Change – in time or circumstance – often sparks reflection. The match may also be our own – or another’s – experiences, a song heard, or a quote shared. Equally true is the reverse – reflection often sparks change. Growth is ignited by both. As 2018 nears its end on the Porch, we are reflecting upon this year and gleaning insights to lead us into next. We hope our reflections will serve as a guiding light to your own.

As Chief Rocker, 2018 has been a year of growth for me professionally. In the spring, I graduated from the Goldman Sachs 10K Small Businesses program – one of the most challenging and rewarding things I have done for my career and business thus far. As wife and mom, it has also been a year of transition and growth for my family. My husband has grown his team at work and is settling into a new leadership role.

“I believe that days go slow and years go fast.” Luke Bryan

Nowhere is this more apparent than in parenting. My daughter transitioned brilliantly into a new school and turned five, which seems like a landmark year. This fall my son entered what is widely rumored to be the most difficult year of education at his high school. He has shown tremendous grit and commitment to achieving success with his grades, his varsity football team and his competitive shooting team.

It has also been a year of anticipating and preparing for big changes ahead. With college on the horizon – and a mom’s need to collect as many experiences with him as possible – I once again increased my volunteer commitments at his school. As a parent, change is bittersweet. The growth you model, encourage and watch proudly take shape in your children is the same growth making you wish desperately time would slow down.

For my other love – Front Porch Marketing –– our passion and dedication to the development and growth of our clients’ brands continues.

“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it.” Steve Jobs

Rock Star Vanessa Hickman:

As 2018 comes to a close, I am joyful that I have the opportunity to do what I love … sharing stories and helping organizations create and share their story. For me, the most meaningful project of 2018 was partnering with Practice Ministries to tell their story and raise funds in order to expand their ministries. Two of my loves collided: my faith and my work. To have found something I love and which allows me to contribute to the prosperity of my family makes me grateful, humbled and blessed.

“Growth is never by mere chance; it is the result of forces working together.” James Cash Penney

The Porch saw some changes in 2018, too. We added two Rockers. For one of them, a personal and professional collision of another sort occurred when her homecoming this year also grew our roster of amazing clients.

Lil’ Rock Maria Gregorio:

I moved back to Texas after a brief time in Kansas and I have somehow managed to reconnect and work with some old friends: Julie and Girl Scouts. It reminds me of an old Girl Scout song “Make new friends but keep the old. One is silver and the other gold … ” While I did enjoy my time in Kansas – I did indeed make new friends and learned a lot – it’s nice to be home again.

“Change is inevitable. Growth is optional.” John C. Maxwell

Back Porch Rocker Jacqui Trujillo:

2018 will be remembered as a year of tremendous change for me. Fear and discomfort can accompany change of any sort, but in the end, what I discovered is that sometimes the change you fear the most is the change that saves you … and turns you into exactly who you were meant to be.

“I don’t have to chase extraordinary moments to find happiness – it’s right in front of me if I’m paying attention and practicing gratitude.” Brene Brown

Finding our joy and practicing gratitude each day – regardless of circumstance – have also provided opportunities for reflection and been a catalyst for change in 2018.

The Rock Tara Engelland:

This year I have tried to take time at the end of each day to make a list of the things I am grateful for, both big and small. It’s amazing what practicing gratitude can do for your overall sense of happiness and contentment – especially on bad days. Sometimes, I even find the everyday things that I consider to be such chores are the things I am most grateful for. It really helps put things into perspective.

We are immensely grateful to our clients for the changes and growth we have experienced through the opportunities to work with each of you.

Classic Rocker Greg Asher:

2018 brought about the opportunity to work with great clients and a wide array of companies. From new products and services to new growth opportunities and new customer segments, they inspire me daily with their passion and commitment, and have me looking forward to a dynamic 2019.

“The secret to change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new.” Socrates

As you reflect upon 2018, contemplate what roads you (and your brand) should start or continue to travel and where you should change directions. Focus your energy on making those changes so the reflection you see in the rearview mirror is a year full of growth, for yourself and for your brand’s bottom line.

From all of us on the Porch, may your holidays be merry and your 2019 shine bright.

Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.

– John Dewey

School Days

I was always a very academic kid growing up. Once I got to high school, that drive turned up to eleven. I was a combination of Rory Gilmore and Paris Geller.

I guess you could say I was tightly wound.

Luckily, I relaxed significantly once I graduated from high school, and even more so once I graduated from college. At the time, I knew my formal education was ending. I also knew that I would never stop learning. But I did think that learning would take place in a more formal setting.  However, that was not the case.

