
Who am I? | Face Masks Update | 10G Transceivers | Challenging the Consensus | News to Start Your Day
Who Am I? – Part 1 (A personal and CK Story)
I mentioned to you in my introduction email that, before this year, I had been away from the day-to-day operations of our business for many years. It was a huge lifestyle change and honestly a really hard transition for me when I stepped away. Achievement and what I did was quite literally who I was up to that point in my life. I didn’t know myself outside of school or work.
I started college my junior year of high school through a dual enrollment program that was available here in Georgia. Credits for the college classes I was taking also counted towards my high school credits to graduate. I decided to take my entire course load at college my senior year of high school, graduated high school as my class valedictorian (a goal I set for myself in the 6th grade), took a full load at college that summer semester, then finished my associate’s degree in Chemistry (with extra credits beyond what I needed for the degree) that next year. I was 18 years old, ready to begin at the University of Georgia as a second semester junior, and I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. Math and science came easy to me. Achievement was who I was. Surely I could figure the rest of it out.
I ended up leaving UGA after one semester because I was burnt out (shocker, right?) and lacked direction. Playing in the bigger pond of a major university, entering as a junior, and generally not knowing what was next in life created an environment that left me anxious and lacking in fulfillment. The business that is now CK began in October of that year, Craig and I were engaged in November and in December I left school to begin working with him to build what was then just an opportunity into a business. Looking back it is easy enough to see that I was running from something rather than running with purpose towards something new. But I was 19, in love, and excited about making a change. It felt right, surely that meant it was right.
I poured my achievement mindset into the life and business we were building. We became that young, successful couple with the cool story. We worked side by side (literally, desks side by side) for 5 years, mostly working 3-6 hours a day during that time, making more money than my never-to-be chemistry degree would’ve dared to offer. We ate out and went to movies in the middle of the day, found fun hobbies, and took vacations whenever we wanted. Achievement was still who I was, but this time I had a partner in it and it was a lot more fun.
Fast forward 10 years and I found myself burnt out once again. We were married, hadn’t had any luck starting a family, had both matured but in a weird bubble with each other nearby through the whole thing (we needed some space), and the business had grown to that awkward teenager phase. It needed to be led differently, and we had different ideas about what that looked liked. There was tension. I stepped out of the business then, not realizing that I was stepping right into the mess I had left behind by running for all those years.
[Confession: This story went in a different direction than I intended when I sat down to write. I have decided to go with it, but I will need to break it up into shorter pieces for better deliverability. Part 2 coming tomorrow. I hope you’ll stick with me.]
Christin
Today’s Product Updates from Rebecca:
We’ve spent a lot of time this week focusing on wipes and sprays, but we can’t forget about face masks!
We still have you covered if you’re looking to protect yourself and others as we go into the cool weather seasons!
- Medical Grade N95 Protective Face Mask (20 Pack) – Just as it says in the name, this is a medical-grade mask making it perfect for folks working in medical facilities who need superior protection! It’s also an awesome mask for anyone to have on hand as they are out and about running errands! You can pick up this box of 20 masks for only $40 on special today!!
- 3M 8200 N95 Protective Face Mask (20 Pack) – This 3M brand N95 face mask is lightweight and comfortable! It is NIOSH approved and has a ≥95% bacterial filtration efficiency.
- 3-Ply Protective Face Mask (50 Pack) – By far one of our most popular masks! This 3-ply non-woven disposable mask is ideal for having nearby as you go about your day! We have them on sale for only $7.50 for a box of 50 masks!
Don’t forget to use code PPESHIP at checkout for free shipping on PPE orders!
Main Safety Supplies Landing Page: https://www.cablesandkits.com/c/safety-supplies
Today’s “tech” product spotlight features a 10G transceiver that we love! The SFP-10G-LR transceiver module was designed for long-range transmission. It supports 10 Gbps data transfer rates over a distance of 10 kilometers (that’s 6.2 miles!) using singlemode fiber. This hot-swappable SFP+ transceiver is a fantastic option for satisfying connectivity needs in large data centers, enterprise wiring closets, large campuses, and more!
We offer 3 versions of this module:
- Cisco Original – Factory Sealed
- Cisco Original – Refurbished
- CK Branded (Cisco Compatible) – Factory Sealed
Challenging the Consensus – by Gary our Chief Administrative Officer
(If you missed part 1 & part 2 you can read it on our blog.)
Apollo Mission Moment #3
In the hours immediately following an explosion aboard Apollo 13, Flight Director Gene Kranz had just declared a consensus view from his Houston team—the spacecraft had 45 hours before power failure killed the crew. However, chief flight controller for the electrical, environmental, and communications systems, John Aaron’s, own analysis told him the spacecraft had a mere 16 hours of power remaining. Instead of quietly going along with the group in the spirit of teamwork, Aaron courageously spoke up and challenged his boss and a group of extremely bright colleagues with his different conclusion. Kranz pushed back, but Aaron confidently held his ground. It turned out that Aaron was right and the group consensus was wrong.
Today’s business environment needs courageous people who are not afraid to speak up and challenge the group’s thought process or behavior. How different might our world be if key people at Enron, Tyco or Adelphia had the courage of John Aaron?
Leveraging the Moment…when you feel compelled to challenge the group:
- Clearly separate your facts from your opinions. Strive to keep it fact-based.
- Keep it professional and issue focused (not personality focused).
- Be respectful.
- Stand strong.
“To see what is right, and not to do it, is want of courage or of principle.” (Confucius)
News to Start Your Day With:
- Right at 36,097,950 cases worldwide, with 27,179,300 people who have recovered, with 1,055,644 deaths AND 7,724,200 cases in the US with over 4,936,500 people have recovered, with 215,849 deaths.
- Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that his close relatives and other people in his inner circle have been vaccinated against the coronavirus, as Russia races to cement itself as the first country with an effective method of wiping out the disease. The vaccine, known as Sputnik V and developed by the Russian Health Ministry’s Gamaleya National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology, has already been given to one of Putin’s two daughters, it was announced in August as the Russian government registered it.
- Six states — Arkansas, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin and Wyoming — set records for coronavirus-related hospitalizations on Tuesday, according to data tracked by The Washington Post. A seventh, Oklahoma, reported its highest count of hospitalizations since late July.
- President Trump’s team of physicians revealed Sunday that he was being treated with dexamethasone, and health experts immediately voiced concern. The powerful steroid has shown promise for treating patients with severe covid-19 who are getting supplemental oxygen, as Trump was, but may cause harm for those with minor infections.
- Dow futures pointed to a 200 point gain at Wednesday’s open after President Donald Trump late Tuesday prodded Capitol Hill to approve additional coronavirus relief in separate bills.
- After a 16-month investigation into competitive practices at Apple, Amazon, Facebook and Alphabet’s Google, the House Judiciary subcommittee on antitrust has released its findings and recommendations on how to reform laws to fit the digital age. The report concluded that the four tech giants enjoy monopoly power, and it suggested that Congress take up changes to antitrust laws, which could result in parts of their businesses being separated.
- Apple just announced a product launch event on Oct. 13 where it’s expected to reveal the next iPhone model. The date comes after Apple announced the new Apple Watch Series 6, iPad Air and 8th-generation iPad during an event in September.
- Netflix is testing a feature that I am referring to as a “sick day function” — an option to turn off that pesky pop-up that appears after watching three episodes in a row of something to ask if you’re still watching.