All posts by Keith Thompson

Coming back

Career, Life

Coming back from a loss, defeat or failure is one of the hardest things in life to do. In our personal life or our work life it is hard to come back from a setback like not being chosen, not being hired, losing an account, not making the sale, relationship break up, divorce, bad heath report and the list could go on for pages. In my simple way of thinking we really have three options when negative life events happen. Option one is to quit, option two is not care anymore and option three (my personal favorite) is to double down and try even harder the next time.

I was with a hotel development firm last week and he told me one of the greatest stories I have ever heard. They build and own hotels and he had this building contractor that kept calling him and coming by to see him. He brushed him seven times and the eight time he showed up at his office, he said ok, I must meet this guy. Long story short, they met, liked each other and developed 80 hotels together after that eight time he stopped by. What if the contractor had stopped at seven and quit trying? Well, we know the answer.

In 2008 and 2009, the economy was falling apart and I believe we got only six hotels closed that year. We lost a bunch of money and it seemed that every deal would get started good and then fall apart one after the other. I had one of my friends ask me, “Keith, how do you keep going forward when everything we do seems to fail.” I answered him “keep trying is the only thing I know to do because if I quit trying, we might as well close up shop and go home.” That friend kept trying and weathered the downturn just like we did and has done well in the business but that day when he came to me, if I had told him I was ready to quit, he would have gladly joined me in the unemployment line.

In the bible, one day Jesus said something that caused a big stir and half of his followers walked away from him. Jesus looked at his 12 disciples and said “If any of you want to quit too, you can leave now.” Ha.

In business, life and sports there are more examples of how perseverance and staying the course, helped people get through the tough times and enabled them to succeed. So, back to the options listed above. Do you quit, stop caring anymore or double down and persevere your way through? I don’t know about you, but I choose to keep trying. KT

Basketball court

Life

At our home, we have a concrete pad at the back of the house where the garages are. About two months I decided to turn the area into a basketball court with the painted and striped concrete and a college size goal/ backboard. I had this company install the goal and backboard because it really needed to be done right to hold the weight etc. and as we say in the south, it is not ‘just’ a basketball goal but it is the ‘smack daddy’ goal.

In regards to the painted floor area, striping etc., I decided I would do the painting. I researched the dimensions of a court and I got my plan together and loaded up and went to buy the paint, markers, rollers, etc.  and commenced painting the basketball court. I did not anticipate how hard it would be, nor did I anticipate how I would not be able to move for a few days after I got it done. Well, I got it done and after I got my back healed up from bending over for hours, I got out and shot some basketball. The court really turned out well and while it is an amateur job, the average person couldn’t tell the difference.

When I was younger, I played a lot of basketball and was somewhat able to hold my own in a game. I quickly realized that while my mind was still ready, my body wasn’t. I couldn’t do what I used to be able to do. Now my jump shot is basically a flatfooted hop (ha) about 3 inched off the ground. In fact, when I jump, I don’t go high enough for my toes to clear. Ha.

I also realized something else that was important. My old basketball goal would wiggle and wobble and there was a certain angle you had to shoot the ball to get it to drop into the goal. This new set up is like throwing a tennis ball against a concrete wall. There is no wiggle, wobble or forgiveness. You either make the shot or it pings off the backboard like a superball you had as a kid. When I first started shooting on the new goal, I couldn’t hit anything. I tried to hit my favorite little backboard fade jumper shot and I missed it the first 10 times I tried.

So, it is kind of like life, most of the time you can’t do what you used to do the same way, so you need to adapt and or adjust to how things are now. In many cases, you need to learn all over again. So, life like basketball is a learning experience that is rewarded ever now and then by the perfect shot that reminds us of the joy of staying in the game. KT

Is that important?

Family, Life

Today, my two little granddaughters came by the office for a visit. They know everyone in the office and make their rounds to see each person. It is really one of the sweetest things to watch.

In my office, I have two drawers (one for each granddaughter) with new toys that I have for them when they visit. It is like a small version of Christmas every time they visit and the rule is, they can pick only one toy each to take home.

It doesn’t matter who I am on the phone with, they just come in and hop up in my lap and start talking to me. I could be talking with the Queen of England and I would have to tell her, I need to call you back. Ha.

My youngest granddaughter was standing beside my chair putting a puzzle together when she said something that made me stop in my tracts. I was writing an email to someone while she was talking to me and she looked at me and asked, “papa is that important?” My hands paused over the keyboard. I stopped and realized that, no, that email is not important. In fact, the most important thing right this moment is your voice, your presence and your words. You, are the most important thing.

In a moment’s flash, I realized that one day she will be too old to come and sit with her papa in his office. One day, she will be too busy with her own life to come to my office and one day, I will not even have an office to come to because that season of my life will be over.

Every now and then if we are fortunate, we get a glimpse or maybe just a quick visual of what is really the most important things in our lives. That moment with my little granddaughter was one of the important ones. I realized that I would never have that moment again. Once it was gone, it would be gone forever. Hopefully I would have many similar moments, but never one just like that.

So, in answer to her question, I said, “no sweetheart, nothing is more important that being with you right now.” KT

700 crosses

Life

The other day I was having a conversation with someone regarding our national anthem and the American flag and the recent events surrounding people not willing to stand for the playing of the anthem.

My response was simple. The only person I can speak for is me. We live in a country where we can freely choose what we respect, how we worship and how we live. That is what defines freedom. If I had to give one example of why I believe like I do, it would be the 700 crosses. In a little north Georgia town called Dahlonega, every Memorial Day and 4th of July, there are 100 volunteers that place 700+/- crosses along the streets around town. On each cross is the name of a soldier that came from Dahlonega and the war he or she died in. The crosses go from WWI, WWII, Korean War, Vietnam and even some of the recent conflicts. Each cross represents a person that never got to live a long life, marry, have children and grow into adulthood. They all gave their life so someone like me can sit down in a free country and write a blog.

So, when I think of patriotism, I think of the 700 soldiers from one little town that paid the ultimate price so we could all live free. Therefore, I always have and I always will choose to stand up, place my hand over my heart and show respect for the country that I love. KT

Paradigm shift of a company

Career

A paradigm shift is best defined when you see a better way of doing the same thing.

One of the greatest examples of a paradigm shift in business was when Henry Ford developed the assembly line to produce automobiles. Many people think Henry Ford invented the automobile but that is not correct. When he started Ford in 1903 there were already 76 other car companies in operation.

At the time, car companies would build one car at a time. It would take 2-3 men working on one car about 12-13 hours to assemble a finished automobile. That is what all the companies were doing and hence the reason the cost of a car was so high. Henry Ford began experimenting with the assembly line concept early on but didn’t get the final idea in operation until 1913. He launched the assembly line concept in 1913 and within five years, one out of every two cars on the road was a Ford and by 1924 they rolled the 10- millionth Model T off the assembly line.

It is called a paradigm shift because someone saw a better way of doing the same thing much faster and with far less expense. By the early 20’s Ford was rolling a car off the line every 3 minutes. Compare that with completing one car every 12 -13 hours. That is the way all the manufactures were doing it and everyone just accepted that as the only way. Henry saw a better path forward and it changed the automobile world.

Over the years there have been too many paradigm shifts in business to list but the common thread they all have was when one person looked at what they were doing and saw a better way to do the same thing.

Whatever your business is, be alert to new ideas and new methods because that seems to be the central component in developing a company that will stand the test of time. KT