Aviation of Business

posted by Andrew Hartley - Business Consultant & Entrepreneur on Apr 27

Have you ever noticed the paths that are worn into the grass from where people walk when they don’t use the sidewalks? Why does that happen? It could be argued that sidewalks are a way to keep people in line and conforming to what someone else wants them to do, and that the fact that there ARE paths worn into the grass means that the entrepreneur mentality is widespread in the human population - this is why people don’t follow the path laid out for them by the sidewalks.  Walking in the grass is a way to buck conformity and “blaze your own path.”  We’ve all read the following poem a million times:

The Road Not Taken - Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowthThen took the other as just as fair
And having perhaps the better claim
Because it was grassy and wanted wear
Though as for that, the passing there
Had worn them really about the same

However, once everyone starts taking “the road less traveled by,” it becomes more like a path cut in a field by cattle… follow the leader.  Humans are just as likely to fall into the “herd mentality” as any other animal. 

Sidewalks are just convenient borders, not necessarily useful paths.  So the fact is that paths get cut into the grass by human nature, which is to take the path of least resistance.  The only real “trailblazing” entrepreneur was the first person who walked the path - before it was even a path - and most likely it was done more out of laziness than out of “risky,” trailblazing, entrepreneurial moxie. 

So what is one to do?  Beyond the obvious environmental and aesthetic reasons to avoid the “beaten” path, I believe that the simple act of walking off the path beaten by so many cattle-minded folks will begin to train your mind to be different than others - which, we all know, is step number one to becoming an entrepreneur.

So do you want to be like the rest of the herd, killing the grass and making lazy trails across your corporate or campus lawns?  Or do you want to think about what you do and why you do it, taking care not to destroy something to get where you’re going? Leave a comment telling us how you train yourself to think and act differently than others so you can get what others don’t have!

posted by Andrew Hartley - Business Consultant & Entrepreneur on Apr 21

Here’s something interesting: Small Business Week coincides with Earth Day.  I don’t know if that is the case every year, but in 2007, here we are. 

President Bush has praised small business owners in the days preceding Small Business Week, but he has not latched on to the opportunity these shared celebrations present.  If you would like to read the full text of the President’s proclamation, click here (HTML) or here (PDF). 

Here’s the thing: we all know that the environment is in dire straights.  We’ve heard the hullabaloo about Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth (both a book [aff] and a movie [aff]) and have seen the many recent reports on Global Warming (or Climate Change - choose your poison), a topic which has finally hit the mainstream as it deserves.

So what is to be done?  Bush missed a BEAUTIFUL opportunity to link Earth Day with Small Business Week.  According to the Small Business Administration (SBA), small business represents 50% of the United States’ private, non-farm gross domestic product (GDP).  In fact, small business ranged from 18 to 85 percent of each sector of the US economy!

Imagine what could happen if there was a strong call for small business to usher in a “green revolution!”  What if all small businesses began to run in an environmentally-friendly (even an environmentally-enhancing) way!  How great would it be if the ideas laid out in books like Green to Gold [aff] and Natural Capitalism [aff] were truly brought to fruition by the ingenuity and creativity of entrepreneurs and small-business owners!

Now think about what WILL happen if no small businesses think about the environment.  Nothing will change.  We’ll continue on exactly the same path we are already on - and, as we entrepreneurs know, avoiding change is not an option.  The status quo is a death knell for business.  In this case, the death knell would only warn us of the impending doom from climate change.  It may not end things, but it would DRASTICALLY change life as we know it.

So if President Bush won’t do it, I will.  I (and Aviation of Business) challenge all small business to try to think “outside their box” and “think globally while acting locally.”  And putting the clichés aside, I truly do believe that small business is up to the challenge of redefining what business can be.  I believe that small business, with its ability to change quickly and with its creativity and ability to mitigate risk (even though it can never be completely eliminated) is more likely to cause the environmental revolution than big, bumbling, slow conglomorates that slog through committees and make tiny, incremental changes so as not to misstep and (god forbid) make a mistake! </rant> Small business entrepreneurs know that mistakes are lessons, and that “incremental” actually means “slow and scared.”

