Wow!

I received TWO compliments from Vic Babel in one conversation! This is an event of note... even he felt weird about it.

Check out his business, Babels Paint & Decorating.

What a Weird Week

I can't believe how actively stressful this week has been, and it's all been from external sources.

Tomorrow is my Bellevue store manager's last day. He has been a paint store kid since his Dad was our store manager! But, it's hard to compete with the pull from Microsoft. Rats. Gonna miss Lucas and his energy a whole bunch.

Had an employee collapse at work last Friday. There's some drama for ya! He's back at work with some staples in his head.

My friend Dennis.

An intense brain storm meeting in New England for C2 that I jetted off to for 2 nights. It almost took longer to recover from the jet lag. All I can say is I have a WONDERFUL spouse.

The burglar alarm went off at midnight last night and I got to hang out here in the very, very creepy dark for an hour and a half. Not so fun. And now I'm tired and I want to go shopping. (Actually, I'm not sure those two things are related, but I DO want to go shopping!)

A trade magazine, The Paint Dealer, was kind enough to feature me in their August issue focusing on women in the paint industry. Not stressful - fun! But still, clustered in this busy week of highs and lows...

Cool news:
My partner Herb and I had a new label presentation this morning. We are redesigning the Daly's Wood Finishes labels (and boy, is it about time!) and our design team (Turks Head) came to us with some real great concepts. Herb and I even agreed on the direction we liked - and that is notable. Our design tastes are different, but the work was very good.

I'm looking at this as a good sign. Ending the week on a positive note, setting the tone back in a positive direction.

Goodbye Dennis

Dennis Vacca died this weekend - cancer. Only 57.

Truly a complex color, Dennis will be missed by his C2 partners. Smart, loyal, often challenging, sexy - he was the consummate salesman who looked out for the best interest of his clients.

He talked about our stores being Best in Class, and I think he strived to be that way himself in his approach to work.

I was with some of my C2 partners on Sunday morning when we learned of his passing. While not a surprise, it did happen too soon.

We were gathered together for some brainstorming work pertaining to marketing - and Dennis was supposed to be part of that process. Instead we spent a few hours processing our friend Dennis and what he meant to us. I was lucky to have the opportunity to do that with my C2 group, since I won't be able to make his wake or service. Sometimes living on the west coast can kinda suck when things often happen back east.

Dennis definitely had it going on.

Why Get Mad at Us?

Is it us? I mean really, are we insane?

It's happened again. A woman came in today loaded down with all her ideas and samples - she is pulling colors together for her exterior. She specifically wanted to work with one of our store designers, and she got Richard.

He noticed that she had all these Home Depot and Lowes paint brochures amongst all her stuff. So he asked her (very nicely) if she was planning on using paint from our store.

"Oh no", he was told, "My painter won't use your paints, but he told me to come here for my colors." He asked if there was any way she would reconsider - nope. Richard (again, very nicely) explained he could only help her with our colors, and she gathered up all her things and left in a big huff...as if it was Richard's fault! She was genuinely mad at him.

To me, this is different than when you are going out in the marketplace, doing research on products, trying to learn all you can from the salespeople. In that type of scenario, salespeople are usually happy to help you find the right solutions for your needs.

She was just ballsy in my book.

I suppose it IS Richard's fault that he won't just give away his expertise. I think this kind of behavior is sooooo weird. What other type of business do you go into, hoping to get advice (for free, I might add), and then plan of going somewhere else for the product.

Can the customer be right if they won't even be your customer?

Yay! I can finally let you know!!!

C2 had JUST introduced the coolest thing in paint sampling - it's just as cool as the 18" x 24" Ultimate Paint Chip...

It's the C2 Paint Sampler. Okay, fine - right? Everyone has sample pots of wet paint now, don't they? So what's the big deal?

Alright, here's why I am so excited: These sample pots are 16 ounces! Not 2 ounces, not 4 ounces, but 16!!! That's enough to actually get a good sense of the color on the wall or side of the house.

But wait, that's not the ultimate in cool color work. It gets better, way better...

Not only are we able to provide samples in sizes that are actually practical - but we can make these samples in ANY color you want. EVEN CUSTOM MATCHES! That's what gets me feeling good. Yup, custom colors in a SAMPLE. Thanks to cool technology and forward thinking.

Now the possibilities are endless....

Making the Right Call

If you are starting a radio show, shouldn't you be excited about it? Telling everyone, including the checker at the grocery store?

I thought so too. So, that's why Christian and I decided to pull the plug on our radio show.

We were in a foggy place... not horribly opposed to doing the show on a station where we didn't feel our values were aligned, but things didn't feel crystal-clear either. I kept waitng for the fog to lift, giving me the feeling that this was the right path to take.

Even after learning we had a show sponsor, it just wasn't popping. Visiting the station last week was probably where it occured to me that the only thing that was clear was how unclear about it I felt.

