Year: 2015

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My take on Millenials

 

Little Salt Lake, Parowan, UT
Little Salt Lake, Parowan, UT
 
I have read several articles as of late trying to describe the millennial demographic. I find many of these articles rather informative, but still lacking on at least how I understand my generation. The millennial generation is a tough one to figure out because it is ripened for change. The apples are falling off and rolling a long way before coming to rest and roots.  
Millennials are labeled as wanting more out of life than just a 9 to 5 grind. They want more from a company or they will leave. It is not just about loving their work or about pay or benefits or company culture. It is more than having a job. Millennials are about freedom – freedom from structure built by others, freedom to act and think and do in their own way. As a millennial myself I think it is not the way that we were raised per se, but more about the opportunities that now abound with ease through global communication. Back in the day to start a business meant to have a brick and mortar store and to basically only be able to access local markets. This changed a bit with mail order catalogs, but it was still clunky and tiresome – there is lots of hard (busy) work associated with doing a mail order business and getting word out.  This has changed drastically with the advent of the computer and the internet. Now there are modern ecommerce solutions that are basically plug and play, drag and drop. The opportunity to reach a target global market is accessible to individuals on a minimal budget. Millennials are at the forefront of this technology and as such they recognize the opportunity to make a change of lifestyle. Millennials recognize they can build their own structure to operate and excel within. It is a microcosm of independently owned and operated self-businesses or business selfs. Building a brand has turned inward to find meaning and to define the why. This is necessary to differentiate from all the noise that is bombarding devices worldwide. Millennials have a tendency to focus on self more than community because that is how their community interacts – with self profiles. That is how you get to know your customer on a more personal yet removed level. You can know someone without knowing them. That is the world we live in and we need to embrace it – not fear it.  
Living has never been so visible and public. Life is mobile. With an increasingly mobile society, everything is becoming more mobile. Many millennials are looking to make their lives more and more mobile as well. This includes ditching a day job where they can feel stuck or suffocated and finding work that is meaningful to them and others. Not because the work may be unimportant to them, or the company culture is disagreeable, but more because it lacks the freedom to move and experience the world like the Internet offers.  

When we have computers and other electronics available that make a business on the move possible, why are we still required to be at a desk job from 9 to 5? I mean seriously, this doesn’t make sense. The only reason I can think of is employers want to basically babysit their employees. My goal as a millennial has been to separate my time from my money. I think this is a worthwhile effort and goal because it allows for more and more freedom. Freedom to spend quality time with the family, freedom to pursue hobbies, freedom to have more open time to help others in need. I feel that being a millennial is not some stuck up self righteous, arrogant ideal, but a chance to start realizing the potential to do good that is within us. That change is good and we should welcome it. So many millennials quit.  

I quit.

I quit that job. I quit that rut. I quit that cul de sac. I quit that turning in circles. I quit that insanity of doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results. I quit working entirely for money. I quit things that aren’t progressing my life to where I want it to be. I quit to progress. I quit early and I quit with obtained knowledge to guide my road ahead. Without ruts to keep you in a certain path the world is open – freedom at last.

And that’s a good thing.

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Recognizing Opportunities

Walle finds 100 Grand

Your big opportunity may be right where you are now.  – Napolean Hill 

Last week I celebrated my 31st birthday.  My lovely and loving wife bought me the Lego Walle set that I have had my eyes on since I learned of its existence.

I spent several fun hours with this build and am happy with the result.  I really do like the Pixar film Walle and I feel there is much to learn from it.  For example, Walle has awakened to a realization that life on his deserted planet is somewhat drab.  He continues to work hard going through the motions and striving to collect and crush garbage – but he has started to notice intricate and worthwhile finds while digging trash and junk.

He has quite the collection of intricate items that caught his eye and made him think.  He then finds the plant which is very different from all his other finds and because he collects it – his hobby – it soon opens wondrous doors of opportunity.

He takes action.  When Eva shows up Walle is terrified at first, but is curios and excited to see something that moves so gracefully.  He takes charge of fear and almost gets blown to smithereens.  I like the fact that he faces change head on and realizes he does not want to petal backwards to curbing junk anymore.  He moves forward by making a split second decision to grab on to the rocket and hold on for dear life!

At the moment it Walle was not thinking about how stupid it is to ride a rocket.  His goal was to see Eva again, and not be left alone.

Change has a tendency to happen quickly.  So does opportunity.

So how does one learn to recognize opportunity?  This has been a question at the forefront of my mind.  I love this quote by Henry David Thoreau – I think I have shared it recently,  but it’s worth sharing again;

“You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment. Fools stand on their island of opportunities and look toward another land. There is no other land; there is no other life but this.”

