Dude Penguin Cheese

"Are you a dog person or a cat person?" That's one of the questions that comes up when meeting new friends and I rarely find someone who says, "Both. I like them equally." People seem to fit into dog lovers and cat lovers. I'm definitely a dog person. Dogs seem more like a pet to me. Cats seem like they borrow people for awhile and allow them to exist in the same place. Dogs are blindly loyal and will love you unconditionally. There's a quote I saw once that said, "May I strive to be the person my dog thinks I am."

It's been 5-6 years since I last had a dog. It didn't end well, but through no fault of the dog. I was traveling for a consulting company and training for a marathon whenever I had time. I wanted a dog that could run with me and had the energy to go on longer runs. And so I bought a Dalmatian and named her Stampy (after a Simpsons episode. I think dogs with crazy names are awesome). Stampy had all the energy a runner could want - and then some. In the end she had to live with another family because I wasn't home to take care of a dog that acted like it was on two lines of cocaine all the time. She could run 18 miles with me, but if I didn't run that day....it was a bad scene.

Since everything else was changing in my life in 2008, I thought it was a perfect time to buy a dog (I am a brilliant planner). I had one criteria for my next dog. Less energy! After doing some research and a recommendation from my friend, I chose an Australian Shepherd. Enough energy to run with, but can still lounge around and relax on an off day. Plus they are great with kids. My research found a breeder who facilitated adoptions for pets that weren't show quality and we drove down to take a look (that's another post in itself).

On the way home I let the kids pick the dog's name. Abby said he looked like a penguin and Hudson said that dogs remind him of cheese because of hot dogs. I threw in my thought as well and we all came up with Dude Penguin Cheese.  There you have it. Welcome Dude!

holy crap it's 2009

Forgive me father for it's been 6 weeks since my last blog post.

The last month of 2008 was crazy busy for me. In an all out effort to make sure 2009 was significantly more stable for myself and the company in the coming year, I have been working tirelessly on inking some long term deals. In my free time I've begun training for a half-marathon, bought a rescue dog, and when I can no longer process thoughts, indulge in nerdy computer games.

All this to say that I think about blogging a lot. I talk about blogging. I probably get 4-5 blog ideas a week. But then I don't actually follow through with the actual writing of them. Part of my 2009 goal planning (I'm still working on that too) is to spend less time stressing about corporate finance and more reflecting on how the business and my personal life is changing. All of that reflection will be put into this and the corporate blog. Contrary to my production, I really like writing.

2009 is poised to be a great year for me. And I'm glad. 2008 ranked in the top 3 toughest years for me. I made a lot of poor choices, some very wise ones, and lucked into a couple of great opportunities. Through it all I realize I'm a much stronger person, but I don't want to go back for seconds. I may write a post on 2008 at some point, but for now all effort is focused forward.

My next post will be about my 2009 goals and changes I want to make. I'm curious, what is some of your goals for this year?

Oh right, I started a blog

I started this blog with all the energy and enthusiasm of a January 1st jogger. Now it's March 1st and I realized I haven't posted in a month. So, time to put back on the running shoes...

This past month has been very hectic, but not in the way we Americans have grown accustomed. Saying, "I'm busy" is like saying, "I'm normal" or "I'm not a bum." It works as an excuse as well, as I've heard everything from a failed date to an uninterested client give "I'm busy" as the reason for their not returning my calls. But this has been different. This has been along the lines of "is what I'm doing really going to pay off?"

Working hard to build a startup is one thing. Working hard to make your own butter is just plain dumb (unless it's 1840). I'm not sure I can tell the difference between hard work that pays off and hard work that's unnecessary. Sometimes I look back at a 14-hour day or after telling my kids that I need to get back to work and question the value of what I'm doing. If in 10 years I'm sailing in Greece while my company bills 10MM in revenue, then I'm doing the right thing. If I'm greasing someone else's sailboat to pay my company's bills, then it's a different story.

I love what I do, but loving something doesn't always equal success (however you define it). You still need to eat and hopefully afford the good bourbon. Kids need clothes and iPods and all that. Maybe it's easier to package the whole owning your own company idea and put it in the attic. It's definitely easier to work for someone else. Let them have the headaches and you just show up and perform. The thing is that I'm not sure I'd ever be happy doing that again. And hence the hectic struggle between whether I'm doing exactly what I've been crafted to do and whether I'm just a crackhead that hasn't come down yet.

I had someone approach me with a business deal that has made this choice a reality for me. Stop what I'm building and help him build something. It's tempting. Wake up and focus on doing one thing. Just that one thing. Collect your check and buy the expensive bourbon. Or a new car. A new house.

But it's his thing. Not mine.

My friend asked me this morning why I started my business. After telling her my thoughts, she pressed further. Couldn't you do that for someone else? All those reasons, couldn't you help someone else do that?

