Folding letters, sticking address labels and stamping envelopes…that’s how we spent our time the other evening.

We’ve had the privilege of establishing a wonderful internship program with the local university and for the past few months, they’ve had the ability to see first hand how a business works.  Marketing, events, sales, systems…they’re experiencing it all in their endeavors to expand their knowledge about business.

So it seemed perfectly fitting that my interns would execute our direct marketing campaign.  Our event was coming up and we always make sure to let folks know!  And how perfect would it be for them to be a part of a direct mail campaign?  They could see the direct effect of their efforts!

However, circumstances happened, and Chris, my husband and business partner, Rhonda, our Executive Coordintator and I found ourselves staring at a list of 450 people to mail to and no Interns to help us finish the project today.  Even though two interns would be coming in the morning, we decided we couldn’t wait.

So, we spent the evening stuffing envelopes.

Being the efficiency junkie that I am, I was at first a little frustrated.  This is not working ON our business!  But as the hum of the repetitive motions lulled me into a meditation, I reflected on the lessons to be learned.

• Connect With Your Core: As our entrepreneurs organization has grown from 20 members to over just shy of 300 members, the roles that we play in the company have evolved.  We don’t always have our hands in every little detail of the company, which is a good thing for scaling the business.  However, as I sat in the office and looked at each of the recipients’ names, I remembered each person and recalled how they had been impacted by our education and community.  I remembered the stories they told us about how something they learned at our events changed their businesses.  It was a great reminder of why we do what we do.

• Remember The Old Days: Okay, so it’s not like we’re a 50 year old company, but 6 years is plenty of time to have “remember when” moments.  I remember when Chris, Rhonda and I would be sitting in the office in an assembly line, needing to get the mailers out for the next event.  The power of this memory is that it reminds me to simply enjoy every moment of this!  I’m sure I felt stressed and tired all those years ago, but we were laughing and bonding and creating great memories that have contributed to where we are as a company today!

• Look For Ways To Improve: As the methodical motions calmed my mind, one thought remained a focus –improvement!  How can I better systemize this?  How can this process improve?  Even though our direct mail campaign process has definitive steps, there were obvious ways I could improve the system so it worked more efficiently.  And digging my hands into the nitty gritty of it tonight gave me the chance to see it.

• Be Grateful: We are so blessed to experience business growth these past years.  And sticking stamps on 450 envelopes made it hit home just how far we’ve come and just how truly lucky we are!

While Michael Gerber and business strategists around the globe remind you to “Work ON Your Business!” I’m going to simply remind you of the benefits of working IN your business every once in a while.  The moments we get to do that in the most intimate ways are always moments that teach us something that can transform our businesses!