Why, you ask? Conservative Talk Radio is a format I do not feel comfortable aligning myself to. While the weekend lineup is less intense, those are the listeners who will be tuning in on the weekend, and I don't think our style would really fit THIER sense of style.

Christian and I both feel that this is not the only opportunity we will have, and that helps. But it's very disappointing, I really DO want to reach out and communicate with people! But it has to feel right, or it's not fair to anyone.

Once we made up our minds, a huge sense of relief was there and that fog lifted. So, we made the right call this time.

But... no show for now. Bummer.

Bad, bad news.

The supplies of C2 Designer Kits and Fan Decks has dried up. We have a VERY limited inventory of Fan Decks, and once they are gone, they're gone. We have NO Designer Kits at all. I gave the last few away at my Designer Presentation (which was GREAT, by the way!).

Word is we won't see any more color tools until Septemberish. So - we are going to craft our own version of the Designer Kit to keep the flow of color tools going. I don't want the designers to wait until fall, and lose momentum in specifying colors.

Tomorrow, Courtney (my office assistant who know everything) and I are going shopping. We need to find a cool looking container/box for holding the color chips. I have business cards from over 60 Designers who attended my presentation who want color tools - and they don't care if it's in a temporary container. I will do my best to make them happy!

How Many Are Coming????

This Thursday, I am giving a presentation to interior designers at the Seattle Design Center - focus on color and C2 Paint (Hmmm... how'd they know?).

I just got a call from Rick Finer, owner of RL Finer Showroom... As of Monday, there are already 64 designers signed up! Yikes. I guess I better get busy and figure out what I'm going to be talking about!

Tragedy or Comedy?

This photo is circulating on the internet... When I got it today, I had to run it down to the staff in the tint room. Ohmygod, can you even imagine?

Do you get mad at the kid for making such a mess or at yourself for giving him the opportunity for create it?

Or as my very experienced mother commented, "If it's too quiet, I know that the kids are up to something!"

That is not a water clean-up type product. Look at the sofa! Look at the TV! The floor! That will be no fun to clean out of little-kid hair, either!

You know, we often get phone calls from customers with "emergencies". In this case, I'd have to agree!

Just look at the little sibling; s/he still has the pacifier!

Designer Presentation

I'm looking forward to next Thursday, I've been invited by the RL Finer showroom to give a C2 color presentation to designers. How cool is that?

Now I just have to think about color trends and what colors to share...

On the radio front, it looks like our show is slated to start on Saturday, August 5th. I am learning that radio is a bit of a moving target, and it will happen when it happens - and not before.

Another cool development: one of our local NPR (www.kplu.org) stations has asked me to contribute a monthly column to their website, in the "Around the House" section. Other quality contributors are there, like the Master Builders Association, Puget Sound Energy and Seattle City Light. I feel like I am in good company.

Customers Try the Darnedest Things!

We got a phone call from a designer in Vegas who wanted us to help by providing a semi-transparent stain. Okay, no big deal right? Wrong. The stain was to be used to recolor the trunks of the palm trees because the designer didn't like how they looked. Needless to say, we steered away from that one!

Another customer called in to complain about the harmful fumes of the teak oil she was using, it was making her throw-up. When questioned, it turns out she was applying the product in a 10 x 10 foot room with NO windows and no fan. Hello? Anyone there?

There must be a full moon....

While You Were Out...

Sometimes small businesses have a reputation for "not much action". I'm not sure that's altogether true... Here is what happened while I was on vacation:

• My partner's sister passed away (very sad)
• Our office manager was in the bank during a robbery (action! cops!)
• Courtney our Admin. Expert told me all the reasons why she missed me while I was out - employee meltdowns, confusion over procedures, etc. (made me feel very needed afterall)
• Bellevue staff got yelled at by angry stupid contractor who thought he could paint (hello! Painting is not for idiots, it actually takes skill, not slap and dash!) but all the problems were "application error". The paint itself is rarely the problem in most cases.

Well... I had a GREAT time at Disneyland!

So the kid is getting better, but she's still rather cranky.

I remember the last time I was at Disneyland, sometime during my high school years. Me, my Dad and little brother took a driving trip down the California coast. Three of us sandwiched into his Porche 924 (turbo-charged, for those who care to know) - this car was not exactly built for back-seat passengers to take long trips. Of course we didn't care... we looked cool in Dad's Silver Streak!

Madonna was big that year, every new city that we'd tune into had her on high rotation. We heard "Borderline" over and over and over! Each of us brought a tape to listen to; I don't even remember what mine was. But I DO remember that Ramsay brought AC/DC and Dad brought Alan Parson's Project. We hardly let Rams play his tape 'cause it was annoying. Plus, he had to sit in the back more often than me! Ah, sweet memories.

In the Porche there was a moon roof. On a long stretch of highway from LA to Palm Springs, we were traveling late in the evening blasting Dad's music, and Ramsay was standing up in the car with his heard popping out the top of the moon roof.

