She handed me a $20 bill for a $15 bracelet, 1/2 Persian red and silver weave.
Now that's normally not a problem, for I just give back a single $5 bill and we call it even. Right?
This particular day, as most particular days, I was selling my work at the Bastion Square Market. That's in Victoria, in case you're not familiar with it. And Victoria, that's in British Columbia. As in Canada.
And this $20 was green.
Well, even that's not saying much, since most $20 bills here are green. But this one was a darker green. As in US-currency-green. As in not-Canadian.
Now that's fine. I've got no problem with that. Most of us here in the frozen north accept US currency, and last year it was actually close to par. So she handed me $20 and I gave her back $5 with nary a twinge of guilt. No problem, right?
Well, let's just say that things went contrary to my expectations.
With a disgusted sneer on her face, she looked at this blue plasticy-paper thing in her hand and said, "What is this?" I could have put a worm in her hand and received about the same expression. Probably from both of them at the same time.
"That's your change", I said, with a calm coolness that was rapidly evaporating.
"But what is this?"
I carefully explained that the bracelet was only $15, and since she gave me $20, I owed her $5.
Again, she asked what it was, since it was clearly not a bill that looked familiar to her.
"Well," I said, as carefully as I would if I were explaining a difficult concept to a child, "we're in Canada. That is a Canadian five dollar bill. Your change."
"What am I supposed to do with this?"
I carefully edited my first response before I said anything, for I do try to be a gentleman.
"You can spend it like any other money", I tried.
"But I don't want this funny money. I want an American five."
"I'm sorry", I replied, trying to bolster up some sympathy in my voice, and likely failing, "but I don't have one. And besides, it's illegal for me to give change in anything besides Canadian currency."
"But I don't want this. I want a real five."
That was when I managed to smile again.
"All right, look", I offered. "Here. Let me show you something."
I handed her back her twenty, and took the bracelet and the five back in my own hand. And then I carefully outlined my idea to her.
"We are not in the United States. We are in Canada. This is another country, and your currency is not considered valid, legal tender here. I only accepted it out of courtesy. Now, if you want to buy this bracelet, please pay me $15 in real Canadian currency. I will not accept your funny money here. I will only take legal tender."
I'm not sure, but I don't think I have ever been so glad to lose a sale.
Well, except for maybe that lawyer guy. But that's another story.
Friday, April 17, 2015
Saturday, April 11, 2015
The Business of Business
When I wrote that story about the little girl and the scale butterfly yesterday, I had a number of comments, most of which were of the "you made me cry" variety, or something about how nice it was that I did that. One comment, though, really stood out for me. He said that it helped "all of us to be not just good business people, but better people."
That, of course, got me thinking about the implications of such a statement, nice as it was.
There are many strange beliefs about business, ethics, and people that I question on a regular basis.
Once we begin to raise these questions, we will find that our very attitude towards business begins to change.
To start, we need to look at materialism, and how its influence has pervaded our entire civilization. We often read in various spiritual and philosophical writings a condemnation of the materialistic attitude. But what is that attitude? Materialism means that we place an undue emphasis on material objects, and have a disinterest in spiritual, intellectual or cultural values.
A healthier attitude does not mean that we ignore the material side of existence, nor that we live an ascetic lifestyle. Instead, it means that we live a more balanced life, with our family and friends, people in general, as a higher priority than objects. It means understanding the very source of our happiness, discovering what makes us noble in character, and striving every day to become better and better people.
Once we understand what leads to our upliftment, as opposed to what abases us, then we can better see how every aspect of our life can be bent towards helping us achieve our goals in life. After all, nobody wants to be a worse person.
With business, we will no longer see it merely as a means of acquiring a little bit of money, but instead value it for the opportunities it offers us to interact with others.
Yes, we have to eat. I won't deny that. Paying the rent is a good thing, too. But are those the overall objectives of our life here on Earth? Are truly here merely to get a few more pieces of dust to clutter up the bookshelves of our lives? How many people have you ever heard, on their deathbed, wishing they had spent just a little more time in the office?
