box of rocks

The Struggle Continues

aliasjmr — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 16:58:23 +0000

“The Struggle Continues”. Most people reading this know that phrase to be a sort of de facto Russell family credo for the past few years. Admittedly, there’ve been some tough times, but things seem to have been trending upwards for the past few months. It’s tough then, when things have been moving along so well, to suddenly be looking at the calender, which is supposed to have enough work on it for the 4 employees we have, and to see lots of blank in the next few weeks. Postponed jobs are the easy answer, but what good does that do?

On the plus side, the business plan for Mountain Valley Towing and Transport is done, and we’re moving forward on aquiring financing. Of course, the banks haven’t exactly been lining up to finance small businesses, but we have a couple of institutions left to try. I listened to a Stanford lecture by Guy Kawasaki, and one of his recommendations was to “find the bright spot” in whatever situation you find yourself. I suppose that while in one part of my life there’s certainly struggle, the bright spot exists in another.

Progress

aliasjmr — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 00:10:46 +0000

I took on a project this spring, namely the marketing and sales position in Russell Hardwood Floors. It’s been about 8 months, and I’m finally seeing some real results. Don’t get me wrong, there have been some tangible things along the way. russellharwoodfloors.com was a big step, as was the first time a job came in that was specifically the result of my efforts. Recently however, I’ve felt that my endeavors have begun to pay off. I’m now seeing clients that I’ve developed send us work, and it feels pretty good.

I’m flying by the seat of my pants in terms of my marketing skills, but since that’s all I can do at this point, I’m glad it’s working.

Einstein on Description

aliasjmr — Sun, 30 May 2010 03:05:46 +0000

Albert Einstein was asked one day by a friend “Do you believe that absolutely everything can be expressed scientifically?” “Yes, it would be possible,” he replied, “but it would make no sense. It would be description without meaning-as if you described a Beethoven symphony as a variation in wave pressure”
-Ronald W. Clark, “Einstein: The Life and Times

On Candyland

aliasjmr — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 15:55:13 +0000

Reading the other day, I came upon a quote by author Steven Johnson.
“I realize that games of pure chance have a long history, but that doesn’t make them any less moronic.”
This was in Seth Godin’s discussion of how most people go about their daily lives; pick a card, then do what it says. Repeat. His idea that most people don’t really want to go out and try something new and different resonates with me, and is part of why I’m trying to do something different. I look at others who are trying to do something remarkable, like my friend Tim Shisler( see On The Water), and am constantly inspired by them to keep on doing something new and difficult.

Marketing Patience…or Lack Thereof

aliasjmr — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 20:34:45 +0000

Well I’ve been working on the plan to get business going for about a month and a half, and I’ll admit frustration at the lack of customers calling. For the flooring industry, one of the hardest things to accept is that if I make contact with an interested contractor today, he may be starting a project tomorrow, but still be six months out on floors. I know I’m taking the right steps but it’s hard not to see results now.

Journeys

aliasjmr — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:55:15 +0000

Well again, it’s been a while. Seth Godin’s new book Linchpin inspired me to start writing again, and I want to start by talking about two adventures I’ve just begun.

The first is actually a continuation of something I’ve ostensibly been working on since the fall of 2000, namely getting a college degree. I’ll be getting my AA from Cabrillo this June, and afterwards moving on to San Jose State University to finish up a BA. To be quite honest, I’m not really excited by the prospect of two more years of school, but it’s been a goal for a long time, and I’d like to achieve it.

The second journey is truly new territory. I’ve taken over marketing for my family’s hardwood flooring company, and while I grew up working for the company, I’ve never been involved in marketing before. It’s a strange situation, because there is no existing plan in place. When my dad was alive, he was a sort of one man marketing force, and since he died, no one’s taken on the project of developing a program to put the company on the consumer radar, so that’s exactly what I’m trying to do.

I started blindly, talking to contractors I know, and calling others I’ve never met out of the phone book, off of signs, on jobsites, and from their websites. It wasn’t until I talked to Eric, who owns Cosmic Design Company at www.cosmicdesignco.com, that I realized I was operating without a clear idea of what I was trying to achieve. This led to a lot of ongoing research, including the aforementioned Seth Godin book. I’m meeting on Thursday with a friend who I think will be a great resource, as he took the reins of his family’s business and had to work through all the issues I’m facing, and did a great job, getting the company into position to come through the current recession in good shape.

I’m finding that it’s daunting to take on a project with the scope of this one, particularly since it’s not someone else’s company. (Well, my mom’s the owner, but I’m kind of looking at it as my inheritance, so it’s a bit like Im an owner.) I know how tight things are, so asking for money to throw at marketing is a tough thing. The challenge is to figure out the right course the first time around. The margins are too small right now for costly mistakes.

Luckily, I have some great resources. My friend I’m meeting this week should be a huge help, and I also have some really sharp men who’ve said they’ll help keep me on the right track. Hopefully the relationship with Cosmic Design Co will create a presence for us on the web, and I can reach out to some people offline to create business in a more traditional way.

On one level I’m walking in the dark, but I’m hoping that as I figure things out a bit the view will be a good one.

Distant Ocean Rain off West Cliff

aliasjmr — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 00:30:26 +0000

3-4 Mile

aliasjmr — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 08:01:39 +0000

Liz and I took a walk between 3 and 4 mile beaches recently and took some pictures. She posted some of her’s on facebook, and while they look really good, I figured I’d still put a couple of mine up.

Happy New Year!

aliasjmr — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 05:52:05 +0000

Movie That Inspires Me

aliasjmr — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 00:24:46 +0000

I saw a video today by Zach Arias that really took me by surprise. It’s about his artistic journey, and he vocalized some ideas and feelings that have been haunting me for years. Comparisons to peers, doubts about the quality of what I bring to the table, a feeling that I don’t even know what my voice is, or who I am, to the world around me. I spent today splitting wood, and thinking about what Zach said in his movie, and maybe it gave me some inkling of a voice, or perhaps just the knowledge that my voice is what I choose it to be.

I recommend you watch it at