While pumping gas yesterday, I was approached by a man asking for money. He had an elaborate and compelling story about how he’d ended up
stranded and in desperate need of $26 for cab fare. I had the money,
but I was about 90% sure he was lying, so I turned him away. I'd
heard the stories before.
As he walked away, an elderly black man at the next pump asked me how
much he’d asked for. “Twenty-six dollars.” To my surprise, the
elderly man got out his wallet, ran after the guy, and gave him the
money. I was shocked that this man could be so naive! The old man was
was clearly from a poor neighborhood, so surely he'd been heard these stories before too.
When he came back, the old man told me about the Parable of the Wheat
and the Tares (weeds), and how God says to allow the good and the
wicked to grow together because you can’t always tell them apart
until the harvest (judgment day). The old man wasn't naive after all.
He simply chose to help the guy based on his understanding of that
parable.
I left convicted. Even if there was a 90% chance the guy was lying,
then there was at least a 10% chance I’d just turned away a man in
genuine need. Why? Because I’m too proud to let myself be taken
advantage of? The amount was not significant to me, so there can be
no other explanation. I think the old man at the pump may have
forever changed my perspective.
"Whatever you do unto the least of these..." Jesus teaches that whatever we do to a person in need, we essentially do to him. Did I really risk a 10% chance of turning away my Savior for the sake of my pride and twenty-six
dollars?
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Monday, October 20, 2008
Why I Killed Learn & Master Golf
I had big plans for Learn & Master Golf. It would be our first non-music project. It would be far bigger and better than anything currently available. It would make learning the game accessible to everyone. The concept made sense to me. Golf is a highly lucrative market and its instructional videos do well. Ours would be a full course on golf instruction; step-by-step learning complete with assignments and benchmarks for teaching yourself the sport on fifteen DVDs. It’s what we do.
It was also a big mistake. Sometimes my best laid plans are just plain wrong.
Nearly a year after we’d started, I had to make some tough decisions. First, our golf instructor, though a top PGA professional and fabulous coach, was not a skilled author. He believed passionately in the project, but sometimes heart isn’t enough. After a year of wrestling alongside him and even assigning him a fulltime writer/editor, we still didn’t have a completed script. Even still, we might have kept trying if not for the second problem…
By this time we had developed more sophisticated market testing methods than we’d had when we started the project. The new data indicated strongly that L&M Golf would not sell well through online marketing – the only kind we currently do. We were already way behind, our budget kept ballooning, and we hadn’t even started production yet. The biggest costs still lay ahead, and now the data indicated that we’d be unlikely be recoup them. We were beating a dead horse, and now there wasn’t going to be much of a prize at the finish line anyway.
So given all this, canceling the project should have been a no-brainer. Easy call, right? Not exactly. Our instructor had relocated to Nashville for the project. Various members of our team had already invested months of sweat into it and had become emotionally attached. Some fought back tears at the very suggestion of canceling it. Hearing that months of hard work might be for nothing isn’t easy. We’d invested nearly $100,000 in company resources, and we really wanted it to work. Classic sunk cost fallacy.
And of course there was my pride. Canceling Learn & Master Golf would mean admitting I was wrong. Dead wrong.
Of course, I did cancel the project. Better to be wrong than stupid. In the end, my team didn't argue too much. Their initial disappointment (and mine) was soon accompanied by a certain sense of relief. We could finally focus our attention on projects that were working. And now, thanks to those focused efforts, we have nearly completed Learn & Master Ballroom Dance months earlier than we would have otherwise. And, of course, it's only taken me three months to talk openly about my failure here.
A “never quit, no matter what” mentality is often a sign of strength and courage. Other times it’s arrogance. Don’t sink your team’s ship because you’re too proud to admit you started it off in the wrong direction. Change course.
It was also a big mistake. Sometimes my best laid plans are just plain wrong.
Nearly a year after we’d started, I had to make some tough decisions. First, our golf instructor, though a top PGA professional and fabulous coach, was not a skilled author. He believed passionately in the project, but sometimes heart isn’t enough. After a year of wrestling alongside him and even assigning him a fulltime writer/editor, we still didn’t have a completed script. Even still, we might have kept trying if not for the second problem…
By this time we had developed more sophisticated market testing methods than we’d had when we started the project. The new data indicated strongly that L&M Golf would not sell well through online marketing – the only kind we currently do. We were already way behind, our budget kept ballooning, and we hadn’t even started production yet. The biggest costs still lay ahead, and now the data indicated that we’d be unlikely be recoup them. We were beating a dead horse, and now there wasn’t going to be much of a prize at the finish line anyway.
