Suzilla: Family Business Podcast

Nostalgia sucks in the long run

While we run a lot of mid-century with Suzie Health Solutions. We can not rest on that for Wenatchee Insurance. 

My teenager reminded me how bad nostalgia sucks when we walked into a 50s diner and were served substandard food, reduced sizes, between Marilyn Monroe and Elvis. Start looking at what a company is doing and what they are serving up. Did it peak in Highschool? Let’s take a look at nostalgia.

Lessons from the bottom of the ocean.

There are lessons everywhere to improve your business and yourself. Two hours after launch to see the Titanic, Titan lost contact with the surface. There are lessons everywhere and especially over the loss of five people that paid a quarter of a million dollars each for the ride to the bottom of the ocean. We are going to take a dive into the lessons. 

What are signs that you are adulting well?

Seriously, what signs does a person display when they have their house in order? What does it look like when they are a hot mess? We are no angels however there are habits that effect people display over and over again that promotes success as they define it. Let’s get into adulting.

Are kids interested in Branding

We are going to get into branding and marketing today thanks to Nikki Darling Productions brochure that I have in my lobby. We keep a rack in our lobby for local businesses brochures which is one of our regular community-building projects.

I was asked about branding by a customer this week and since we launched a massive campaign and am talking to a marketer today. Every action that you do impacts how the world sees and responds to you. What flags are you signaling to others? Are they seeing your signals or are they expecting a pattern laid out before you got there? Let’s get into building your brand.

Why do I look for Sacrifice in Leadership?

I learned from my time in the Army. It is a dividing line between management and leadership. A manager will cling  to self-importance that pretty Instagram image of what the top looks like. A leader will eat last, provide their best for the people around them from their own pockets.

It is where you find a servant leader.

When you select a company or nonprofit look for sacrifice before making a selection. The more toxic the environment, the less you will find sacrifice. The less the sacrifice, the more likely you will be impacted by thievery. 

Rainbow in the Room

We run an inclusive insurance office. This includes the LGBTQIA+ members of our community. We have been doing so for over a decade because things like supporting Gay Marriage and Section 1557 of the ACA are platforms of treating people well like people. We are going to talk about what we currently see, book bans, anti-healthcare legislation and what we are doing as a small business.

What’s your back up plan?

Since we have an insurance business we ask What If Questions all the time to each other.

Your partner gets sick, vendors fail, and equipment breaks down. How many backup plans do you have in place for your business and your family? It hasn’t been too long ago when the country got our backside handed by the lack of plans and safety nets. Let’s get into creating plans that do not infringe on current operations and increase your flexibility.

As a small business owner, how valuable is your time?

When politicians come to town, they want to take their pictures with us. Charities have their hand out and we sponsor events. We are called the backbone of America. How valuable is the time of a small business owner to lend a hand or volunteer?

May the 4th Be With you Nerd Business Owners.

We are big-time nerds around Wenatchee Insurance. We met at a convention. Have Star Wars tattoos. We also nerd out when it comes to insurance. Being a Nerd business owner is incredibly useful and I often seek them out for a single trait. I will give you a hint, it is the opposite of IG famous….

Building a Black Sheep Business

We built an independent insurance agency that is definitely different. We have put ourselves into our business for over a decade. 

What if all the stereotypes surrounding business are true? Everyone is out for themselves. The boss is exploiting the workers who are all quiet quitting. The customers are going over to the next company because they are cheaper and go to the same church.

It’s your business so build it differently. Care about your coworkers. Work on putting the best product forward for the client. Be truthful in your dealings. Be the black sheep and the customers will respond.