While I do like learning in a classroom setting, a lot of the learning I’ve done in service of my career, has been done quite informally. Yes, I have attended many conferences and workshops. I have also Googled, YouTubed, and DIY’d my way through a good chunk of my professional development.  Learning by doing has been the best way for me to develop my skills.

This DIY, hands-on approach is also a reflection of where education is trending as a whole.  A few of our rockin’ clients reflect these trends.

Learning By Doing

Faith Family Academy emphasizes a MASTER program – Math, Art, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Research. They understand that there are different approaches to learning and that no one subject has cornered the market on how to solve problems  This holistic approach is needed if today’s students are to be tomorrow’s leaders and workers.

Another client of ours, Girl Scouts of Texas Oklahoma Plains, also emphasizes learning by doing. They understand that the best way to learn leadership skills is through hands-on trial and error. Girls are expected to work their way through real-life problems that you can’t study your way out of.

What do you do when the volunteers you scheduled to help with a service project don’t show up? What if you disagree with your troop on how to spend troop Cookie funds? And speaking of Cookies, how do you keep your eyes on the prize when you are selling at a Cookie booth and its 20 degrees outside?

I recently attended a workshop hosted by another rockin’ client, Sandler Training of Fort Worth. The facilitator guided us through different scenarios in an interactive, small group setting. Attendees came away with real actionable next-steps they can take to land a new client.

We live in interesting times. Most information is at your fingertips. Which essentially means, information is cheap. What you do with it, that’s the key.

Truth be told, my favorite diamond comes with four bases and a mound. I am always sad when another season of spring baseball is over. With each and every season, lessons and opportunities to grow on and off the field present themselves. Here were our top lessons learned this season:

1. It’s Not Over Until the Last Out – A team in my eldest son’s division had just an “ok” performance in regular season, but took everyone by surprise when they won the championship game. When you talked to the coaches, they credited their success to playing to their strengths, staying positive, never giving up, practicing and sticking to their playbook. Applying strategy and putting in the work paid off for this team.
2. An Ounce of Encouragement Wins Every Time – One of our players was on the receiving end of a lot of negativity from the coaches and teammates. Changing the narrative to encouragement and positive reinforcement instantly improved his play! Inclusion, encouragement and positive reinforcement are game changers. He ended the season by saying it was the best one yet and he didn’t want it to end. Actions and words have tremendous power. Make a difference with both!
3. Know the Rules – Seems to be an obvious statement, but knowing the rules is always important – in business, sports, home and school. Know the rules and play by them. We had teams check us (bat sizes, mound distance, etc.) and, if we had not been following the rules, this might have been an issue. An opposing team jumbled their line-up and it resulted in two automatic outs … they ended up losing the game; and while one can never say for certain, that situation appeared to be the momentum changer.
4. Embrace the Fail – Baseball is a game designed for you to fail. I love that simple fact. Every play there is one win and one fail. There is a tremendous amount of pressure on every player; but if applied correctly, it can result in lifelong lesson. It’s not if you fail, it is how you recover from the failure. So you strike out … what happens next? You hit a two-run homer. Fail. Learn. Progress. On repeat.

We love baseball. It connects our family. We invest our time together because of the lessons learned on and off the field. These lessons are easily adapted into business and life.

What’s your business’ game plan? How can we help you win? Let’s play ball!

I recently read a book entitled “Make Waves” that enlightened me to the perspective that an individual has the power to be a wave maker and spark change in the corporate world and their every day life.

Author Patti Johnson explains that people can make small “waves,” or changes, in their daily life that slowly disrupt the status quo. She breaks the book up into four easy to read sections that teach you how to think and act like a Wave Maker, and then introduces you to inspirational Wave Makers (including our very own Chief Rocker, Julie Porter).

I highlighted some of the key lessons I learned below, and I promise that by the end of the book you will be ready to get up and go chase your dreams.

• Finding your wave and accomplishing your goals always begins with asking questions of yourself. When you come home at the end of the day, how do you finish the statement, “If only I could…”? The answer is your wave. Any passion or inspiration, no matter how small, can start a wave of change that can impact more people than you ever imagined.
• According to Patti, every successful wave has these three qualities: impact, purpose, and credibility. Since a wave’s “goal is to make your organization, community, or market better with tangible results,” it makes sense that a Wave Maker must be knowledgeable about the subject and passionate about the results. So ask yourself, will my wave create “undeniable impact? Does it have a bigger purpose that engages others? And lastly, is my wave built upon knowledge and credibility?”
• After you have identified your wave, you must apply the most important chapter in the book, which addresses how to think like a Wave Maker. Just as every wave has certain qualities necessary to succeed, Patti notes that every successful Wave Maker she interviewed had very similar traits and thought processes. Going back to how important it is to always ask questions and be curious, Patti notes that Wave Makers typically “see the unseen, think progress not perfection, and most importantly ask ‘what can I do’ before they take action.”
• It’s important to note that being a creative and innovative thinker doesn’t necessarily come naturally. The most important thing is to foster your curiosity, because constantly asking , “why is it done that way?” or “what if…?” can lead you to a solution to a problem that you didn’t even realize existed before.

