Category: Uncategorized

“The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.”  – Albert Einstein

Again?…Really?…
Why does this keep happening so often?…
I’m trying to work…I have so much to do…
If I have to do this again tonight I’m gonna go crazy…
I can’t change another diaper….
How does this little guy go so much?…
He hardly eats anything at all…

Ahhh, the nightly routine with a baby; disrupted sleep, dirty diapers, crying, screaming, If you have kids, you know the drill.

Our first son; hat a gift! It sure makes life different. That’s an understatement, especially, when you have a start up in your house. Oh wait, we have two start ups in our house!

Yes, you heard me correctly. We have two businesses and an infant in the house.

Last time I shared about some of the missteps we had starting our first business. Remember? We jumped in the fire a bit before we were ready and got burned. Remember that business? The one that didn’t make any money? The one my wife, a friend, and I started with visions of grandeur to become rulers of the market on a three-seated throne? That’s the one. The one we started with minimal planning.

Well, I guess we are slow learners or, we are quick learners and simply brilliant. Maybe a little of both; you decide.

So, here we are trudging along with this business, a couple years in now. No money being made. No salaries being paid, a baby, a house, and a stack of bills. Sound like the perfect time to add start up number two right?

Okay, so we did learn a lot from the mistakes of business #1 (not when to say when, however).

The new business was researched properly and experienced business advisors were sought. I’ not saying everything was done perfectly, but a lot of time and effort was put in before the business actually started. I only helped a bit in the beginning because I was running the dead horse. My wife, Kerry, did most the work.

The second business began to grow and quickly left our house for its own leased space. Actually, it continued to move about every year to keep up with its growth the first few years. As a matter of fact, over fifteen years later and business#2 is still up and running successfully.

What was different? Well, lots of things. For the sake of brevity, I will stick to the topic. I can sum it up in two simple words. DUE DILLIGENCE.

Research was done (lots of it), forecasts were made, prototypes were built, suppliers contacted, designers procured, laws studied, sales channels sought, markets studies, etc.  And, so much more but you get the idea. All the necessary things were done to verify there was a viable business to be created. All the things that help lead to a well informed go or go no decision. Now, it just needed proper execution.

That’s for another day. The point of this article is share how to the proper steps were taken before jumping into the fire, again. We learned from previous mistakes  and took action; action, action, and more action. That is how I became the main operator of startup#1 while my wife focused on startup#2.

Stay tuned and learn about some of the growing (and shrinking) pains of Go-Go Babyz and how we had to jump in the fire again…..and again…and, okay, you get the idea.

And, would you believe that I eventually became the main operator of this one too? After I got tired og dragging around a dead horse that is. Guess I’m a glutton for punishment.

Talk Soon,
Kevin W  – @LEAP272
Owner-Operator

“Failing to plan is planning to fail.” – Allen Lakein

My heart sank…I was sick to my stomach…Buried in debt…
Fear consumed me…will I lose my house?…will I lose my car?…

In part 2 I shared how I jumped into the fire too soon on my first, official business venture and got burned. So here is what happened.

Yes, we did get a bit swept up in the idea of starting a business and the daydreams of success. Living a rock star life; the money, the stuff, the vacations, you name it. We weren’t a bunch of complete idiots, we did know we would have to do some work, but we would be the bosses so it would be easier, right?

And, we did do some minor research; it was just the bare necessities to legally start a business. It really doesn’t take much to start one. Just fill out some forms and pay some fees, you don’t even need to be that specific.

So that is what we did; we launched a clothing company in the action sports arena. Little did we know when we started how competitive the industry was at the time. If we were only a bit more thorough in our research we might have gained an inkling and thought otherwise

Of course, after we were official we started to figure out what we would sell, where we would sell, how much we would sell it for. All you marketing people out there, is this starting to sounds familiar?. That’s right! The Four P’s; one of the most basic concepts in marketing.

Never mind all that, we will just build a better mousetrap so it will sell no matter what. Everyone will want what we have to offer! Oh yeah, we didn’t know what we were offering yet.

Okay, so I am exaggerating a bit. The bottom line is we should have planned better and made some firm decisions as owners that were clear. Some specific market and product research which have really helped us. What exactly will we sell? Who will we sell to? What do these people like? How do they dress? How much do they spend? All the basics questions that are answered in a formal business plan.