It sounds absurd to put it that way, but this is how many of us live our life.
Many years ago I made the very conscious decision to not do that.
When it came to choosing between advancing my career or spending five years as a stay-at-home dad to help raise my son, the choice was clear. I stayed at home. Well, rather I went out with him, picking a different virtue each week on which to focus. We would go to the conservatory and talk about how we could show this virtue to plants, or how they showed it to us. We explored those same questions at the zoo with the animals, and at the children's museum with kids. For the first five years of his life, this is what we did together.
I made almost no chain-mail during that time.
Do I regret it? Are you kidding me? I would do it all again in a heartbeat.
My wife and I made the mutual decision to cut out all those things that sucked up our money, such as cable tv and a cell phone, and live off her salary, which was far higher than mine. All our lives are far richer because of that decision.
At my booth in the summer, where I sell my work and make most of my money for the year, I have an unusual policy. If someone comes up to my table and obviously feels like they have to buy something to be a good person, that purchasing some material item somehow validates their existence, I will talk them out of buying anything. Instead, I spend time with them, asking questions and truly listening to their answers. I get to know them, praise them and encourage them. And if someone else comes up needing assistance, I ask them to wait while I finish with this very important person. And then I try to give the new person the same degree of attention, just to make sure they don't feel hurt.
People come first.
Over the years I have lost many sales because of this attitude, but I have gained something far more valuable: friends. And these friends have also, incidentally, become my greatest client base. They have demonstrated true "customer loyalty", returning year after year, bringing their friends with them.
True wealth lies not in what you own, but in who you are.
In the end, if you want to be a better business person, then you have to become a better person first.
That, of course, got me thinking about the implications of such a statement, nice as it was.
There are many strange beliefs about business, ethics, and people that I question on a regular basis.
- Why do we accept that the desire for greater and greater profit should be the fundamental operating principle of business?
- Why have so many people placed economic activity at the very centre of human existence?
- Why do we presume success is synonymous with economic wealth?
- But most of all, where do we come off defining a human being as a consumer of goods and services?
Once we begin to raise these questions, we will find that our very attitude towards business begins to change.
To start, we need to look at materialism, and how its influence has pervaded our entire civilization. We often read in various spiritual and philosophical writings a condemnation of the materialistic attitude. But what is that attitude? Materialism means that we place an undue emphasis on material objects, and have a disinterest in spiritual, intellectual or cultural values.
A healthier attitude does not mean that we ignore the material side of existence, nor that we live an ascetic lifestyle. Instead, it means that we live a more balanced life, with our family and friends, people in general, as a higher priority than objects. It means understanding the very source of our happiness, discovering what makes us noble in character, and striving every day to become better and better people.
Once we understand what leads to our upliftment, as opposed to what abases us, then we can better see how every aspect of our life can be bent towards helping us achieve our goals in life. After all, nobody wants to be a worse person.
With business, we will no longer see it merely as a means of acquiring a little bit of money, but instead value it for the opportunities it offers us to interact with others.
Yes, we have to eat. I won't deny that. Paying the rent is a good thing, too. But are those the overall objectives of our life here on Earth? Are truly here merely to get a few more pieces of dust to clutter up the bookshelves of our lives? How many people have you ever heard, on their deathbed, wishing they had spent just a little more time in the office?
It sounds absurd to put it that way, but this is how many of us live our life.
Many years ago I made the very conscious decision to not do that.
When it came to choosing between advancing my career or spending five years as a stay-at-home dad to help raise my son, the choice was clear. I stayed at home. Well, rather I went out with him, picking a different virtue each week on which to focus. We would go to the conservatory and talk about how we could show this virtue to plants, or how they showed it to us. We explored those same questions at the zoo with the animals, and at the children's museum with kids. For the first five years of his life, this is what we did together.
I made almost no chain-mail during that time.
Do I regret it? Are you kidding me? I would do it all again in a heartbeat.
