Under Promise, Over Deliver

I'm a gigantic sports radio fan (see Appreciation For The Radio).  I enjoy all the sports talkers, but for years Erik Kuselias of NBC Sports Radio has been my favorite.  A few weeks ago before the US National Soccer Team took on Ghana, EK shared his view that it's prudent to "under promise and over deliver."  At the time, he was vocally supporting Coach Jürgen Klinsmann who wasn't very optimistic about our team's chances of getting out of the 2014 World Cup 'Group of Death.'  Coach Klinsmann explained that he was looking four years down the road and people were less than excited about his seemingly unenthusiastic cynicism.  But Erik loved the coach's approach and passed it on to listeners like myself as good advice for life:  'Under promise.  Over deliver.'

Days later, the Miami Heat lost to the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals and that had me thinking of Erik's explanation.  The Heat have been dominant the last 4 seasons since LeBron James hit South Beach; four conference titles and two league championships.  Not bad.  Pretty great really.  However, LeBron, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh had promised a lot more.  Not one championships, not two,... eight.  Lead by LeBron at a 2010 pep rally in Miami, they'd pumped up the crowd with a bold prediction of a historic run that would clearly be a sports dynasty.  The day after they lost to the Spurs, folks started piling on and Dan Patrick pointed out on his show that people had enormous expectations because they'd loudly shouted, "Not one, not two, ... not seven."  They over promised.

So back to the Erik Kuselius' advice/point;  under promise and over deliver.  I totally get this.  It's pragmatic.  It makes sense.  As a rule I don't make a lot of brash predictions about the impact my renovations will have.  I hold off on saying, "This condemned house is going to be transformed from the least valuable home on the street to the most valuable."  I have high personal expectations, but I don't shout them from the rooftop.  I just enjoy my newest challenge as I start making things better.  I simply love the process, making the most of what's there and dealing with the deficiencies.  I'm able to accentuate the property's assets and correct the issues/liabilities.    Outlandish promises can be a major distraction and over delivering is practical.

So consider Erik's point as exemplified by Coach Klinsmann and all this excitement about the USA Soccer team in the World Cup.  Set your goals high and really get after them, but under promise and then... hit it out of the park. 

Trent

bloodsweatandpigsears@hotmail.com

Memories of Rugby

Playing rugby for
The Univ. of  Cincinnati
in the 90's

As I've mentioned before, the radio has always held some significance on my job-sites when I'm working alone.  (See Appreciation For The Radio.)  Every Monday, sports radio host Dan Patrick invites listeners to phone in to share their best and worst of the weekend.  Although I didn't call, it got me thinking and the best for me was the Collegiate Sevens Championships on Sat. and Sun.  It was great stuff; well produced, good commentary, beautiful to watch, expansive views of the plays developing from above mixed in with seamless angles from the field level.  I got lost in it for a couple hours and wanted more when it was over!  Thank you NBC. 

Like rehabbing an abandoned or condemned property,
playing rugby can look rougher than it actually is.

Anyway, I played 4 years of college rugby. The sport is the link between soccer and football so it shares traits with each; non-stop action like soccer, full-on contact like football (without the protective equipment.)  Playing college rugby was way beyond fun, but because it's so violent, it was sometimes hard for my friends and family to watch the games.  Each season I'd try to help them worry less by saying, "It's not as bad as it looks."  I understood why they had concerns because when I watched it, I saw what made them cringe.  It's intense, looks even worse than rough, and appears vicious much of the time.  However, when I was in there, it didn't feel so dangerous and I loved it.  And that intense craziness added to the thrill and there was nothing like emerging from that chaos with the ball and scoring some points for my teammates. 

I want You to save an old house
that no one else wants.

Renovating an extremely run-down house is comparable in that it looks harder than it seems for me as I'm working my way through each phase of the project.   And even being condemned or abandoned properties, it's not that bad.  It's not as impossible as it sometimes seems to the people in my life and oftentimes the folks in the neighborhood where I'm working.  Getting past the fact that nobody else wants these properties may be a big part of it, but just because they've been overlooked doesn't mean they're lost causes.  And the thing is, for me it's something that I totally enjoy with a passion that compares to the feelings/attitude that I had during my college rugby days.  When I'm there dirty, tired, (and maybe a little bloody), I feel at home.  And when I make it to the end, I feel that same sort of relieved satisfaction.

Finally, I need to realize that just like playing rugby, maybe renovating a Pig's Ear is not for everyone either.  However, if you have that rehabbing dream, don't let those overly concerned friends/loved ones or episodes of Renovation Realities scare you.  Hear them out and learn from the mistakes shared on that show, do your homework, and if you want to renovate a house, I'm here as always to encourage you to go for it.   And... if you want to play rugby, it's an awesome sport, so find a club near you, lace em' up, and give that a try too.  

Trent  
bloodsweatandpigsears@hotmail.com
You may also like Appreciation For The Radio.



Appreciation for the Radio

There are days on my projects when I have tradesmen and contractors working on various scopes of the renovation work.  On these days I'm engulfed by the sounds typical on any construction site; hammers pounding nails, saws cutting material, drills boring holes, and maybe operators with noisy equipment working on the exterior.

