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It is March in the Great Lakes. It is definitley winter in the Great Lakes, with one storm passing through and another on the way. Well, when it gets to be this time of year, as much as I enjoy the snow, I can’t help but look forward to summer. That’s when I throw in a little Kenny Chesney, “Be As You Are (Songs From An Old Blue Chair)”.

“Be As You Are”

“Gettin’ stuck sure would be easy
In this palm tree paradise
Ambition fades with every wave
For the finer things in life
Maybe I’ll just hang around here
Go home later next year

I wanna go where I can lighten up the load
Drive a little while on the wrong side of the road
Get this laying low off to a flying start
Play my guitar in the Caribbean sun
Hang with the locals at the Quiet Mon
Where you can be a tourist, a beach bum, or a star
And be as you are”

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Just a reminder that Chronicles & Commentaries is now live. So send us your entry to share with fellow Snoloha enthusiasts and customers.

These entries can be of anything - from a sailing trip in the islands to a day on the slopes at the local ski hill - from kayaking a favorite river to catching some morning waves. Anything that takes us somewhere else for a few moments.

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So I visited the local Borders and picked up a copy of  “The Hippie Guide to Climbing the Corporate Ladder & Other Mountains“.

I have had the book for about a week and am already about finished reading it.  I would highly recommend this for anyone out there starting a business, thinking about starting a business, or that are already doing business.

Skip Yowell, one of JanSport’s founders, does an excellent job re-telling triumphs, failures, and the ups and downs of business.

I particularly enjoy the tone with which he writes - laid back and comforting, which seems to reflect his personality and the personality of JanSport as it found its way as a business and a brand.

I thought this was worth sharing (from page 70)-

“Naturally, when you had as much fun as we did, it was difficult to get too disheartened over the petty stuff that far too many corporate cultures seem to obsess over.  I believe this is also known as corporate politics.  Personally, I never could understand the mind games, the kissing-up and schmoozing, and the being in the loop - or out of the loop as needed - that is frequently part of the office scene.  In my view, I should treat each person I meet with genuine respect, a receptive ear, and kindness, which is why one of our corporate mottos for the last decade has been: Take your business seriously, not yourself.“ 

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“My garden is filled with papayas and mangos
My life is a mixture of reggaes and tangos
Taste for the good life, I can live it no other way

While out on the beach there are two empty chairs
That say more than the people who ever sit there
From under my lone palm I can look out on the day

Where no bird flies by my window
No ship is tied to my tree
Love is a wave building to a crescendo
Ride if you will, ride it with me”

Jimmy Buffett ~ Lone palm

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You read and hear about it all the time - entrepreneurial pains, start-up challenges, small business obstacles - basically the rollercoaster ride that is starting and owning your own business.

Some days you’re up, and others you’re down. There are no certainties. There are no guarantees. I take that back. There is one thing that is certainly guaranteed - There is nothing easy about starting a business! If it were easy, everybody would be doing it, right?

The point of this rant, you’re wondering?

Probably something to do with the “to-do” list that is trying to overwhelm me currently. I won’t get into what’s on the list, like anyone really wants to know…do you?

The point is if anytime you reach a point when things are getting a bit hectic and that damn “to-do” list won’t quit staring you in the face, maybe it’s time to step back, take a deep breath, and go do something totally opposite of what you’d normally do. Sort of like the “Seinfeld” episode when George does everything opposite of what he’d normally do, or say.

Pam over at EscapeFromCubucileNation has a great post about this very topic,

“Spend a day doing the opposite of what you should be doing.
There comes a time when no matter how much you try to force yourself to get things done, your fatigue or resistance will be so great that it is a losing battle. So why stress yourself out? Take a day and do whatever is the irresponsible, fun, adventuresome antidote to the task at hand. Catch a triple feature movie. Go golfing all day. Luxuriate in the spa. Eat junk food. ”

For me, I enjoy writing as a way to vent and deal with stress. However, I am also taking Pam’s advice. Today I am bailing out early. Shortly after this blog post I am turning off the computer and doing…something, anything else.

I think that’s what is so great about vacations and travelling. It gives you the chance to recharge your batteries and your creative juices.

Though I am not taking a vacation, a nice snowshoe in the woods will probably do the trick.

So have a great, relaxing weekend everyone. Get out on the water, in the woods, on the snow.

Do the opposite of what you’d normally be doing. Unless of course you’d normally be on the water, in the woods, or on the snow!

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I haven’t picked this up yet, but I was just introduced to it and after reading a review in the Wall Street Journal, it sounds like a great read for anyone out there thinking of starting a business or who have already made the entrepreneurial jump.

“The Hippie Guide to Climbing the Corporate Ladder & Other Mountains“ chronicles the dramatic adventures and accomplishments of the man behind one of the world’s most recognized brands. From small-town Kansas boy to adventure-junkie extraordinaire, this book traces Skip Yowell’s journey to the top of the outdoor industry. Full of insightful details and photos from around the world, this books offer a behind-the-scenes look at how Skip and his team built a successful company–and changed an entire industry–by breaking the rules and taking good care of their customers.

The company is JanSport.

From the WSJ review, “It is in part the experience of every start-up and every growing company that has had to endure cash shortages, bank credit line hassles, fire damage, legal minefields, theft, machine failure, bad beer.“

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Congratulations Diane Michael. Diane is the February Snapshots & Scenery winner for her Girls Gone Skiing photo, and will recieve a free women’s Snoloha longsleeve. This photo is a perfect example of a “Snoloha Moment” (Experienceing one climate while celebrating another at the same time).

Thanks Diane…and friends!

If you want a chance to win Snoloha gear, visit the Snapshots & Scenery gallery, and upload your “somewhere between the islands and the arctic” photos.

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The TC Kite Derby was a success this past weekend.  Thanks again to Brian at Grand Bay Kite and Dave at H2OKiter.com for inviting Snoloha as a sponsor of the event.

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For those of you in the Detroit area, you can purchase Snoloha gear at Boyne Country Sports in Novi.
For those of you who may be traveling to the Traverse City area this holiday weekend, and for those who live in the area, Snoloha gear is available at Boyne Country Sports on Front St. in downtown Traverse City.

Tell them Rod sent you and you’ll be sure to get preferential treatment…okay, maybe not, but it might be fun just to see what the response is.

Remember to take advantage of the Boyne Rewards Program everytime you shop in one of their stores.

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Ah yes, another “Snoloha Moment” last night while at the Breslin Center in East Lansing watching the MSU & Michigan basketball game.  It is absolutely freezing here in Michigan.  I mean it doesn’t get more winter than this.  Well, after a treacherous cab ride back to the hotel to retrieve the tickets we had forgotten, and back to downtown East Lansing and shuffling through the snow and trying to sheild ourselves from the bone-chilling wind, we finally made it to the Breslin and to our nice warm seats just a few rows behind the student section.

So what’s the point of this, you ask.

During one of the timeouts they beging playing Jimmy Buffett’s “Cheeseburger in Paradise” as the cheerleaders throw wrapped cheeseburgers into the crowd.  For those few moments it felt as though everyone in attendance forgot about the arctic type temperatures on the outside of the building and felt a little bit warmer and a little bit closer to the islands.

That is a Snoloha Moment.  Experiencing one climate while celebrating another at the same time.

Thanks Bresin Center.

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