If learning how to become a disrupter and Wave Maker lights a fire inside you, then I highly suggest reading “Make Waves” in its entirety. I truly think this book is relevant and helpful for everyone; but I think it is particularly good reading for recent college graduates entering the corporate world, or those who may feel stuck or in a rut at their current job.

Always remember, “those crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.”

Life is full of transition. Some are big – a new job, a move to a new city, the birth of a child (or when a child leaves home), the loss of someone close to us. Others are smaller – the beginning of a new project, the transition from the school year to summer, a change of activities that brings new people into our lives or makes it harder to see others.

Our professional and personal lives are always shifting – new opportunities present themselves, things that no longer serve us fall away. Change is what drives growth. It’s healthy. It’s positive.

Our rational selves recognize these things as consummate truths. But sometimes our emotional selves don’t get the memo. Transition can be unsettling and confusing – oftentimes excitement about what lies ahead gets mixed up with melancholy over what has been left behind. When change stirs things up, it’s important to properly honor both sides of the transitory coin.

Sometimes what is needed in these moments is not action, but inaction. Stillness. Reflection.

I was talking to a friend recently about this very thing. I was blathering on about all the things I was going to do now that a big time commitment was wrapping up. Instead of humoring me, he called me out on my steamrolling. He said, “Doll. Settle down. Take this time to recalibrate and evolve. Just do you for a bit.”

Of course, he is right. Transition, whether big or small, presents a tremendous opportunity to make things better. Make you better. But it must be approached thoughtfully and respectfully; because that’s when the magic happens.

In the words of India.Arie:

Just do you
Somebody’s got to be a star
Just do you
Somebody’s got to raise the bar
Just do you
Somebody’s got to change the game
Just do you
Today

So the next time you find yourself in the whirlwind of change, take a deep breath, relax, and Just Do You.

As I sit down to write this, I am surrounded by a big mess… a very big mess. We are currently in the process of renovating our house. My washer and dryer are temporarily set up in my living room, my water is cut off for the day and I’m trying to figure out where in the already-crowded dining room to put the bathtub that is about to be delivered for the next month or so. My dog is barking at me because of all of the strange people working on our house and her restricted access to her yard, and my daughter wants to see what everyone is working on and try to figure out how she can “help.” Oh, and did I mention I’m almost 8 months pregnant?

Perfect timing, right?

When I feel like I’m literally on the verge of losing my mind in the chaos of change, I have to take a step back and realize that the mess is only temporary, and in the end, I’m going to have a beautiful home that is more spacious and more organized than it was before this mess began.

“Change is hard at the beginning, messy in the middle and gorgeous at the end.” – Robin Sharma

Without change, there is no progress, and this is true in all areas of life – whether it be personal or business. Is there a change that you know you need to make to help your business grow, but you are avoiding because of the mess that comes along with it? Perhaps you need to grow your team or change your org structure? Or it’s time to move to a new or larger location? Or there is a process that you have had in place, but it is no longer working? Is it time to take your marketing to the next level, or really focus on branding your business?

Well, consider this your invitation! Come join me in the chaos of change. There is no better time to make positive changes than NOW! And believe me, your future self will thank you for it.

The beginning of a new year is always a great time to have a brand review and create a fresh approach to achieving your business goals. Growth is always a goal for any business, but as your business grows and develops, you need to check and see if your brand reflects the business as it is today – not what it was last year or the year before.

Here are some tips for checking up on your brand for this year: 

• Does your brand reflect the personality and values of the company? If you don’t think it does, customers certainly won’t either. While the mission, vision and values of your company shouldn’t change often, shifts in your business or marketing strategy may affect the brand. A brand review gives you the opportunity to align it with your mission and vision so that you are connecting with the right people and growing your business year after year. Integrate your brand into everything you do – from answering the phones to your website design to your business cards – every customer touch point needs to be considered.
• Get feedback from external sources and be aware of how your company is perceived. People make decisions based on emotions so you need your brand to emotionally connect with your audience and feel assured that they know the who, what and why of your business.
• Review your brand standards and make sure every element translates across all delivery channels to ensure your brand is consistent.
• Define your key messages and make sure every member of the team knows what they are so they are aware of and can effectively communicate your brand attributes.

Completing an annual brand review will ensure that you are staying true to your brand, which will help ensure customers come back again and again.

