No more heroics.

“Today I will do what other's won't, so tomorrow I will do what others can't.”― Jerry Rice No more heroics. (I admit, in full disclosure, that I like heroics and that I'm not always right.) Hustle & grind culture. It amuses me when I see non-gym-attending people wearing Nike shirts with phrases such as, "I'm always on my grind." or "24/7 Hustle." Clearly, someone making shirts is on a hustle because those people got hustled into buying shirts for a cause they don't believe in. The hustle culture is the "Only losers sleep" "No days off" mentality that you can work your way to success. I actually…
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“Energy Roadblocks & Speed Bumps” – Energy Growth Part 2 of 3

Speed bumps sap your team's energy. "Energy Roadblocks & Speed Bumps" - Energy Growth Part 2 of 3 "We've been over this and over this and over this." "How many times do we have to have this same discussion?" "That's not something we talk about." Speed bumps. Energy is not tied directly to the number of things you need to do but instead fluctuates based on the rewards of doing the tasks. Completing a project generates energy. Achieving a goal creates energy. Making solid progress and seeing the results of your work all create energy. Repeating decisions, arguing, misdirection, interruptions, starting and stopping all suck energy; these are all speed…
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NextGen Recruiting Online + Power Curve Pricing

Hiring is tricky business, especially in this economy, so why not make it easier on you and easier for good people to apply? Hey gang, You might be thinking - "I'm in the thick of things and can't possibly soak up another idea!" I totally get it, but if you don't think about these to crucial items, you'll be working harder for less all season long. Plus, this might be my last webinar for awhile - eventually, even Maize Quest has to do some outdoor work to get open :-) You have to work on #1 - recruiting employees, and you have to…
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Three 2020 Things I don’t want to change in 2021 – Part 2 of 3

Hey gang,  In Part 1 of this series, "Where do we go from here," We took a look in the rearview mirror at the year that was. In 2020 we dealt with extraordinary uncertainty and considered our reactions to uncertain circumstances; our team's reaction to uncertain circumstances.  The pull to "Get back to the way things were" is powerful. Sometimes I visualize 2019's ease of travel, freedom to go to church gatherings, and family friend get-togethers free of the invisible fear.  My challenge to you in Part 1 was to consider the idea that you DON'T want EVERYTHING to go back to normal. That you do not want…
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You never stop growing up.

It was Tuesday the week before we hosted our first event of the season, and it just boiled over. Farmer Hugh's a pretty nice guy most of the time, but he remains completely imperfect. I boiled over. I sharpened my words and darkened my tone. I lit into the crew of teenagers who had worked all summer getting the fun park ready. I was venting frustration I didn't even know I had on a good group of kids. External pressures and circumstances. We are all under a new set of external forces during this incredible change in circumstances with Covid-19. Without careful attention…
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Life’s too short, only read what you’re interested in.

Life’s too short, only read what you’re interested in.

Working with corn maze clients across North America and the UK, creating attractions and marketing plans for hundreds more farms and entertainment businesses, plus managing nearly 100 staff across three businesses and 1,400 acres of production, retail, and entertainment in a family business generates a lot of stories. This blog is a connection point for seasonal and family business owners to look inside, learn from our mistakes, and connect on a level only people in the small business community can. Choose what you'd like to read by category or search, then surf around occasionally for something interesting you might not…
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Maize Quest’s “Keep Hiring”

"Keep Hiring" Hey Friends, No matter how many employees and trainees you have on your roster, you don't have enough. Things are going to come up - schedule conflicts, incompetent hires you thought would work out, that crazy busy weekend that happened after that rainy weekend, it all adds up to subtract from your roster. You need to keep hiring. This time of year gets hectic, though it should never come as a surprise. We are in the middle of wine events, farm market, pick-your-own orchards, the corn maze is open every weekend, tours are starting... you know how it is, hectic. Being short-staffed is…
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