I am sure this is starting to sound familiar as well. Good old business planning. You really don’t even need to create a formal business plan in all cases, but cover the basics. This is necessary to see if your concept is even viable. Can you start and run a business successfully? Do some planning and forecasting.

This is not an article on how to plan a business so I am not going into the dirty little details (contact me directly if you want to learn more or need consulting/coaching). What I want to make abundantly clear is to you need to jump in but don’t jump in blindly.

As I am sure you realize, we jumped in to our clothing company pretty blind. And I promised I would let you know how it turned out. Well, you read the opening sequence, right? A couple years in I was the main operator as the others moved on and I just kept it going. I figured it was way too far along; we had tons of inventory, an expensive website, and MASSIVE DEBT! I was way in over my head but knew I could get out only if???.

It lasted over five years and never made a profit. I had to pay for it with my own, or borrowed money because the revenue didn’t cover enough.  I was in a heap of debt I couldn’t pay so what to get out of debt. I screwed up my perfect credit and had a garage full of product I couldn’t sell.

But you know what? I now have a head full of knowledge! Even running a failing business is still running a business. I learned so much from the experience and all the mistakes that I have become better and stronger and carry those lessons, and scars, with me today more than seventeen years later.

So what I mean when I say jump in the fire is prepare yourself a bit first for whatever it is you’re planning; a business, going back to school, a vacation, or whatever, and then jump on in. Do not let your fear paralyze you, but don’t be stupid.

We only have this life so jump in the fire and LIVE!

What came next?…Why I was the main operator?…Find out next…

Kevin W
Owner-Operator
@LEAP272

“Don’t think, just do.” – Horace

I just did it…
I jumped right in and pulled the trigger. I was a business owner. I was going to be a millionaire. A grin a mile wide, a fat bank account would ensure that smile was pretty. No more working for the man.

Remember last time? I discussed the idea that sometimes we just need to jump in the fire. Stop talking about it and stop thinking about it. Meaning, talk is cheap, thought is cheap, but action? Now you’re talking! Wait a minute, talk is cheap, though. Boy, am I confused.

See? I can think myself into doing nothing.

My point is, I know many people just like me that can over think anything with the end result being absolutely nothing; If you call missed opportunity nothing, that is. Remember when I said I have seen products hit the market that I had thought about creating but did nothing about? I am sure many of you can relate on some level.

In part 1 I basically said just get out there and do it. Stop thinking and act. There is a very important word in that statement; “thinking.”

When I say that I assume that you have been thinking about doing something like starting a business, changing careers, going back to school, you can fill in the blank here, the essence of my advice is to not over think or complicate it. When we do that, many of us simply end up doing nothing at because we become afraid or overwhelmed

We use excuses…
I don’t have the time right now…
I don’t have enough money yet…
I don’t have all the skills yet…
I am too old…
I am too young…

You’re afraid to fail is what you are. If not that, you are in some kind of fear and it is holding you back. You believe the negative thoughts in your head.

As I mentioned in part 1, I am not suggesting that you be irresponsible at all, and let this story I promised you last time about my premature jump confirm  why.

I have always had an entrepreneurial bend to my thinking.  starting way back with little side hustles growing up. I always had the desire to be my own boss and have a business, well, either that or be a rock star. Jumping to my early twenties my now wife and I had discussed starting a business with friends. Her Dad was a successful entrepreneur so it seemed to run in the family and felt right. We went through many ideas and settled on a design company. This quickly became a clothing company because none of us were stellar graphic designers. We settled on a name, well sort of, more on that later. Looked up what we needed to do to legally become a business and off we went, dreaming of becoming millionaires! Because once you own a business you become a millionaire, right?

See anything wrong with this?

I’m not being vague for the sake of being concise. We literally just had a a handful of discussions about ideas, looked up the legal requirements, declared “we are starting a business”, and secured the business license, sellers permit, fictitious business name, and federal ID number. Bam! We are in business.

See anything wrong yet?

Bingo! No business plan! Guess we took that opening quote too seriously! It’s like going skydiving with half of a parachute, you might not die but you’re going to crash pretty hard.

Sure, we did a bit a brainstorming basic research about start up costs, how we would pay for everything, what kind of products we would sell, and of course, owner titles, roles, and responsibilities, because what’s the purpose of owning a business if you can’t have a cool, bigger than life title?