The way to recognize opportunity is to start doing things.  I read a great book entitled The Power of Starting Something Stupid, by Richie Norton.  He goes into details about how opportunities start to abound when you start.  The power of starting is real.  If you feel like you are not going where you want to go, if you feel like you aren’t living the life you thought you would have, start something new.

Opportunities certainly do abound right where you are.  Just learn how to start doing and stop talking about doing.  There is power in taking action and making decisions quickly.  When you do decide to act, change can and will happen fast.  That is why opportunity can be so elusive at times – it is always changing. When you decide to act, then opportunities line up in front of you.

Think about the blessings you have, be grateful.  Gratitude is a key to recognizing opportunities.  When you are grateful you have a tendency to look at each situation differently – with an eye of optimism.  Optimism is the secret to recognizing opportunity.  Where others will miss it because of pessimism and disbelief, you can be optimistic and take the action steps required to make it happen.  Being optimistic dispels notions of fear.  You will still feel fear, but instead of being debilitating, this fear will lead you to action.

Action coupled with optimism leads to great opportunity.

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That Can Do Attitude

 

Ernie Sorts Wires
Ernie Sorts Wires

…it doesn’t make sense, it’s not logical, it is a gut feeling! I have no idea what I’m supposed to do. I only know what I can do. – Captain Kirk, Star Trek

Doing has a lot to do with attitude.  If you do something with a bad attitude it can get done but to what end?  Doing with a can do attitude is key to making things happen, and enjoying the time it takes to get there.  I have been thinking a lot lately about what I can do and the simple word “Do”.

This simple word – Do, has so much power in it.  There is also another simple word that goes along with Do and that is Be.

Do and Be both have a profound impact on the ability to be an effective leader.  Doing what is right and following your “gut” is important.  Doing means taking action and making decisions when no one else will.  It is stepping up to the plate during times of confusion and offering solutions.  It means keeping your ears open more and your mouth shut more often.  Leadership requires not only a listening ear but also charity.

I like to look at charity as the great law of potential.  Many of you have probably heard of the book The Secret.  It speaks of the Law of Attraction and how to attract positive things into your life.  I liken this law of attraction to faith.  A simple definition of faith can be found in the Book of Mormon.  It explains that when you have faith you hope for things which are not seen which are true.  As a leader you must act in faith and do many things where you do not know the end.  As a leader, look to others and recognize not what they are, but what they can become.  Everyone has the potential to be great.  It is up to a leader to recognize and bring out that potential.

Doing and being are separate but at the same time inseparable.  Separate as we are not what we do, but inseparable because what we repeatedly do we become.

Taking action is required for leadership.  Stepping outside our comfort zone is required for our growth and the growth of others.

This is a little story about four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody.  There was an important job to be done and Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it.  Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it.  Somebody got angry about that because it was Everybody’s job.  Everybody thought that Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn’t do it.  It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done.

Be the anybody.  Anybody can lead if they will make up their minds quickly.  Fail quickly, succeed quickly.  Leaders act many times on instinct and make quick split second decisions.  If they make the wrong one then they correct course and keep plugging away forward.

As you look for others to lead find their potential.  Find their talents.  Delegate, not jobs you do not want, but delegate according to talent.  Find out what people would do without pay and get them excited to do just that and get paid for it.  This instills a desire to create and to excel towards ones potential.  That can do attitude will be ever present as you lead through applying people’s potential to doing and being and reaching it.

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Uncommon Common Sense

300 miles, no water - desert common sense
Common sense (which, in truth, is very uncommon) is the best sense I know of: abide by it; it will counsel you best.- Lord Chesterfield

What is common sense?

The official definition is native intelligence; Sound, practical intelligence that is independent of specialized knowledge or training.  Some people call it following your gut.  Some people call it just knowing and doing what is right.

It is uncommon.  Too few people today follow their gut.  They feel they should be doing something else with their life, but instead of changing they continue to go through the motions of habit.  Habit is an interesting part of life.  There are good habits and bad habits.  We really are somewhat like sheep when following a habit because we are used to it.

Let’s talk about some good habits that should be common sense.

1) Sleep.

With the advent of the modern world of technology and electricity it is easy to stay up late and sleep in.  It is easy to limit our needed sleep to only a few hours.  Our bodies need time to recharge and organize the experiences of the previous day.  I have recently changed my schedule.  I used to work on making Wowflutes in the evenings before bed.  I would generally start a batch around 8 or 9 pm.  I would finish after midnight and get up around 5:30am to get ready for my day job.  This took its toll.  I felt like I was putting my passion and what I loved on the backburner.  Leaving it till the last minute everyday made it seem unimportant, and it was easy to not want to do it.

