Embrace the Bumps
When I interviewed Veronica Schnitzius, President of American Leather, I experience a lot of “Wows” from this remarkable pro.
Here’s one:
As American Leather’s first female president, Veronica had a “learning” moment at age 23.
“As a young industrial engineer, the Maintenance team was giving me a heck of a time. So I went to the production manager, and was almost in tears telling him I could not complete the project because Maintenance didn’t want to help me.
He looked at me and said, “Tomorrow, you are going to leave the nice lady at home, and you are going to bring the “B” here. Is that clear?” I said, “Yes sir.” And that was it.
He then added, “And by the way, “You are now in charge of Maintenance.”
I was now in charge of pay raises for the five guys who were giving me a hard time and they started treating me differently.
Lessons
- Know your value.
- Expect some bumps along the way.
- Find a mentor and make that person proud.
This is a post as part of my blog series about Earning Customer Loyalty in a Digital World. Along with sharing what I know, I’ll be reaching out to experts for their tips on making the most of digital platforms. Whether you are a solo contributor, small to medium-size business owner or play a role on a Corporate Team (or some combination), I’ll be writing with you in mind. LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Facebook Marketplace, Twitter, etc.—there’s lots to learn!
And, readers, please let me hear from you — Many of you are thought leaders and experts in your own field. Please share your knowledge and call me out when I have something wrong. That way, we can be on this learning journey together!