Well, what I learned in college is that the purpose of any for profit business is to provide something of value in exchange for money to make a profit! Duh! We skipped right over that part. Like I said, we did do some research and a bit of planning, but we became so enthralled with the grandiose vision of being business owners that we figured we would be successful no matter what. Just start the business and figure the rest out later.

Oh yeah, the name. So our planning was so disjointed that all three owners never confirmed how the name was spelled, we just assumed, and you know what they say, right? So we filed the name and paid extra fees a few more times to legally change the name. That was all within the first couple months, before we even knew what we were going to sell or who we were going to sell it too when it was finally created.

Lesson number one; poor planning costs time and money. Two very valuable resources when you run a business.

How did it turn out you ask? Stay tuned for part 3 where I share how jumping into this fire BURNED!…(and not the good kind of burn)

Talk Soon,
Kevin W – @LEAP272

“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.” -Chinese Proverb

There I was just hanging out, minding my own business when I saw it…
My body temperature rose at least 20 degrees, I started to sweat profusely…
My heart rate climbing with my heart pounding through my chest…
My thoughts running 1000 MPH as I stared in disbelief…
“Do men go through menopause?” I asked myself…
I watched my million dollar idea that I hadn’t even launched yet roll right on by…
Someone else beat me to it!

I don’t know about you, but my mind is often my own worst enemy; he crazy committee upstairs constantly working overtime. Endless revolutions of the squirrel cage, round and round and round and round….how many squirrels are up there anyway?

Constantly going, going, going.  I may be the quietest one in the room, but I bet my head is the loudest. I can think myself right into paralysis.

I have always been a pretty creative person with an overactive mind. You had to be growing up in a time when there wasn’t endless channels broadcasting 24/7 or thousands of video games that look so real it’s like you’re actually inside the game. Don’t get me wrong, we had Atari, Star Wars, and let’s not forget The Dukes Of Hazard! But most importantly, we had our imagination. That was our high tech way to experience anything we wanted and save us from a life of boredom.

In my experience, imagination is like a muscle, the more you use it the stronger it gets. All that imagination from the pre-high tech ages helped foster the ideas that created some of the greatest inventions of the next several decades.

There are a lot of things I wish I could say “I invented that!” Maybe I didn’t invent the iPod, or iPhone, but thanks to my imagination I sure had a lot of great ideas. And you know how many times I said “hey, they stole my idea”? I don’t either but it was definitely more than 5 times. Maybe that’s not much, but it only takes one idea that sticks to make a difference. But you know what? Ideas are cheap. They’re a dime a dozen. Ideas or only as good as what you do with them.

I have millions of ideas flying around with the squirrels in my head. They come and go so fast I forget half of them (probably more) before I get a chance to write any down. The ones I do write down? They sit in a notebook collecting dust, just waiting to be the next big thing I never created. Except!…

The one I think to myself, “Now this is something I really should do”…So what happens with the crème ala crème of my squirrel factory? They usually just sit in that same notebook while I wait to get everything in order; all my ducks in a row.

They say good things come to those who wait. So does a punch in the gut when an idea you have been thinking about or actually working on hits the market and goes BIG because you were too afraid to fail and just had to wait for everything to be just right before pulling the trigger.

I don’t know about you but I don’t have any ducks (at least not when I first wrote this, more on that another time) and I never have met anyone who does.

The stars will never be perfectly aligned. The lights will never all be green at the same time. Sometimes you just have to jump in the fire and see what happens. I’m not saying to be irresponsible, quit your job, and throw your life’s savings at a new venture (been there done that); do your due diligence and plan properly, but there will never be the “perfect time”. You got to get out there and do it.

Stay tuned for part 2 when I share my “been there done that” story about how I jumped in without taking my own advice….

I’ll share my own mistakes so you don’t have to make the same ones…hopefully!

Talk Soon,
Kevin
@LEAP272

“I yam what I yam and that’s all what I yam.” — Popeye the Sailor

Welcome back to another riveting article about who I am! I guess I really am that interesting, or you love self torture. I seem to keep you coming back for more. You really want to know who I am.

Why do I keep dropping the answer bit by bit? Last time I mentioned that it’s hard to answer that question on a deep level. That is true. Discovering who we are is a life long journey.

Another reason is, I myself, do not like to sit and read a long post. Hunkering down with a good book is different, but when I am on the computer working, or on my phone scrolling around, I don’t like reading anything that is too long.