I switched it up.  I now get to bed in the evenings around 9:30-10:30pm and get up at 4 am.  It has made a huge difference.  Now I feel I am working on my goals first thing instead of last.  I have several hours to think to myself with no interruptions.  It is wonderful!  I really did not know what I was missing.  The old adage by Benjamin Franklin goes “early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise”.  You would think this would be common sense, but it is uncommon.

2) Working on your talents

People love to work on their talents. They love to feel like they are good at something.  Many folks feel they don’t have any talents though…  Just because their talents may not be as visible as others.  It is common sense to work on your talents, but how many people do?  It is easy to say you do not have time to develop them, but your gut tells you differently.  I know folks who work a job they don’t like and go home and worry about their job and their boring life and go to sleep and go on to the job, day after day after day.  Why?  Because it is the sheep mentality of just following a habit.  Instead of worrying – set goals and time aside for working on something you enjoy, your talent.  Something that you would do for free.

I have found that this is a secret to managing employees and helping them enjoy their work.  For example, I was the general manager of a mining company – Alpine Gems, for a short time from 2013-2014.  It was my grandfathers company and he had built it from the ground up.  When he passed on in 2011 the company was split between his sons and daughters.  No one was actively participating in the business on a daily basis and it was faltering.  The company had never had employees and I was bent on changing this.

The first person I hired was a great guy named Kasey.  He was a hard worker and could easily manage working in stone.  I made him my warehouse manager and we spent a lot of time planning and discussing the goals for the business.  I found out that he had been a theater major and was interested in making movies.  He had a talent in production and directing.  So I decided to focus many hours of our days in producing marketing content to spread online.  Kasey was exuberant and went above and beyond what I asked for.  It was because it was his passion – something that he would do even if he didn’t get paid.  He worked extra hours on story boarding and editing in his spare time at home.  We created a lot of content that was helpful in securing new business and growing the company’s non-existent presence online.

Our sales in the first six months were double the previous year.  People knew we were having fun and working hard – especially our customers.  Unfortunately there were too many cooks in the kitchen that thought we were having too much fun and not working.  I resigned when we realized our hard work was in vain.

I still get to work with Kasey as he helps me create more great content for Wowflute!

If you want to change things up develop the habit of working and developing your talents.  An easy measuring stick is to find what you would be willing to do for free.

3) Elevate those around you.

This is a habit that has far reaching potential.  When you choose to elevate others you are also elevating yourself.  Elevating others is making them feel good about themselves.  When you speak to an old friend or a new acquaintance make sure to get them talking about themselves.  Learn about what they love and what makes them tick.  People love to talk about themselves – it is just human nature.  An excellent read that has inspired this habit is the book by Dale Carnegie, How to win friends and influence people.  A common theme throughout the book is simple common sense to treat others how you would want to be treated.

4) Smile.

The easiest way to help folks feel good is to smile more.  Smiling is contagious.  People look better when they smile. They look more healthy and attractive.  When you smile folks want to be around you more; they want to know what makes you happy and why you are smiling.  Make it a habit to smile wherever you go and be interested in others. This habit will make you good connections that will grow your network and improve every aspect of your life.  It is easy.  It is common sense, that unfortunately, is not that common.

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Focus on Everything – How to Ace the Product Design Process

ET Highway
Extra Terrestrial Highway, Nevada, USA

Focus.  What does it mean?  I like to find the origins of words because it really helps in gaining a deeper understanding of the meaning.

Focus is a point of convergence.  Like the Extra Terrestrial Highway in Nevada almost goes to a point in the distance.   In Latin it literally means “Hearth, Fireplace“.  Which possibly stems from focusing the sun in a lens to a point hot enough to create a flame.  So how does this definition of focus apply to the design process?  A focus is knowing your end goal and aligning all aspects of the process to get you there.

Product design is a process.  I love product design.  I love to see and buy products that have good design.  I absolutely hate a poor design, especially when it would not have been that hard to make it great.  This is even harder to understand when you look at examples like the Ford Pinto Case.  The executives making decisions in this example actually valued human life as an expense that they could afford when compared to fixing a simple design flaw.  I know this is kind of the extreme, but to see a finished product that went through all the stages of the ideas and concepts, to engineering and development, through prototyping and manufacturing, to marketing and distribution, and to still have a poor design… that, my friends is infuriating to me.  How many eyes and hands did that poor design pass through?  How many people could have spoken up and put in their two cents and made a change?  How does this happen?