My wife and I made the mutual decision to cut out all those things that sucked up our money, such as cable tv and a cell phone, and live off her salary, which was far higher than mine. All our lives are far richer because of that decision.
At my booth in the summer, where I sell my work and make most of my money for the year, I have an unusual policy. If someone comes up to my table and obviously feels like they have to buy something to be a good person, that purchasing some material item somehow validates their existence, I will talk them out of buying anything. Instead, I spend time with them, asking questions and truly listening to their answers. I get to know them, praise them and encourage them. And if someone else comes up needing assistance, I ask them to wait while I finish with this very important person. And then I try to give the new person the same degree of attention, just to make sure they don't feel hurt.
People come first.
Over the years I have lost many sales because of this attitude, but I have gained something far more valuable: friends. And these friends have also, incidentally, become my greatest client base. They have demonstrated true "customer loyalty", returning year after year, bringing their friends with them.
True wealth lies not in what you own, but in who you are.
In the end, if you want to be a better business person, then you have to become a better person first.
Friday, April 10, 2015
A Love of Butterflies
All right, all right. I know it's been like years since I've posted. My wife has been getting on my case about it, but truthfully I've been too busy making things to take the time to write.
So today (which first came out as "toady" given my lack of ability, or "abailaitiy", to control where my fingers are going on this keyboard) I'm going to tell a story.
Are you comfortable? Do you have a nice hot drink by your side? Are you snuggled up with your teddy bear, or what have you?
Good.
Once upon a time, sometime in the middle of last year, probably around August, I was sitting at my booth in Bastion Square, Victoria, BC, Canada (drop by for a visit if you're in the neighbourhood). Now this booth is down towards the water-end of the square, and I have a glorious view of the harbour all summer long. Between me and the water, though, is a wide set of concrete stairs going down to Wharf Street, cross the street and there's the last building on the row, a tall staircase going to a parking lot and, basically, the water with the hills in the background.
So there I am on this gorgeous sunny summer day staring out at the water as I am wont to do when this little girl comes bounding up the stairs. She sees the "pretties" at my booth and begins running towards me as her mother and sister come following up the stairs behind her. She begins looking at all my wares, eyes wide in amazement (I love the unspoken compliments like that), and promptly says "I want that", pointing to a butterfly pendant, just as her mom is within earshot.
I see her mom heave a sigh, so I say to the little girl, "Well, I'd love to sell you this, but I have a very important rule at my booth."
She looks at me, as if to ask what that rule might be, just as her mom and sister arrive.
"I'm not allowed to sell anything until you have looked at all the booths in the market."
Her mother stared at me with something between disbelief and confusion.
"So", I continue, "have you been all through the market, all the way to my friend Robert at the very end and back again?"
"Nooooo", she says, fascinated by this new rule, which I have just made up on the spot.
"Well," I say, carefully stalling while my mind catches up to me, "when I was your age, there was something I really, really wanted. I had saved my money all summer for it, but hadn't found it yet. And one day, I went to a market just like this and I saw something that I thought was a little bit interesting, so I bought it. And wouldn't you know, not even 10 minutes later I saw the thing that I was really saving for just a bit further up. And by then it was too late. I had already spent my money and couldn't afford it. So, I have this rule. You have to look at everything in the market before you can buy anything from me. After that, I'll be very happy to sell you whatever you want."
Her mother was astonished. Here I was turning down an obvious sale for some strange reason. She was grateful, but didn't really know what to make of it.
Anyways, they looked a bit longer, thanked me for my time, and went on their merry way.
At that point one of my neighbours, who had heard all of this, came up to me laughing, saying she couldn't believe I had done that.
"Yeah, but did you see how grateful the mother was? Besides, it was only five dollars. That was well worth it."
The day continued, and a few hours later we had a bit of a lull, so my neighbour came over to chat again.
"So, did that little girl come back to get her butterfly?"
And just as she asked, who should come by but that same little girl.
