Glass Half Full?
Whenever I hear this statement, my thoughts go to Ian’s reply:
‘Don’t worry if the glass is half full or empty. Think about what is in the glass.’
I thought about his observation this week: a lady asks if her work would be suitable for our events. My reply is simple. ‘Everything you do is your creation. Please do not compare it to anyone else. If you do your very best and love what you do, you’ll enjoy the experience’.
You see: if you think about the glass being full or empty, you are not focussed on the quality of the contents. When Ian and I opened the LizianShop nearly eighteen-years ago, there were less than fifty items on the stall. Most of the items were my crystal necklaces. And during the first week’s trade was slow, and we subsided the overheads.
Busy and Well Attended
I reflected on how much money was being invested in the LizianShop: and it seemed to be a money consumer, not a profit producer. We carried on and made sacrifices: nothing would prevent us from fulfilling the objective. And there were hard times ahead. Situations out of our control pushed us to the limit.
However, we continually focussed on the business’s content, not whether it was producing great profit or not: the initial objective was to cover overheads and provide a small income. Building trust and reputation were greater profits than money. And sure enough, within a few months: we’d turned the corner. Not thousands, not hundreds, but ten’s of pounds of profit each day.
A good week would return a profit of eighty pounds. And fifty of this would be my wages. Our friend Darren Stanton ran a paranormal weekend at Lincoln’s Lawn Venue. He asked us if we’d like a stand. So, we packed up our market stall and shipped our stock over to Lincoln. For a Saturday of esoteric trading.
Years of Working At The Events Reaped Rewards
During the day, two things happened. The first was we met someone involved in the old BSSK organisation, and we took over four hundred-pounds. A week later, Roger (from BSSK) asked us to join the shows. And I reinvested 300 pounds in new stock.
The Following Years:
Every weekend for three years, we stripped out the market stall and took much of our stock to shows and events. And Nicola Guest (nee Harmer) and her friend Kerry looked after the stall while we were away. Our single objective was not money. It was awareness. It was essential to gain new customers and followers. For six years, we lived a very frugal life. Seven days a week: our whole time focussed on LizianShop. Times were sometimes difficult, but we accepted this was part of the work.
We realised the importance of weekend events quickly. The cycle of opening the show for five days and weekend shows was difficult. But the process of returning profits into stock and attending events began to pay dividends. After six years: yes, six years: we could stand firmly on our own feet.
Over the years: I have watched many people with the most incredible ideas fall by the wayside. And most failed because they did not concentrate on the longterm or important aspect of the glass’s content. Anyone who focuses on the glass’s quality content will make the adjustments to better the standard and quality. And by default, success will follow.
Where is the success?
Success comes from the love of your work, project and objective. And too often, the comparison of success is financial. And I’ll ask you how unique or great is a glass full of coins: in truth, not very. Think about this idea: If you placed a bowl full of coins on your stall table, how can you sell the coins for any more than their worth? So you either give them away, or someone buys a coin with another coin of the same value. In fact, the bowl of coins is far from unique.
Same Value!
However, if the glass contains quality, people become interested. And if they sample quality, they will return. From my perspective, the reward of building a faithful client base far outstripped the financial gain. Of course, there will always be a financial reckoning. And my suggestion here is to be realistic and work out what out exactly what you require in return for your efforts. It seems to me many people attend events because of the connections useful between events.
Anyone expressing an interest in becoming part of the growing and influential Well Being Community should consider their purpose for attending an event. There is no need to compare your work to another Community Member. It is essential to review your gift, product, and service: make it the best it can be and be subject to continuous reassessment and improvement.
Our journey has been long and not always plain-sailing. There have been times when we questioned the future. But, one certainty is we have never worried about the glass being near full or at times containing a few drops: we have always known the quality is of the highest standard.
Enjoy Your Week
Liz
Liz Clark
MD LizianEvents Ltd
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