Six Things I learned from my Father about ‘biz

Too often we are chasing perfectionism. We’re trying to build the Steinway piano when all we really need is the simple door.

By Donald R Dodson Jr

My father is in his 80s. I try to spend one day a week, and I go hang out and work on the property or cut wood or something. (I often post about these “Adventures with Dad” on Social media. Like a typical octogenarian, he is just ripe with lots of quotes, quips and phrases that at the very least make you smile and perhaps give you something to consider when it comes to life and business. Here are a select few that I can think of this time.

“It’s not a Steinway.”

My father and I are often working on projects around the house and on some of the outbuildings. We are making repairs on some pretty old and rustic outbuildings. It’s carpentry and masonry work, mostly And we would oftentimes come to when we could make something a lot nicer and better, but here is a simple reality and practical thing -- is it’s just a door to a woodshed, and it doesn’t need to be particularly fancy. It doesn’t need to be perfect. It just needs to work. Hence the term, “It’s not a Steinway (piano)”. This applies to businesses often. Too often we are chasing perfectionism. We’re trying to build the Steinway piano when all we really need is the simple door. Apply the amount of perfectionism that you need to but be practical with the effort that you put into a project. Oftentimes we get too hung up on making it perfect and end up producing nothing in the process.

“Ummm, yeah it sounds worse than it is.”

Probably one of the most interesting of my father’s little phrases is during a meal and something would be particularly good. My father would then announce, with an appropriate grin “This tastes gooder than shit.” Yup, that’s my dad. But all chuckling aside. The point is that we should have gratitude for the things that we do have and realize that, we could be doing a lot worse. By focusing on the good things around us, then we’ll always feel better about our circumstance. And as many of you know, gratitude is critical to having a proper mindset.

“Always be learning.”

I could stay up an hour later at bedtime when I was young, as long as I was reading. My father always has a book in his hand. He’s always reading about something. And my father didn’t have a particularly, academic background in his life, but he was constantly pushing me to learn more. And this is, of course, common amongst the big entrepreneurs, the value of learning constantly.

“If the Colonial craftsman could do it…”

This is about tools, technology and getting things done, often creatively. My father collects antique and primitive tools. So, we always were working and making something. He would oftentimes use those tools instead of modern power tools. And there’s a lot of reasons for this besides being a frugal Pennsylvania Dutchman. His argument was that if they could make beautiful pieces of furniture and art a couple hundred years ago, that there’s no reason that you can’t use a version of that to get things done today. He often preached the practice of making do with what you have. This last bit is particularly relevant.

Applied to business it’s more of the bootstrap concept. Yes, it’s awesome that we have this new-fangled tool or maybe some other kind of technology or app, and they do have a place. But when it comes down to it, there’s always a way to make shit happen. The bright, shiny new tool, or the bright, next new shiny thing isn’t always needed. And if we learn and practice the basics, you can continue to push forward and succeed.

“Well built is better than well bought.”

This is straightforward. It’s better to invest in a quality item then a cheaply and poorly made one. This also comes to bear as a craftsman. I make a quality product because it’s important that people receive value.

“Mind your own damned business.”

My dad would criticize us for being nosy and that we should focus on our own business. And I guess his point was that if you focus on what you’re about -- what you need to do, and not worry about what other people are doing, then you can be better focused on making progress. One of the prime examples I see today is someone will make a post about how somebody reached out into LinkedIn InMail or messenger and they were cold calling or pitching them. They feel compelled to tell this person that it’s a horrible way to do business, that maybe they should show them how to do it better, etc. Personally, I think this is bullshit. Because as a guy who makes leather bags, I shouldn’t waste my time telling people what to do in sales. And, although it might not be the best practice for me, it might work for them. I should focus my attention instead on things like MY business of making leather bags, and not about what other people are posting on the internet. If folks stayed in their lanes, they would probably get a lot more done. And, if you have that much time to be criticizing other people on the “interwebs,” then maybe that’s a reason you aren’t busier.

So that’s my short list of interesting of things my father says and principles that he lives by daily. And hopefully, you’ve at least gained a grin or a chuckle, or learn something that you can apply to business, I know I have…

Donald Dodson, owner of Dodson Designs, has been involved in artistic pursuits for as long as he can remember. Starting at age 16 as a sign painter assistant, and after high school, he pursued a career in graphic arts, finding his home in graphic design and web design. After an eight-year stint as a teacher, Dodson, a combat veteran, longed to return to his passion for the arts and, at 49, started a full-time leather working business.

He crafts handmade, creative custom leather goods and accessories near Lancaster, Pennsylvania.