This time there was no sense of a rushed frenzy of needing to spend the money burning a hole in her pocket. She was calm, collected, and very courteous.
"Excuse me," she began. "I went through the whole market, and even saw your friend Robert. I really like his books. The leprechaun one was my favorite. Anyways, I saw everything and I decided I would like to buy one of these butterflies, please."
How could my heart not melt at such sweetness?
As she was saying this, her family came up behind her with looks of amazement at her change of behaviour.
"That's wonderful", I said with as much sincerity as I could possibly give. "Which one would you like?" I waved my hand at the variety of butterflies there on the table.
She carefully looked them over before declaring, "I would like this one, please", carefully pointing to a blue and pink one, "because it's the closest you have to purple."
"Ok. Now, I'm a little short of butterflies today", I explained, "so I have a special deal going on." I just love the way my mouth says these things before I realize that they're true. "They're normally $5, but if you help me make one, then they're only $4." I had noticed that she had 2 toonies and a loonie in her hand. Don't you just love the names for Canadian currency?
"Ok", she said.
I brought out my box of supplies and asked her, "Which colours would you like? You need to pick out 2 big scales, and 4 small ones."
"Oooohhhh! You have purple!" I hadn't thought her eyes could get any wider, but boy was I wrong.
We laid out all the materials on my board, and I connected the first couple of pieces with her carefully watching.
"Is this a butterfly?" I held up the two scales dangling limply from a single link.
"No."
I added a bit more.
"How about now?" They were still dangling, but there were just more pieces dangling now.
"No."
"Well, we need to add another piece here. Can you hand me the large link, please?"
So she did.
"Doesn't this look just like a butterfly", I asked, holding up a wadded mess of links and scales.
"Noooooo", she said, trying not to laugh.
"Well, maybe if I just add this link here", I remarked, arranging the pieces carefully in one palm, hiding it from her view. And I added the last link, which sort of snaps the whole thing into place, and flicked it up in the air. It spun around and landed right in front of her, a perfectly formed purple and pink butterfly.
If I had thought her eyes were wide earlier, I was sorely mistaken.
With a burst of seven-year old excited energy, she dropped the toonies on the table, grabbed her little treasure and ran off shouting, "Daddy! Daddy! Look at what I got. A purple butterfly."
My neighbour, who was still watching, had tears in her eyes. Neither of us said anything as we watched the little girl bounce out of sight.
But what really made my day was about two minutes later when her mother came back.
"You know", she said, "she would have been happy getting just the blue one. But you just gave her a memory that will last her whole life. Thank you."
And that, dear reader, is what makes this all worth it.
So today (which first came out as "toady" given my lack of ability, or "abailaitiy", to control where my fingers are going on this keyboard) I'm going to tell a story.
Are you comfortable? Do you have a nice hot drink by your side? Are you snuggled up with your teddy bear, or what have you?
Good.
Once upon a time, sometime in the middle of last year, probably around August, I was sitting at my booth in Bastion Square, Victoria, BC, Canada (drop by for a visit if you're in the neighbourhood). Now this booth is down towards the water-end of the square, and I have a glorious view of the harbour all summer long. Between me and the water, though, is a wide set of concrete stairs going down to Wharf Street, cross the street and there's the last building on the row, a tall staircase going to a parking lot and, basically, the water with the hills in the background.
So there I am on this gorgeous sunny summer day staring out at the water as I am wont to do when this little girl comes bounding up the stairs. She sees the "pretties" at my booth and begins running towards me as her mother and sister come following up the stairs behind her. She begins looking at all my wares, eyes wide in amazement (I love the unspoken compliments like that), and promptly says "I want that", pointing to a butterfly pendant, just as her mom is within earshot.
I see her mom heave a sigh, so I say to the little girl, "Well, I'd love to sell you this, but I have a very important rule at my booth."
She looks at me, as if to ask what that rule might be, just as her mom and sister arrive.
"I'm not allowed to sell anything until you have looked at all the booths in the market."