So take the challenge, please!  Find any and every way you can make your business “green.”  Then let ‘er rip!  Leave a comment telling us how you currently “green” your business, and come back and add to the list if you hear about or think of a new, creative way to increase the “greenness” of your company!

Fair Winds,
Andrew

posted by Andrew Hartley - Business Consultant & Entrepreneur on Apr 19

There’s a saying in aviation: “Keep the shiny side up!”  Usually, it is said jokingly - often to a new student pilot or freshly minted private pilot. I imagine the saying may have started in early aviation when aircraft were not built to be as stable and trustworthy as they are today - when it was entirely possible that an inexperienced pilot could end up upside-down or in some other “interesting” attitude that would take a decent amount of skill to recover from.  The belly of an airplane tends to get dirty more quickly than the “top” of the plane - hence the saying.

Here again, the metaphor to business is uncanny.  Marketing is all about “keeping the shiny side up.”  It’s about showing the benefits (NOT the features) of your product.  I can talk all day about the higher powered engines and the fuel capacity increase on my newly designed model of aircraft, but that doesn’t mean you’ll understand that my new design will get you to your destination faster and without stopping for fuel. 

Of course depending on how you market, speed and endurance could also be considered benefits.  Benefits are different to different people.  So the “shiny side” of your product can only be “kept up” if you know your customer (or potential customer) and if you use words that make the “shiny side” of your product valuable to them. If I am talking to a pilot, useful load, endurance, range, climb speed, etc. are benefits.  If I am speaking to a small business owner looking for transportation, those are features.  The coinciding benefits are “carrying more passengers” (useful load), “non-stop flights coast-to-coast” (endurance & range), and “spending less time in traffic at low altitudes and lower fuel burn” (climb speed).  If you’ve been in an industry for a long time, it is hard to remember that not everyone speaks your language, so be careful!

As an example, a couple weeks ago, I bought some bottled water at the grocery store.  It was the same bottle as any other water.  The same size.  The same water, essentially.  But this company did something just a little different: they wrapped the caps with a plastic seal that matched the color of the bottle and prevented tampering.  This is an example of a simple, inexpensive way to stand out from the crowd and add class to a commodity product.  Talk about “keeping the shiny side up!”

How do you “keep the shiny side up” in your marketing?  Leave a comment and let us know!

Fair Winds,
Andrew

posted by Andrew Hartley - Business Consultant & Entrepreneur on Apr 12

This past weekend, my grandmother, Mimi, passed away.  She was 86.  We buried her yesterday, April 11th, 2007.  It was one of the hardest things I have ever done, and I was kind of surprised by it.

I was surprised not because it is ever easy when someone passes away, but because I firmly believe in reincarnation and the idea that family and good friends tend to “cluster” in groups no matter what life they are living (read Many Lives, Many Masters, by Brian Weiss - buy it here [aff]).  In this way, I know that my father is still with us.  I know that my grandfather is still with us.  I know that my other grandfather (though he passed before I was born) is still somehow in my life.  I know that Mimi will never be gone completely; that she will always be with us in our memories and in our children and grandchildren and friends and cousins and everyone we meet and know and love.

I know all of this, but I also know that I cried when I had to say goodbye for the last time.  After the service, I placed a handkerchief in Mimi’s pocket.  She had saved it for about twenty-five years.  It was the same handkerchief that I had cried into as a baby once.  As Mimi told the story, I cried and cried and wiped my eyes on the handkerchief until it was soaked with my tears… she gave it to me when her husband, Gran, died.  I thought she would want it back - she saved it for so long it obviously meant a lot to her.  Once I placed it in the casket, I cried.  It was the first time since I found out she had passed away that I cried.  And I hated it.  And I loved it.  And it felt right.

