So Thankful...

It was a rainy dark morning in January of 2009; I will never forget.  I pulled into B&R hearing on the radio, "and the US payrolls decreased by 650 000" (number later revised further; not good).  My heart sank as I knew we were in the middle of a deep recession.  Shaken, I walked into work with my tail between my legs thinking, "And we are not fairing much better". 

Knowing I am responsible for leading our shop in its current plight. I became overwhelmed fairly quickly.  I was not sure what to do.  We had damaged sales, slow payables and I was watching a manufacturing industry fall apart all around me.  I became upset and 'blamed the recession'.  I blamed AIG, GM and big US banks that (Bear Sterns, Lehman Brothers, JP, Goldman). I felt the SEC (Securities Exchange Commission) failed to do their job. 

After venting frustration on everything around me, I realized that my situation was the same.  My blaming others did not increase our sales/profitability or get us out of the situation we were in.

Being in despair was an understatement.  There were a series of precautions I took to ensure we survived the recession and our 9 year investment in people and our business did not turn into a layoff statistic.

My leading role and responsibilities were bigger than me at that time.  I did what I knew best: turned to loved ones.

My inspiration came first from my father, a shareholder who said, "Ryan, this recession is going to be hard but we will get out of it. What B&R is doing is real and you will be a success…fight through this and you have my support".  And before I could blink, his support was made known.  The man had more confidence in my leadership then I had in myself.  This inspired me to pray; "Lord, thank you for people.  Thank you that you have given us an opportunity to fight through this recession.  I ask for an opportunity to work".  Within 1 week, we won some major jobs that allowed me to run parts 'production style' on our CNC machines.  I worked 2 shifts for quite some time.  I got out of the office, and on to the floor.  I learned to be a CNC programmer/operator and ran the lathe.  I 'pushed go' on other machines becoming a 1 man production crew.  Several days I would simply work around the clock: 35hour shifts.

My wife Abby would remember the mornings I curled up to her at 3:00 am only to wake up and start my day again for 7:00 am.  This lasted for about 4 months.  I did not realize I had it in me to work so much.  But we got the jobs done.  We survived the recession.  This was a team effort, and I was honored to do my part.  I was incredibly thankful to Abby for her support and kindness to me during this trying time.

My beautiful wife! Thank you so much Abby, you are my hero.


Brad (another owner), was nothing short of heroic working hard, smart and he too jumped on the machines and produced. 

We made a critical choice to keep our talent and carry a higher overhead with lower sales on the premise that we need to keep our rare Aerospace designations: a decision I look at today as brilliant. In 2010 we won a "Gold Supplier Award" with a major Aerospace firm who is equally if not more passionate about excellence.  This is a success story about the free market, valuing people, taking responsibility and pursuing our dreams.   I am honored to share this story with you along with some key lessons.

Keeping our talent was a good decision. 



Today we employ 35 people, over tripling in size from the dark days of the recession.  It is a beautiful honor to have survived and I remain thankful in some key areas:

  1. That ownership was in unity and we all equally stood behind each other
  2. That employees worked hard and did not give up
  3. That work came to us; enough to survive
  4. That the dark days brought several lessons that did not crush us, but made us stronger
  5. That my relationships grew and increased
  6. That we are better positioned for opportunity now, then ever before (with a strong foundation)

The top lessons I learned from this time period that I encourage you with:
1.  My words created my reality.  When people asked, 'how are you doing?’ I talked about how the recession is hurting us.  How we are impacted by the crazy world around us.  When my father/brother loved on me, and spoke life into me, I realized that our situation was not the recessions 'fault'.  I realized that we choose to buy machines with payments, we choose our business with risk and reward, and we choose not to better prepare for a dark time.  Really, our situation was a culmination of our choices.  The recession simply was a bold punctuation mark behind our choices.  I changed my language to that of taking responsibility for my choices, not blaming everything on the recession.  I am proud to tell you that our situation began to change with the change in language.  I encourage you today to find people who love you and speak words of life into your situation; however dark or desperate.  Life and death are in the power of our tongue.
2.  The recession did a great job pointing out 'holes in my game'.  I realized we were doing lots of things well, but I found several opportunities for improvement.  Don't wait until disaster strikes to learn your lessons.  By connecting with people, being open and transparent we position ourselves to hear from others, things we cannot see ourselves.  Don't be threatened by this…find a way to embrace it.  Advancement comes by embracing responsibility, not running from it.
3.  My political passion is tied to how real my values are in work, family and faith.  I do not have 'one set of views' for faith that are different then work and another for family.  Living from our values I find to be incredibly challenging and requires me connecting with other people: constantly.  My passionate dislike of socialism is not simply a clash in ideology.  The clash in ideology is a mere disagreement of one way of doing something to another way of doing the same thing.  My passion comes from seeing what socialism does to people.  How socialism devalues people, limits opportunity, creates 'brainwaves' that says, 'deflect and blame'.  Just listen to the NDP…its Harpers fault your family is hurting.  It's the banks fault you are paying too much interest on your visa.  It's those large corporations fault we do not have enough taxes to pay for our long list of programs.  Doing life with people and taking responsibility is tough indeed; especially within a free market.    I often complained, "we work hard, value people and re-invest our profits…it's not fair we are getting hurt by this recession".  I sounded like a socialist!  In Jack Layton's world, everything is about 'fairness'…in the real world it is about taking responsibility and loving/growing with people.  I am thankful I learned how to change my thinking by changing my words. I am passionate to help others discover the joy of connecting with people, taking responsibility and embracing their destiny.
Connecting point: Words have power.  Jack Layton's words, "Its big business, it's the evil profit by hungry banks, it's not you… it's them! Let the NDP fight for you!"  Those words have power if we accept them!  If we accept it's 'their' fault and get the government to fight our fights, we are defeating ourselves by entering into a mindset of accepting a thought process which deflects blame to government.  This creates a cycle of dependence and you might as well hand the keys to the car over to the NDP to drive. Don't accept such evil and untrue words! You are far too valuable and precious!  You need loved ones and words of life, not socialism and deflecting blame!  God bless you as you process this data.