So given all this, canceling the project should have been a no-brainer. Easy call, right? Not exactly. Our instructor had relocated to Nashville for the project. Various members of our team had already invested months of sweat into it and had become emotionally attached. Some fought back tears at the very suggestion of canceling it. Hearing that months of hard work might be for nothing isn’t easy. We’d invested nearly $100,000 in company resources, and we really wanted it to work. Classic sunk cost fallacy.
And of course there was my pride. Canceling Learn & Master Golf would mean admitting I was wrong. Dead wrong.
Of course, I did cancel the project. Better to be wrong than stupid. In the end, my team didn't argue too much. Their initial disappointment (and mine) was soon accompanied by a certain sense of relief. We could finally focus our attention on projects that were working. And now, thanks to those focused efforts, we have nearly completed Learn & Master Ballroom Dance months earlier than we would have otherwise. And, of course, it's only taken me three months to talk openly about my failure here.
A “never quit, no matter what” mentality is often a sign of strength and courage. Other times it’s arrogance. Don’t sink your team’s ship because you’re too proud to admit you started it off in the wrong direction. Change course.
Friday, October 3, 2008
Thriving in Tough Times
A number of people have asked lately how the credit crunch and economic slowdown have effected us at Legacy Learning Systems. The short answer is, we’ve felt the effects, but we’re doing fine. Here’s why.
1. Cash Reserves. I’ve done the build-it-fast-then-crash-and-burn thing. It sucked. Bad. I’ve since realized I’d rather have my company be successful than be successful fast. We have intentionally kept our growth in check and built up cash reserves instead of plowing all profits into pursuing break-neck growth. We certainly haven’t taken on debt to pursue growth. Some might call that overly conservative. Those people have never lived on corn flakes with water.
2. Debt Free. I hear there’s a credit crunch. Good thing we don’t need it. See #1.
3. Privately Held. Although we’re profitable and growing, thanks to the sagging economy we are going to miss my sales projections for this year. Big whoop. Few besides me even knew what those projections were. If we were a publicly traded company, there’d be hell to pay, regardless of our profitability.
4. Ramp-Up. It’s our good fortune to be in ramp-up stage. When you're young and growing fast, an economic slump just means you grow slower. For example, we are now selling fewer copies of Learn & Master Guitar than this time last year, thanks to the economy, but our new product launches have more than made up for it. I can take no credit for this. It was just fortunate timing.
While bad for many, economic slowdowns always benefit someone. Usually, it’s the conservatively run businesses that win in times like these. Regardless of size, un-leveraged companies with cash and no debt are going to win. They’ll hire great talent on the cheap, build their product lines, buy or crush their competitors, and position themselves to win big when the economy turns again.
We hope to be one of them.
1. Cash Reserves. I’ve done the build-it-fast-then-crash-and-burn thing. It sucked. Bad. I’ve since realized I’d rather have my company be successful than be successful fast. We have intentionally kept our growth in check and built up cash reserves instead of plowing all profits into pursuing break-neck growth. We certainly haven’t taken on debt to pursue growth. Some might call that overly conservative. Those people have never lived on corn flakes with water.
2. Debt Free. I hear there’s a credit crunch. Good thing we don’t need it. See #1.
3. Privately Held. Although we’re profitable and growing, thanks to the sagging economy we are going to miss my sales projections for this year. Big whoop. Few besides me even knew what those projections were. If we were a publicly traded company, there’d be hell to pay, regardless of our profitability.
4. Ramp-Up. It’s our good fortune to be in ramp-up stage. When you're young and growing fast, an economic slump just means you grow slower. For example, we are now selling fewer copies of Learn & Master Guitar than this time last year, thanks to the economy, but our new product launches have more than made up for it. I can take no credit for this. It was just fortunate timing.
While bad for many, economic slowdowns always benefit someone. Usually, it’s the conservatively run businesses that win in times like these. Regardless of size, un-leveraged companies with cash and no debt are going to win. They’ll hire great talent on the cheap, build their product lines, buy or crush their competitors, and position themselves to win big when the economy turns again.
We hope to be one of them.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Intelligent Hiring for Clueless Managers
I used to have a rule that I wouldn’t hire anyone to do a job I hadn’t first done myself. It was a good rule. It's become more difficult, though, as our company has grown and lately I’ve found myself interviewing candidates for jobs I could never do. Accurately assessing a candidate’s true abilities is difficult enough. It’s even harder when you don’t possess them yourself. Here are a few things that have helped me.
Go to “School”. While you may not be able to fully learn the job itself before filling it, you should still learn as much as possible about the job. Quiz friends and colleagues with experience in that job. Ask them what you should be looking for in strong candidates and what to watch out for. Probe deeply into what they really do every day, and have them help you flesh out exactly what elements of it would be most important to your company’s needs. Solicit their help in writing the job description. And of course, get their recommendations for possible candidates.
