Divemaster training

   Today I officially began the Divemaster program through Sam's Skin n Scuba in Independence, with whom I traveled to Roatan last month. Who'd have thought back in the frigid Sarasota bay back in February 2010, when I became certified--and while the very idea of diving still terrified me--that I'd be here. KC divers have a saying, which is that Sam could sell ice to an Eskimo. That's true. Sam says, "I may be crude, but I damn sure can teach Scuba." And that is also true. What he does best, though, is assemble a group of fantastic people and talented instructors who make every experience so fun that you naturally can't wait to continue.

   And whatever it is about me that people pick up on that lets them know I'm a leader, Sam & his crew hit me up in Roatan and enticed me to cross the threshold into the professional track of diving. The first step is becoming a DM, which is a leadership role--your focus shifts from yourself to your companions at this level. It's estimated that less than 1% of the population dives, and fewer than 1 in 10 achieve the DM level, and probably even fewer than that in the good ol' landlocked Midwest. It's an achievement just to be asked to enter the program, a well as an honor and a responsibility.

   I know that I will learn critical skills to keep myself and others safe in the water--but more importantly, this is another step in my life's learning and leadership journey. Hard work in store for the next six months, but lots of fun too. And I'm excited to see where this new path will take me...

Random Hallmark moments: The Chief

 

   I was fortunate to have the opportunity to attend a talk with Kansas City Chiefs coach Todd Haley yesterday; he came to Hallmark to share stories from his career and talk about leadership. What a treat! He offered some great principles and reminders. Namely, that you should expect a lot from people and push hard. And how important it is for the people you lead to know how much you care about them.

   It made me reflect on how fortunate I am to work for such a caring company full of truly unique and talented people. Caring for those around me is easy: everyone is so fun and interesting, with great senses of humor, cool families, interesting hobbies and great stories.

   This week was one of the most challenging I can remember in quite a while. (And not just because I had 2 flat tires, Taylor hurt his paw, and Gypsy peed all over me and made me late to work.) We were in jeopardy of losing the opportunity to have our product placed for Christmas with a major retailer. And in part due to mistakes I had made. I had to consciously move past my fears about potential consequences for myself and figure out how to rally the whole team to overcome the situation. And as I'm sitting here at work tonight with my core team, adding support where I can and making sure the work gets done, I'm reflecting on the experience.

   I am very proud of the work at the end of the week. I'm even more proud of how everyone banded together and pitched in, and had fun together despite working so hard. We won't know for a few days what the retailer's response will be, but in one sense, we've already won.

   Today was actually a very fun day (despite being at work for 14+ hours). I asked the other managers to help me bring breakfast treats for the whole crowd, and then I ran out to Costco at lunchtime to renew my membership and pick up pizzas. Little did I know what a great idea THAT was... I didn't expect to be at work until 10 pm, and the leftover pizza made a pretty good dinner.

Joan, Sara, Jerry & I head to the parking garage; the last ones in the building, other than the cleaning staff!

   Although we devoured almost all of the food, there were some choice items left. Olivia just MMS'd these photos of her adorable boys enjoying the last of the cream cheese/wild blueberry danish. Looks like it was a good end to the day for everyone!