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14
Apr 2010
7 comments
 

Comfort In Joy... For the love of coffee (and the craft of what YOU do)

I know, I know:  It's supposed to be 'Comfort AND Joy'.  But as I was thinking about it, enjoying my morning cup of coffee, I became bemused at the whole coffee snobbery issue, when it dawned on me:  it's not snobbery at all.  It's taking comfort in joy.

Comfortjoy

I watch truly gifted baristas; they're hardcore coffee people.  I love to watch gifted folks doing what they do.  It's almost a religion.  Think about it, for a sec.  There's reverence and ritual in what they do and how they do it.  And the why of it all  is infinitely simple, too.  Because they love it, and  - by extension - you:  They're sharing their love of coffee and tea craft with you, and they take a pure and unadulterated delight in your enjoyment of it.  Other than a small flourish if foam art , they're striving to be as transparent as possible between you and the product.  And it's comforting to feel someone take such joy in what they do...

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10
Mar 2010
0 comments
 

Fancy footwork facilitates fine friendships & good help is greater for it...

Ever had a really good foot massage? I'm not talking about a footrub, either. No general squeezing-rubby-rubby. Nope, I'm talking about a foot massage so sublime that it was like acupressure for your soul; leaving you relaxed and refreshed at the same time. Good help in other areas is like that, as well, don't you think?

The folks who really know how to do this seem to sense the trouble spots, too. Right when you feel them moving over an area that's been tripping you up, giving you discomfort you say something like: "Oh. Right there. That's it..." And they seem to have already known this; they may nod or smile a little, happy that their intimate knowledge has lead them to help relieve you.

And it's precisely this intimacy that enables them to be so effective for you. They've taken the time and made the effort to hone their skills to perfection, and to embrace your needs. They're extremely open to you. They listen to what your body, your situation has to tell them.

Combined with great skill, the openness of empathy enables good help to become a great asset. The folks helping with your business efforts should be as adept at listening, understanding, and empathizing as they are at organizing, managing books, or marketing.

In your business you collect cash. You make money. But the true currency of your business is relationships. And one of the best relationships you can have is the friendships forged between you and your service providers, your vendors, your partners, and subcontractors.

How much have you heard online (web, email, social media) experts tout their unparalleled expertise? And how often do these same folks actually take time to research you in the context of your industry, ask you questions, and really listen you? What would you have them hear?

Filed under  //   email   empathy   feet   foot   friendship   marketing   massage   pixie dust   rainbow-colored unicorns and watercolor butterflies   relationships   rub   skill   small business   social marketing   social media   therapy  
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