New Blog Address

Hi everyone. Thanks for all interest and comments in the Stir Stick. The Stir Stick has a new home! Visit my blog on our new website at www.wolfgangpainters.com or at www.wolfgangpainters.com/category/blog-and-tips/stir-stick-blog/

See you there,

Dave

The Skate Park: Lesson's Learned

My son loves skateboarding. Everything about it: the skateboard, the tricks, the challenge, the clothes and the music. Rocco is five, so he doesn’t get the whole non-conformist aspect of skateboard culture, the part of the sport that gives skaters a bad rap, he doesn’t care. He thinks the guys at the skate park are cool and he wants to be one of them.

I get Rocco’s intrigue. What’s not to admire? Skateboarders are creative, tenacious, and risk taking. They are Mavericks who don’t care what anyone thinks other than their fans. Impressing the crowd is integral to the sport. The freedom and the artistry of skateboarding are impressive. Who wouldn’t want to spend their days in the sun perfecting a craft that they love. Frick, it sounds amazing, sign me up!

Of course, the quickest route to emergency for me would be to step on a skateboard. These days about as extreme as I get is a pair of Nikes and some pavement. But, the skate park still offers inspiration.

Recently, Wolfgang’s competitors have been complaining about our marketing, our pricing and our whole “bold” approach. We are different, we take risks, we are tenacious and our competitor’s don’t like it.

It can be difficult to stand strong while a storm of criticism rains upon you. The harsh words from our peers are hard on staff and owners alike. You hear enough negative BS and you begin to question your own strategy even when your customers love you. But, like the guys and gals at the skate park our conviction is strong. Our dedication to our craft is steadfast.

So, whenever I’m feeling insecure about Wolfgang’s strategy, Rocco and I head to the skate park. With every trick and every wipe out, Rocco cheers. It reminds me that Wolfgang’s fans (our customers) cheer us on as well.

Our competitors are like the elderly man waving their canes at the skateboarders yelling, “ do something with your life!” Does anybody listen to the old dudes? Not the skateboarders, they just ignore them. Kind of like our competitors, who cares, ignore them.

My Thoughts on the Riot

 It’s been a couple weeks and the wounds are healing.  The loss was very disappointing, the riot was devastating but the city is back to normal. So, what to do with the “guilty”?

As it turns out the majority of the rioters were not “anarchists” as our mayor suggested but pissed-off, alcohol and testosterone fuelled Canucks fans. I’m guessing the average age of the participants was twenty. The vast majority of them would never think to riot, but they did.

The riot probably cost the city millions in VPD overtime, damage and cleanup. Not to mention, the negative press from around the world.  And the costs will keep mounting with endless police investigations, charges and court battles. Maybe those costs can be stemmed?

The riot erupted quickly; the Social Media response was instantaneous.  Facebook pages, tweets, blogs condemning the riot were impressive save the few morons bragging about their new loot. Not surprisingly the posts and updates were also vicious. Threats of injury and death under the guise of public shaming flooded the net. Over night a new, highly efficient, court system formed, the court of Social Media.

The punishment inflicted by Social Media on the rioters was swift and ruthless. The perpetrator, their families and friends all felt the pain of the public shaming. It’s not nice but its effective.

A lot of stupid decisions were made that night. Let’s be on honest. We have all made stupid decisions. I’ve made a few. Ask yourself, as a drunken twenty-year-old, would the mob mentality have gotten the best of you? Is it effective to chase down every dumb ass that grabbed a purse or cheered on a fire?

For those who injured people, lit fires and initiated the looting, throw the book and make them pay.  For the others, the VPD has other issues and the courts are burdened as it is. Let’s put our tax dollars to better use tax and let Social Media do its thing.

It’s Not Just a Game!

Do you ever get this one? “Relax man, it’s just a game”. I beg to differ:

It’s the most patient, loyal and hopeful fans in North America.

It’s skateboarders, CEO’s and ESL students sporting their Canucks Blue in downtown Van.

It’s endless uniform changes, none of which were great, but we wear them all proudly.

It’s lacing up your sons skates, beside a Sedin twin and thinking, “Holy Crap, it Daniel! Wait, its Henrik! err . . . what do I say?” It was Henrik, my son asked.

It’s games being broadcast in Punjabi, a community joining in on the celebration at 72^nd and Scott Road after every win and in doing so, exemplifying everything that is great about Canada.

It’s Bure and Mogilny, brilliant but flaky.

It’s Smyl and Linden, rock-solid but wanting.

It’s Naslund, a little tragic.

It’s Messier, the best leader in sports until he came Vancouver. What the hell?