I think the answer lies in the process.  It is complex.  It is time oriented.  It deals with people from many walks of life.  Sometimes those people lose their focus, or maybe they are focusing on the wrong end.

Taking a road-trip is like this process.  One time I went on a road-trip through Rachel, Nevada. I felt the trip was long and rather boring.  I missed a lot of the tourist traps and other unique locations that can make for a better, more memorable experience.  I do not even remember why it took so long or where our final destination was.  Just like you may miss a great unique experience that you really needed to see (the A-Le-Inn in Rachel, NV is a great example), it is really in where your focus lies.  Bringing a product to market is very similar.  As it comes down to crunch time people tend to start accepting more and more of what they otherwise would change – they start to focus on just the end rather than the process.

This is where our focus should be – in the process.  Just like when you are on a road-trip, the fun happens when you focus on all the parts of the trip along the way rather than just getting somewhere as quickly as possible.  A friend and mentor of mine, Nelson Boren, once told me to “Focus on everything”.  I was not sure what he meant by this because in my mind it was the opposite of what focus means.  If you focus on everything in reality you are not focused on anything.  It was not till many years later that I finally understood what he meant.  I finally realized that it is possible to focus on everything with the proper team in place with a proper leader that defines the vision.  Each member of that team can focus on doing their job in line with the overall vision.  All these jobs and tasks can then be focused towards the vision.

In product design, there is always a better design.  Even if you think you have arrived, a product can always be improved.

A cousin of mine is a horse fanatic.  She loves everything about horses.  She has studied them, ridden them, has action figures, pictures, blankets, clothing, you name it.  She told me that when you are riding a horse (especially a trained horse), they will move in the direction you look.  The horse can sense the slightest movements and therefore it is important to look where you want the horse to go – not just pull the reigns in that direction.  You need a definite focus.

Back when I was in high school taking a Drivers Ed class, we practiced on what looked like glorified washing machines.  There was an overhead screen that displayed a rather boring simulator movie from a laser disk.  You turned your steering wheel when the car on screen started to turn or a red light would come on.  My drivers ed Teacher was also the German teacher, Herr Corry was his name.  His commentary was the best aspect of the class and is what I remember most.  He told us that “…when passing cars on the freeway and especially semi trucks, DO NOT LOOK AT THEM!”  “Oh wow, look at the size of those tires!?” “When driving always keep your focus on the road ahead of you.”  It is simple to get distracted when passing.  He went on to explain that when you look at a semi truck when passing, devastating history has taught us that you move towards it.

You move towards it.  Whatever you focus on you move towards.  Easy.  Or is it?  How does one determine the focus for a product?  Or a company?  Or a project?

It is simple:  Focus on Quality.

This is the answer to how to focus on everything.  By focusing on quality – it is no longer about the product or the design or the company.  IT is about quality.  Quality in every step of the process.  Quality in concept, quality in engineering, quality in manufacturing, quality in marketing, it all leads to a quality end product design to be proud of.  When you focus on quality the road-trip, though long, will be enjoyable. You will not want it to end.  You will find ways to always improve your process and product which will equal greater success and more opportunity.

Everything will align and fall into place if you make quality your overall goal and focus.

 

 

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Is it a waste of time to…

 

no sun, only its rays
Even though I could not see the sun, evidence was all around.

 

“Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer’s day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time.”

-John Lubbock

I was thinking about all the many times that I have been told I am wasting time.  What does that even mean?  Is it possible to waste something that doesn’t really exist? What is time anyway?

Time:  The indefinite continued progress of existence and events in the past, the present, and the future regarded as a whole. (Thanks google)

So if time is indefinite, how can we waste it?  Yet people have a keen sense of when they are wasting time.

Is it a waste of time to…

Stare at a starry sky and ponder the universe?

Is it a waste of time to…

Enjoy the crisp clean air of a mountain top conquered?

Is it a waste of time to…

Sit in a cubicle and stare at a computer screen as you mindlessly work and attempt to not fall asleep?

Is it a waste of time to…

Watch hilarious cat videos on YouTube through your Apple TV?

The more I think about it the less I believe that there is wasted time.  Every single action, every single inaction, and every single choice is a measure of time being used.  Those who “waste” their time, are really learning the value of time, which is invaluable.

Those who “waste” time will eventually regret it.  Why is this so?