However, there are also plenty of days when I'm working alone like a one man band.  After years of building I easily gravitate toward the Whatever It Takes mindset.  I never hesitate to grab my tools and get to work when I need to.  The scopes I've completed for each of my Pig's Ears has varied.  Sometimes I do a lot of framing, sometimes I do just a little.  And that's how it's also been for the landscaping, insulation, drywall, siding, exterior trim, demolition, flooring, concrete work, and masonry; my involvement has fluctuated with each house.  I've painting everything on some houses, but other times I've dished the work off to a painter or subcontractor.  The same goes for the work up on the roof.  I really enjoy laying shingles, but every time I start carrying them up to the ridge or tearing old ones off I hear the voice in my head saying, 'This is the last time.'  I've plumbed an entire house by myself and done the majority of the electrical (under the guidance of a licensed electrician.)  Now I've never done the HVAC work or tried to stretch out carpet; those have consistently been areas that I've handled by writing a check.  I've done all my own door and window work and all the fine carpentry.  I did a few of my own garage doors years ago, but now I find someone to do that too.  And finally, more times than not, I've bought and placed the appliances where they belonged in the kitchen. 

With all that said, when I'm working alone on the job I prefer to have a radio on and most of the time it's tuned in to sports talk.  One of my favorites is Mike and Mike in the Morning on ESPN Radio featuring Mike Greenburg and Mike Golic.  I'm also a big fan of The Dan Patrick Show (see Tebow). After DP I'll tune in to The Jim Rome Show aka The Jungle.  Finally, I usually switch over to National Public Radio (NPR) during the mid afternoon.

I've listened to some of these radio hosts for years and over time I've grown to feel as if I know them.  In a small way, they've filled the void that exists by not having co-workers.  Furthermore, when something good happens in their careers or their families I know about it and am happy for them and when they share some bad news I empathize.  I talk about them to my wife when I get home the same way I'd tell her about someone in the office or another person on my crew.  And, like a spouse gradually gets to know co-workers my wife has learned about these sports talk guys through me.  I can't tell you the number of times she's interrupted me for quick clarification at the beginning of a Mike and Mike story with something like, "Now are you talking about the little guy or the one who used to play football?"  By way of the public air waves they've been a part of most of the Pig's Ears I've rehabbed.

Listening to the sports talk has become a part of what I do.  I don't always have it and when it's not available I find myself missing it.  So, if you work in circumstances that surround you with co-workers, enjoy and get to know them.  However, if you're working alone like me and you feel the need for some company, don't forget about the radio.

On one project I sanded and refinished the wood floors myself.  I enjoyed doing it, learned some things, but since then I've found a contractor that specialized in this type of work to handle this for me. 

Tim Tebow is Fascinating Us Because He’s Doing the Impossible

In the wake of Denver’s playoff win in overtime this past weekend versus the widely popular Pittsburgh Steelers, it feels like everyone is talking about the Bronco's quarterback Tim Tebow.  I was an athlete growing up and in college, have always been a big sports fan, and love watching football.  Furthermore, I feel that if the Tim Tebow storyline get's my wife more interested in the sport then, as Martha Stewart says, it's a good thing.  We’ve been talking about him for months in our family, so it seems appropriate to share some thoughts here.

There are days on my renovation projects when I have contractors buzzing around the job site.  However, there are also times when I’m in the house or on the property working alone.  When no one else is around, I usually have a radio on and 90% of the time it’s tuned to a sports radio station.  This week on the Dan Patrick Show they were talking about Tim Tebow and were speculating about why people are so obsessed with him regarding the success he’s been having on the football field.  I think there are several reasons, but I believe that the root of his popularity is in the fact that he is doing things that other people have said could not be done.

As I have mentioned before (It's Possible), Blood, Sweat, and Pig’s Ears is all about doing the impossible.  That’s what the saying you can’t turn a pig’s ear into a silk purse means.  It’s a negative estimation, a prediction of impending failure.  Of all the things I’ve heard people say about the former University of Florida quarterback, I haven’t heard anyone describe him as a Pig’s Ear.  There seems to be no doubt that he’s a fine young man, an excellent role model for today’s young people, and like Katy Perry’s parents many view him as the ideal husband for their daughters.  However, what the experts said is that he wouldn’t be able to do what he’s done.  They said he couldn’t play quarterback in the NFL.  I heard them say regularly that he'd be able to play H-back or maybe tight end and they all agreed that he’d be an asset to any team because of his character and his leadership abilities.  However, over and over again they said that defenses would figure him out and that because of his throwing motion he would not be able to do what he just did this season. 

 

I don’t think that people are wrapped up in the Tim Tebow story solely because of his religious faith and ever-present convictions.  Although a huge percentage of his fan base is keyed in on his Christianity, I believe that he is also widely popular because he is doing what so many people (most especially the experts) said could not be done. 

Keep it up Tim.  Since my Cincinnati Bengals got knocked out last weekend by the Texans, I’m now pulling even more for the Broncos.  I may not be cheering as loudly as my wife, but I’m certainly enjoying your success as much as she is and am looking forward to watching you take on the Patriots this Saturday.