 I flipped my calendar over to May 1st by the warm glow of our Christmas lights, still shining brightly through my front window.
Hey, I’m not the only one still in the festive spirit. John, my new next-door neighbour, still has several strings of multi-coloured lights hanging in his tree - and they’ve been there since last November.
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 What does it mean to have a teenage business?
Well, if you’ve been in biz over ten years, you already know. If you haven’t, it’s this: you’re probably pretty good at what you do if you’ve lasted this long. You’ve seen a lot. And you’ve got a lot figured out. So what about when your business enters it’s twenties?  I mean, what was I expecting from a place called The Orange Cat Cafe?
An orange cat, of course. But I was pleasantly surprised by the sense of fun I felt as I entered this rural Maine eatery . The Orange Cat Cafe is on our route to Ontario from New Brunswick - we take a short cut through Maine and come back into Canada somewhere in Quebec. (it’s a long but beautiful drive)  I joined a twin club in Ottawa when I found out we were in a BOGO baby situation.
They offered prenatal classes for moms with multiples. (yes, some moms were having more that two) And even though I had already been through this experience once before - and had what the twin community calls a “singleton” already - having one baby vs having two babies was a whole new ballgame, with it’s own unique set of rules. You could have divided that prenatal class in half.  You could not surprise me as a kid.
Or so I thought. I was TERRIBLE. I searched every nook and cranny for hidden Christmas presents leading up to the big day. I opened and re-wrapped gifts under the tree. I. Could. Not. Help. Myself.  Last week, we packed up our sweet cape cod house, cleaned it from top to bottom and recycled a ton of stuff.
But we were still left with a mountain of garbage, including three old, crappy garbage cans. What was the hardest part of leaving the house we've been in for 17 years? Was it leaving all the memories behind? Deep cleaning it from top to bottom? Packing a kazillion boxes? Nope.  Why was my foot suddenly in excruciating pain while I was hitchhiking from Brindisi to Pescara on that sweltering June afternoon back in 1981?
I was stumped. We were having a great day up 'til then. Spending more time in cars than on the side of the road. No pain at all. When I removed my well-worn sandal and looked between my big toe and the next one (you know, the piggy that stayed home), something a little familiar was sticking out.  I was a newbie at Banfield-Seguin Advertising & Design in Ottawa back in the late 80’s when I met Bill.
I had heard so many epic stories about Bill and his antics before I got to know him. Working with him every day was a hoot. I have never met anyone with more spirit and sense of adventure. He could figure anything out. He had an idea for every prank - no matter how complicated - and a costume for every event. Bill was legendary. My favourite Bill story took place in 1988.  It's been a very busy couple of weeks since I joined a welcome team for a Syrian refugee family that just arrived in Canada.
The experience has been really great - for me, anyway - I'm not sure if our new Syrian friends have figured out these crazy, super friendly Canadians are only trying to help! (Can you be too welcoming? Not in Canada!) The welcome team model is unique to Saint John and from what I hear, it's a model that more towns and cities should consider in their own effort to welcome new Canadians. |
The Small Business GuideBlog AuthorKim Houlahan is a marketing consultant who loves helping small business owners improve their marketing. 
Small Business Guide ~ Archives
How to stop fear from holding you back See the light at the end of the tunnel? Speak Volumes without Saying a Word Why you need to be different Surprising Advice for Budding Entrepreneurs What are you doing all the way to the bank? What a Mom of Twins does NOT need to hear Have you got a Secret Sauce? Have you Ruined any Surprises Lately? What Story Are You Telling Yourself? When the Rubber hits the Road How is your Business like a Marriage? The Right Place at the Right Time Just Get Out There. How Hard Can it Be to Describe What you Do? What's Your Best Productivity Hack? To Share or Not to Share Relatively Small Efforts for - wait for it - Great Results The Truth about Working from Home What's YOUR Superpower? 6 Things You Can Do Now Perspective is (Almost) Everything Are You Sensitive to Customer Needs? Got a Process for That? Don't Get Attached! Aim DIRECTLY at your audience Know When to Ask for Help 3 Things you Should Never Assume Avoid the Wild Goose Chase Where do you Draw the Line? Give'em a Memorable Experience Categories
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