The human race is a creative force that must act or be acted upon.  To create is to use time to our best advantage.  To create is to use time to help others. To create is to oppose destruction.  There is a saying I found on Brainy Quote that I find profound:

The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.

Edmund Burke

In my opinion this quote defines “wasting” time.  How can a person do nothing though?

Going out in the hills and sitting – contemplating creation… You are doing something.

Looking at the immense vastness of a starry sky – contemplating creation… You are doing something.

This may be considered a waste of time by shallow minded folk, but it is not.  By contemplating you are creating questions and connecting dots.  Contemplation is a necessary force of creation.   This force is wasted in abundance in our society of noise filled everything.  Our phones interupt it, radios interupt it, social media noise interiors it.  I am sitting in my living room at four in the morning – and my clock on the wall is ticking so loudly, that it has interrupted it.  Just a simple click, click, click.  Passage of time measured, click, click, click.  Forever telling me that infinite time is passing to history.

I have been reading Henry David Thoreau recently and he has some very interesting ideas of time.  In his book Walden, Thoreau expresses how we in the present rest between two eternities.  The eternal future and the eternal past.  I love this concept.  It really places emphasis on now, the present.

Our choice of how to use our time is exactly that.  Our choice.  Since we stand in the middle of two eternities, those choices are very important.  The present if not acted upon goes into the eternity of the past and cannot be attained again.  Looking to the future eternity you can realize potential only when we act.

Inaction is a “waste” of time.  When you see evil progressing in the world, you can matter-of-factory know that there are good men doing nothing.  Sitting on the stage of the present and doing nothing. Not progressing, not doing, not creating.  To paraphrase the wise turtle in Kung Fu Panda: Do not waste the gift of the present that you have been.

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Want more Time and Money? Do this…

Hot Dog Suit Guy lego vacation
Hot Dog Suit Guy enjoys his time chillaxing by the pool!

What is the definition of Time?  This seems silly because everyone knows what time is but when you really come down to define it… What is Time?   Google it and you get this:

  1. the indefinite continued progress of existence and events in the past, present, and future regarded as a whole.
  2. a point of time as measured in hours and minutes past midnight or noon.

Both of these definitions are quite vague.  The meaning that I will use for time is the value of our experiences and efforts and how it relates to progress and potential.  When you look at time this way it becomes more personalized.  It becomes my time and your time – each understood in only our own unique way.  What kind of value can you place on your experiences and effort?  What kind of value can you place on your progress and potential?

Lets define money.  What is it?  Put simply it is:

  1. any circulating medium of exchange

This is very simple.  So let’s think about this.  What value does money hold?

None.

It is the medium of exchange not the item exchanged for.  Sometimes it is the simple things that are difficult to understand.  When you start trading your time for money you are actually trading something of infinite worth – one’s potential – for something that has no value in and of itself.  This does not make sense.  So why do we all have that goal to make tons of money and trade all our time doing it?

Think about it this way.

If it is money you are going after then you will find it.  Once you have tons of money it does not bring happiness.  How many stars and professional athletes have died from drug overdose?  Why would they do that? They have all the money one could ever want…

Money represents our time, but if our time is spent in the pursuit of money, then what does our time represent?  Lost time is a sad story.  Lost time can never be bought or brought back.  Lost time is regret.  Trading time for money may seem like a good idea at the time but when you look back with a clear vision through the lens of time, money is no replacement for a life lived.

Wealth is measured in time not money.  When you start to value your time more than money – that is when you will start to make more of both.  You will stop accepting peanuts and kids wages for your time because you value it more than that.  When you value your time, you use it wisely to gain understanding and wisdom and knowledge wherever it is found.  When you value your time, you use it in ways that make you and others happy.  When you value your time you tend to put a higher value on yourself.

Start today to look at what you would do if money were not needed.  What are you truly passionate about?  What are your dreams?  What would you trade your time for even if it did not bring you money?

Focus your energy on that instead of making money and you will find that you will eventually have true wealth – both time and money separated.  Want more time and money?  Do this.

 

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Hotwheels Millennium Falcon

millenium falcon toy hotwheel star wars

I went to the store the other day and brought my second oldest son Tyler with me.  My kiddos expect to get something almost every time they go to the store because both grandmas spoil them.

As a toy designer myself I enjoy to navigate the toy sections.  This is especially fun when I’m shopping with one of the kids.  I like to see how they react to different toys and what they like.  We went to the hotwheels section because Tyler likes anything that has wheels.  We dug through the hotwheels and found some good designs but then we found the new section of hotwheels that are licensed with Star Wars and Lucas Film (now Disney).

