53,097,120 minutes

Recently my beloved Grandmother passed away, quietly in her sleep. My mother, husband and I were the last family she saw, just hours before her passing.?

Her life lasted for some 53,097,120 minutes give or take a few, just 20 days short of her 101st birthday.?

Speaking at her funeral was the 2nd hardest speech of my life, the hardest was speaking at my fathers funeral some 15 years ago.?

I share this news with you for a few reasons, the first is the obvious, don’t miss a chance to tell someone you love them, how much they mean to you.?

As an adult I loved Grandma sharing her wisdom and years of experience, but also the robust conversations we would have at times about the pace of change and social norms. While we didn’t always agree - what impressed me most was that Grandma was always curious to learn more, to try to understand and then make the decision to either stick with her original point of view or bend it just a little.

She was curious about everything, I remember a conversation about why colors were called what they were. Yes why red was red, blue was blue, and so on.??She had such a thirst for knowledge and understanding. As you can tell we would talk about everything – and I can assure you, when the conversation about colors came up and I said I don’t know, I was quickly put to the task of finding out why.

So here are the three business lessons she taught me:??

1. Be curious, about everything, always;
2. Deliver a product your customers desire; and
3. As a business owner and leader, focus on what you are great at and hire others to do what you hate or are not good at.?

So in my Grandmothers honor I challenge you to be more curious, embrace what you learn to be a greater leader and to serve your community(s).?

PS

On August 8, 2024 my Grandmother would have been 101, may she rest in peace with my Grandpa and Father, her spirit lives on in all of us.