And furthermore ...

Last night was been difficult. And the truth is, I’m still struggling. 

Not just with the fact my phone has been stolen but realizing the degree to which I became completely unhinged upon learning it was taken. My hands were shaking, I couldn’t focus or think. I called my husband sobbing, asking him to help me use the “Find My iPhone” utility I had installed somewhere but had no idea how to actually use. (The irony of that last part is just hilarious)

I had literally fallen in love with that thing. 

As I crawled into bed, exhausted and still an emotional wreck, I needed to give myself a hard slap in the form of a reality check. 

My husband still loves me and is safe. 

My kids are healthy and still safe. 

The world has, in fact, not come to an end. 

I’m embarrassed to admit how horrifically out of balance my priorities had become. Yes, it is a cool phone but it’s still just a phone. And as much as I hated my Blackberry, it’s still capable of performing basic functions it’ll do until we can afford another iPhone. 

I’d love to start a support group for those of us who’ve either lost or had our phones taken. Perhaps some sort of 12-step recovery program to help get our lives back on track. (And former Blackberry users would get extra therapy since we’ve been exposed to the knowledge phones can actually do more than dial and receive email) 

Feel free to share coping strategies… 

** Questions to Ask in a RFP **

1) How would you help us solve this problem?

2) Who else have you helped?

3) What will it take to get us there? (time, budget, resources)

That’s it. 

Don’t get me wrong. I understand where a Request for Proposal comes from and the purpose it can serve. But oftentimes an organization believes it needs to know HOW to solve the problem when creating the RFP and subsequently compares costs against executing that solution. 

But it doesn’t matter which car we drive if we’re headed in the wrong direction. Don’t feel the pressure to figure out the how—That’s a big part of what you’re paying for. 

Instead, tell them what needs to be fixed and look for a team that truly seeks to understand your needs, your culture and has the experience to back them up. Chances are high the proposed solution may not be what you expect but you’ll be delighted with the results.  

Amazed at the leaps in skill our son is achieving in just two years @ Ringling College of Art & Design. Very proud :)

chrisbaldwinsketchblog:

3 hour portrait in acrylic on cold press illustration board. 15x20” keeping the darks transparent and the lights opaque, but mostly just trying to figure out how to paint with acrylic.

process:
quickly mapped out the drawing in pencil, sealed it with a burnt sienna wash, then started with dark washes, found the midtone, then hit a couple spots opaquely to find my lightest lights and define my value structure. from there I went back and forth between defining planes opaquely and throwing washes over them until i found the right value/temperature, wiping out some spots for rolling shadows with a paper towel, burt silverman style. Then hit up the darkest darks opaquely/semi-opaquely and spotted in the lightest lights again so they sit on top and grabbed the highlight on the nose. 

it’s not that great of a painting, the drawing is really what saves it, but it’s decent for 3 hours. working big helped too. this style is nice but i want to be able paint totally opaque—truth be told i’m just a little afraid of the paint ;p

thanks for looking!

Chris Baldwin. 

I can understand the frustration many leaders face. (Especially in communications)

There’s so much that needs to be done and sometimes giving up any ground feels like we’re not just losing the battle but losing the war altogether. 

My encouragement would be to look for the shades of grey. It’s not always rarely an either/or, black & white extreme. You may have been told there’s a “right” way to do something but if it means jeopardizing your end goal, is a detour possible?

Perhaps more people need to be on board with your vision. Look for the quick wins (however small they may be) to build credibility and work with what you have to pave the way for the bigger opportunities you see on the horizon. 

I found this great post that lists his top 10 ways to become a “Chief Convincing Officer”. Here’s a quick preview:

I recently wrote a friend who is starting a nonprofit and suggested that the role of a company leader is to become the chief convincing officer. In the end these two titles are synonymous, because selling is really the art of convincing someone to believe and buy into your concept, whether by buying your product or service or by investing in your company or by working for your company.

Here are my top 10 sales tips, all of which have served me and our staff — including Jo Opot, pictured above — for years:

1. You can sell only if you yourself are convinced: If you are not sold on the product or service, it will be an uphill battle to sell someone on else. Your lack of conviction will scream through.
2. Be clear and direct: When pitching do not use complicated diction. Pride yourself instead on being able to explain the concept as quickly, clearly and simply as possible. This is important because the biggest problem in sales is client confusion. Confusion does not lead to a Yes.

You can read the full article here