It’s reading a box score and instantly memorizing the stats.

It’s accepting that Luongo will let in a bad goal and put “foot in mouth” every second game. Who cares, he wins games.

It’s sending and receiving every email over the last month with the signature, Go Canucks Go!

It’s huge goals: Burrows, D. Sedin, Kesler, Bieksa and Burrows.

It’s Finish, Swedish, Canadian, American, German and Danish players admitting in a heartbeat that the Cup is bigger than the Olympics or any World Championship

It’s huge hits, killer power plays, biting and loving Bieksa’s pummeling of Marleau - you play with the bull, you get the horn –

It’s forty years of ups and downs, mostly downs. Questionable draft picks, some inspired (Burrows). A parade of owners, gm’s and coaches. Two cup runs, many early exits and now  . . .

Two wins away.

Go Canucks Go!

Recession Hits Lower Mainland Paint Industry Two Years Later

When the recession hit in 2008 and construction ground to halt, the architects, engineers and “first in” trades felt the hit. Many firms downsized and some closed up shop entirely. The city resembled a ground hog infested field with giant dormant holes scattered throughout.

The finishing trades were lucky. Construction projects nearing completion continued and that meant that the dry-wallers, painters and flooring trades had a couple more years of work.

Well, its 2011 and past projects are now complete. While the engineers, excavators and steel firms are getting busy; the finishing guys are twiddling their thumbs waiting for the buildings to go up.

What does they mean for a company like Wolfgang whom focuses on re-painting buildings? The new construction paint firms have flooded the re-paint market. There is excess capacity in the market and no increased need for paint jobs. Classic supply and demand: supply goes up, demand stays flat or drops and prices follow suit. In other words, the bottom has fallen out of the market.

So we are going to have a couple of lean years until some new buildings go up and the new construction guys re-enter the market that they know best. Lean years are in business ok. A tight market forces better systems, tighter overhead, fine tuned strategy and outside the box thinking. Not to mention, some weaker players leave the market all together.

Of course all this is good news for the consumer. Excess supply is always good for the end user. If you are looking to have your building painted at a deep discount, now is the time. You are going to pay at least twenty percent below market price. 2011 is probably the best time in the past ten years to have your building re-painted. 

Hey you, get off of my cloud!

You know the feeling: you share your BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal) with a friend and they chime in with “Whatever man, get real. Good luck with that one?” and like a pinprick to a balloon you are instantly deflated.

Sharing your dream takes courage. When you lay your cards on the table you want the passion to be reciprocated. Unfortunately, more often than not, you get the devils advocate. Why do some people feel the need to drag others down? Perhaps insecurity, past let downs or envy? Who knows . . .

I used to get very upset when my dreams were “poo-pooed” Lots of huffing and puffing, lots of  “they don’t get me”. Then, my wife hit me with the trout-slap, “ if your conviction is so strong, why do you care what others think?” Yes, good point, insert moment of clarity.

Thanks to Jen, I realized that my own insecurities, not others, were the issue.  Jen’s question was tough, she prompted some serious reflection and personal change. The answers were not easy but very empowering, a journey worth taking.  The answers are still a work in progress.

I am learning not to “pitch” my goals so much, just to go out and achieve them.  Focusing on the internal motivation for my goals is much more lasting than any external recognition.

If someone asks, I’ll speak to my dreams. If they punch holes, I bite my lip, thank them for the feedback and move on.

If they think my heads in the sky, that’s fine.  I take Jagger’s approach and say to myself, “Hey you, get off of my cloud!”

Mission Accomplished

Forty-six. That’s the number of kilometers my Daughter, Rosalie, ran at Kilometer Club this spring. Her goal was “to reach the second page of the kilometre chart” which meant running at least thirty-six kilometers. Rosalie hit her goal!

I am proud of Rosalie’s performance but more impressed with how much she enjoyed herself along the way. She looked forward to every day at Kilometer Club. Rain or shine, she ran. Rosalie was never late for the runs and ran until the teachers said stop.

At dinnertime she would share the days results, “well, I ran two kilometers in the morning, Ben and I talked a little while we ran, sometimes I walked. Then after lunch my teacher and some of my friends ran another kilometer, I have five more kilometres to get to the second page . . . “ or  “it was really wet today, I was freezing! I think I’ll were a tuque next time”

Rosalie savored every milestone along the way and proudly displays her ribbons on our family message board.

Goals are wonderful. I truly believe that through vision, conviction and tenacity, one can accomplish anything. But more important than the goal is the journey. Growth and positive change come from a journey well embraced. Enjoying the ups, learning from the downs and truly celebrating the achievement that’s what Rosalie did.