10 Years. 10 Lessons.

Monday will mark 3,642 days since we opened the doors at Frank & Maven. 

Some people call that a decade. But to say “a decade” on a day like today would be to brush over it too quickly. 

The truth is that it was 3,642 days of showing up, leveling up, and at times, shaking up. The ride has been wild and wonderful.

Today, I’d like to share 10 things I’ve learned along the way. 

1. Love your people. Culture tries to trick us into thinking that success belongs to the leader. It does not because that success could not have been accomplished alone. The people that have been placed on your path; the ones who convince you that you can do it, the ones to jump in to help, the ones who reel you in, and the ones who love you despite your hiccups and flaws… it belongs to them. So pour into them. Listen to them daily. Make it your highest and first goal to serve them, especially when it costs you big. And thank god for them daily.
2. Go back to your POM (always). Look— things are going to get whacky. Distractions and demands are going to pull you under. People you thought you could count on are going to let you down. You’re going to wake up some days unhappy with where this has all drifted you. The problems right in front of you are going to try and pull away from the biggest problem you set out to tackle; don’t let them. Go back to the moment you were pissed off enough to start this thing (aka your pissed-off moment)! Get in touch with the world you set out to create and ask, “How can I remove everything that isn’t getting me to that goal?”
3. Drive around the block. Your wife, your kids, and your dog have been thinking of you all day. They’ve been waiting for you to show back up so you can hear what they’ve been up to. And so you can share what you’ve been up to. But often, you are so overstimulated from 9 hours of work that you forget the most important moment of your day; the moment you greet them back at home. Drive around the block before you walk in. Radio off. Phone down. Separate your two worlds and imagine what the people you love most deserve to see, hear, and feel when you walk in the door.
4. Tiny Moves > Big Moves. The world puts big, bold moves on a pedestal. Big promises, big spending, and big changes will get you lots of attention, but they will never really take you anywhere. Tiny moves, however, will knock down even the most massive goals and dreams. Show up every day, at the same time, in the same way, to move the ball forward, even if it’s only an inch. The more consistent you are, the more efficient you become, and the greater the impact you will make.
5. ‘Yes’ is a dangerous word. If you are even remotely talented at something, people are going to show up with opportunities for you. You are going to be so thrilled to do the work that you never stop to consider the energy, time, communication, and true expense of completing the task with excellence. This won’t be a problem for your first 10, 20, or even 50 opportunities. But sooner or later, you’re going to realize how much you’re forced to compromise. It comes down to the quality of the work vs the quality of your life. Be careful what you say ‘yes’ to.
6. Two ears, one mouth. You will never regret the words, “Tell me more.” Most people know the answers to their problems, they just need you to listen to them, listen some more, repeat back what you think you heard, and ask, “Is that all?” and “How can I help?” Millions of marriages would thrive, friendships would be restored, and clients would be saved if we could all do this more.
7. Bacteria only grow in stagnant water. Regardless of your passion, success, or good intentions, people never stay bought-in “just because.” If you let your waters get too still for too long, people will become uninspired, uninterested, and un-trusting of where you are taking them. Keep the river flowing in your organization by constantly reminding everyone what winning looks like, how you are progressing, and how far you’ve come.
8. God is so good. Floating just above the world we all get sucked into is a promise of peace, calm, patience, kindness, love and abundance. This is the world as God created it to be, and it is available to all of us if we choose it. No success or accomplishment compares to the goodness of God, and the moments we go back to that equip us to conquer anything.
9. Vision can not be outsourced. If you are a leader, your most important and never-ending task is to create and clarify the vision for your people. As soon as you’ve done it, it’s time to do it again. A group of people can collaborate brilliantly on ‘how’ to accomplish the vision, but it is impossible for them to ‘set’ the vision for your organization. Just trust me on this one. You don’t want to learn it the hard way.
10. The more you teach, the more you learn. You are uniquely qualified and talented to do many things, but you will never truly master them until you can break down your talent in a way that can be taught and transferred to others. In the process of teaching, you will learn the craft three times greater.
    

There are 142 that I have shared with you along the way in Frankly Friday if you’re feeling nostalgic.

There you have it, my friend. Those are the top 10 of the million things I have been blessed to learn from the amazing people like you who have been part of this journey.

And speaking of nostalgic, tune in Monday for a special Frank & Maven 10-year anniversary interview with the one and only Valerie Welch. We will share the highs, lows, and stories along the way to building this dream company.

With love and sincere appreciation.

Cheers,

BW