What’s on my mind? Sweating the small stuff and why the everyday matters.

The night before I got married, almost 26 years ago, we had our reception dinner. We were surrounded by close friends and family, having a causal dinner at one of the classic craft beer pubs in downtown Denver called the Wynkoop.

As the dessert was served, our family and friends started to stand up and give a small speech or toast to Tyson and me. Each one having a special memory or moment within it. The last person to stand was my dad. My mom and dad had been married for over 25 years and started dating in high school. His speech was short, and I will never forget it.

He said:

"You will have bad days, and you will have good days.

You will have bad months, and you will have good months. You will have bad years, and you will have good years. If you continue to respect each other, focus on your friendship and the everyday, then your marriage will last forever".

Twenty-six years after that speech, I realize that he captured it perfectly. It is not big gifts or big celebrations that make the difference in staying in a relationship, it's the small everyday.

I have found the same true throughout my career, it's not the big bonus or the big once-a-year party that makes me stay at a company (although I very much appreciate both of those). It comes down to the day-to-day. Just like my relationship with my husband, respect with my boss and colleagues is critically important. A little help here and there when I really need it, whether it be walking in the house with my hands full and my husband holding the door open for me or my colleagues having an "open door" for me to come in and share a problem so that we can work it through together. These moments matter.

I also think it truly is the small stuff, the little things that make a difference. It's a few pieces of fresh fruit in the snack room, clean bathrooms, and single-user sign-on so I don't have to enter my password 50 times throughout the day. It's being able to put on do not disturb on teams while I am in a meeting so that I can focus, as well as walking down the hall and recognising that others are in a meeting and talking quietly so I "do not disturb". These are the things that matter. They can make your life better or they can truly annoy you.

So as the CEO of Colt, I sweat the small stuff. I believe it is the "stuff" that matters and the stuff that makes Colt a great place to work and makes an impact on our lives.

Will you sweat the small stuff too? Let me know in the comments.