Kip Tindell, founder of The Container Store, spoke about how much he values his employees. The retail industry trains its workers for eight hours on average. At his stores, he said, his employees receive closer to 280 hours of training. Wow. That figure speaks for itself. He believes one great employee is capable of doing the work that three average employees are. Because he treats them so well, his employees are his greatest ambassadors, both in and out of his stores. He’s truly investing in people. I want to do the same for my employees.
And finally, what Marcus Lemonis of the CNBC show The Profit said about the role of bosses really rang true. If our employees aren’t meeting the objectives we’ve set for them, that’s our fault, he explained. It’s up to us to do everything in our power to help them be successful. The reality is that many business owners don’t always set their expectations very clearly, if at all. When our employees fail, we blame them. But we’re the ones who are truly to blame, because we haven’t given them a road map. Leading by example isn’t enough. I changed the way I held a meeting the day after the conference based on his insights.
Throughout the day, entrepreneurs spoke about how much their consumers desire and value quality products and excellent customer service. I too believe that, but the experience of hearing it echoed again and again was powerful. Times have changed.
More than anything, I walked away from the event feeling proud of this industry. It got me fired up. Never doubt the value of investing in yourself, whether that means taking a special meeting or attending a conference. You’re not being selfish. You’re empowering yourself to see beyond your day to day and into the future.”About a year ago, I decided I wanted to vacuum form some parts, because I was building a computer, and wanted to make a custom case. When I read about vacuum formers online, I discovered that there were few available at a reasonable price and that were also easy to use,” Ted explained. An idea was born.
All day long, other makers and attendees alike flocked to his booth. He seemed tireless. Ted has been attending Kansas City’s Maker Faire as well as the Bay Area’s Maker Faire with his father for years now. In fact, the Kevo isn’t even the first product he’s successfully marketed and sold at a Maker Faire. When he was 10, he began selling clocks he had made from repurposed computer parts. His father and grandfather enjoy making clocks out of the same kinds of parts too, he said, but have never sold them.
Ted launched a Kickstarter campaign for the Kevo shortly before Kansas City’s Maker Faire. He had already tested an initial prototype of the product at the Bay Area’s Maker Faire earlier this year and gotten some helpful feedback. In fact, he told me he collected emails from interested parties while he was there–which is partly how he’s been able to raise $4,000 already. Wow. I hope you’ll take a look and consider supporting him.
Really, it’s that sort of synergy that makes me the most excited about Maker Faire. There are so many resources available to creative people these days. Prototyping tools are becoming more and more affordable, as Ted himself is helping to do. Need to raise money? You can crowdfund your idea. Need to know if you evenhave a good idea? Consider test marketing it at a Maker Faire. The barriers to entry are lower than they ever have been. And to me, that’s downright thrilling.
In truth, I felt like I was home.
Originally published on Inc.com July 1st 2015.