Dad did not go slow. All of a sudden, Rams yelped "Ow!", and sat back down very fast. He had been nailed in the back of the head by the biggest bug I had ever seen - at about 90 miles per hour. Bug didn't make it.

Anyways, one of my distinct memories of Disneyland had to do with an exhibit on Main Street USA. There was a house that was wallpapered with Van Luit wallpaper, and I recognized the pattern. Knew the book it came from, knew the price of the paper, even. Boy was I impressed. From my sixteen year-olds perspective, that was some expensive paper! It helped me to appreciate the amount of work and attention to detail Disneyland used to create this most perfect place on Earth.

Looking forward to seeing the place again with adult eyes. I wonder if the wallpaper is still there?

We're Going to Disneyland

Things at work are chugging along quite nicely. People are coming in to buy lots of paint - yay! I feel I can safely leave for a family trip to Disneyland on Sunday. Our plane takes off at the crack of dawn, 6:20am. Ouch, that'll hurt.

Oops! Just got a call that my 5 year threw up at daycare! Well, time to end this post and go collect the sick kid... Cross my fingers we'll all be healthy in time for our trip!

Check Out the Updated C2 Website!

C2 is announcing the arrival of 92 new colors into the palette - so exciting!

A Taste of My Own Medicine

Tomorrow I am meeting a painter who is on our Daly's reference list to get a bid to paint my own house. Guess that means I better get busy choosing my exterior color scheme! Hopefully it will be a little easier than finding our kitchen color.

Currently the siding is a mid-value sandy beige - really, it looks better than it sounds. But it might be fun switch colors a tad. I'm looking at C2 "Saddle" or "Clydesdale" or my current favorite, "Charlie Horse". Maybe I'll make my door an almost-black green or almost-black navy. One of those colors that doesn't look like a specific shade, just deep and rich. Yum.

Lots Going On

I feel like it's been a while since my last post... I actually survived camp with all those 2nd and 3rd graders. In fact, it was pretty fun even if it did rain most of the time. As my friend Harry says, "It didn't suck".

By the way, the adults were the ones complaining about the rain, the kids barely noticed. What you can't see in this photo is the CONSTANT drizzle; these kids (and grownups) were soaked!

Christian and I are still working on our show. It's getting closer and closer... I met with a potential sponsor yesterday - THAT was interesting. I am usually on the other end of these sales calls, so I know how the guy felt...

Nobody likes getting sales calls - even if it is to benefit my business. But now I'm straddling both sides of the fence and I can see both sides.

Here's a new opportunity that I am excited about: I am going to be giving a presentation at the Seattle Design Center next month at the RL Finer showroom. It will focus on C2's 92 new colors, the as-yet unannounced C2 sample program and all the things Daly's can do for designers. Should be fun.

Not To Panic

Correction on the number of kids going to camp... it's four classes of kids, so that means roughly 110 2nd and 3rd graders!

I'm okay...

Zip To It!

We are looking at the zip codes of people who come into the Bellevue store, to see where our current customers are coming from. Hopefully this will confirm our notion of moving the store over to the other side of the freeway!

Going over to Bellevue again today to look at a couple other properties with my partner Herb.

The next three days will be spent with about 60 kids plus some brave parents at Camp Cornet Bay on Whidbey Island. Since my idea of roughing it is Holiday Inn (why don't these hotels ever provide conditioner anymore????), spending 3 days with 60 eight and nine year olds should be just dandy. Hope I don't get boys bathroom clean-up duty...

It's Monday Morning and It's All Okay

It may be a Monday, but things are pretty mellow right now.

It looks like we are moving closer and closer to this radio show. Due to our mixed feelings about it, I placed a call to a local personality who also hosts a weekend radio show, and he was kind enough to take our call.

I wanted to speak to someone who is involved on the air, but not connected to radio sales, etc... So, I emailed celebrity chef Tom Douglas's office (he of the Dalia Lounge/Etta's Seafood/cookbook fame - and local 3 hour radio show), and they actually responded yes! How cool is that?

Christian and I spoke with Tom on Friday. He had some great insight into the benefits and drawbacks of the weekend show. I was telling my C2 paint partner Harry, owner of Adler's Paint and Hardware in Providence, RI - and Harry had just read about Tom's enterprise in an East Coast airline magazine. Tom gets around.

Got a call this morning from the radio station, Mark has been approaching local businesses to see if there is interest in our show. We are to meet with a furniture store next week so they can get to know us. Has been interest in other places, but like anything new, I think they want to wait and see if it's a success before committing to anything.

Had an interesting dinner this weekend. Did you know that if you meet someone at Daniel's Broiler you better be careful? There are three of them, and they aren't too far from each other. Oops! At least it's a quick trip to zip over to the correct one.

Our dinner was interesting because of a fellow who has interest in Daly's. From time to time there are people sniffing around the business, looking for opportunities - it always brings me right back to the conclusion of being happy I'm independent and want to stay that way. But the food was good!