New insights

The other day I wrote about my friend, code-named 'Raoul' because I both like Hunter S. Thompson and because it sounds vaguely mysterious. (Kathy wondered what the heck 'Raoul' had to do with anything, to which I might ruefully agree) Anyway, I wrote about how Raoul is stuck in the old ways of doing business and refuses to change, and how he was becoming increasingly discourages as the world conspired against his methods. But as we struggled through this weekend's two-day garage sale (never again!), I came to realize that I was more like Raoul than I had thought. I was not embracing new things, either, I was stuck in the past, and that needed to change.

One of the most surprising aspects of opening our new business has been the necessity for re-evaluating the priorities of how to actually conduct that business. Kathy and I both have other revenue streams, which means we have other jobs, but what has struck me the most is how different the personality traits are for this new business than what is needed for my other business, selling books.

You would think booksellers are a fiercely independent group of people who want to do things their way, and you would be right. At least, the old school booksellers are. But there is also a new breed of book people who use electronic devices to help them find inventory. I have always made fun of them, because these reliance on these devices often leads them to miss some terrific books. What I did not realize, until today that is, is that used properly these devices can be wonderful tools.

What does this have to do with our new business? Simply this: the people in the book business using these new devices want to make money, they don't want to fail, they are go-getters and forward-thinkers, and that is exactly who we need to partner with now. If they rely solely on those devices, however, and do not do the training necessary to learn their craft, then they will eventually fail. The last people we need on our team are the old-school types who are married to process and precedent, or those who do not want to put in the time and effort to make money while having fun. Neither are not the sort to 'make a living...living,' but the person who is always willing to learn most certainly is that sort of partner. I have been what I made fun of, but this new venture has forced an introspection that has lead me to understand this. If I achieve nothing else, this has made the whole experience worthwhile.