Come see us on the Porch if you are in need of a brand review. We can ensure that your strategy and activities are aligned with your brand to maximize success!

You’ve cultivated your own personal brand. You’ve pulled together an impressive resume, collected letters of recommendation, completed service hours, cleansed and monitored social media profiles. You are a model citizen waiting to hear the results of your application. Only, this isn’t a job application, or even a college application. This is the high school entrance process for magnet and private schools in Dallas. You heard me – high school.

These are 13 and 14-year-old students … and this is a typical experience for parents of middle schoolers this time of year.

I know I’m dating myself, but in my day, attending school was a relatively simple matter: application plus test and voila, you’re either in or you’re not. No big deal. In today’s uber competitive world, however, our young teens begin a grueling process that starts the year before. There are test prep classes, interview skills seminars, tutoring appointments, essay drafts, service hours and school tours. They begin building a resume that we never even dreamed of dealing with until college.

It is the crafting of what will become their personal brand.

In many ways it’s become a little too much. The transition from middle school to high school is fraught with plenty of landmines without this element of pressure added. But modeling the appropriate behaviors goes a long way in getting them through it. By reinforcing the process, not the outcome, it can become a learning experience. Along the way these children will learn resilience. Let’s face it, these are the years when teens face some of their first real rejection. It’s not easy.

Let me be clear, I am NO expert. We have one child and are muddling through with lots of good company in a wonderful environment filled with friends and other parents who are willing to share their experiences and offer tips. It’s an amazing village.

The good news is that there are plenty of options. With good counselors and faculty shepherding families through the process, the students will realize that the universe is watching out for them and whatever school they attend as freshman will be a good stepping stone for the next chapter of their academic experience. And the process teaches them that personal branding is an important part of their lives.

So, it’s February. Perhaps you are finding it hard to stay committed to your New Years resolutions. Or your year-end business goals are proving harder to accomplish than you anticipated. Or you have put off making that change in your personal life that you know you have to make. Let’s face it, change is hard. 

“Any change, even a change for the better, is always accompanied by drawbacks and discomforts.” Arnold Bennett

The process of change can cause disruption in your life. This disruption can hit close to home and play with your emotions, bringing about feelings of doubt, uncertainty, and lack of control. It’s natural to want to maintain the status quo, it feels safer. But is it better? 

It is often said that change is the only constant in life. Yet we are evolutionarily predisposed to resist change because of the risk associated with it. Leadership today is all about managing disruption, and disruption is an hourly occurrence. Organizations and people that don’t embrace change are bound to lose ground and stagnate. Change is natural. Embrace it. Welcome it as an opportunity.

“Change is hard because people over-estimate the value of what they have – and underestimate the value of what they may gain by giving that up.” James Belasco and Ralph Staye

Whether you are undergoing change in the workplace or in your personal life, there are a few constants to bear in mind as you transition:

• Nothing happens without a readiness to change. You and everyone around you must buy in to the change and the reasons for walking the path.
• A support infrastructure is integral. Peer support and pressure drive change, and the emotional and logistical support will keep you afloat.
• Replace old habits with new ones. Replace negative situations with positive ones.
• Continuous introspection is key. Are you on the right path? Change is fluid, be willing to adjust.
• The goal is progress, not perfection. Overcome any setbacks you encounter and re-focus.

“Life does not get better by chance. It gets better by change.” Jim Rohm

I admit it. I’m a bit of a black and white person. Figure it out, do what’s best, and move forward. “Moving on!” is a familiar refrain in my world.

So when we, as a family, decided it was time to sell our house and find a new one, I clipped along and got it done. Old house sold. New house bought. Packing. Moving. Planning.

Moving. On.

But what I didn’t count on in all my efficient trouncing forward was the emotional toll it would take on everyone around me. My children cried. A lot. My sweet, easy-going husband was wound tight as a drum and stomped around for several weeks. Even my animals became not themselves.

What was wrong? Didn’t we all want this? Weren’t we all excited about the moving on?

If I’d taken my moving on hat off for five minutes to really think about things, I would have realized that efficiency cannot take the place of closure. Recognizing the emotions associated with change, regardless of how positive the change is, is an important part of moving on. Perhaps the most important part.

What is true in life is also true in business. You must properly handle the endings to fully succeed in your beginnings. Clients. Employees. Jobs.

Pay proper attention to the things you are letting go.

Be gracious in your goodbyes.

I love what Ellen Goodman said on the matter, “There’s a trick to the ‘graceful exit.’ It begins with the vision to recognize when a job, a life stage or a relationship is over — and let it go. It means leaving what’s over without denying its validity or its past importance to our lives. It involves a sense of future, a belief that every exit line is an entry, that we are moving up, rather than out.”

Essential for moving on.