I also like series. I like to read books with the same lead character. It’s keeps me hooked and wanting more. I just can’t wait for the next release. I am not comparing myself to a great novelist by any means. But, I am trying to accomplish a bit of suspense & anticipation; a craving for more.

So, back to it!

So who I am or what am I?
A thinker & a tinkerer.
A dabbler & a dreamer.
A believer & a seeker.
A watcher & a processor.
A doer & a don’ter…

I guess I could go on & on but I won’t. The simple fact is that I am many things, and I have evolved over the years. I am very much the thinker & the dreamer. Over the years I have slowly become the doer. In my early years, it was all about me and I always wanted more. I thought more than I did. I daydreamed more than I focused. All those thoughts and dreams helped me become who I am today.

Which is…

Someone who still wants more. Someone who still wants better. The difference today? I have become a doer & driver. I take those thoughts and dreams and work to make them reality. The thoughts & dreams serve as inspiration to help keep me focused & present. So I can do and create more. They no longer serve simply as an escape, to take me anywhere but here & now.

I want more for myself and those around me. I want to make an impact, add some value, pay it forward, and, give it away to keep it.

It’s not just about me anymore. Whether we know each or not, like each other or not, or we even cross paths or not, we are in this together. So, whether I touch just one or a million and one, I have grown and gone beyond myself.

That’s who I am. I am one of many. I am one who wants to look beyond the BS. And make a better today.

So, who are you?

Talk Soon,
Kevin W – Owner/Operator
@LEAP272

“Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.” – Aristotle

Hi all – ready for another article on who I am? I would guess that you do. If you’re following me and didn’t know me before, you would like to know who I am, right? Who is this guy?  Why should I follow him? Why should I keep following him?

As you can see this series has continued to string you along. Hey, but you are still here! Am I that interesting and entertaining? Do I provide some sort of value to your day? (No need to answer these, yet) Or is it the simple fact that you stuck through the first two articles and now you’re invested? You just have to see where I go with all this? You’ve taken time out of your day on two separate occasions to read my ramblings. It’s like a train wreck; you really don’t want to see, but you have to look, and keep looking. There has to be a point. There has to be a nugget at the end. Maybe a pot of gold, a punch line, a pearl of wisdom. SOMETHING! There has to be a reason for all this non-sense.

I guess the reason for drawing this out is the simple fact…drum roll please… That answering that question is difficult on so many levels. Especially, answering on any deep level. Most of us spend a lifetime finding our way, discovering who we are. How does one sum that up? Can it truly be summed up?

Are we just a name, a title? Are we just the sum of our accomplishments or misfortunes as Mr. Faulkner says? Are we just a product of our environment and the accumulation of all our life experiences Are we just the outward manifestation of what drives us internally? Are we just…? If you read the previous articles, you know I believe it’s a combination.

And that is exactly who I am. I am the perfectly imperfect product of…

My biological make-up.
My life experiences.
The influence of friends, family, and other passersby on my journey.
The influence of intangible forces that have touched me over time.
And, probably much more.

What that adds up to for me is…

I am a father, husband, friend, son, and nephew.
I am an entrepreneur, business owner, manager, and a worker.
I am a mountain biker, trail runner, snowboarder, and dog walker.
I am a lover of music, hockey, and football.
I am just another soul passing through this life finding my way to enlightenment, hopefully!

I guess that doesn’t really explain too much.
But, I think we are getting somewhere and starting to know each other a little bit more.

I promise, I will try to wrap it all up in the next article.
So, don’t go anywhere…

Kevin W
@LEAP272

“A man is the sum of his misfortunes. One day you’d think misfortune would get tired but then time is your misfortune.” – William Faulkner, The Sound and the Fury

You still want to know who I am huh? Of course you do. Why wouldn’t you? I’m a great guy! I guess you will be the judge of that.

I get it though. You want to know who this guy is that you are following. You want to know who this guy is that writes these silly words and posts them on the internet thing. The words you take precious time out of your day to read. Maybe you even pay for some of my writings, or even more, my consulting.

So, of course you want to know who I am. It’s a fair question. So, let me answer. I am Kevin Barry Williams! I have also been called Kiev, Vito, Kevlar, Funk Master Kev, and plenty of names that I do not wish to share here.

That’s who I am. And, as the quote states – I am a sum of my misfortunes. Why do I say that? Because my mother always said “the world is a classroom.” Boy, I sure hated that but, hindsight is 20-20 and she was right.