Don’t Fake It. When interviewing candidates for jobs you have little or no experience with, don’t pretend that you do. If the candidate uses a term you don’t know, stop them and ask them to define it. Trying to appear smarter than you are will only ensure you remain in ignorance. Be sure they explain exactly what they did day-to-day in each of their previous jobs, and that they do it in language you understand. This will also help you hire a candidate who can speak your language and communicate what they are doing clearly to you. Hiring an “expert” who can’t communicate on your level will only lead to frustration down the road.
Hire Experience. For some positions, it simply makes good economic sense to hire young, energetic candidates that can be easily trained and motivated. This is NOT one of those times. If you need to fill a role that you do not have extensive experience in yourself, hire someone who does. A novice (that’s you) managing a beginner is a recipe for disaster.
Look for “Manageability.” During the interview, and especially when checking references, pay particular attention to how easily the candidate got along with their bosses and management. Watch out for big egos. Dealing with big egos is hard enough with people who think they know more than you. It’s next to impossible when they really do. When going through their work history in the interview, ask the candidate to describe each of their bosses in detail and assess for you both their technical ability and their overall management ability. Pay close attention if the candidate seems to only really respect the bosses who had strong technical ability in their particular field, since you obviously don’t.
Of course, none of this gets you off the hook for learning as many of the job functions in your organization as possible – especially the core functions. There is simply no substitute for first-hand experience. Work the numbers. Work the phones. Work the warehouse. Go on sales calls. Do tech support. Handle service complaints. Yes, hire well, delegate, and empower – but never, ever abdicate your responsibility to know what your people do. Too often “empowerment” is simply code for abandonment.
Go to “School”. While you may not be able to fully learn the job itself before filling it, you should still learn as much as possible about the job. Quiz friends and colleagues with experience in that job. Ask them what you should be looking for in strong candidates and what to watch out for. Probe deeply into what they really do every day, and have them help you flesh out exactly what elements of it would be most important to your company’s needs. Solicit their help in writing the job description. And of course, get their recommendations for possible candidates.
Don’t Fake It. When interviewing candidates for jobs you have little or no experience with, don’t pretend that you do. If the candidate uses a term you don’t know, stop them and ask them to define it. Trying to appear smarter than you are will only ensure you remain in ignorance. Be sure they explain exactly what they did day-to-day in each of their previous jobs, and that they do it in language you understand. This will also help you hire a candidate who can speak your language and communicate what they are doing clearly to you. Hiring an “expert” who can’t communicate on your level will only lead to frustration down the road.
Hire Experience. For some positions, it simply makes good economic sense to hire young, energetic candidates that can be easily trained and motivated. This is NOT one of those times. If you need to fill a role that you do not have extensive experience in yourself, hire someone who does. A novice (that’s you) managing a beginner is a recipe for disaster.
Look for “Manageability.” During the interview, and especially when checking references, pay particular attention to how easily the candidate got along with their bosses and management. Watch out for big egos. Dealing with big egos is hard enough with people who think they know more than you. It’s next to impossible when they really do. When going through their work history in the interview, ask the candidate to describe each of their bosses in detail and assess for you both their technical ability and their overall management ability. Pay close attention if the candidate seems to only really respect the bosses who had strong technical ability in their particular field, since you obviously don’t.
Of course, none of this gets you off the hook for learning as many of the job functions in your organization as possible – especially the core functions. There is simply no substitute for first-hand experience. Work the numbers. Work the phones. Work the warehouse. Go on sales calls. Do tech support. Handle service complaints. Yes, hire well, delegate, and empower – but never, ever abdicate your responsibility to know what your people do. Too often “empowerment” is simply code for abandonment.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Introducing Learn & Master Drums
It's official. Learn & Master Drums launched today! We've been working on this course for nearly two years, so we're incredibly excited to be releasing it. We really believe there is no better home training course for learning drums available anywhere at any price.
Thanks so much to Dann Sherrill and the huge team that made this course possible. You have invested countless hours that I pray will ultimately be a blessing to many. I am in your debt. And of course, an advanced apology to the neighbors, roommates, and family members of our future customers... I suggest earplugs!
We have a little tradition around here of honoring our first buyer of each new course. This time, the distinction goes to Alan Peden of Glaskow, U.K. Thanks, Alan!
Thanks so much to Dann Sherrill and the huge team that made this course possible. You have invested countless hours that I pray will ultimately be a blessing to many. I am in your debt. And of course, an advanced apology to the neighbors, roommates, and family members of our future customers... I suggest earplugs!We have a little tradition around here of honoring our first buyer of each new course. This time, the distinction goes to Alan Peden of Glaskow, U.K. Thanks, Alan!
