My old friends "The Orange and Black Cones of DOOM" (as I have not so lovingly named them) arrived last Thursday afternoon. It was no surprise, I was well informed that it was happening but knowing and seeing are two totally different things. I had that day at long last treated myself to a haircut from the lovely and talented Ashley, the owner of The Proudest Pony. I was rounding the corner after having my hair wonderfully cut and lovingly straightened, relaxed and feeling that little fresh from the salon bounce in my hair and in my step. Then as if someone had smacked me in the face...I spotted them...lining the blocks along Dundas West as far as my eye could see...The Orange and Black Cones of DOOM. Sigh! I actually stopped in my tracks and said out loud to myself "OH FUCK". I'm sure I looked like a crazy person, with great hair of course, but crazy none the less and I didn't care.
Allow me to explain my reaction.
My little shop Beadle will be celebrating 5 years in October and this will be the 4th summer all of which have seen major disruptions due to construction of various forms on Dundas West. This season of construction is the scariest one so far. The sidewalks and curbs and road will be replaced. So what you say? Well how do you get customers to your business when you are a street store and don't have a sidewalk to walk on? At times there will be piles of dirt instead of the sidewalk and a wooden plank to get in and out of my store. Not to mention the sound of jackhammers, concrete drills and construction vehicles that will be making noise loud enough to wake the dead. It frazzles my nerves and toys with my mental health. Sigh!
And clearly I am not alone in my feelings on this subject. Check out the most recent story here: Globe and Mail
Okay so now that I have all that negative stuff off my chest I'll move on. The silver lining is our neighbourhood will get the MUCH needed, over due facelift it has long waited and really does deserve. The improvements are to include new trees, parkettes, street furniture, new sidewalks with cobblestone inserts, new curbs and a smooth newly surfaced road, just to name a few. Our new Councilor Ana Bailao and The DuWest BIA have worked in conjunction with the City of Toronto to make this long over due upgrade happen. There is no question it will be beautiful once it's all done and it will improve business - we just need to get through it to reap the rewards.
I'm thinking new and trying new things in order to keep Beadle afloat during the next 6 months of construction.
Here is where the vulnerable part comes in. I'm learning to ask for help which leaves me feeling vulnerable but it's not all bad. I'm learning that people are essentially good and willing to help if you ask politely and genuinely request their support. I'm also learning to be confident about asking for help, part of that is discovering who to ask for help and when. And it not only helps me feel supported by asking but those who are asked to help are left feeling good that I trusted them enough to ask. Confidently, genuinely, vulnerable is an interesting way to build credibility and community. Interesting? I think so. I don't even pretend to be a writer so read this article or go to this blog to find out more about what I'm trying to say. The last and what I think is the most important thing about asking for help is saying thank you and remember to give credit to those who have helped or are willing to try. This could be as simple as offering to help them out with spreading the word on what they do or even as simple as just saying "Thank you" in person, on the phone, on facebook or with a card. Simple? I think it can be.
I recently asked musician Jasmine Ash to become a fan of Beadle. I love her song Lulls that plays in the latest Nissan commercial. I think she has the voice of and angle and dig her music so I decided to find her on facebook and genuinely tell her how much I loved her music and then I politely asked if she would "Like" my biz page. She did and I'm clearly very flattered and excited about it. I'd like to thank her properly by sending her some new fans. Please check out her facebook page and "Like" her. Please let her know that "Beadle"sent you (that's the giving credit part I mentioned). You can listen to her song here.
Okay so here goes nothing...will you help me spread the word about Beadle's new Jewellery Making Parties? or Beadle's wonderful array of Canadian Handmade Products? I'd be very grateful and willing to help you out some time when you might need it.
Thank you for reading!
Take care and be well,
Cherie
Noun
vulnerability (countable and uncountable; plural vulnerabilities)
- (uncountable) Susceptibility to attack or injury; the state or condition of being weak or poorly defended.
- The country recognized their defence vulnerability after an airplane landed in front of the central square without any consequences.
- (countable) a specific weakness in the protections or defences surrounding someone or something.