It suddenly hit me how many toys are based off of movies and license.  Almost everything popular at the store is based on some sort of movie or TV show.  I got to thinking why?

I think the reason that toys and other products tied to movies or other shows are because they tell a story.  A toy without a story is what?  Exactly.  A toy without a story seems to be boring in our day in age.  This saddens me a bit because I feel every toy has a story – some that are not made up yet.  That makes toy design fascinating to me.  I look at the simple Millennium Falcon Hotwheels ship that I bought for myself that day and think about all that went into it.

The story of Star Wars, the designer of the original ship, the particulars in product development.  Millions of different interactions and decisions went into making that simple toy a reality.  Hundreds of people, thousands of hours, a bunch can of different materials…

That simple toy had a die cast top, an injection molded plastic bottom that consisted of more than one piece.  It came with a clear plastic stand that also allows one to “fly” the Millennium falcon by attaching it to your finger.  My fingers are too big for it but it’s a good concept – a good design.

After work a couple days later I went out to the desert and got multiple crash scenes of Han Solo landing the Millennium falcon in the west desert of Utah.  I sure do enjoy toys and have found my niche in product design.

I give a thumbs up to Mattel and Hotwheels for creating a quality design with the Millennium Falcon Hotwheels model.  A design that both kids and their parents can enjoy.  Thank you!

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Why is choice so important?

custom swirl wowflute
Custom Swirl Wowflute

I have been thinking a lot about choices lately.  I always like to define a word to get a clear meaning.  Choice: the right, power, or opportunity to choose.

This definition is pretty straight forward.  But why is it sometimes such a difficult proposition? To choose?  Especially between two good things that we want.  So much goes into a choice.  Our background experiences, nuances, feeling, outward physical sense, desire, disgust.  Everyone is faced with thousands of choices everyday.  Mundane choices – complex choices.

Why is choice so important?

Let us imagine a world without choice.  What would it look like?  Who would be there? Why would they be there? Would you ever choose to be there? Then if you choose to be there, there’s a choice which would not exist… Wow, guess that’s kind of deep.

Let’s come back to the surface.  Choice is about you and choice is personal and choice effects others deeply.  If I make a wrong choice, it can have lasting ripples into many futures.  The same goes for making a right choice.  I’m sure nearly everyone has taken a flat stone and attempted to skip it on a lake.  One time I got hundreds of skips – it was a very flat, smooth stone.  Just like the ripples of those splashes go on sometimes imperceptively, they still move forward into the future with a momentum that we may not even recognize.

Even small choices ripple.  The splash may not be that noticeable but it still effects more than just the stone.  A big splash can generate large waves that come in contact with sides or shores and erodes and builds by depositing the sands.

red sunset swirl wowflutes
Red Sunset Swirl Wowflutes

Choice is the reason we are here on earth – to learn to make the correct choice and to learn from wrong choice. The whole reason of existence is to choose.

So choose carefully your color of wowflute – each color is more or less important to you. Each color for me is based on my photography and my love of color in general. I hope you find the right one to enjoy.

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Return and Discern – the EPA disaster

Joshua Tree in I-15 freeway median. Redcliffs State Park in the background. Copyright Joseph Cowlishaw 2015
Joshua Tree in I-15 freeway median near Leeds, UT.  Redcliffs State Park in the background.  Joseph Cowlishaw Copyright 2015

Then shall ye return and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.

– The Book of Mormon – 3 Nephi 24:18

As a family we like to read the scriptures each morning, especially from the Book of Mormon.  We came across a verse this morning that I found quite profound.  When trying to understand something I like to take into context and look up the meaning of words that most people generally know the meaning of.  I find this brings added insight and meaning.  Dictionary.com comes in handy!

Return:  to go or come back, as to a former place, position, or state…

Discern:  to perceive by the sight or some other sense or by the intellect; see, recognize, or apprehend…

This saying to return and discern is not only a great rhyme, but has deep meaning.  To discern between the righteous and the wicked is becoming increasingly more blurred in our modern world of double meaning and hidden intent.  To discern is a great ability that will benefit the thoughtful mind.

This week we have heard the terrible news of the Environmental Protection Agency actually causing a massive hazardous waste dump – opposing their entire reason for existence.  Not only has this caused great alarm in the desert southwest (Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona), but it has also shown to a much greater degree, the hypocrisy that is spreading within our society.  How does something like this spill happen?  Was it an accident? Who is to say? Who is to know?  I found another article that was explaining the potential of a massive hazardous spill at the same exact mine that was written before this EPA disaster happened.  The article explains how the EPA needs disasters to clean up, otherwise there is no reason for them to exist.