The connection between investing in people, learning and growing while developing alignment in home, work and faith is a powerful argument that I believe our world is desperate to see, not hear.

Be encouraged as you reflect on this note and increase your capacity in business!

Blogroll

News for factory,Allied Cash Advance,Photography,Beach Water Park,Educational Leadership,Vacation And Travel,Wedding Dress,Family Vacation Packages,Casino and Gambling,Health Insurance,Best Auto Insurance ( BAF ),Web Hosting Professional,Home Design And Remodeling,Information Property For Home,Wireless TV Networking,Business Plan Guide,Educational Guide,Custom Essay Writing Service,Plumber Service And Repair,Property House,Architectural House Plans,Car Auto Services,Computer service and repair,Computer Networking,Business Planning Strategies,Womens Giving,Healthcare and Medical Jobs,Retail Inkjet Solutions,Online Casino Games,Alcohol Drug Treatment,Web Designers,Apollo Amatuer Night,Public School Performance,Kanza Museum,Cap Inter Entereprises Emploi,Culinary Tourism,Business Traveller,Bridal Expo,Container Atlas Architecture,Culinary Tours - Packages and Travel,Dancing Ink Productions,Defend Automotive Group,Real Finance Group,Business Consulting Services,Home Design Audio,Health Projects International,Health Resources,Health Effects of Alcohol,History of education,Vietnam travel guide,Westland Foundation,Lighting Business,Networking Business Professionals,Housing Decoration,Future Business,Health and Beauty Tips,Hotel Cafe and Restaurant,Enhancing Education,Home Improvement Projects,Political Philosophy,Healthy Grieving Process ,Unique Weddings in New Orleans,Art Plus Science ,Advantage Business Media,Mutual Financial Services,Adventure Travel and Holidays,Alternative Medicine Treatments,Web Design and Marketing,Electronic Payment Solutions,Life Success in Business,Devium Car Interiors,Easy Divers Academy,Water Treatment Process,Software Development Company,MSDS Translation Language,Orion International Technologies,Refreshing Summer Wine Guide,Learn Technical Writing,Health Spa and Resort,Creative Book Publishing,Positive Business Mentality,Charter Healthcare,Discount Hotel Rates,United Industries,Warrior Insurance,County Tourism and Vacations,Wedding Ring Jewelry,Studio Design Decorative,Journalism Careers,Gaming Accessories Computing,Business Strategy Consultant,Cefori Technologies Information,Physics and Astronomy,News Fashion,Business Online,Michigan Apartments,Legal Information Institute,Guide Fashion Shipping,Home Insurance Quotes,Web Design Trends,Musical Instruments and Gear,Travel and Leisure,Importance of Education,Auto Financing Loans,Contractor Business Systems,Business Travel,Importance of Sex Education,Education Classroom,Creative Idea Laboratory,Luxury Paradise Vacations,Healthiest Alcoholic Drinks,Sports Betting,Business Environment,Business Directory,Internet Services,Top Styles,Architecture and Design,Discovery Travel and Tourism,Drug Abuse Treatment,Cheap Auto Financing,Business and Technology,Online Trading,Casino Gambling,Easy Online Shopping,Education Games,Social Media Networks,Online Dating,Luxury Honeymoons,Media and Entertainment,Home Decorating Ideas,Insurance Services,Payday Loans Online,Beechwood Travel Guide,Paradise Garden,Business Trends Consulting,Expert School Consulting,Latest Fashion Trends,Alternative Health Care,Technology Trends In Society,Health Technologies Resources,Island Wedding Services,Network Society,Gambling Experts,Medical Insurance Expert,Home Repair and Remodeling,Sexual Health Services,Education Resources,Automotive Solutions,Michigan Trade Associations,Luxury Fashion and Accessories,Theoretical Physics,Financial Advice,Adult Online Dating (Escorts),Pets Health Insurance,Better Homes and Gardens,Avastone Technologies,Discover Student Loans,Sports Authority,Vitamins and Supplements,Business Systems Online,Food Network Recipes,Business and Government,Smart Legal Strategy,Occupational Health Care,Music Education,Online Dating Tips (Expert),Online Marketing Lexikon,Citizens Council Network,Economics and Finance,Fashion Entertainment News,Luxury Travel Destinations,Online Auto Insurance,Home Improvement Loans,Building Business Foundation,Human Resource Consulting,Educational Media pay day loans
