The Umbrella That Spoke Louder Than Words
A lesson in small business operations, leadership, and readiness.
The Moment of Clarity
This umbrella was the ah-ha I didn’t know I needed.
For the last couple of years, I’ve been ping-ponging between running Mimi & Lu and supporting other small businesses—both virtually and in person. Lately, it’s that second role that has energized me.
Often, I step into a business and can pinpoint the issues immediately: and more often than not, their real roadblocks are on the ground floor.
The Foundation Is Missing
So, what do I mean by ground floor issues? They are running without a foundation. It’s why so many small businesses stall before they scale.
The business is moving—sometimes quickly—but without the infrastructure. Their operations and communications are disorganized, and implementing even the most basic systems would make a huge difference. Most business owners know they need this help and believe they want to invest time and money into it, but when it’s time to dig in, they “don’t have time”, suggest it’s too mundane and is ‘wasting time’.
This mindset is where I’ve often hit a wall.
Time and again, I’ve worked with business owners who say they want a well oiled machine—but when it comes time to do the work, they hesitate. They want the result, without contributing to or participating in the process. "They say they want it—but the truth is they want to work IN their business- not ON it.”
Before the Umbrella, the Refrigerator Should’ve Told Me
On Day 1 of this particular job, I took it upon myself to come in on a weekend and clean out the office refrigerator. It looked like something out of my UC Santa Barbara college days- an Isla Vista apartment (if you know, you know). It baffled me that it had been overlooked for so long and I wanted to start this organizational overhaul with a clean slate.
In hindsight, that fridge was a red flag. It told me everything I needed to know.
The Umbrella Test
Fast forward to my final weeks there. I noticed an umbrella lying smack in the middle of the walkway to the kitchen—a place every employee passed multiple times a day.
My instinct? Pick it up. Find it a home. But this time, I paused.
It was abundantly clear I was the only one tending to the foundation. I knew I could not continue to be the only part of the machine contributing to the foundation.
One week passed and when I returned to the office, the umbrella remained, untouched. An entire week!
That’s when it really clicked. I stared at this umbrella and let out a giant sigh. This was not going to change. I couldn’t want it more than the leaders themselves. It represented a common theme in a dysfunctional workplace: When something is everyone’s job, it becomes no one’s job. The lack of structure, accountability and defining of roles was not something I could cultivate- it was a part of the culture.
Are You Ready for Change? (like, really ready…)
Through my experiences of stepping into a business, seeing the holes and being eager to mend them, I’ve come to recognize my own unexpected oversights.
Systems and organization at the foundation can fix these problems. But without buy-in, without participation from the team (especially leadership), nothing changes. I cannot be the only part of the machine. And it’s my job to better set those expectations. For the systems I create to work effectively, there must be participation.
If there is one thing I’ve learned, it’s that whenever I’m asked to help improve a business’s operations, I’ll lead with this question:
“How ready are you?”
Because before I can build the machine, they have to commit to being a part of it.
Are you ready? Do you want to chat about what your business needs? Get in touch: daydreamdriven@gmail.com