Her mother stared at me with something between disbelief and confusion.
"So", I continue, "have you been all through the market, all the way to my friend Robert at the very end and back again?"
"Nooooo", she says, fascinated by this new rule, which I have just made up on the spot.
"Well," I say, carefully stalling while my mind catches up to me, "when I was your age, there was something I really, really wanted. I had saved my money all summer for it, but hadn't found it yet. And one day, I went to a market just like this and I saw something that I thought was a little bit interesting, so I bought it. And wouldn't you know, not even 10 minutes later I saw the thing that I was really saving for just a bit further up. And by then it was too late. I had already spent my money and couldn't afford it. So, I have this rule. You have to look at everything in the market before you can buy anything from me. After that, I'll be very happy to sell you whatever you want."
Her mother was astonished. Here I was turning down an obvious sale for some strange reason. She was grateful, but didn't really know what to make of it.
Anyways, they looked a bit longer, thanked me for my time, and went on their merry way.
At that point one of my neighbours, who had heard all of this, came up to me laughing, saying she couldn't believe I had done that.
"Yeah, but did you see how grateful the mother was? Besides, it was only five dollars. That was well worth it."
The day continued, and a few hours later we had a bit of a lull, so my neighbour came over to chat again.
"So, did that little girl come back to get her butterfly?"
And just as she asked, who should come by but that same little girl.
This time there was no sense of a rushed frenzy of needing to spend the money burning a hole in her pocket. She was calm, collected, and very courteous.
"Excuse me," she began. "I went through the whole market, and even saw your friend Robert. I really like his books. The leprechaun one was my favorite. Anyways, I saw everything and I decided I would like to buy one of these butterflies, please."
How could my heart not melt at such sweetness?
As she was saying this, her family came up behind her with looks of amazement at her change of behaviour.
"That's wonderful", I said with as much sincerity as I could possibly give. "Which one would you like?" I waved my hand at the variety of butterflies there on the table.
She carefully looked them over before declaring, "I would like this one, please", carefully pointing to a blue and pink one, "because it's the closest you have to purple."
"Ok. Now, I'm a little short of butterflies today", I explained, "so I have a special deal going on." I just love the way my mouth says these things before I realize that they're true. "They're normally $5, but if you help me make one, then they're only $4." I had noticed that she had 2 toonies and a loonie in her hand. Don't you just love the names for Canadian currency?
"Ok", she said.
I brought out my box of supplies and asked her, "Which colours would you like? You need to pick out 2 big scales, and 4 small ones."
"Oooohhhh! You have purple!" I hadn't thought her eyes could get any wider, but boy was I wrong.
We laid out all the materials on my board, and I connected the first couple of pieces with her carefully watching.
"Is this a butterfly?" I held up the two scales dangling limply from a single link.
"No."
I added a bit more.
"How about now?" They were still dangling, but there were just more pieces dangling now.
"No."
"Well, we need to add another piece here. Can you hand me the large link, please?"
So she did.
"Doesn't this look just like a butterfly", I asked, holding up a wadded mess of links and scales.
"Noooooo", she said, trying not to laugh.
"Well, maybe if I just add this link here", I remarked, arranging the pieces carefully in one palm, hiding it from her view. And I added the last link, which sort of snaps the whole thing into place, and flicked it up in the air. It spun around and landed right in front of her, a perfectly formed purple and pink butterfly.
If I had thought her eyes were wide earlier, I was sorely mistaken.
With a burst of seven-year old excited energy, she dropped the toonies on the table, grabbed her little treasure and ran off shouting, "Daddy! Daddy! Look at what I got. A purple butterfly."
My neighbour, who was still watching, had tears in her eyes. Neither of us said anything as we watched the little girl bounce out of sight.
But what really made my day was about two minutes later when her mother came back.
"You know", she said, "she would have been happy getting just the blue one. But you just gave her a memory that will last her whole life. Thank you."
And that, dear reader, is what makes this all worth it.
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