This is just one example of what it can mean to return and discern.  Look back, return, and from a future perspective we can discern more clearly the intentions of the past.  This is how we can learn from the past, and hope to not repeat it.

Feel free to comment below – I would like to read your thoughts on the matter!

 

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Lego WALL•E


I am stoked that this set is finally going to be produced!  It was announced as the winner of the Lego Ideas competition: WALL•E

I think the Lego ideas platform is a fine example of excellent marketing and design.  It not only involves the user base of Legos but shows that the Lego company and brand cares about its customers and puts an emphasis on interaction and feedback.  It is a way to not only bring to market what people want to see, but also to include folks in the design process.  It is a great example of a crowd-sourcing idea that works very well for all involved.  It is a win-win situation.

I recently listened to the book Brick by Brick by David Robertson and Bill Breen.  It expounds on the details of how Lego almost went bankrupt until it changed its strategy and focused on making people their primary focus.   I enjoyed the book, and it brought many good ideas to the table to learn and implement.  This is partially why I decided to focus more on what I can give my customers rather than get from them.

It is interesting to see how such an amazing company like Lego was in dire straights only about ten years ago.  They sure have made a comeback and have diversified enough to remain interesting to young and old.   I will be purchasing the Lego WALL•E when it comes out!

I am excited by this Lego design and I think it’s an awesome toy.  Many creative minds went into designing the character Walle through sketch, animation, story and now Lego building.

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What is education?

baymax in forest
Summer is winding down as we enter the coming school year.  We are getting our kiddos prepared for school by reading a bunch of books to them.  Each morning we read where they repeat us to help them with speech.  My oldest boy Craig is getting ready to start Kindergarten and boy is he excited!

I have been thinking about what education and schooling is all about.  The definition I found and agree with most is that the word educate means “from within”.  When you think about it, all education really does start within our minds, mixing with our past experiences and our talents and abilities.  In my research I also found a great article on Forbes.com.  It seems that there are many definitions depending on context.  Context here is key.  The article above talks about basically to be educated means to be smart.

Smart in what way though?  Many folks that consider themselves dumb are actually extremely smart. They have just been measured according to a set standard or measuring stick that does not apply to their personal traits. They may not be educated in the sense of schooling but their experiences have given them an education that is specific to them.

This little comic is a fantastic representation of trying to “fit” everyone into a certain mold.


The monkey here will excel on the test and will be looked at as smart. Everyone else will feel different levels of dumb, and look at themselves as not very smart. Especially that goldfish. If the test was to swim the fish, penguin, and seal would excel.

I would not write yourself off as not very smart. I am sure your experiences in life have taught you many things that others do not know. You will excel as you take what you are smart in and run with it.

Henry Ford was thought to be dumb because he only had an eighth grade education. In fact many newspapers wanted to show how dumb he was so they setup a meeting where they would interview Ford and they put together some difficult questions and asked if he would be willing to answer them. He said sure. During the interview when they asked Ford a question he did not know he called someone who did know it. His belief was why fill my mind with all this information if others already have it. He focused on what he was good at and he excelled.

Life is about finding out what talents you have been blessed with and how you can make the world a better place using them.

I have been blessed with a talent when it comes to thinking 3-dimensionally.  I enjoy 3D puzzles like Rubiks Cube, and working with clay through sculpting.  These talents have led me to make the Wowflute and have led to this blog.  I enjoy creativity and I believe it is the key to enjoying your work and education.  Learning is an ongoing process that continually happens throughout life.  I am glad for the opportunity to be a father and to see my children develop and grow in their learning and talents.

The Wowflute is an excellent little flute that is perfect for learning music wherever you may be.  I have found that having a portable instrument I practice much more consistently.  I can currently play over 100 songs that I have memorized on any Wowflute product.  I believe that learning an instrument should be intuitive.  This is why I have designed the Wowflute in a particular fashion.  It is not designed to a standard musical notation because I feel this can impede the creative process.

So rather than the standardized ocarina fingering system I have developed a unique system based loosely on the Native American Flute.  This makes it easier to play by ear.

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View of Summer

Summer 1995 I was ten years old.  The Summer was something of a dream to look forward to.  A dream of freedom. A dream of warmth.  A dream of long lazy days laying in the grass.  A dream.

Summer was like the epitome of being alive and acting on impulse and finding fun things to fill those endless days.  Summer was a blast.  Summer was filled fixing and riding bikes. Summer was filled with exploring the world around me whether it was the university nook and crannies or the mountains or desert.

