Last week I celebrated 33 years in business. Yikes! How did that happen? When I decided I wanted to leave my corporate job, I wasn’t sure of what I really wanted to do next, so I did an interesting thing.
I called many of my long time customers (who by then had become friends) and asked them what they thought I did best. The answers I got – almost identical – floored me.
“JoAnna, you’ve defined what great customer care is in our industry.” “You’ve elevated customer service to CARING.” “Everybody trying to do what you do with your customers.” And then the advice – to “just go teach what you do to others.”
Little did I know I did what we learned how to do in my happiness training – I asked others to identify who I am when I am at my best. I asked others to tell me the strengths they saw, that I was unable to see myself. It’s a “classic” positive psychology tool that emerged many YEARS before there WAS positive psychology.
And so a customer retention and loyalty business was born.
There have been so many ups and downs and twists and turns, and after all that – I’m still standing, still speaking, still consulting and still learning – that’s the most important piece. To say I was ahead of my time is an understatement – but now we are all finally realizing how important caring is in business and in life! Emotional, physical, mental well-being is finally being recognized as the “secret sauce” in keeping a business profitable and growing.
So on Feb 1st, I took a long walk on the beach and held my phone up to my mouth to record as many random thoughts as could about the kinds of things I learned and want to pass on to you and to anyone else who wants to know the random musings of a now Chief Happiness Officer and always Customer Loyalty advocate.
Here you go!
- You have to believe in yourself or no one else will.
- It’s important to have a big dream and equally important to have the plans necessary to get there.
- Visualization works. Even in the reverse, so be very careful what pictures you put in your mind.
- Always listen to what the client doesn’t tell you. Listen to words beyond the words. Always hold the highest goodness for your clients in your heart.
- Always say a prayer before you start working with someone.
- Before walking into a big room to speak, imagine that the room is already filled with love.
- Be slow to judge, we can never know what another’s path has been.
- Everyone is always doing the very best that can, given what they’ve experienced and what they know up until that moment.
- Be sure surround yourself by people see the best and you and are there to remind you of your strengths when you forgotten what they are.
- Develop a practice of gratitude. Often during the day remind yourself of all the things which you’re grateful and all the things that you appreciate.
- Express your gratitude and appreciation out loud, and often. Be specific.
- Cultivate a sense of humor. make sure you’re able to laugh at yourself.
- Exercise move your body. Stay grounded. If you decide to walk a mile in another’s shoes, take your own shoes off first.
- Learn how to go to your heart, not just your head for a price.
- Call upon the better angels of your nature often.
- Don’t assume.
- Learn how to quiet your mind. Sit still. And patiently wait for the answers to arrive.
- Cultivate a meditation practice.
- Don’t attempt to grow old gracefully, just don’t allow yourself to grow old.
Oh yes – there are more!
Cultivate a young spirit!
Create a power song and sing it often
Keep in touch with your older friends
Seek out the timeless concepts and apply them to today’s challenges. I
Seek out today’s best thinkers and ask yourself what can I learn from them?
Don’t get too comfortable.
At the end of every week figure out record what you’ve created what you’ve completed and what you’ve deleted. And after that ask yourself where have you found soul food?
Share your wisdom. Even when you can’t charge for it.
Don’t be afraid of your tears. They only help people understand how human you really are.
Get yourself a brain trust of people who are smarter than you are.
The body is a metaphor, stretching, move it, shake it, give it a good shimmy once in a while.
Your body hears everything you say, be careful what you tell it.
Don’t believe everything you think. Lots of it is just BS, running on old programs, they don’t even belong to you.
Keep laughing, humanity is hysterical.
Make the choice to be happy, even when the world wants to pull you in a different direction.
Take the opportunity to brag about your accomplishments and a small people get to brag about theirs, and then share each other on. It’s not hubris it’s healthy
Create a playlist, or two
People don’t care how much you know unless they know how much you care
There’s no magic to magic, it’s all in the details.
Help others see your vision and then empower them to help you achieve it
Be bold be brave be beautiful.
Take a light with you when you walk on the beach at night. Find refuge in nature. Learn to savor, truly saver.
Be in the moment.
Learn 5 to 7 things you can do to calm your nervous system.
Find a place where you can look up the heavens and see the stars, enjoy the fact that you are part of this vast universe of miracles.
Surround yourself with people who care deeply.
Keep smiling folks! And thank you for your interest in my musing. There is great wisdom in age!
Pick up the phone and call 561-279-0027; send an email JoAnna@ReturnOnHappiness.com or find me on Linked In https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannabrandi/
