Look Over There!
Posted 303 days ago by Dave Stockwell
Yes. I chose 2009 to quit my 19 year career with a major retailer and start a company of my own. Yes, the odds are definitely stacked against us. No. We don’t listen to the critics (well, we actually listen, some of them actually have good points but the ones who just like to poop on other people’s lives are simply ignored).
If you work in the Call Center, Help Desk, or Customer Service industries, I want to talk to you. If you are in need of Data Security Audits, Security Assessments, IT Operational strategic planning, ITIL implementation or IT Project Management, I’d love to talk to you. Contact me and my partners at our company site, Seasonal View
If you have a rabid curiosity of the creative process and enjoy sharing the cool things that are happening around the world in design, marketing, and the arts. You’re my kind of people. You can find me here via the Contact Page or through the links on the right.
Creative Problem Solving
Posted 304 days ago by Dave Stockwell
Creative inspiration can be found anywhere. Here’s a gentleman who discovered a very cool trick to access his wine without a corkscrew. Thanks to Tim Ferriss for passing this along.
Every Encounter Should Be Your Best
Posted 543 days ago by Dave Stockwell
Never underestimate the power of treating everyone you meet with your best customer service. Even if it is simply holding the door for someone. You just don’t know how they are connected. Karma goes a long way in this world. Both good and bad. Many of the good things that have come my way can be traced back to what seemed to be a minor encounter. It was a good encounter for that person who, when presented the opportunity, wanted to do something good back.
This is the reality behind the adage, “You make your own luck.”
The other half that is REQUIRED to make this work is to not expect anything in return.
Try it. You’ll find your life is a much more pleasant place.
Designing a New Style
Posted 546 days ago by Dave Stockwell
The last decade I had a certain style to my clothes for work. Nothing fancy, far from it. It was a relaxed work environment and I rarely had to meet with anyone from outside the company so I quickly landed on artfully created tie-dye t-shirts from a wonderful artist on Bainbridge Island, WA. and jeans. This helped in making the Help Desk recognizable as a place full of fun and different people and pissed off the few folks who’s lives require more adherence to social norms than I’m willing to give into. In the long run they made many folks smile and helped reinforce my goal to help celebrate the individual within rather than make everyone comply to what someone else’s concept should be. I was Tie-Dye Dave.
Now, starting my own company, I’m in much the same position where my clothing is part of my image. We consult on online image and corporate personality creation. Every single person I meet is a potential customer and I’m often pointed out to others such that even without meeting them, I have an image to uphold.
So, the $20,000 question is…“What is my new image?”
I’ve re-invented myself many times throughout my life but not in at least 10 years and this time there is potentially more riding on the outcome.
This is going to be fun. I wonder what I’ll land on?
Drive Time
Posted 561 days ago by Dave Stockwell
I’ve come to enjoy my new commute in both it’s forms. On the days I work from the house, it starts with a stroll down stairs where I wake up my laptop and power on the stereo. I then merge into the kitchen to select my daily yogurt (Blueberry from Horizon Organic is my favorite). After tweaking the thermostat to let the house know someone will be here for the day, I settle in at my 9ft desk (OK, it’s the dining room table), fire up some music and away I go.
Currently, I’m spending about 3/4 of my day at our offices in Tacoma. This is an equally enjoyable commute albeit a 45 minute one. I live 2 miles from the freeway and the office is about two blocks from my exit so it’s mostly clean sailing. A big comfy sedan from the boys in Coventry England makes for a nice conveyance and as it’s a reverse commute, traffic is light and quite swift. A little NPR on the radio completes the event.
Returning from the office is not quite as consistent but is not disagreeable in the least with only the minimal amount of tapping the brakes at a couple of interchanges. I do detect a greater sense of urgency in my fellow commuters on the way home as the stresses of the day are still dripping from their shoulders.
All in all, this part of the new job has worked out well.
It's the Little Things
Posted 563 days ago by Dave Stockwell
The big milestones are the important ones, right? Not exactly. One of the coolest marks on our corporate timeline happened today when we swung by the bank to pick up the company’s checks and they gave us out Official “Pay to the Order Of:” self inking stamper.
So far I’ve stamped the back of two envelopes, one magazine registration card, a Post-It, a piece of scrap paper I found on the floor and the back of my hand.
It’s SO Cool!
An Interesting Data Point
Posted 563 days ago by Dave Stockwell
Turns out that the number one source of traffic for my new company’s web site is this web site. Makes me think I need to keep this one up to date.
Thanks for “linking” of me. (Get it? Kinda like a pun)
Practice Makes Perfect
Posted 570 days ago by Dave Stockwell
Sage Advice #327: Practice, Practice, Practice.
The same thing that will get you to Carnegie Hall will help you close a deal. Most of the errors made in presentations could have been eliminated if the presenter had actually rehearsed a few times. This little info-bit is the reason I’ve been teaching my partners and friends and anyone else that will listen about the Help Desk process. I took the opportunity last weekend in San Francisco to give the 5 minute “Elevator Pitch” to half a dozen folks at the wedding reception I was attending. Not that they’d necessarily be customers (especially Philip from Frankfurt) but that it gave me the opportunity to work out the wrinkles and see their input before I’m in front of a real potentially paying customer.
I also ran the presentation across the bus boy and Houstons, a guy asking for change on the corner of Fisherman’s Grotto and a little kid in a suit. That last guy wasn’t that impressed.