Just a little bit ago reading an entry from my friend Jill's food blog ( The Unmanageable Oven ) and was quickly transported to my old stomping grounds of East Oakland, CA. The other day I was able to take her and some other friends to a great place to eat in the hood, the La Pinata truck on Coliseum Way. I have been eating there since 1986. The food is authentic and the setting, well, you just have to see it for yourself. Fighting for table space with the pigeons is part of the whole deal there. Anyways, the point is this, traveling all over the world searching out cool stuff to bring home for people to enjoy in there homes and spend the rest of my time talking about it in all the great local spots in my neighborhood. Jill reminded me that we don't necessarily have to go very far to feel transported to somewhere else. Sure I want you to come home to throw your keys down on a side table that came from a small village outside Brugge, Belgium and think to yourself - wonder who else has done the same thing? but really I just want you to enjoy your family or friends or love one who's waiting for you on the other side of the door.
Working hard and raising kids, nurturing a family, tending to a garden, spending to much time on a hobby that is quickly becoming all consuming and most importantly to me - shopping for the ultimate space saving answer to all your design wishes in an bedroom suite, we must not forget to experience all that is available to us in our neighborhood. Many people probably came before you to make the place in which you live a destination for someone else. Now that my home is in the NW, I am constantly finding out a new fold to the community here. Sure there is a funny TV show thats makes the tongue in cheek aspect of Portland laughable to the locals. Really this place is important to our culture as Americans. The Lewis and Clarke trail, logging industry, heck NIKE, ADIDAS, INTEL, PENDELTON, and the Food Cart Revolution are just a few highlights of the area. A true outdoor spirit here, an adventurous spirit! Even if the adventurers wear tight jeans, throw back glasses or ride a bike everywhere, I make light but you got to see it for your self, kinda like the pigeons I mentioned.
Here I find a real comfort in all that is around me. The trees, mountains, rivers, valleys, parks, and so much more! When talking with people about where I live there is a great exchange of information and ideals. They tell me about the old corner store and the hidden gem of a restaurant and the right place to go to get your vacuum fixed and I regale them about the journey the buffet they just bought from me took. Usually an even trade but most of the time I get uplifted and inspired to search out the adventure they shared with me and my hope is that one day they will do the same with the story I just told. Life is quite revealing sometimes.
So thanks Jill for the simple reminder to enjoy all that surrounds you and take in the enjoyment of the people and places in which I live. This is where I know I can best be of service and help. Even if I got jump on another plane, train and taxi to find you the Hallrobe that will solve all your problems!!
Until next time....got to finish watching March Madness!!
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Sunday, February 27, 2011
A year off to find the next new and there it goes!!
Some say the all journeys start by taking the first steps. I am finding out that this journey is only taking shape by looking back at the last few. So much emphasis on the future and what's next, why? From where I sit its only by taking stock in to that which has passed by do I even get a glimpse at what is coming down the road. Most folks are so caught up in the speed of things - new model, latest version, coolest widget, and my personal favorite - new title for the same old thing! Me, I just want you to buy my stuff so I can get back to smoking a cigar. I really do enjoy what I do, finding things and uncovering stuff, trying to understand what does it all mean,etc....
For he most part this last year has been quite a revealing opus for me. Being on my own for the first time in business has been quite the challenge. No one really to run things by. At least no one with out a vested interest in what I am doing. My customers are the best, we work really hard to find out what is coming next so that they can get on to whatever they want to be doing. Sometime though, I have to stop and realize that we are on opposite sides of the income battle. Perfectly fine...my job get the money, there job, keep the money. Fun stuff and totally acceptable! These are the truly fun volleys. What I am saying is, that when an idea crosses or passes across the table, my long time partner is not there to debate with. I do miss the team effort I once had. Now I get to make all the decisions myself. That is a lot of pressure. Don't screw up or you might have to go get a job..that is not acceptable!
Ranting is done. Down to business. Hold on, my tea is cold....be right back.
Thats' better.
So the post-WWII trends of all the traditional stuff is far behind us and the Mid-Century Moderns are have been in full swing for at least ten years, if not more. I spend all my time talking about simple, clean lines, utility, and many other things, like "Who designed this?...or "Is this from Denmark or Sweden.....phooey if you ask me. Most people want the look but can rarely afford the name. Get real with the pocket book I say. Many of the back and forth between me and my clients are about what will do for the price point and how many should we bring into the market place so as not to drown out the effect. Totally boring. Necessary but boring.
Where is the new money, Where is the market going, and How do we deliver the message are the fun ones if you ask me. Recently I launched a new electronic tool for my customers ( website plug: legacyimporting.com) Shameless but hey, you work on yours and trudge through all the tech and see how you feel! Breaking away from the classic way of the message - outdoor markets ( still do them), call people on the phone by looking up there ad in the yellow pages ( get out your 4G and Google it) and having a garage sale ( wait let me check my CL Ad, Ebay Store, website, blog, twitter, FB,...get my drift) has brought me into the new Way of the Market Warrior ( trademark this for later). I like it all! Very exciting, never knowing exactly when the phone will ding with a $ amount. I can watch all the free reporting and trends ( no more hiring out those costly consultants to talk with those costly CPA's, thanks QuickBooks and Google). Now I can spend more time hunting down that elusive animal know as the HOMERUN!! You know the ones the TV shows are always showing you on those shows about all this. This is for another time though. Okay, calmed backed down....tea is so helpful.
