What's in you Magic Bag?

As I was growing up Mom would have those well-chosen statements that we can, even years later, all quote verbatim "Lock your doors, park under a light, don't talk to strangers, wear clean underwear just in case you're in an accident!" It was her way of saying be prepared.

In the real world, the business world, it's hard to be prepared for the curves that life throws you. Some are good and some not so good. Some you don't see coming until they knock you flat. That's the time that one must reach into their "Magic Bag" for the trick the will put you back on your feet. While building our Industrial Storage Facility, I've had to reach into that "Magic Bag" more times then I would like to admit. It became kind of a family joke that " I know Cathy can solve the problem, she just needs to reach into her "Magic Bag" and pull out the right antidote.

Well if the truth be known the antidote that I would pull out was not always the right one, and I would have to go back to draw from that bag again.

You may be wondering why share this? Well I think it's important to know that you never know when someone else is watching. I thought that close family and close friends were the only ones who knew about my "Magic Bag". Not so, much to my amazement. One day in May 2002 I received a call from the U. S. State Department's International Visitor Program, requesting that a delegation that was going to be in Houston visit us for a tour, and my presentation on developing small businesses. We've gone through this process several times in the past and had anywhere from one to twelve visitors in the delegation. So when they called at 4:30 wanting to have visitors with us at 8 am in the morning, without thinking I said sure, not a problem. When I got into the office at 6:30 that morning, my mother - that pleasant voice on the phone when you call - met me at the door waving a fax at me, with panic in her eyes, with the bios of those coming. There were not 4, nor 6 nor a dozen but 26. . . . .. At 6:30 am I was in panic mode, we don't have a conference room big enough, and the large rooms upstairs were all in various states of construction and could not be used.

After a few deep breaths I was able to calm myself down, and everyone else around me, including our tenants. So in less then an hour, we emptied the largest office on the main floor, borrowed "black chairs" from everyone, briefed the sales people from one of my tenants (as more people were needed for the tour, as they all have different interests). When they got there at 7:45 we were ready, including coffee, fruit, donuts and Koloches. Two hours later when they left everyone was exhausted, pleased and had contacts for the future. All in a days work, at least I thought so.

Then I received this email, a few weeks later " Thank you for your outstanding participation in previous International Visitor Programs! We have heard wonderful things from the multi-regional delegation that came to visit in May, and the Washington DC programming team was, very pleasantly surprised to discover how valuable the opportunity was for the visitors!

This email was immediately followed up by a telephone call from the Houston Office International Visitor Program, asking me "what magic dust do you use to sprinkle around the facility to get everyone excited about small business and property revitalization that has everyone leaving there with Stars in their eyes". My mind raced, "he knows about my "Magic Bag", but when I opened my mouth the words that came out were not what I was thinking, but instead "all in a days work"

As I sat down to write this I realized we each have this "Magic Bag" that we carry with us, the only difference is how we choose to use it. Are you the type who is afraid to reach in that bag and make a decision? Will you reach in and scoop out the solution on the top even if it may not be the right solution. Or are you the type that is willing to reach deep into the bag for the unknown solution?

Why not open your "Magic Bag" and take a look, you just might find an ABWA member or two just waiting to help you.

Catherine James is President of Dixie Cullen Interests Inc., a large industrial storage facility, servicing customers from around the world and is a 2003 Top Ten Business Woman of American Business Women's Association. She can be contacted at catherine@dixiecullen.com

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