But the universe works in mysterious ways - my friend whom I have never met, Verna Wilder, wrote in her blog - Out of the Cube - that there are so many things we don’t know.  And that it is okay - perhaps even good. And that life is, maybe, a lesson to teach us how to accept not knowing, and that death, possibly, is knowing (after all those years of ignorance).  And Verna posted a beautiful poem, which reminded me of the poem that Mimi loved because it was so reminiscent of HER family (Mimi was the only sister of seven siblings):

We are Seven by William Wordsworth 

A simple child, dear brother Jim,
That lightly draws its breath,
And feels its life in every limb,
What should it know of death?

I met a little cottage girl,
She was eight years old, she said;
Her hair was thick with many a curl
That cluster’d round her head.

She had a rustic, woodland air,
And she was wildly clad;
Her eyes were fair, and very fair,
–Her beauty made me glad.

“Sisters and brothers, little maid,
How many may you be?”
“How many? seven in all,” she said,
And wondering looked at me.

“And where are they, I pray you tell?”
She answered, “Seven are we,
And two of us at Conway dwell,
And two are gone to sea.”

“Two of us in the church-yard lie,
My sister and my brother,
And in the church-yard cottage, I
Dwell near them with my mother.”

“You say that two at Conway dwell,
And two are gone to sea,
Yet you are seven; I pray you tell
Sweet Maid, how this may be?”

Then did the little Maid reply,
“Seven boys and girls are we;
Two of us in the church-yard lie,
Beneath the church-yard tree.”

“You run about, my little maid,
Your limbs they are alive;
If two are in the church-yard laid,
Then ye are only five.”

“Their graves are green, they may be seen,”
The little Maid replied,
“Twelve steps or more from my mother’s door,
And they are side by side.”

“My stockings there I often knit,
My ‘kerchief there I hem;
And there upon the ground I sit–
I sit and sing to them.”

“And often after sunset, Sir,
When it is light and fair,
I take my little porringer,
And eat my supper there.”

“The first that died was little Jane;
In bed she moaning lay,
Till God released her of her pain,
And then she went away.”

“So in the church-yard she was laid,
And all the summer dry,
Together round her grave we played,
My brother John and I.”

“And when the ground was white with snow,
And I could run and slide,
My brother John was forced to go,
And he lies by her side.”

“How many are you then,” said I,
“If they two are in Heaven?”
The little Maiden did reply,
“O Master! we are seven.”

“But they are dead; those two are dead!
Their spirits are in heaven!”
‘Twas throwing words away; for still
The little Maid would have her will,
And said, “Nay, we are seven!”

You are seven, Mimi.  You and all of your siblings.  And those of us left here in this life still count you among us, and we are many.  And we miss you already.  And we’ll all see you soon.  We love you.

Fair Winds,
Andrew

posted by Andrew Hartley - Business Consultant & Entrepreneur on Apr 3

A very close friend worked his last day at the company at which I worked for nearly six years today. He had been there for eleven years (count ‘em - 11!). It’s an aviation company, and as such it has seen its share of ups and downs. Over the past year or so, however, the company’s leadership turned to layoffs and generally bad management of its people to turn its financials around. Temporarily, I think it’ll work. Long-term, I think it’s a mistake. Regardless, I recieved the following message from my friend today. Talk about leaving with class!

This final message is to a select group of people who are particularly dear to me…

You are special to me, and I’ll miss you. [Our CEO] has said “it’s the people that make the difference” and I couldn’t agree more. [Company Name] is unbelievably volatile with change, and it has its share of corporate problems, but it’s as good as it is because of the folks who show up every day committed to doing a great job and never giving up on making things better. Each of you is one of those people and each of you has influenced me for the better.

