and the pay-off on that investment will be 10 fold whatever you put in.  As I reflect on the people I’m most loyal to, the people I would give the most effort, love, time, and resources, they are all the people who invested in me when things were tough.

The challenge: Times are tough.  Are you investing in the relationships with the people around you?

In case you’re looking for some inspiration or a nudge, here are some thoughts about how you can invest in relationships right now

  • Don’t underestimate the power of a quick text.  Whether it’s a meme, a gif, a bitmoji, an emoji, a joke, or a quick word it can be incredibly powerful.  Not all investments have to be huge lump sums.  Often the best investments are ones where we keep adding to the account over time.
  • Write an email/letter of gratitude and appreciation for someone.  It will be the best 5 minutes to spend all day.
  • Share how you’re feeling with someone else.  Sometimes the best investment is vulnerability, and admitting that things are quite perfect.  It’s amazing how that can help bring you and someone else closer together.
  • My team is currently in an awesome groove with virtual happy hours.  I think the secret is having a little structure.  My teammate leads them and they each have a theme and a question of the day for us to answer.  I never thought this would be my jam, but they are the highlight of my week and something I hope we continue even after we go back to the workplace.

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry

Photography and Being Present (5-6-20)

Bond of Brothers by David Lloyd

Happy Wednesday,

This is our last in the series inspired by art.  We started with painting over our mistakes, reflected on how mosaics are what true inclusion is about, explored how messiness is often the price of greatness, and last week was about what we see in a painting and situation.  This week is about photography and being present.  The photos come from https://www.theguardian.com/environment/gallery/2020/jan/01/the-best-of-2019-wildlife-photography-awards-in-pictures. 

Photography has always fascinated me, because at its heart it is about capturing a moment.  The camera can’t dwell on the past, replaying the mistakes it has made and the things it wishes it could do over.  The camera can’t get lost in the future, worrying about what might come to be.  Instead, the camera can only capture what is in front of it in that specific moment.

How does this connect to life?  There is incredible power in photography, because it is fully present.  The photo captures that one moment in time in all its beauty, joy, sadness, pain, splendor, or any other emotion.  To see a picture is to be brought to that moment and nowhere else.  I often find myself lost in the past or the future, concerned about things I did or worried about what might come.  I get lost in the business of the day to day grind and stop seeing what is in front of me.  As I reflect, I wish sometimes that I was more like a photographer with their camera, fully immersed in the moment, taking it all in, and experiencing all that moment has to offer.  I wish I did that better as a husband, a dad, a friend, an employee, and a human.

The challenge: How can you do better at living in the moment?

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry

What do you see in the picture? (4-29-20)

Last week was about how messiness is often the price of greatness. This week is about what you see in a painting, a person, or a situation.

Take a moment and look at the image.  What do you see?  What do you notice?  The painting is called “Wheatfield with Cypresses” and was painted by Vincent Van Gogh.  When you look at the image you might notice a variety of things.  You might notice it is an oil painting.  You might notice the large trees.  You might notice the billowing clouds.  You might notice the soft swirl that created the wheat field.  If you’re my daughter Alice you notice the collection of the rocks/bushes/small trees to the left of the painting and how it looks like a rock monster.  I’m guessing you didn’t see the rock monster.  However, if you were a young Pokémon fan, maybe you would have seen the rock monster too.  I’d imagine that’s not exactly what Van Gogh was going for, but he still is bringing her joy 😉

What does this have to do with anything?  Every situation, every conversation, every self-reflection is a painted canvas for us to observe, and we will all see different things.  What we see is often shaped by our experiences and our context.  The trick is that as we grow older we get more set in our ways and often lose the ability to see the wide variety of things we once could when we were kids, like hidden rock monsters.  When you are presented with a challenge, what do you see?  Do you see the obstacles and all the things that will stop you?  Do you see the opportunities and the different ways you can succeed?  Whether you see mainly obstacles or mainly opportunities, drastically changes what you see.  When you meet others do you see their flaws first or their potential?  When you look at yourself do you see your beauty or your shortcomings? 

