A Letter from Chris Suarez
IT’S TIME TO GROW
April 12, 2020
Good Morning Team,
You probably didn’t head into this weekend expecting a lesson in botany, but neither had I. I woke up early on Saturday morning realizing I had not taken a full day break from phone and email and triage since March 2nd. As many of you know (because we have been on the phone at 6 am or 10 pm or perhaps both times in the same day), the last six weeks has required something different of each of us. Regardless of the role we played prior to March 1st, the job we had prior to March 1st, or perhaps even the relationships we had prior to March 1st, something else is expected, necessary, required, and we all hope appreciated. Many of us became teachers, caregivers, accountants, cooks, therapists, technologists, doctors, barbers, dry cleaners, personal trainers, oh, and also kept our day jobs.
I also became a farmer. So on Saturday, I wrestled my family out of bed at 6 am and let them know that we were going to spend the day out at the farm. Now “farm” is what we affectionately calling the home we are preparing to move to…More specifically it’s a 40 acre property just outside of Portland with a producing vineyard, a couple of fish stocked ponds, a 15 acre forest, a barn for wine making, animal keeping, and event hosting (Xperience Growth masterminds coming soon), a small organic orchard, and a few acres left to be tilled, harvested, and farmed. I suppose it’s more of a homestead than a farm, but with a 10 year old and 12 year old, it has become “the farm”.
I learned some valuable lessons yesterday. A couple weeks ago we ran out to the farm, turned over some soil, and planted some seeds…you know, as every first time farmer does. We planted peppers, cabbage, broccoli, tomatoes, asparagus, carrots, radishes, and a dozen other vegetables and herbs. We gave little thought to soil quality or culture, upcoming weather or temperature, water or rain patterns, etc.
So after the last two weeks of countless late night hours of research, reading, and a few online agricultural science classes, I was ready to plant a garden that would actually grow. We arrived yesterday morning and found exactly what I expected from our efforts a few weeks ago: nothing. Why? Well we had put in some time, we had done some activity, and we even thought good thoughts. But after some additional research I realized the difference between two statements:
Time on Task Over Time vs. Time On The Right Task Over Time
The ten hours in the field yesterday gave me plenty of time to reflect on some parallels to our business right now. I’ll be sharing a few of those lessons with you in my upcoming messages and videos. But for today, let’s start with potentially the most important.
Our environments matters.
As I think about that, our personal environment we plant ourselves in matters, but the environment we are creating for our prospective clients matter as well.
As I looked at rows and rows of seeds, most of which had not even sprouted, I realized I had not put in the effort to prepare those seeds to stay alive, no less produce fruit. Seeds need to go through the four step process of germination in order to begin to grow and eventually give us the results we are looking for. Our business is no different.
Once we select the fruit, or results, we want (in our world we call that our “preferred future”) we have to make sure we plant ourselves in the right soil in order to germinate. It’s time to grow. In order to do that we need the following four things:
1. Water
Every seed needs to be in soil with sufficient moisture. It’s actually the moisture in the soil that causes the seeds embryo to begin to expand, literally breaking the seed coat and finding the soil around it. In our business, that first conversation we have, if providing any real value, will allow us to have the interest of a buyer or seller to break thru their perhaps wrong expectation or perspective of the current market. In a market where people are uncertain or fearful, they will hunker down or even retreat into their shell of inactivity. Some vegetables and plants (sun flowers, corn, pumpkin and beets…I know, I know, but I like beets) come with harder seed coats that take varying degrees of moisture to break thru, even require soaking in water overnight before planting. Other softer seeds can be “drowned” very quickly if they received too much water immediately.
Our initial conversations and subsequent follow up will allow the interest of our buyers and interest of our sellers to expand. Know how much water each needs. It has become more important than ever to vary that communication level…increasing it for some and decreasing the frequency for others. We refer to that in our organization as “meeting people where they are”. Today, let’s call that providing prospects with the right amount of moisture.
