Don’t Waste the Downtime.
Brian Osuch, CEO
OSUCHLUCK Productions -Media Specialists
The woman in a mint colored top with dark red lips called me the perfect mix of “punchy” and “plucky.” We toasted over a glass of red wine, pretty sure it was pinot noir. I wanted montepulciano; I’m a fan of pepper and black fruits like plums and sour cherries. We discussed business strategy while looking down at a busy 44th street from the second floor of Sardi’s in NYC. I had 45 minutes to kill before heading to opening night of Hillary and Clinton. Laurie Metcalf and John Lithgow delivered.
The next morning, I Googled both words. I remember feeling the toothy smile across my face.
Punchy: being or appearing vigorously effective; forceful.
Plucky: having or showing pluck or courage; brave.
Those two words perfectly describe the 30.2 million people operating their own small businesses in the United States. I proudly wear the small biz label like a badge of honor. Fundera, a financial institution in NYC, finds 19% of us spend more than 60 hours a week pouring every ounce of thought and creativity into our work. We have to, the big companies have far more power and name recognition. They also have an army of salespeople that keep their stingers just out of view, until they have to make the kill. No one said navigating the small biz landscape was easy, but it certainly made me tougher, and over the past four years I’ve learned skills that will serve anyone struggling during these uncertain times of COVID-19.
As the owner and operator of OSUCHLUCK Productions, I’ve learned to never waste my time between business opportunities. For those professionals who are uncomfortable with the downtime, it’s the season to LEARN, REFINE, and FEAST ON THE SPRINKLES OF HUMILITY.
Joanna Gaines says it brilliantly in the latest issue of Magnolia Journal, “Instead of chasing a mind-set that makes it all too easy to live for tomorrow… there is purpose to be found in every season between.”
Whether small or big business-focused, we are all in the season between and it’s time to LEARN. How can you use this extra time?
Joseph Shrope working at his studio located in Brooklyn, New York.
His designs can be seen in Romeo & Bernadette, which was set to open on Theatre Row on 42nd Street in NYC on March 26, 2020.
Costume Designer, Joseph Shrope, has been busy learning a new technology ever since Broadway went dark. “It’s something I’ve wanted to do to lessen my impact on the environment,” he says of his Wacom tablet, “I’ve gone from paper to digital drawing.” The new skill not only benefits Shrope, but the creative teams that need to see image changes at a moment’s notice. “Until now, my schedule was packed. Now that I have this new skill, I will be using this technology in all my meetings after quarantine.”
Thought leader and Head Pastor of Hillsong NYC, Carl Lentz, says “I will not waste this crisis.” He too, is being active in his learning, vowing to come out of these uncertain times having learned another language. In his March 29th online sermon, Lentz, who has tested positive for Coronavirus, says “If you get caught standing around in a crisis, it is a matter of time before you get knocked down.” He tells his online followers this is “time to step it up.” He is turning to Rosetta Stone to learn Spanish.
Image and video courtesy of Hillsong East Coast YouTube Channel
Whether a new language or technology, there are a host of free online courses available to further your education and training: Hootsuite, Hubspot, and Mediabistro to name a few.
This past Friday, I found myself staring into an iPad with a screen full of familiar faces. The Houseparty app is the best - as are virtual happy hours. During those two hours, I still didn’t have my montepulciano, many of my colleagues talked about the variety of courses they’ve been hitting up, including fundamentals of digital advertising, Google certification, WordPress and SEO training. Many of these courses are video-based and led by experts in marketing, advertising, and social media. Similar to Joseph and Pastor Carl, my tribe isn’t wasting any precious time before the country opens back up for business. Neither am I, and that’s why it’s important to know what to do next with all that new knowledge.
Anyone who follows me on Facebook or Instagram, knows that I always have a word of the year. Back on January 1, 2017, it was “Refinement.” My intention for all of 2017 was to leave the ordinary behind and strive for extraordinary as opportunities entered into my life. It just so happens refinement is a natural step between seasons.
Once you learn a new skill, it’s important to REFINE it to match your current environment or sharpen your edge for a future job opportunity. Not everything you learn will serve you today, but as seasons change, your newly acquired skillset will give you an advantage over competition – perhaps, helping you land a new job or client.
How have I been refining? I’ve been using the past few weeks learning more about business strategy, brand development, and marketing. Up until now, my business catalog has solely been built on reputation and recommendation. Again, toothy smile time. However, I’ve been missing a very important piece to my branding, a website.
“My eyeballs haven’t left my laptop screen. My fingers have been tapping at the keyboard nonstop; I swear the melody can be the chorus to this year’s song of the summer.”
Brian Osuch, CEO, OSUCHLUCK Productions
Thanks to website building software like SITE123, Squarespace, Wix, and WordPress, many creators are able to showcase their services while highlighting work samples. For me, I’ve rounded out my small business strategy. Now, I’m able to create new content and engage with people on a weekly basis.
Last but not least, is my final step while in the land between business opportunities – FEAST ON THE SPRINKLES OF HUMILITY. Those little colorful dots on top of a vanilla ice cream cone have always been my favorite. They turn something that’s plain and boring into something fabulous. It’s those teeny tiny sparks of passion that ignite your imagination. It’s the leg tapping under the desk that charges you out the door for the next meeting. It’s the fire in your eyes that gets the double take, leading a complete stranger to call you punchy and plucky. What is it you can learn, refine and sprinkle your magic onto during this downtime?
99.9% of U.S. businesses are small business. If I’ve learned anything while maneuvering this tricky terrain, it’s that every seed I plant today shows up months later.
Get your hands dirty (metaphorically). Then, make sure to wash them for at least 20 seconds (literally).
We’ll get through this together - Brian Osuch
Pillbull just dropped a new song to inspire all of us. As the lyric says, “When things get tough… that’s when we show up!”
Pitbull - I Believe That We Will Win [World Anthem] (Official Lyric Video)