Although, I would like to think that my “sum” includes some of the fortunes as well. What I take this to mean is that the misfortunes, the bad times, and all the negative stuff provide the greatest lessons, at least, the greatest opportunity for lessons. So, learn from all that “stuff”.
Fortunately, at some point in my life I made a decision to do just that. Not always gracefully or willingly, but in the end I did it. I am still doing it, actually, because as long as I’m still on the north side of the dirt, the journey is still going and I have something to learn.

To keep with the Faulkner theme, in high school I took a Faulkner class with an EXCELLENT teacher, Mr. Tom Alessandri (RIP). If I recall, when we were preparing to read The Sound And The Fury, Mr. Alessandri said something like “the child is father of man” which I believe was a quote from a William Wordsworth poem.

Again, if I recall, we discussed how the personality characteristics and temperament of a child is an indicator of what the child will be like as an adult. It makes sense to me. I still have many of my childhood traits alive and well in me today. For instance, I was a huge daydreamer as a kid and I still am today. Sometimes I just love to escape into all these different visions. I think this is part of the reason I am a serial entrepreneur.

Back to the quote. Take all of the “components” that make up a person; Biological, psychological, emotional, intellectual, spiritual, etc. Then take all the misfortunes, as Faulkner says. Then add all the external influences; environment, experiences, circumstances, family, friends, etc. Put it all together and we have the ingredients that make up who we are.

So, who am I? Well, I just told you. I’m of product of my environment and all that other stuff I mentioned!

Oh, that’s not a good enough answer for you, huh?
I’m out of time so I guess you’ll just have to stay tuned…again!

Talk Soon,
Kevin W
@LEAP272

“Who in the world am I? Ah, that’s the great puzzle.” – Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

Who said that?…
Who are you?…
What do you want?…
Leave me alone!…
Get out of here, I say!…

Have you ever said those words? Well, I have many times. To myself. That’s right, to myself. Yes, I talk to myself quite often actually.

Maybe it’s because I’m a Pisces, maybe it’s because I’m crazy. Either way, I have a lot of conversations with myself. It keeps it interesting, and from feeling lonely. You know, I always have someone to talk to…that listens, at least. Well, not always.

Sometimes it’s entertaining. Sometimes it’s frustrating. Sometimes it’s productive. Sometimes it’s frightening. Sometimes it’s…you get the idea.

Can you relate at all? With all that going on inside one’s head, how can you answer the question “who am I?”

Okay, so I am exaggerating, just a little. You all know me a little bit by now. In all honesty, though, it does take great effort. There are some who never answer that question. Or, maybe they don’t until they are on their death bed. Why wait that long?

I guess it’s the universal journey for everyone. Finding your path. Your journey. Your calling. Your true inner self. Whatever you want to call it. Whatever metaphors, archetypes, heroes, fables… you want to pull from. It all comes down to the journey, not the destination. Navigating the chaos and listening to that inner voice. That is where the answer lies.

So who am I you ask? Ha! I’ve had enough typing for today. You will just have to wait for part 2.

Talk Soon,
Kevin W
@Leap272

Welcome to the LeapBlog! I am sure you are wondering who am I , what is The LeapBlog, and what is Leap272. You are probably even wondering why I am writing it. Let me try to answer.

I am sure you have learned by now that my name is Kevin Williams. I am a simple man with a complicated mind. I am have officially been a small business owner for over 25 years – if you want to count all the entrepreneurial activities from my childhood and teenage years, then add another 10 or so years to that.

Leap272 is my latest venture, if you will. It has a lot of moving parts and more will be revealed as I go. The LeapBlog is one component and will serve as the hub for all my written content. It is my documentation of what I am doing in Leap272 and the other operational businesses that I run. I am documenting the journey, transition, and intersection of my professional and personal life and activities…and I’m bringing you into the story. Looking back, access to something like this would have been very helpful when I was starting out – not to mention super interesting. I hope to impart some wisdom, some laughter, and some don’t do this at home stories…and a bunch of everything else in between.

I hope you find it interesting and somewhat educational – at least you will get to know the inner workings of my mind…no easy task! And, if this experiment becomes an exercise in futility, at least my kids will know a little bit more about what their dad did in the office all day…not to mention it keeps me honest and accountable!

I don’t always understand my mind so I am sure you won’t either. But it’s quite an adventure, so please, follow along and enjoy the ride.

Kevin W
@Leap272