Water your garden.
2. Oxygen
Every seed needs oxygen, and they get that oxygen from the soil in which you plant it. A few weeks ago when I planted the seeds initially, I didn’t give enough attention to the oxygen levels in the soil. Once those seeds came in contact with moisture and broke thru their seed coatings, they did not find the oxygen they needed to then begin their metabolic process and actually produce leaves. I had not provided the right environment for growth. Almost all of those seeds eventually died.
As an aside, you have noticed that we are pumping our team with oxygen right now; that comes in the form of training, and coaching, and collaboration, and consultation, and even creativity. The quality and oxygen level of our own soil is critical right now. Environment matters more than it ever has. More accurately, environment has always mattered equally I suppose, however environment is what is separating organizations more than it ever has.
Back to our garden. In order to oxygenate soil, it requires tilling. That tilling process turns over the soil, bringing up nutrients, and oxygenating the soil so that seeds can metabolize once planted. Sure, this is perhaps the hardest work for you, the farmer, but it’s the RIGHT task to do for future results. The time you spend tilling will reap benefits in the years to come. The time you spend in and with your database, turning it over again and again will bring fruitage.
Breath oxygen into your garden.
3. Temperature
Every seed has different needs for temperature. Some will germinate only at room temperature, some when the soil is cool between 28-40 F. Most will germinate when the soil is warm, between 76-90 F.
Let’s compare this to the “heat” we put on ourselves, our people, even our clients… Lesson learned this week. The only seed that “made it” from a few weeks ago was my radish seeds. Radishes can grow at 40 degrees Fahrenheit. So, imagine my excitement as I looked at my rows of vegetables and saw an entire row of green sprouts popping up. Now, imagine my disappointment when I realized every sprout represented just one more radish.
First question: who even likes radishes? First answer, not me. Second question, why did we plant so many? Second answer: my daughter got a hold of the seed packets.
Let’s call radishes the “low hanging” vegetable. In great markets, all of us benefit from the low hanging vegetables or fruit. We throw out a bunch of seeds, make a call or two, post an ad on facebook, and start closing deals. Not anymore my friends. We need to perfect our skill of adding the right temperature to our seeds.
Without a doubt, our databases needs us to turn up the heat if we are going to see results. The rhythm of our communication, the strength and heat of our conversations…Our people are looking for direction and need to be told what to do. I liken that from bringing the temperature from a 40 degree conversation to a 90 degree conversation.
The seed uses water to break thru the seed coating, it uses the oxygen in the soil to push its roots deeper and establish strength, and then absorbs heat from the sun to shoot above the ground and grow leaves.
Add some heat to your garden.
4. Light.
Almost every fruit, vegetable, and flower requires light. Some more than others. Light is the last of the environmental conditions that we need to control. The level of our light will promote, dare I say control, all future growth.
In the current environment, more than ever, we need to be the light. How bright is it at your garden? It overcast? Partially cloudy? Or clear skies and sunny? Remember, our brains are naturally wired towards 75% clouds and 25% sunny. That won’t work right now for our plants. We need to push those clouds away and let the sun and light shine down.
Be the light for your garden.
Go plant yourself, your people, your entire database, even your friends and family into the right soil. Don’t work with what has been given you, the land your inherited, or even just bought. I took for granted that the soil I planted my original seeds in was “good enough” to produce some fruitage. I missed the fact that environments are constantly changing…at times for the good and at times towards the negative. With all of that, environment is always a choice. I could have easily decided that the land I bought was unproductive, and given up…decided I didn’t want to grow anything after all. I’d just fish in the ponds, forage in the forest, or continue to order from Instacart.
Or, if I love my land and am committed to accomplish what I set out to do, then I could begin to be the architect of my environment, and begin to change the soil for the seeds I planted. I could begin to be a real farmer.
With all of this, there is one thing I know…
IT’S TIME TO GROW.
Yours in Growth,
Chris Suarez
