My Hero!

Who do you have as a mentor or role model for yourself as a business owner?

We healing arts types don't necessarily have a strong sense of ourselves as business owners; this is new territory for so many of us. Who would you choose as a role model? Who do you know – personally, by interaction, or by reputation – that is being the kind of business owner you want to be?

I met a woman this weekend who works for The Container Store. She's an assistant manager at one of their California stores and really loves working for the company. She appreciates the core values and the operating principles the company lives by. She shared some recent examples – like floating credit to established suppliers during this recession – that impressed me too.

That’s a big company operating nationally. What businesses in your community are emulation-worthy? I think about my local independent hardware store, Fragers. They are acutely aware of the needs of their neighbors and carry products for everyone from the apartment dwellers in brand new buildings to neighbors renovating or maintaining 125-year-old historic rowhouses. They are deeply knowledgeable about the specific needs of our neighborhood and I’ve rarely had a question they couldn’t answer.

Best of all, they really take care of you. When they have to send you to another part of their tiny store to talk to someone with specific knowledge, they often will call ahead (they carry walkie-talkies) to let that person / department know you're coming!

They possess a high level of technical expertise and practice an above-average dedication to customer service. I would like my clients to be able to say the same things about me.

Let's drop it down another level. Think about other people / practices in your field. Who's built the kind of business that you long to have? Who's got the reputation? Who do you want to emulate?

I respect the Teal Center's longevity and their reputation (especially among local MTs) for professionalism and organization. Amanda Long is tireless in marketing her practice. Nicole Jefferson embraces her inner business woman with gusto; she's got some rock-solid business practices and has the growing practice to prove it.

You have to choose our business role models carefully. You need to know what it is, specifically, about a business that you like and want to emulate. Remember that being an excellent MT isn’t the same as being a great business owner. Being highly profitable is great if it’s in a way that would also work for the way you work.

Who would you nominate as a business worth emulating and why?