While my career here is coming to a close and a new chapter is opening, yours continues. And like mine, your time with [Company Name] will continue to add to your skills, open up new opportunities, and give you many more chances to make that difference. Despite the setbacks, I look back fondly on almost 11 years of growth and development here, and I’m thankful that I’ve moved into the world of training through opportunities that came out of this company. I especially want to thank [Name Removed], who in 1998 took a chance and asked me to join him in training [employees] – that little effort forever changed the course of my career, and brought me into what I believe I was always meant to do: educate and develop people.

I’m also thankful for the countless projects and teams I’ve been a part of, for the learning I’ve done, and for the many areas of the business I’ve been in contact with. There was rarely a dull moment, and I don’t doubt that will continue. In that I’ve learned to seize the day, and take every chance to make the most of it. We must remain committed and determined – these are always rewarding whether in the company or somewhere else, no matter what the endeavor.

I also continue to learn not to let external factors determine my mood, attitude, or mission. It’s worthy to be true to yourself and even more so to your purpose – I believe there is a plan for every life and a benevolent God who created it. No matter what the world does or says, these things transcend it. Work is just work, and no company is perfect, nor can it provide the deepest meaning and purpose our hearts long for. So no matter how tough it gets, we can always look back and see benefit in our work and the companies that provide it. Even more so with the relationships we build.

May your career be blessed as mine has, even with the difficulties that come along the way; may they help us along as we mature and build character, all the while gaining valuable experience to contribute to our futures and the world around us. Thanks to [Company Name] for my career, and thanks again to you for being a part of it.

Best wishes,
–[Name]

We should all take a cue from my good friend and his departure message - learning to separate one’s self from one’s job and to look to many things for self-worth, mission, and attitude, as well as to use the good and the bad to build a worthwhile character and mature into who we are meant to be.

Fair Winds,
Andrew

posted by Andrew Hartley - Business Consultant & Entrepreneur on Apr 1

Aviation is one of my passions.

Another is the environment.

An odd combination?  I don’t think so.

Most people look at aviation as a polluting, wasteful industry.  And, looking at aviation operations as they have been for 100 years and are currently, they are probably right.  However, I think that aviation as an idea is about the most environmentally-friendly thing there is… to fly, an airplane and pilot must adhere to the laws of Mother Nature.  She alone decides whether an airplane will fly.  Any one who attempts to defy nature in an airplane and do something that goes against the physical laws of nature will learn the hard way who is in charge.  I also believe that aviation can and should be a far less polluting industry than it is.  I believe that aviation can be successfully environmentally-conscious.  I challenge everyone in the industry to pay more attention and get more creative in reducing aviation’s impact on the Earth.

In that vein - I ran across a contest this week in USA Weekend in my Sunday paper.  The Smithsonian National Zoo is having a contest - asking kids to suggest creative ways to “Stomp out carbon.”  Click here to go to the press release on the zoo’s website.

By the way: Earth Day is every April 22nd. Celebrate Earth Day this year by leaving a comment telling us what you do to reduce your ecological “footprint!”

Fair Winds,
Andrew

posted by Andrew Hartley - Business Consultant & Entrepreneur on Apr 1

I’ve been a very, very bad blogger recently.

My goal is to write a minimum of one blog post per week (which is still not enough to keep people’s interest, I think); however, I haven’t even done that over the last couple of weeks.  I’ve been busy at work and trying to start too many projects at once and yada yada yada (insert standard blogger lack of posting excuse here). Unfortunately, I am not a full time internet entrepreneur (yet!), so my time is very limited inasmuch as my ability to spend time posting here…

So - I’m going to be a dweeb and consider this post one for the last two weeks (even though it’s not a real post).  Please accept my apologies - I promise to do better from now on.  And please keep the commentrs coming - how else am I ever going to know if I’m writing decent content? </beg>

Thanks to everyone who does check the blog periodically - I hope to be posting more about my projects soon, and I’ll be looking for feedback on them as well.  Any suggestions or advice will be appreciated.

Fair winds,
Andrew