Well, this is how I do business...

I realized I had been in Wilmington a bit too long while in a bank in Raleigh the other day.

There I stand in my Brooks Brothers polo, khaki skort, and Rainbows. I had my hair in a pony tail on my head. My big ass sunglasses on my head.

I walked in to the First Citizens on Edwards Mill. Which is a VERY nice FC. Even nicer than the branch that caters to Figure 8 at Porters Neck here in Wilmington. I have never felt so out of place in a bank. Everyone around me was wearing slacks, heels, knee length skirts, etc. They had all spent at least 20 minutes that morning putting on make up and doing their hair. I had gotten up, gone to work, driven to Raleigh in a tizzy, and some how ended up in the bank.

Then, they realized by my tan and raccoon eyes that I was not from around there. Funny thing is, I am from around there, but not anymore.

There was no one in line speaking to each other about how hot it was. No one commenting on how bad traffic was. No one asking you how you have been. Of course, the teller didn't know me from Adam, but took my money anyway. I am so happy to have moved to Eastern North Carolina. Where they greet you with a smile, whether they know you or not. I should have just got to the FC in Garner... They're far enough east that they are nice too.

Note to self- When in Raleigh, around Lawyers row, you MAY look out of place.

Business and Religion

Ok, this is a tough one.

I grew up Southern Baptist. I was in church as a child, much more often than I was out of church.

When it comes to business, these things are separate. I still consider myself a Christian, but I am far from being in church every Sunday. Most of the better people in this world do not feel a need to be in church every Sunday.

To make myself clear- I have been screwed in business by more "good Christians" than I have anyone else.

I cannot stand when someone hides behind the cross. They will lie, cheat, and steal, only to ask for forgiveness on Sunday.

It is way more valuable to be a good person all the time. Why lie? It's not worth it. It creates more problems for yourself later. Why screw people? At the end of the day, all you really have is your reputation. When you mess that up, it is over. No one will trust you again. Or if they do, you have to work really hard to regain that.

As I told Dad yesterday, "Maybe it is because I believe in God and I believe 'what goes around comes around.'"

So, if you label yourself a "good Christian," please don't tell me. Show me in your actions, not in your words. Do not continue to perpetuate hypocrisy.

Maybe I just don't get it...

CEO's confuse me.

Well, CEO's that I don't know. In our industry, they trade CEOs like baseball cards.

I will never forget sitting at the Bedding Conference two years ago, and having a CEO explain that he use to work for Chiclet and how upset his daughter was when he left there, until he told her he would get her a new bed.

So now, the new Tempur CEO is from Campbell's Soup. He use to be CEO of J.Crew, pretty awesome. He is a friend of a neighbor, and probably a pretty cool guy. That still doesn't help me understand what soup and beds have in common.

I have been in this industry my entire life, and there are still days that it baffles me. How the heck can someone from a totally different industry come in and run a corporation?

READ THE CONTRACT

I will never forget this as long as I live-

I was standing in Garner, in a house, it was probably 95 outside, and 90 inside. When my lovely Realtor (who was my ex boyfriend) hands me all these Realtor retainer forms to sign. So, I started reading them. I was mildly miffed that I would have to agree for him to represent me for 90 days, but hey, he'd been screwed before so I understood.

As I stood there sweating, and reading, he got angrier and angrier. I don't care who you are or what my relationship is with you, I am going to read something before I sign it.

This is a lesson that needs to be learned by everyone. Don't just think that because your sibling, parent, spouse, dog, whoever, asks you to sign something that you shouldn't read it. I know more people in more of a mess because they didn't read what they were signing.

Even when your attorney hands you something, I don't care if it is 20 pages long, READ IT.

While I'm on it. Verbal contracts mean NOTHING. Write it down on a bar napkin and sign it if you have agreed to something. It's best to get it notarized by an official, but a bar napkin is better than a handshake.

Re: When did it become PC to text for business?

The particular person that I had the problem with texting me...
Confused me with his girlfriend, or, whatever we may call her.

He sent me quite possibly the dirtiest message I have ever received in my life. After hearing all about his dungeon, I don't think he will be sending me text messages ever again. ;-)

When did it become PC to text for business?

As your boss, why are you texting me questions? ESPECIALLY at 2am?

Grown men have started texting Dad important things. I mean SUPER important things. Just because you don't have the balls to say it, doesn't mean that it doesn't need to be said. Go get you a pair, and pick up the phone and call. Dad doesn't "receive" texts as well as everyone else. He can't tell the difference in the voice mail icon and the text icon (it is hard even for me).

If you think that you will bother me to call me, don't even ask the question. Don't worry, if I don't want to talk to you, I won't answer. You can leave voice mail. I'll listen to it and call you back with an answer. Hoping that in the time it takes me to do that, you figure it out yourself. That is my goal, to teach others how to find the answers.

I have decided

People either have a business brain, or they don't.

Those of us that do, have so many million dollar ideas floating around in our heads that we can barely sleep at night. If we only had the funds and time to do these things that we want to do, we could rule the world.