Tag Archives: family

Lessons from Dad

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Ole Olsson

I heard a jarring statistic recently that said 80% of new businesses fail within the first five years. As a copywriter and social media consultant, I’m committed to learning how the best people in business make it happen on a long-term basis.

While it’s certainly important to have dynamic content on our websites or engaging dialogue on Facebook, there are some even more CORE elements that can make or break success. Articles about “profitable practices” constantly appear online, but these fancy Top 10 lists never inspire me to a level of unshakeable confidence or provide lasting knowledge that stands the test of time.

That’s why I turned to my dad. At the age of 83, his career as a successful and widely-respected electrical contractor has been sustainable and thriving for over 50 years. He started his last business in partnership with my brother, at an age when most of his colleagues were retiring. And he still goes into the office most days, though now he arrives a bit later and leaves a bit earlier, with an occasional nap in between.

When my son, Elliott, and I asked Dad for an interview to capture his gems of wisdom for the family archives, he was a bit shy and reluctant.  He’s not one to take credit, preferring to acknowledge the people without whom his own success would not have been possible.

When pressed, he casually recited the following recipe for success:

  1. Work hard – nothing worth having comes easily
  2. Be grateful for what you have – even when it doesn’t seem to be enough
  3. Tell the truth – even if it means losing relationships or business
  4. Invest in people – join with those who share your values to get the best returns
  5. Avoid going into debt – spend wisely and be a good steward of what you have
  6. Allow long-term business relationships to grow – and take time to nurture them
  7. Don’t be afraid to say no – setting clear boundaries keeps standards high

I listened as my father described the same values he had clearly demonstrated for my brother and me as children. The same lessons and values and that formed the foundation for his role as husband and father, had allowed him to build a business that has now grown far beyond what he ever imagined possible.

A few weeks after the interview, my mother became terminally ill. She died last October, an unexpected loss that sent a shockwave through our family. Through it all, Dad’s eternal faith and optimism, even in his darkest hours of personal grief, have provided a guiding light and an unshakeable example of strength for his children and grandchildren.

I am filled with love and respect for my father, and grateful for the compassionate wisdom which is his legacy to me and my family, and my business.  From him I have learned that true success is measured, not by material wealth or social status, but by the depth of one’s commitment to doing the right thing, even when no one is watching.

Here’s an excerpt from the interview with my dad, Ole Olsson, founder of Olsson Industrial Electric:

Until next time,

~Delila

 

Celebrating with Children

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Today is Halloween, which means we are still in the midst of my favorite season… autumn. However,  when I walked into my local Fred Meyer the other day I  was stunned to discover racks of holiday decorations and tinsel and lights. At my house we’re still harvesting tomatoes and raking leaves. December celebrations are distant on the horizon. But not for the mega-corporations intent on capturing our hearts and our dollars.

Always a season ahead, advertisers welcome the approach of the winter holidays with a vigorous attempt to capitalize on our desire to create memorable family rituals. While a central premise of marketing is that buying things will make us happy (not!),  a study of materialistic values among children determined that kids who have the most in a material sense tend to be the least generous, the least content, and less confident  (From Natural Life Magazine, March/April 2008). This revelation comes as no surprise to any parent who has witnessed the tearful tantrums of a child caught up in the vicious cycle of  begging for “things” – candy, toys or the immediate object of their desire – only to discover that the joy at having acquired the thing is fleeting and empty. 

We can turn off the tube  (good first step) but we can’t control the commercialism which presses in through magazines and retail stores – and which bombards our children with images that depict values that may differ from those we want to impart.  However, as parents we can offset the manipulative power of advertising by providing our children an abundance of real, meaningful moments in which to anchor their developing values and beliefs. These kinds of moments – those spent with family and friends, sharing meaningful rituals – weave the true emotional fabric of life.

In our Montessori classrooms we find many events and occasions worthy of celebration, including the loss of a tooth; the changing of the seasons; the sprouting of a seed; the birth of a child; and the historical milestones of many cultures. We honor each of these with equal reverence and without regard for commercial hype which may surround its arrival.  We share  stories, music, and artistic expressions of many cultures and celebrations as dictated by the natural interest of the children, the cycles of the seasons, and the  values of the school community.

We connect as often as possible with nature, a shared experience through which we can explore lessons in history and culture and the ongoing story of our humanity. For the winter holidays we explore the seasonal changes in the earth as well as various cultural expressions of the time, including but never limited to celebrations of Christmas, Hanukkah, Los Posadas, Kwanzaa, Diwali, and the Winter Solstice.  Songs, stories, and pictures on our walls may reflect aspects of these cultural celebrations, all of which inspire further explorations and conversations. Some children may have personal stories, music, or a special project to share and we welcome these.

Because young children are easily overwhelmed by too much activity, we keep our celebrations simple, short and meaningful; and we maintain the regular routines and rituals to which the children are so deeply connected.

Here are a few simple suggestions to inspire meaningful moments and family traditions:

Take a brisk walk outdoors to collect objects from nature – pinecones, autumn’s last leaves, rocks and twigs – and collaborate to make a festive winter table decoration.

 

Keep a family Gratitude Journal: each day at the same time – after dinner or before bed works well – every member of the family can share one thing for which they are thankful, and another member can record them. If you have children who are old enough to write, they will delight in being the one to record these daily “gratitudes.”

 

Volunteer: discuss ways in which your family might be of service to others – preparing and delivering a meal to an elderly person; volunteering at a soup kitchen; or creating a gift box for a child in need are wonderful ideas –  and make it a yearly tradition for your family to participate in some such volunteer activity.

 

Host a cookie swap among friends and neighbors: make the baking a collaborative experience with your children, as well as the sharing of what you have made. The message: there is as much joy in giving as receiving.

Feed the birds: find a recipe for making your own bird food or bird feeder (large pinecones smeared with nut butter and rolled in birdseed make a tasty treat for birds) and hang them in a place where you can observe what happens.

Happy Haunting :)

Delila