A.D.D. or Normal?

This morning started off with me cussing because of a series of things - the dog peed on the floor, I spilled coffee on the couch and I absolutely cannot find a piece of paper that had checking account number and routing number for our business account. All I want to do is set up our etsy account to accept Credit Cards - for the LOVE!!!!! I'm blaming it currently on Josh's A.D.D., but I know a LOT of people must lose key pieces of information like this, right? Josh's jobs have him logging his thoughts on random pieces of paper and then they don't get transferred to a place that won't be thrown away. That has to be an A.D.D. thing, right? Isn't it??? No?

So, as thankful as we were yesterday, I'm frustrated today. Family time is over and we're trying to create sales by making it easy for our customers to  make a purchase with their credit cards instead of PayPal, which you may not have an account with. I'm hopeful Josh will be able to locate it soon, so we can make things convenient for you. I'm in rest mode today and wanting to sit on my butt for a bit because we're heading up to Purdue tomorrow to enjoy the rest of my birthday gift..... Laundry, cleaning the fridge and Christmas decorating is on my list today....

So a poll at this point..... have you ever misplaced something this vital multiple times?



We'll await your answers as we head to the Purdue vs. IU Oaken Bucket game tomorrow.....

BOILER UP!

And hopefully the outcome is better than it was last game we went to.... Homecoming in October.

Until Next Time.... Jen Crandall, Wife/Manager
Brass Hammer Designs (Follow us on Facebook, Pinterest, Etsy and Twitter!)

30 days of Thanks!

We can't help but notice that many of our friends on Facebook are participating in a movement of the30 days of Thanksgiving during the the entire month of November. Even though Josh and I did not participate in the 30 days of Thankfulness for the month there, we are very thankful for so many things. It's good to write down what we are thankful for to keep us in perspective and that is why we are sharing our 30 days of Thanks here.

Day
1. Thankful for the air we breathe and our health and the roof over our head.

2. Thankful for each other and the love that we share.
3. Thankful for the support that is given to us by our families.
4. Thankful for the friends that we have in our life - you all are amazing and we love you.
5.Thankful for the special group of friends that are our family away from family.
6. Thankful for our right to vote.
7. Thankful that even though the election results didn't meet everyone's expectations, we still have control of our own thoughts and actions.
8. Thankful for Facebook and the connections that without it, we probably would not have.

9. Thankful for our fans. Without you, Brass Hammer Designs would not exist.
10. Thankful for relaxing Saturdays that give us much needed rest.
11. Thankful for all of the Veterans that have served our country and everything that was sacrificed by them and their families for our freedoms.
12. Thankful for the ability to travel and learn more about the global perspective.
13. Thankful for our college educations and the perspective that it has given us of life.
14. Thankful for the advancements in medical technologies that have increased cancer survival rates and help us have less-invasive surgeries with faster recoveries.

15. Thankful for our dog Buster, who has been an awesome part of our life. And for Daisy who we still visit in our dreams. 
16. Thankful for the Small Businesses in our lives that recognize us as much as we recognize them as being a valuable part of our community: Swing This, Garage Massage Therapy and Bodywork, Rituals by Nature, and Tony Deal Photography
17. Also, an extra thankfulness to Swing This and owner Joe Daniels for all of his genuine support for improving our health.
18. Along with Joe's support with health, we're also just as thankful to Rituals by Nature's Will and Missy Marlar for their dedication to skin care products. PLUS all 3 of you have helped us learn how to manage our business better and we are so thankful for those conversations that we have regularly.
19. Thankful for organizations willing to help people in need during disasters.
20. Thankful that we have a few holidays to remind us to be thankful for our freedoms and Thanksgiving to remind us to be thankful in general.
21. Thankful for my (Jen's) job and career that has helped us land in all of the great places to encounter all of the great people and make a final landing in Cincinnati. Thankful that this career has supported us a lot through thick and then.
22. Thankful for the struggles that we have had that help us appreciate each other more.
23. Thankful for music and artists willing to risk failure to share their talents. Some of our favorites: Clutch, Murder by Death, Old Crow Medicine Show, Grateful Dead, Avett Brothers, Bob Marley, Jewel, Johnny Cash, Jack Johnson, Cake, and so many other talented ones that go unmentioned.
24. Thankful for modern conveniences (such as washers, dryers, toilets, stoves, ovens, microwaves, phones and cell phones and computers and databases and excel sheets!!!!) that make life easier and thankful for the inventors that created these items from their heads.
25. Thankful for the internet and Google Searches to find nearly every answer to every question. Also, thankful for the freedom of information in the United States that helps unveil a lot of truths that are not available in other countries.
26. Thankful for good athletes and inspirational people, such as Felix Baumgartner.
27. Thankful for those that do the right thing even when no one is looking.
28. Thankful for good memories with great friends
29. Thankful for friends with good advice when it is most needed.
30. Thankful for our island and the ability to go therefor vacations.