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Legacy Days
One downside to marketing your products online is that you rarely get to meet your customers. That changed for me this weekend when Legacy Learning customers from around the world (seriously) descended upon Nashville, TN for “Legacy Days.” The irony is that we never asked them to come...
It’s fair to say that our customers are fans. They love Learn & Master Guitar in particular. I’ve been asked countless times whether we’d ever plan an event where our students could come to Nashville to meet us, each other, and their beloved guitar instructor, Steve Krenz. My answer was always “someday – not this year.” As usual, I was a bit slow to get it.
Our customers had enough of waiting, so they planned the event themselves. Honest! There was no input or prompting from us. Through our student support discussion board, our customers began talking, planning, and ultimately creating the entire event. They booked hotels, planned activities and even made t-shirts. Invited or not, they were coming. By that point, we’d gotten the message. If our customers wanted to meet us and each other that badly, we’d be ready!
The weekend was a fabulous success. We had guitar workshops, guest speakers, fun events, a charity auction supporting Musico a Musico, and a concert. It was so much fun meeting this eclectic group that makes up our core customer base. What fine folks!
On Saturday, we asked for volunteers for interviews. I wanted to hear their guitar learning stories and we filmed them for promotion and inspiration pieces. Wow! Hearing over and over again how our course had touched their lives was so gratifying. I heard one tell about how he used learning guitar to keep his mind off of the intense pain he was enduring as part of a long recovery from back surgery. An older man talked about how learning to play guitar was the last big goal for his life. Another talked of how it helped during a painful divorce. And on and on. The term "bucket list" came up often. We were impacting lives.
Getting promotional material was easy too. We didn't have to coax anyone into saying how wonderful the course is. Every time our customers talked about it, they simply gushed. On and on about how there’s no better way to learn guitar. There could be no doubt that they genuinely loved our simple course.
The real highlight, though, was the student showcase on Saturday night. One by one, the students got up on stage and performed. It was amateur music at it’s finest. Compared to the professional music you would have heard on any other Nashville stage that night, it was awful. Beautifully, heart-warmingly awful. True beginners who’ve dreamed for years of playing, finally stepping up on a stage for the very first time.
I’ve never applauded so loudly in all my life.
Thank you to all who came and made the weekend so special. YOU get the credit for learning guitar and capturing your dreams. It is our honor to simply have been a part.
It’s fair to say that our customers are fans. They love Learn & Master Guitar in particular. I’ve been asked countless times whether we’d ever plan an event where our students could come to Nashville to meet us, each other, and their beloved guitar instructor, Steve Krenz. My answer was always “someday – not this year.” As usual, I was a bit slow to get it.
Our customers had enough of waiting, so they planned the event themselves. Honest! There was no input or prompting from us. Through our student support discussion board, our customers began talking, planning, and ultimately creating the entire event. They booked hotels, planned activities and even made t-shirts. Invited or not, they were coming. By that point, we’d gotten the message. If our customers wanted to meet us and each other that badly, we’d be ready!
The weekend was a fabulous success. We had guitar workshops, guest speakers, fun events, a charity auction supporting Musico a Musico, and a concert. It was so much fun meeting this eclectic group that makes up our core customer base. What fine folks!
On Saturday, we asked for volunteers for interviews. I wanted to hear their guitar learning stories and we filmed them for promotion and inspiration pieces. Wow! Hearing over and over again how our course had touched their lives was so gratifying. I heard one tell about how he used learning guitar to keep his mind off of the intense pain he was enduring as part of a long recovery from back surgery. An older man talked about how learning to play guitar was the last big goal for his life. Another talked of how it helped during a painful divorce. And on and on. The term "bucket list" came up often. We were impacting lives.
Getting promotional material was easy too. We didn't have to coax anyone into saying how wonderful the course is. Every time our customers talked about it, they simply gushed. On and on about how there’s no better way to learn guitar. There could be no doubt that they genuinely loved our simple course.
The real highlight, though, was the student showcase on Saturday night. One by one, the students got up on stage and performed. It was amateur music at it’s finest. Compared to the professional music you would have heard on any other Nashville stage that night, it was awful. Beautifully, heart-warmingly awful. True beginners who’ve dreamed for years of playing, finally stepping up on a stage for the very first time.
I’ve never applauded so loudly in all my life.
Thank you to all who came and made the weekend so special. YOU get the credit for learning guitar and capturing your dreams. It is our honor to simply have been a part.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Off-Topic Tip: Someone else’s iPod
Borrow someone else’s iPod for your next run or workout. It’s a great way to mix things up. You’ll find yourself picking up the pace to songs and genres that you might never have guessed would move you. And you can always hit skip if Cindi Lauper comes up. Or maybe not...
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