Well, yes.

Well, why don't you then?

The only thing I could think of was the difference between renting a house and owning one. Everything may be exactly the same. Same house, same costs, same yard. But with renting, in 10 years you walk away with just the memories. With owning, you walk away having built equity in something. You own it. It's not theirs. It's yours.

And for some reason I find that important to me.

Help! Help! I'm a granola!

Someone commented to me this week how much of a granola I've become. My first thought was, what the hell are you talking about? I don't hug trees while wearing hemp clothing. Matthew McConaughey is not my hero. I drive a BMW for chrissakes. Then they pointed out that over the last two years, I've:

• Switched from PC to Mac. (Since when do granola's use Macs? Right, since forever).
• I carry my lunch in a Get Hip Get Green bag (hey...it was given to me). 
• My kids go to Montessori school. (only because it's better than DISD)
• I make fun of SUVs (you gotta admit, fuh2 is good for a laugh. And they take up too much damn parking). 
• I stopped buying bottled water (it's too damn expensive). 
• I've switched from a Reagan supporting conservative to an Obama supporter. (it's this Sarah! that makes me crazy).

That's when it hit me...when did I become a granola?

Do you remember the video that made JibJab a phenom? As a fluke I watched it again. Kerry's jabs at Bush were spot on. If we knew what we know know, how many people do you think would have voted differently? I didn't vote for Bush in '04. Actually, I didn't vote. Bush was going to carry Texas whether I went to the local elementary school or not. Plus, I just didn't care. I couldn't see how one President would make a difference one way or the other. But, if we would have voted for Kerry, do you think we would still be in Iraq today? Interesting to think about.

This Land! | Funny Jokes at JibJab

How to get rich

The internet is a great leveling device. Anyone, no matter where you are in life, can publish information. One of the great things about this is reading the personal thoughts of people who you wouldn't normally be able to meet.

One of these I've run across in the past week or so is Mark Cuban. Mark, being a technology guy, has apparently had his own blog for quite awhile. I just learned about it recently, so I subscribed and have been reading some of the more popular posts. One of the best ones for me was a recent post How to Get Rich (You didn't think I was going to tell you how, did you?)

I liked it because it explains how he made it (reading the Success and Motivation parts are just as good). Cuban didn't get rich because he got lucky. He got rich because he worked harder and smarter than 99% of everyone else. He paid the price. He figured out ways to make it work when he had no money and no clue on what he was doing. He read. He sacrificed. He didn't have a vacation for 7 years. He lost girlfriends who didn't understand. He pissed people off by trying harder. He made the best of what he had and eventually it paid off.

That to me is motivating.

I'm in year 2 of a business. Often I have no clue how ends will meet. I wake up and try to figure out the best way to make payroll, to find a new customer, to offer something unique and a bland and flooded market. I didn't graduate with an MBA from Kellogg. I'm learning as I go. But I love it. I try to read as much as I can about the industry. I haven't ever had to sell before, but I'm figuring it out. It certainly doesn't guarantee success, but not doing all these things certainly guarantees failure.

Thanks Mark

New York people aren't rude, just focused

I just got back from a trip to NYC to meet with a potential client, see my best friend, and to show a first timer around. It's a unique city for one that's never been there before. I remember being in "The City" (as it's referred to by everyone within 200 miles) for the first time and thinking I've never seen so many people crammed into such little spaces. It has a sardine effect on you. People are everywhere. I lived in NYC during the week for almost 2 years. I got to see how the city breathes. I saw how people act differently in different parts of the city. It was during this time I discovered people aren't rude in NYC, they just don't see you as a person. 

To the average NYC person on the street, people are faceless obstacles that are either irrelevant or preventing you from getting to your destination.

Think of it as an obstacle course. You don't say hi to the rope wall before you climb it or wait for the tires before you step through them. You quickly asses ways around (or through) them in order to reach your goal as quick as possible. To a NYC commuter, the goal is the 5:10 express train back home. And no offense, but he's getting on that 5:10 whether you're in the way or not. Because the next express is at 5:40. And who wants to wait in a crowded, hot train station for 30 min because some part of the obstacle course decided to choose a new ipod track while on the stairs. Right, no one.

With 67,000 people EACH square mile, you don't have time to say hi to everyone around you. If you tried to say excuse me to everyone you bumped into, the daily walk to the train station would sound like, "excusemeexcusemeexcusemeexcusemeexcuseme" until someone finally yelled for you to shut the fuck up.

So if you're ever in the city and wonder why no one even looks at you, it's nothing personal. Imagine the tv, radio, itunes, and youtube all playing at the same time while you're trying to read a passage from Dostoevsky. You get overwhelmed and block out everything else. It's not rudeness, it's focus.