Designed by Row » Life’s Design

A New Sign for DbR

rowforbes — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 14:23:25 +0000

Instant Gratification is Overrated

rowforbes — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 18:58:47 +0000

We live in an everything-all-the-time-now-now-now society. From PPV and instant downloads to microwave meals and drive through restaurants to email, Twitter, Facebook and the web, we have the world, in a box, at our fingertips. Our children have been born into this culture. As adults we have grown up with the changes and adapted to the speed of now. But at what cost?

The instant high of a quick return is fantastic and makes you crave more. So you start cutting corners, making short-sighted decisions and forgetting about the long term.

Steven Pressfield, author of Gates of Fire and The War of Art, writes “the antidote to these scattering influences is tough-mindedness.” He defines tough-mindedness as the “ability to draw lines and boundaries within which we protect and preserve the mental and emotional space to do our work and to be true to our selves… the ability to play real hardball with ourselves when we need it.”

Whether it is the entrepreneur himself or a member of his realm of supporters, there is bound to be that one person who asks “Why hasn’t your business taken off yet? You’ve been at it for a whole year! There are other people who made it big in a week! Where’s the money? Where’s the right-now return? What’s wrong with you?”

Whoa! Hold on! There are thousands of internet companies and start-up businesses who have flashed to life only to burnout prematurely. With a lack of foundation, these towers quickly crumbled. Oh, sure, there are the lucky ones; I won’t deny that. However, building on experience, a mission and a reputation has a better chance of sustainability than any fly-by-night. Remember the story of the Tortoise and the Hare. The Tortoise wins every time. Slow and steady wins the race.

Slow and steady takes patience and diligence. Steven Pressfield believes that “what produces real work (and happiness for each of us, in my opinion) is depth, focus, concentration and commitment over time.”

Dave Ramsey, nationally-syndicated talk show host and best-selling author, has a theory on how it works. He calls it the Momentum Theorem.

“FOCUSED INTENSITY over TIME multiplied by GOD equals Unstoppable Momentum.”

Dave Ramsey says, “Not many people in our A.D.D. culture can stay FOCUSED, but those who can are on their way to winning. Ad to the focus some serious pull-your-shirt-off-and-paint-yourself-blue-at-the-football-game INTENSITY, and now you have a person who is a difference-maker. But very few companies or people can maintain that FOCUSED INTENSITY over TIME. It takes time to be great, it takes time to create critical mass, it takes time to be an ‘overnight success.’ Lastly, you and I are finite, while GOD is infinite. So, multiply your efforts through Him and watch the areas of your life move toward winning like never before.”

We have become soft and spoiled by the availability of stuff, that too many have forgotten perseverance and how to “play hardball” with ourselves. A good dose of reality is a great place to start when you feel yourself looking for that instant gratification.

Work hard, be true to yourself and be true to your clients and the authenticity of your business will shine through the now-now-now clamber.

No More Leaks!

rowforbes — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 19:39:49 +0000

We have recently made another big improvement on the design studio for DbR. J took a weekend and put a new roof on my building. It was another exciting, and vitally important, step in completing it before winter. We had been having some very heavy rainstorms and found that the old roof was leaking terribly. I was very nervous about my equipment and materials getting ruined. Now, that worry is gone. I feel very secure in the fact that I will stay dry.

The old sheds, which were attached to the backside of DbR, have been torn down as well. Once the reusable materials were sorted out, the family enjoyed a bonfire, including s’mores. Mm mmmm… It was a great way of celebrating the continuation of the renovation process. We still have some clean-up to do, as can be seen in the photo, but that seems minor in comparison to the sheds being torn down.

Our next step will be to remove a few trees that are too close to the building so proper measurements can be taken for the new siding. We have plans to dig a drainage ditch and put the driveway in before winter, as well. We have accomplished so much and yet there is so much left to do.

Design Studio Interior Complete!!

rowforbes — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 01:22:09 +0000

The inside of my shop is officially finished and I have moved in. What a relief and an absolute blessing to have this space available to me. I feel the inspiration swell when I sit down at my computer to work. My printers and new vinyl cutter are all working beautifully and I am so excited to be able to put in some real time there. It’s like Christmas each time I open the door. I love it! I’ve also added a tribute to my grandfather, who used to spend hours working away at his craft within these four walls.

