BBC Blog

2011 is over. 2012 is beginning. For most of us in business the past few years have been a bit of a rollercoaster. 2008 heralded the advent of value! We’ve watched as the luxury markets have held true. Recessions seem to have come, gone and might be back again. New York was in the valley, now Europe seems to be following suit. So much of what has happened seems like it could have been averted—and I’d like to know why companies are allowed to short countries? The doomsday forecasters should probably have been heeded since we were all wondering when the real estate bubble would burst anyway (reminiscent of the dot com bust?). Anyway… As a small company we have definitely taken hits, but we are still going for it! So here are 5 simple thoughts for keeping all those balls in the air:

1. Less is more (consolidate resources, make what you do matter more)
2. Provide equal parts creativity and process (one without the other doesn’t provide rich content)
3. Find ways to “give back” (do good, feel better—giving creates flow)
4. Don’t overextend (spend that money on your staff not your furniture)
5. Promote quality of life (offer flex hours for stretched staff)

2012 may have a few bumps in store, but with a little shift in philosophy what could have been a hassle can provide an exciting ride!

I'm in Christchurch, NZ this week. This country is as beautiful as you imagine. The light (on a sunny day) makes all the shapes in nature seem cut from a picture and placed in a tableau. Otherworldly - in a good way. Christchurch has also emerged from a horrendous experience. The earthquake here, if measured in G forces, was one of the most powerful to hit a modern city - ever. People I've met are moving on with daily life, but there's a real feeling of post trauma. It reminds me of NYC after 911 - there is a heightened sense of anxiety and "what if," or worse, "when next." Conversely, it reminds me of the resilient nature of mankind. I had a conversation with a woman here and we found ourselves discussing the "can do" spirit prevalent in human nature. Even in the face of terrible odds most people keep moving toward something, if just life. I admire the people I've met here and I'm betting on this city coming through this tragedy stronger than ever. Someone said recently that it's good to have faith in God, but don't forget God has faith in us. I have faith this city is going places. Can't wait to come back!

I've recently relocated to London. I wasn't sure what to expect in the way of culture shock - so far so good. Living in New York City for 20 years can pretty much prepare you for any international move. I imagine relocating to somewhere a bit more exotic would pose a host of different challenges, but London/New York not so much - or at least not on the surface… Some of the more subtle differences include how to dress (warmly and maybe not as fashionably). Reason? It is always cold in London, and cabs are not as inexpensive as in New York, so good-bye heels. Service. What service? People are VERY polite in London but the concept of service is another matter altogether. The happy offshoot of this development is that you are forced to slow down, things will not go as fast as you would like. Period. London is greener than New York. For reasons I haven't discerned yet, London is more hectic (it's not just the traffic) than New York. And that green stuff, you need it. Green provides the "ah" factor. And social strata… There really isn't one in New York that isn't directly related to money. In London pedigree matters and you can't buy that for any money. Not really, anyway. Long and the short of it? Love London. Love New York. Love them for different reasons. And Love is all you need!

I am totally fascinated by mountain climbing. I have never climbed a mountain, and I don’t intend to. I once went skiing in Vail, Colorado and fainted at 8,000 feet, half way from the bathroom to my bed. If I couldn’t handle that altitude I certainly couldn’t manage basecamp—at Mount Everest all preparation is done at 16,000 feet, with the summit looming 31,000 feet above. My time at Vail was one of the most humiliating experiences I’ve had as an adult. I couldn’t adjust to the altitude, I could barely breath, couldn’t drink (got the worst headaches), found myself crying on the slopes as I tried to navigate my way down runs I had no business being on. I was traveling with a male friend (just a friend) who was ready to hit all the back bowls (wide, cistern-like expanses, very steep but open) and thought I should go too. I promised to meet him at lunchtime (after we’d had our respective morning runs, him on the black, me on the blue) and go, but after a few nasty spills with icicles forming in my hair I went back to the room to curl up, watch the movie Titanic and have yet another good cry. Earlier that day I was forced to have a man and his two 6 year-old daughters escort me down the mountain. When I mentioned I was meant to be hitting the back bowls the kindly gentleman looked at me in horror and forbade me to do any such thing. So why do I love books about mountain climbing and what does my trip to Vaile have to do with risk? Well, there’s a lot more on this in my upcoming book, but for now here’s my thoughts… We are all of us fascinated by people who are willing to take enormous risks, like mountain climbers (in my case). There is a part of us that secretly believes given the right situation we too could do such bold things. But then we are often faced with the simplest risk, in my case skiing a fairly innocuous mountain, and we realize we’re not really up for it (I was humiliated, but I did go back out the next day). Given our aspirations and our failures are we going to give up? I find mountain climbing thrilling because failure means death. Most of us won’t die from making a bad judgment. I like reading about risk takers that are willing to take the ultimate risk, but do you know which one usually wins? Yes, obviously, the person that is well prepared. But guess who else usually wins, the one that is willing to turn back, even when they can see their goal, because it is TOO risky. Are they giving up? Nope, they know they’ll try again. And that is what a SMART risk taker is, someone who weighs the facts, makes a move, maybe fails but tries again.