life insurance quotes
Credit Loans (finance)
Foreign Auto Parts
Health and Fitness
Drug abuse effects
Destination hotels and resorts
Professional Financial Marketing
Personal Finance
Computers and Technology
Auto Insurance
Real Estate Property
Computer Graphics Technology
Home Improvement
Arts music schools
Online Education Classes
Hotel and Travel
Security development program
Business auto loans
Medical And Public Health Organizations
Land and Homes
Better Health Kids
Engineered Heating
Trade Finance Services
Switzerland Tourism
Casa Travel
Clothing Accessories
University of Technology
Best Law Schools
Marketing Technology
Vacation Tour and Travel
Insurance Agents and Insurance Brokers
Construction Engineering
Healthy Home Economist
Masters Home Improvement
Michigan Web Design
Personal Online Banking
Health Education Foundation
Travel Pack
Real Estate and Home Ideas
Museum Vacations Travel
Free Statistical Software
Blog Free Statistical
Buying and Selling Real Estate
Educational Play
Big Top Business
Alternative Health
smooth skin
Products and Services
Construction Project Management
Northside Car Service
Online Essay Writing
France Health
Europe Program Modernization
European Travel Destinations
Science and Technology Project
Online Store Marketing
Law Society Consulting
Business Networking Company
Motivation to Study
Metropolitan Hotel
Technological Innovation
EAP Business
Travel Guide and Virtual Tours
The Business Partnership
Accessible Accommodation
Entertainment News
Medicines Agency
Carpet Cleaning
International House
VIP Shop
Online Clothing Shop
Institute Education Religion
Ford Escort Team
Shop Engine Part
Computer Hardware
Medical Career
Paris Construction
Professional Translation
Streaming Wizard
Alcoholism and Drug
Medical Laboratory
Commerce Business
Educational Kids Play
Space Education
Home Repair Volunteer
Fashion Talent
Health and Safety Executive
Play Web Games
Travel and Surfing
Property and Estate Agents
Technology Group Solutions
Student Service Center
Construction Industry
Media Center Computer
Teny Fashion
Home Remodeling Services
Inspector Network
Car Rentals
Leader Dogs
Rise Health Systems
Business Strategy Consultant
Personal Life Coaching
Company Business Coaching
Entertainment News
Physics and Astronomy
Science and Technology
Cheap Vacation Packages
World Business Academy
Planets Project
Travel and Leisure
Prevent Drug Abuse
Education Certified
Play Kids Games
Legal Defense Fund
Real Estate Strategies
Isolation Globale
Insurance Coverage Law
Rock Hotel and Resorts
Medical Insurance
Healthy Mind and Body
Marjahaan Autokatsastus
Free Sports Authority
Auto Insurance Coverage
Global Technics
Advitium Manufacturing
Professional Core Education
Special Finance Services
Bergen County Contractors
Great Children's Art
Health Supply Company
Social Media Power
Texas House Restaurant
Carbon Consultant
Carbon Expert
Low Carbon
Reset Carbon
Healthcare Commissioning
Virtual Job Tryouts
Ethos Academy (Education)
Intrinsic Schools
Attorney General
Technology Software
Business Plans
Digital Media
High School Resources
Adult Resources
Gamblers Anonymous
Ecuador Real Estate
Software Development
Festival Fashion
Drugs And Alcohol
Business Intelligence
Food Network Recipes
Journal Human Resources
Games and Technology
Technology Development
Web Resources Express
Payday Loans Bad Credit
Art and Craft
Business and Finance News
Ecological Sciences
Education Resources
Web Design
Music Education
World Resources Institute
Business Health Guide
azplanningforwildlife.com m2tvchannel.com bapedaldaprovjambi.com kreis-dl.net news-1212.com landratsamt-doebeln.net landkreis-doebeln.net canadiangoldreserves.net chicagohearse.com tattooremovalessex.com braziltrade-uae.com 333asia.com calliemacdesigns.com gemdoc.net simplefoodjuiceplus.com postabortionstresssyndrome.com descendingpath.com casadopinhole.net myspeechandlanguage.net sezambook.com rerecognition.info bebetsy.info carsoncitybraces.info summitcardiology.info sanfojiangsi.info trailheadgeararchery.info immigrationconnect.info nhhomeless.info tundradialogues.info ibexretail.com kreis-dl.com agiles-eam.com bestbcgolfcourse.com niittyneito.com yenikapimevlevihanesi.com hnr100.com eplogin.com richard-wagner-festival.com landratsamt-doebeln.com lra-doebeln.com terrecatalane.com thesmarterhybrids.com