What does it all mean is the quite the question here. I feel lucky that being a forth generation junk man gives me a perspective that few have. I have watched trends come and go, so fast and so many times I have learned to slow down, think globally and act locally. Asking myself all the time - What can I really do? What can really affect? and do a good job at that. I don't need to be the biggest but I do want to be the best at what I do for the people I do it for. Role with the new way of doing things - matching old school hard work and new school fancy fangled E-commerce tools. The excitement of this new horizon gets me thinking and makes me back concentrating on the core issues, like is my tea cold and that cigar earlier was awesome, but I digress, sorry. What I want to say is this - How are people living there life today, what do they need to accomplish their task in life while enjoying the fruits of the labor they do. Thats me in a nutshell, thinking of you and how to be of service!
I leave you with this: Embrace the new, never loose sight of where you been, hold on to those experiences and the joys and pains of life. Search out what works for you and think - How does this affect the world in which I live. The challenge is always this - Is the legacy I leave one that adds to this life and benefit of others? Tall order but I know that we can do this. To the great unknown I go, you go and we go....
tea is getting cold again and I think me FB needs attention,
For he most part this last year has been quite a revealing opus for me. Being on my own for the first time in business has been quite the challenge. No one really to run things by. At least no one with out a vested interest in what I am doing. My customers are the best, we work really hard to find out what is coming next so that they can get on to whatever they want to be doing. Sometime though, I have to stop and realize that we are on opposite sides of the income battle. Perfectly fine...my job get the money, there job, keep the money. Fun stuff and totally acceptable! These are the truly fun volleys. What I am saying is, that when an idea crosses or passes across the table, my long time partner is not there to debate with. I do miss the team effort I once had. Now I get to make all the decisions myself. That is a lot of pressure. Don't screw up or you might have to go get a job..that is not acceptable!
Ranting is done. Down to business. Hold on, my tea is cold....be right back.
Thats' better.
So the post-WWII trends of all the traditional stuff is far behind us and the Mid-Century Moderns are have been in full swing for at least ten years, if not more. I spend all my time talking about simple, clean lines, utility, and many other things, like "Who designed this?...or "Is this from Denmark or Sweden.....phooey if you ask me. Most people want the look but can rarely afford the name. Get real with the pocket book I say. Many of the back and forth between me and my clients are about what will do for the price point and how many should we bring into the market place so as not to drown out the effect. Totally boring. Necessary but boring.
Where is the new money, Where is the market going, and How do we deliver the message are the fun ones if you ask me. Recently I launched a new electronic tool for my customers ( website plug: legacyimporting.com) Shameless but hey, you work on yours and trudge through all the tech and see how you feel! Breaking away from the classic way of the message - outdoor markets ( still do them), call people on the phone by looking up there ad in the yellow pages ( get out your 4G and Google it) and having a garage sale ( wait let me check my CL Ad, Ebay Store, website, blog, twitter, FB,...get my drift) has brought me into the new Way of the Market Warrior ( trademark this for later). I like it all! Very exciting, never knowing exactly when the phone will ding with a $ amount. I can watch all the free reporting and trends ( no more hiring out those costly consultants to talk with those costly CPA's, thanks QuickBooks and Google). Now I can spend more time hunting down that elusive animal know as the HOMERUN!! You know the ones the TV shows are always showing you on those shows about all this. This is for another time though. Okay, calmed backed down....tea is so helpful.
What does it all mean is the quite the question here. I feel lucky that being a forth generation junk man gives me a perspective that few have. I have watched trends come and go, so fast and so many times I have learned to slow down, think globally and act locally. Asking myself all the time - What can I really do? What can really affect? and do a good job at that. I don't need to be the biggest but I do want to be the best at what I do for the people I do it for. Role with the new way of doing things - matching old school hard work and new school fancy fangled E-commerce tools. The excitement of this new horizon gets me thinking and makes me back concentrating on the core issues, like is my tea cold and that cigar earlier was awesome, but I digress, sorry. What I want to say is this - How are people living there life today, what do they need to accomplish their task in life while enjoying the fruits of the labor they do. Thats me in a nutshell, thinking of you and how to be of service!
I leave you with this: Embrace the new, never loose sight of where you been, hold on to those experiences and the joys and pains of life. Search out what works for you and think - How does this affect the world in which I live. The challenge is always this - Is the legacy I leave one that adds to this life and benefit of others? Tall order but I know that we can do this. To the great unknown I go, you go and we go....
tea is getting cold again and I think me FB needs attention,
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