Until Next Time.... Jen Crandall, Wife/Manager
Brass Hammer Designs (Follow us on Facebook, Pinterest, Etsy and Twitter!)

Managing Your Own Career

Had to share this - it was too big and too good of information not to share with as many people as possible.

Kathy Beechem, currently the Director of Spiritual Growth for Crossroads Church, came to Kroger on 10/18/2012 to speak to the Women's Associate Resource and she was phenomenal. I was thrilled to hear what she had to say and appreciated that she had several good principles to apply to managing your own career. I wanted to share it with as many people as I could because I'm so inspired by it.  Enjoy!


Principle #1: Produce oustanding results no matter what position you are in. This means being the top performer in what you are currently doing and meeting the metrics that that position is measured on. Produce quality and good quantity results to be noticed. To do this, you need to know the ranking system for your role and your area. This is usually boss-defined.  Be involved with being the best at hitting that measure. The top 10-25% range consistently creates value on the team and to produce reliable results gets you noticed.

Principle #2:  Build reulationships while you are producing outstanding restuls. Be genuinely interested in others and do your best to remember names. This is a HUGE one - NAMES.  Also remember that it's the 2nd level up that you has more influence in your career. So make sure you have a relationship with your boss's boss.

Principle #3: Expect Change and look for Change. Have a good attitude towards change, look forward to it. Remember, where there is change, there is opportunity. Learn within your unit, your company, the effect of the economy and world on your industry.

Principle #4: Where two things meet is the Sweet Spot. If you have history in an area and then it meets with one of your passions, don't miss it. This could be a chance for a sweet spot!

Principle #5: When your career hits a point that has more than one option, choose the option that gives you the most options.

Principle #6: Community involvement allows you to develop leadership skills that can propel your career. Here is the key though: do not volunteer unless you have a passion in it. If you don't have a passion for it, you probably won't do your best and you won't be interested in showing up consistently. (See Principle #1). Learn your heart, so you can be ready for involvement in your community. And remember, it is absolutely okay to say no if you don't have the passion for it. Just be honest. There's nothing wrong with not having passion in everything.

Principle #7: A door closes. Another door opens. Expect disappointments along the way. How you respond to those is how it will make a difference.

Principle #8: There isn't a map. It's a journey. YOU make the map! Kathy told us her history and she started her career in a convent trying to become a nun that wanted to change the Catholic Church. After that, she became a teacher for the better part of a decade. Then she entered Human Resources and then into Management in US Bank. In 2010, she was named in the top 25 women in banking by Forbes Magazine. She felt her career took another turn when her husband became ill with a brain tumor that resulted in a book about dealing with a terminally ill loved one. And now she is working at Crossroads. Her point in telling us her history (and my point in sharing it here) is there was absolutely no way you could predict her career path based on how she started. None...

Principle #9: She mentioned Community Involvement again because it can allow you to build relationships that can propel your career. You meet key people that share your passion, and can see the potential you have in a job.

Principle #10 wasn't really a principle, but it was worth mentioning after some Q&A time with the group. Focus on your strengths and know how you're wired. Keep developing what you're good at. Don't discount things that come easy to you - that might be the sign that you are good at it. Weaknesses - don't spend too much time trying to correct all of your weaknesses.

I hope these 10 principles impact you as much as they impacted me.

Until Next Time.... Jen Crandall, Wife/Manager
Brass Hammer Designs (Follow us on Facebook, Pinterest, Etsy and Twitter!)