Design Studio Update

rowforbes — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 00:50:48 +0000

The smell of pine is in the air, as the boards go on the wall, one by one. The transformation is amazing. The ceiling is in, painted and the lighting is up. My new front door is in and just waiting for an open sign. J and M started putting up the tongue and groove pine yesterday and already they are halfway home. We will be staining it this weekend. I am so thankful to my dear husband for working so hard on this dream for me. His support has been incredible. I couldn’t have done it without him. I know that I will find untold inspiration in my new surroundings. I can’t wait!

Design Studio Beginning to Take Shape

rowforbes — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 22:44:48 +0000

Since I finished tearing out the insulation, changes have been happening very quickly at the shop. J and M have rewired the whole building, replaced a few boards, pulled out the old windows, replaced the front ones with shiny, clean new ones and boarded the back wall up. They have now started putting in new insulation. J is in hopes of having the ceiling sheet-rocked and maybe painted by this weekend. Then the new lights and my new front door will go in and they will begin putting the pine boards on the walls. My new front door; sounds sweet.

Interior Shop Demolition is Done!

rowforbes — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 00:21:40 +0000

This past weekend I hit the turn-around point in the shop renovations. I finished pulling out the rest of the insulation from the walls and J helped to remove a lot of the stuff that was still cluttering the floor. He and a friend of ours has begun the rewiring, to be finished tomorrow. Their plan is to have the new ceiling in before next weekend. The interior is going to be coming together quickly now. I am in hopes I will be able to purchase more materials for my counters and workbench this weekend. I am just giddy with excitement!

Design Studio Update

rowforbes — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 00:43:10 +0000

Life has been pretty busy lately, so I hadn’t initially planned to get any work done on the shop this weekend. Surprisingly, however, I ended up spending a few hours both yesterday and today wreaking havoc on the interior. Demolition is fun! I stripped the ceiling of panels and began removing insulation from the walls. It won’t be long before J will be able to get at the wiring and begin working his magic. I was also picked up the little gas fireplace I wanted this week for a real bargain; it was half off. The further into this project I progress, the more excited I get about the final outcome.

Big step forward in Shop renovation

rowforbes — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 15:45:44 +0000

I spent the first two days of the New Year working towards getting my design studio renovated. January 1 my father came in and helped me remove the large bench on the front wall. We quickly found out that my grandfather was not afraid to use nails, screws and a combination of the two. After a lot of hammering and prying we got it all pulled apart and moved out into the shed. It opened up the room immensely.

J came up on day two and began ripping down the sheet rock. I walked into a huge mess after lunch. I was thrilled though. I grabbed some garbage bags and started filling. By the time we were done late that afternoon, we had removed all but one bench from the walls and stripped three of the walls of sheet rock. J also pulled a handful of the ceiling tiles down to see what was above them. It gave us a better idea of what we were getting into.

I feel a great sense of accomplishment at having moved so far in only two days. The next step involves getting the rest of the stuff out of the room so the final wall can be attacked.

Window shopping

rowforbes — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 14:09:05 +0000

J and I spent over an hour at our local hardware store wandering the aisles and pricing out my wish list for DbR’s Shop revitalization. We looked at windows and doors, flooring, cabinets, shelving units, lighting (inside and outside) and counter tops. The photos of the Shop may not look any different this week, but the picture I have in my mind is becoming rich with details.

The most exciting thing that I saw was the little gas fireplace I want. It’s unpretentious, cost and energy efficient and will work perfectly in the amount of space I have. I am worried it won’t be there when I go to buy it, though. That’s the problem with seasonal things. I’ll just keep my fingers crossed and get it as soon as possible.

I am looking forward to the holidays being over. Don’t get me wrong, I love Christmas and having the family around, the big dinners and laughing. My problem, this time of year, is with time management. I manage to never have enough time. Besides, getting back to cleaning out the Shop and making it ready for the guys to start tearing out the sheet-rock is like Christmas for me. I am just giddy with excitement!

Merry Christmas to everyone. I hope you are blessed with friends and family this holiday season.

Design Studio Interior Complete!!