Firestorm of a Romance
The name Firestone flashed across big screen TVs throughout America when the third season of The Bachelor featured Andrew Firestone, the great-grandson of entrepreneur Harvey Firestone. However, the firestorm of romance with Andrew and Jennifer Schefft lasted little beyond the show. After a few months of dating her off-screen, they cooled their romance and he started seeing someone else.
It was old news when I read about the recent marriage of Andrew and model Ivana Bozilovic. You see, I got the inside scoop from the tour guide a couple of weeks ago at the Firestone Vineyard that Andrew was getting married.
On a recent trip to Santa Barbara, California, my family and I drove about 45 minutes outside of Santa Barbara to tour the Firestone Vineyard, one of the largest in Southern California. That’s where we learned about Andrew’s marriage.
But, here’s something you probably don’t know. During the time Jen dated Andrew, she never drank a drop of the fine wines from Firestone Vineyard. That could be a clue as to why that romance didn’t go far.
Outdistancing the Competition
With such a dramatic reminder of the Firestone name, I tuned my ear to some interesting information about the Firestones. I thought Harvey Firestone invented the tire. No, he didn’t. It was Goodyear that hit the road before Firestone. But, Henry Ford would not put any tires on his cars except Firestone because of their high quality.
Here’s what Harvey Firestone had to say, “Capital isn’t so important in business. Experience isn’t so important. You can get both of these. What is important is ideas.”
People get tripped up when they think they miss opportunities in life. The old saying, “My ship has sailed,” usually has a tag line with it–but, without me.” Harvey Firestone didn’t get discouraged when Goodyear tires came on the market. He started thinking above and beyond to create a place for his ideas to flourish. Quality was his goal and he outdistanced Goodyear because of it.
By the way, Firestone had long sold the tire empire when bad press was given for some problems with their tires blowing out.
Find an Idea Place
Where is the place of ideas? Do they fall out of the sky and zap you? Do they sneak up on you and suddenly appear? No, ideas come from positioning yourself to receive them. Here are some tips:
1. Make what you do so important that you understand everything about it, whether it is your business or hobby.
2. Take ideas that have already come on the market and study the remaining obstacles. I can’t tell you how many times my shampoo bottle has changed. Every time they change the shape or add a pop-up lid, I think, That’s a good idea.
3. Combine ideas, old and new, for a fresh approach. Keep asking, “What if it only had a…?”
By positioning yourself to have a mindset for ideas, you can outdistance other people. You will not only make yourself available for ideas, but will recognize them as you pass them by.
As a breast cancer survivor, do not let go of your creativity. Life doesn’t stop when you get breast cancer. If you have to rest more, take more time to think. The caution is to fill your mind with good things, not junk. Don’t overdose on negativity.
When you get a mindset of observation, ideas fall off trees. You will see what others don’t see. Instead of looking at breast cancer as a setback, let it be a step forward.
Thought for Today:
“All the top achievers I know are life-long learners–Looking for new skills, insights, and ideas. If they’re not learning, they’re not growing; not moving toward excellence.” – Denis Waitley
Live Life,
Janelle