All places were familiar and new at the same time.  There were the spots that were traveled often such as the penny candy store and the swimming pool that we traded cheez-its for entry.

Summer gradually turned from neverending days of exploring and wonder to passing quickly as if in a dream.  The days suddenly were gone and school was creeping up much too fast.

As I grew the feeling of summer changed.  It turned from wonder and freedom to striving for money and a job.  It turned to less freedom than school and eventually was no longer looked at as a dream.

At this point life started to speed up.  High school ended, college started, seeking money drove many decisions. Time kept whirling by.

I look to my children and oh how I wish that their summers could be extended indefinitely.  Wonder extended.  Joy extended. Freedom extended.  The time when money means less than experience.

I strive each day to return to that wonder and awe of those dreamy summer days.  Sometimes when I leave work I head out to the desert where there is only sagebrush and dirt and long trailing power lines.  I take the moment to capture pictures of toys and pursue my hobby.  These are the moments that feel again like the summer days of boyhood.

I take my boys hiking and we search for geocaches and I see the wonder and excitement in their faces and I feel again those days of summer.  I take them to the store with me and it is wonderful to feel their little excited wiggles and happiness that can not seem to escape them.  What a joy it is to have my kiddos.  I have found my return to summer.  I have found my return to dreams.  It is through my family that the days start to slow down and become fun again.

Life is a joy and every time is a wonderful reflection of our past experience.  I want my children to find the wonder in the world and seek to keep those experiences close so that they can make good choices based on them.

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New Turquoise Tritan Wowflute

I am thoroughly enjoying the new colors that the Tritan Wowflute is now made in. This transparent turquoise is a favorite.

I designed the Tritan Wowflute over the course of two years and it is nice to finally have a product that works well and is very durable.

The Tritan Wowflute is currently made down at a place called R & R Engineering in Leeds, Utah.  The folks there are down to earth and are great to work with.  They strive for quality.  I am grateful I found them in my backyard (quite literally)!

The Tritan Wowflute was designed with the outdoors in mind.  After I sat on and broke a few of my favorite Swirl Wowflutes I wanted something that would last.  This has been a goal for me to focus on quality rather than quantity.  A few years ago I had produced a bunch of my Wowflute mugs out of water based clay and had fired them and glazed them.  I had ten Wowflute mugs ready for market.  As I was hauling them to my vendor booth I tripped and dropped the box.  Even though they were wrapped and packed well, all but one were either chipped or shattered.   This experience led me to look for a stronger material that would still have the quality without being fragile.

When hiking I use a Nalgene water bottle.  These bottles were extremely tough and would take a beating.  I could drop it on sharp lava rocks and it would be fine.  That is what I wanted my products to do.  I did some research and after much deliberation I chose Tritan copolyesther by Eastman as the base material  for the Tritan Wowflute because it is virtually indestructible.  The Tritan Wowflute can even be driven over (not that you drive over musical instruments on a regular basis).

The name Tritan Wowflute sounds tough as well.  It is currently available in Turquoise, Tangerine, and Emerald.  Listen to a sample:

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Honk if parts fall off – Engineered Obsolescence

farm truck bokeh

I was thinking today about how many products seem to be designed with an expiration date.  Engineered obsolescence.

It is good to think about the life cycle of your product when designing, and is very important when it comes down to sourcing materials and marketing the end product.

What I do not like is when a product is purposefully designed to fail when it could perfectly function for far longer if the design were modified.  Popular Mechanics has some good examples in their technology article on the subject.

Whenever something fails I think of how it could have been designed differently.  I am reminded of my first truck in high school.  It was a faded yellow ’77 Toyota Pickup.  I had created an antenna from a coat hanger and was able to pick up hundreds of messy AM stations on the built in am radio.  I had a bumper sticker on the back stating “Honk if parts fall off”.   Ironically I actually lost that half of my bumper while exploring the west desert of Utah.

The truck was perfect for me because it worked just enough to keep me busy fixing it, but not too much of a problem that I would be eager to get rid of it.  This truck was a junker but still worked quite well.  Whenever I think of Toyota I think of a perfect model company to follow in practice and design.  They make their product useful indefinitely through sound and applied engineering.  They focus on quality as their business plan.

I think the direction where most of our economy is headed now is towards more quality and less junk.  The sharing economy has to have products that are designed well to last a lifetime and possibly generations.

There are many products that do require obsolescence – take electronics for instance.  Especially computers.  They need to be updated to match modern technology which doubles every two years.

But when all is said and done the best business plan really is quality.