The challenge:  What will you see in the canvases (people and situations) placed in front of you?  Will you see light and love?  Will you see darkness and despair?  Will you see all these things and more?

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry

Cooking, Messiness, and the Price of Greatness (4-22-20)

Last week was about mosaics, diversity, and inclusion.  This week is about the art of cooking and the price of greatness.  It was a Saturday morning.  I woke up and cleaned the house from top to bottom with the help of my daughters.  If they help they get more screen time, and that is a huge motivator (#parentinggenius).  Anyway, that morning I had deep cleaned the kitchen.  The counters were spotless.  The sink was gleaming.  The dishwasher was empty, and the stove looked like it was brand new.

Later that night my wife was baking.  She looked at the ingredients she had spilled on the island, the dirty dishes littering the counters, the smudges on what I had perfected earlier that morning and she said, “I’m sorry I just ruined the kitchen you cleaned.”  Without missing a beat, I responded, “That’s the price of deliciousness, and I’m happy to pay that.”  (#smooth #getonmylevel) Sure, I had worked hard on cleaning the kitchen.  Yes, she had completely ruined my hard work in a matter of minutes.  However, my wife is an amazing baker, and I knew whatever she was creating was going to be incredible, and well worth the mess.  I could always clean the kitchen again, but I can’t easily reproduce what my wife makes.

How does this connect with anything?  Cooking, like any other art, is an expression of creativity that can lead to greatness.  More importantly, in my experience creativity makes things messy on its way to greatness.  Sometimes it’s messy in the form of a dirty kitchen or spilled paint.  Sometimes it’s messy in the form of whiteboards with arrows everywhere and conversations where people are thinking out loud while wading through the mud to get somewhere. 

Getting to greatness is always a bit messy, so it’s important to be aware of how you respond to this messiness.  There are some individuals who get frustrated by the messiness and try to shut it down.  They don’t want to allow things to move forward until they are perfect.  This creates a stifling environment where people aren’t comfortable sharing and exploring ideas.  There are other individuals who are comfortable with the messiness, because they know it is the price you have to pay for greatness.  These individuals let things play out, ask questions to help others think through things, and ultimately are patient enough for the messiness to transform into something.  What kind of person are you?

The challenge:  Will you get frustrated by the messiness and stifle creativity?  Or, will you recognize messiness is the price that must be paid for greatness?

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry

Mosaics, Diversity, and Inclusion (4-15-20)

Last week we started a series about art by examining how we can paint over our mistakes.  This week is about mosaics, diversity, and inclusion.

Mosaics are beautiful pieces of art that have always fascinated me, because you combine things, but you never blend them.  The mosaic is made of several small pieces, and each piece has its own individual integrity, shape, design, color, etc.  At the same time, the individual pieces are part of a larger whole.  Each individual piece has its own role to play in creating the larger picture.  The images in this blog post are of the mosaics my wife made on stepping stones that lead out to our garden. #marriedup

What does this have to do with anything?  Mosaics are an example of what true inclusion should look like.  A mosaic is made of pieces that maintain their individuality, while also contributing to the larger picture.  Mosaics don’t blend.  Mosaics don’t require all of the individual pieces to assimilate.  Making a mosaic requires the creator to understand the piece and where it can fit in a way to add to an image that is larger and more beautiful than the piece can be on its own.  We should all strive for this as we build cultures and teams.

Have you ever been on a great team where you truly felt included?  What caused you to feel that way?  In my case, I’ve felt this way when people have seen me as the individual I am, valued that, and at the same time helped me see my role in something larger.  Those teams and situations always give me joy, engagement, and the fuel I need to get through anything.  Have you ever experienced the opposite?  I have.  I’ve been in situations where my individuality wasn’t valued and where the expectation was to blend in with everything.  I’ve been in situations where all of the members on the team were individuals, and we were never part of something.  At best this was exhausting and at worst this was often toxic.

The challenge: How will you build teams and culture like a mosaic?

Bonus poem about mosaic making

You are an artist making a mosaic,

the pieces dumped in front of you,

tiles and glass of different colors and shapes.

Handle the pieces carefully,

or they will cut you for your carelessness.

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry