Every year in the month of May, I sort of lose my mind. The world spins at hyper-speed from all the commitments. Mother’s Day. My birthday. End of school. Wrapping up of activities. Onset of summer. First vacation. Send-off to summer camp. It’s nuts. Always.

But this May, it’s particularly nuts. We are selling a house. We are buying a house. There are big career things happening. Many good friends are dealing with serious health situations in their families. I am, of course, feeling the stress of such weighty life events.

But also, I am feeling surprisingly clear-headed. And what I have come to realize in my ever-advancing years, is that the key to this clarity is acceptance.

Acceptance is defined as the action of consenting to receive or undertake something offered. Let me say that again. Acceptance is defined as the action of consenting to receive or undertake something offered. And that’s the important part. Every situation, good or bad, is an offering – an offer of growth. An offer of clarity. An offer of understanding.

There are 5 absolutes of acceptance:

1. Acceptance of self. Yes. You must. The good, the bad, and the crazy. You are you and that is awesome.
2. Acceptance of others. Flip the coin. Everyone deserves this.
3. Acceptance of situations for what they are. Open your eyes and take a look around. This is your reality. What are you going to do about it?
4. Acceptance of change. Life is fluid. Let go a little, nothing is forever and that is ok. See what’s around the next corner. Breathe.
5. Acceptance of failure. Let’s call a spade a spade. So you failed. So what? Course correct and know better next time.
6. Acceptance of success. That’s right. I said success. You’ve earned it so enjoy it, feel proud of it, and stop worrying about losing it.

All we have is the world in which we live, so accept that world and find peace in it.

“Of course there is no formula for success except, perhaps, an unconditional acceptance of life and what it brings.” ~Arthur Rubinstein

True that, Mr. Rubinstein. True that.

Plans are comforting. Satisfying to-do lists, orderly outlines, and pro-and-con comparisons are all tools that tame our anxiety and give us the feeling of being in control. As business people, we thrive on living this structure. assembling and assigning structure to a process.

Whether we are a part of a service-oriented business or one that is product-based, smart business people assemble structure to a process and put systems and procedures in place to maximize productivity.

Yet the natural order of things is chaotic.

So you’re a start up and are successfully launched. All systems are go. Products are distributed. You’ve diligently put systems in place and created a system of organization and productivity. Things are humming along smoothly.

Congratulations … but don’t get too comfortable.

Because inevitably, unforeseen circumstances and uncontrollable events will threaten to derail your hard-earned success. So how do you handle the chaos?

1. Stay focused

2. Stay true to your core concept

3. Stay true to your brand vision

4. Be agile

5. Be adaptable

6. Get back on track

As Deepak Chopra said, “All great changes are preceded by chaos.” Chaos is inevitable. Use it. Learn from it. And recognize that in the midst of the chaos lies opportunity.

Like many of us, I am on my maiden voyage of “USS Raising A Teenager.” As such, I am in a constant state of waiting, watching, evaluating, tweaking and re-tweaking my parenting methods in an effort to discover the magic formula. I may never find it, but occasionally I do unearth a nugget that I feel the need to share.

So the story goes … my teenager was grounded. No after school activities, sleepovers, hangout sessions, and worst of all for her, NO ELECTRONICS. No texting, talking, skypeing, instagramming … the social death knell to a teenager. The first few days she was furious with me. And miserable. And surly.

And then, suddenly … not. Delightfully not. I noticed her head was up and she was smiling. She helped me cook dinner. She climbed into bed with me and we talked about friends and boys. I heard her upstairs laughing and singing songs with one brother, she played two hours of lacrosse in the backyard with the other.

Where had my surly teenager gone? And how could I replace her with this delightful creature on a permanent basis?

The conclusion is obvious. When she unplugged, she stepped outside of her stressful world of teenage tumult. She engaged. She paid attention. She enjoyed. You know where I’m going with this.

Don’t we all need that? Don’t we owe it to our friends, our families, our children to truly unplug and do the same?

• Face facts, you’re online more than you think you are. According to CNN, Americans spend at least eight hours a day staring at a screen. And more than one-third of smartphone users get online before they get out of bed. Um, yikes.
• On-line multi-tasking should make us more efficient, yet it really doesn’t. According to John Medina, author of Brain Rules, once a person is interrupted by something that’s not work related while on-line, it can take up to 50 percent longer to finish an assignment. Further research suggests that each time a person is sidetracked, the brain takes up to 45 minutes to refocus.
• It’s hurting our health. It’s increasing our stress (heard of Social Media Anxiety Disorder?), hurting our sleep, and straining our bodies.
• Our glut of connectivity is making us less connected. We aren’t connecting because we aren’t talking. It’s hurting our interpersonal skills. As one very astute high school student said, “We’re the most connected generation in history, “but we suck at intimacy.”
• And don’t get me started on what it does to kids. Children’s excessive technology use has the potential to cause attention, brain and behavioral problems. No bueno.

Listen, I love my smartphone as much as anyone. But I can tell you first hand, putting it down feels good. Not just to you, but to those around you.

My teenager is no longer grounded. I haven’t shared this with her, and she hasn’t asked. She’s pretty happy these days and I’m riding this wave for as long as I can. I’m enjoying it. And I think she is too.

Perhaps we should all ground ourselves from our devices from time to time?

It started as a typical day, moving forward, stopping at the store to pick up milk. I back out of the parking spot, turn the wheels to drive forward, and realize I’m stuck. In reverse. The gear shift is broken. After several scrapped knee-jerk plans (sit and wait, don’t move, don’t turn off the car, drive the car home in reverse) the final decision is made.

Tow it. Fix it. Move forward. 

During this brief, chaotic situation, it occurred to me that I take two beautiful abilities for granted; the ability to shift gears and the ability to move forward. Thank you, vehicle, for the head smack. How awful it would be to only move backward!! Unfortunately, we find ourselves looking backward far too frequently.

We can’t redo yesterday, last week or 10 years ago, so why do we spin our wheels in reverse?

Companies do this all the time. All the time. How many times have you heard or said:

• We will not carry zuladings because we tried and they don’t sell …
• We will not invest in social media (insert any marketing tactic print, radio, TV, community outreach, etc). We tried and it doesn’t work …

Decisions made from a rear view will hinder future success. 

A couple of real business examples:

1. In 2009, Starbucks breakfast sandwiches were a hard fast no. Too much aroma competition. “Coffee must win.”
2. For most of this decade, Michaels Arts and Crafts’ only mass reach tool was the weekly insert in the Sunday paper. The company would not invest in anything else because, “Only print worked.”
3. In late 2009 Domino’s Pizza changed its pizza recipe! After almost 50 years. “Yes, please” was not the initial response.

In all these cases, they didn’t let their rear view to deter them from moving forward. Yes, history can repeat and lessons should be learned; but what didn’t work once might work today because it is a new day, with a different landscape, different customers, and different needs.

Business strategy should always be forward-thinking and used to drive success.

Everyone has the ability to shift gears and move forward personally and professionally. If something is broke, fix it! By the way, I rode my bike to pick up my repaired vehicle. And you know what’s beautiful about a bike? It only goes forward.

After the long, cold winter, the arrival of spring is a welcome influx of new growth and new beginnings. Spring flowers, Easter and Passover celebrations and the kickoff of baseball season brings us happiness and warmth. We embrace this change.

Change is good.

In business and in life, the one thing we can be certain of is that change is around the corner.

Change is necessary. And change is rarely smooth.

Change can often be tumultuous – just google spring weather and take a look at the storms created by the replacement of cold air with warmth. But then think about the spectacular aftermath … after the spring storms depart, we are left with a rewarding burst of color.

Anything worth doing well comes at a price. Successful disruptors are revered, and for good reason. To have the vision for necessary change and the courage to enact the plan is not for the faint of heart. Patti Johnson notes in her book, Make Waves, “Even though each change is different, there are common patterns, habits and strategies that fuel those who start grassroots changes”

In order to grow, evolve and meet today’s rapid pace of change. It is vital that you and your organization are ready to meet the needs of the process of change and the new environment created:

• Have a vision.
• Have a strategy (identify the end goal and plan how to get there).
• Make sure the vision and plan are clearly communicated.
• Be prepared. You need the right team of like-mind folks.

Remember change is good, necessary and it is rarely smooth. As you begin to implement changes, be watchful of results and ready to adapt. Communicate those changes along the way. You will find the results well worth the pain and effort of getting there.

Never underestimate the power of simplicity in business. Simplicity in design. Simplicity in communication. Simplicity in life. Less will always be more.

In the art and design world it is known as Minimalism, referring to anything that is stripped to its essentials. In the fashion world simplicity is dubbed the Ultimate Sophistication. Heck, there is an entire magazine with monthly tips for achieving Real Simple. It is full of tips and ideas to help the common gal, “simplify, streamline, and beautifully edit her life, armed with calm, confidence – and the power of the right lipstick.”

Apple is a shining example of simplicity. Steve Jobs’ love of simplicity is the foundation of Apple’s success in design, marketing and customer retention. Jobs developed a product that resonated with consumers because of its intuitive and simple interface.

Nowhere is simplicity more important than communication. Unfortunately, in our never-ending quest to make things bigger, better, stronger and faster, we occasionally overthink and complicate our message, which leaves your customer confused and disengaged. In order to really have your message heard, keep it simple.

A few tips for simple and effective communication:

• Keep your message clear and concise. Avoid the need for interpretation.
• Use short sentences.
• Have a strategy for delivery. Make sure your target audience is engaged.
• Offer a call to action. Inspiration breeds action. Make it easy.
• Communicate in a timely manner.

Communication is critical to building relationships. To capture your audience’s attention and build a relationship, craft a clear message and and then deliver via the correct outlet.

Keep it simple!

Donny Osmond and Sara Karens

A sweet perk of this job is the opportunity to witness first hand marketing and branding strategies executed across different business and distribution channels as well as networking and learning from other folks on what has or has not worked.

As no man is an island, these conversations are incredibly useful.

Enter Dallas Market Center’s Sneak Peek. The day was an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at home and gift products and trends while networking with fellow bloggers during January Market.

It was a full day of trend discussion and design direction, beginning with breakfast with Donny Osmond. He and his wife, Debbie, are a perfect example of synergy across a brand. The tagline for his new line of home products, Donny Osmond Home, is “Making Home and Family Number One.” It’s hard to imagine a better brand ambassador for home and family. As personable as he is in the media, he is equally humble and engaging live. He and Debbie spent the better part of an hour joking around and telling stories to our little band of insiders.

Jeff Lewis of Bravo’s Flipping Out was the second keynote presentation for the day. His was followed with a Q & A session moderated by Shay Geyer of IBB. He is another terrific example of an authentic brand voice. His design philosophy is to find the true integrity of the house during renovation and breathe life back into the space in a way that will appeal to buyers.

It was a full day of touring showrooms, lunching with Dwell with Dignity and organic juices from The GEM (compliments of Peacock Alley). At the end of the day, we all went away understanding that authentic style is always in style, modern, clean lines will never be out of style and Pantone’s color of the year, Marsala, was really nobody’s favorite. 

Debbie and Donny Osmond and the bloggers of Sneak Peek

We look forward to the holidays all year long. They are a wonderful time for festive gatherings, re-visiting family memories and traditions, and creating new ones. Whether you celebrate Christmas, Chanukkah or Kwanzaa, the virtues of each of these holidays are celebrated for weeks and months in advance.

However, preparations for these celebrations can really zap our time. On any given day, the challenges presented by Father Time during the holidays can be intense. A Hollywood producer might love to document the chaos of a holiday reality show — imagine Gordon Ramsay trying to handle the heat in the kitchen while simultaneously shopping, decorating, wrapping, delivering and entertaining!

And beware! Just when you think you’ve wrangled things into manageable chaos, factor in a last minute curveball, because Someone. Will. Get. Sick.

It’s tempting to throw in the towel and let yourself get voted off the island and retreat. But with a little patience, pluck and determination, you can survive the holiday jungle and actually enjoy your holidays!

Here are a few of our tips on how to get through the season in one piece and beat Father Time at his own game:

• Drink calming tea – it’s vital for survival.
• Pay attention to behaviors. Delegate the right tasks to the right people. And, by all means, bring in “special teams” when necessary.
• These days are long, people! Avoid the jitters and get an extra boost of sustainable energy with a Radiant Red Glow (with jalapeno) from The GEM.
• Survivors will be welcomed back into civilization and rewarded with the rejuvenation gleaned from a good night’s sleep. On The Porch, we love the comfort and feel of crisp percale Egyptian cotton sheets. Lyric by Peacock Alley are our faves.

So enjoy the chaos and the glamour of the holidays, but remember, when it all comes down to it – there is a reason for the season. Take a deep breath, grab a mug and position your children under each arm, because “It’s a Wonderful Life” is truly what we have.

Make Waves … I remember the email that started it all, seems like only yesterday …

Patti Johnson, CEO and founder of PeopleResults, sent it a few short years ago.

She hired a company to assist her in redesigning and updating her company’s website and received round three or four of creative. She forwarded the concepts to me to get my opinion and eventually partnered with Front Porch Marketing to manage the project.

First step, we had several brand strategy meetings to outline the PeopleResults brand architecture.

Next step, we used the brand strategies to drive the website creative.

Along that journey, we recommended:

• Adding a blog to the site ~ you can subscribe to it here. It ROCKS!
• Then, defining the social media strategy for the brand and the individual partners
• Conducting team and individual social media training
• Creating a social media content calendar and blog schedule
• Developing a team marketing bar where team members could present their individual marketing ideas and several other initiatives, but trying to keep this brief

And, the rest is history.

We initiated change with smart, concise thinking tailored for key personalities at PeopleResults: the PeopleResults Partners. From there, the strategies were clear, and together we built fresh path forward for the leadership team and brand.

Patti recently credited me for starting her journey that resulted in, “Make Waves: Be the One to Start Change at Work and in Life.” For that, I am very honored and humbled. It was a team effort though. Without her courageous leadership, a trusted, two-way partnership and the willingness of the leadership team, it wouldn’t have happened.

The book is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, Indie Bound and Walmart.

Wave Maker out!

Creativity and inspiration come in many forms. And, collaborative creativity rocks.

So … What inspires us on the porch? What gets our rockers going? A lot, to be sure!!!

So you are asking yourself, to blog, or not to blog, that is the question. Really?

We say yes! How else does one share the pearls that all of us might be thinking, but don’t get around to verbalizing? Share. Please share.

All of us enjoy having someone else validate our offbeat humor. Think about it this way.

There are many different ways to communicate. Condensing to 140 characters will get the tweet out. Facebook captures our pics and thought bubbles.

Make no mistake, we love social media!! Nothing gets us rocking like a fabulous tweet or Twitter conversation. But sometimes it just doesn’t do justice to the topic. So, we say blog on!

If it seems insurmountable and you don’t know where to start, think of it this way Shakespeare penned (and we do mean “penned”) 37 plays and 154 sonnets in his short 52 years. Think of that as your typing by the light of the fire.

And since brevity is the soul of wit … our work here is done.