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Hi there.
Speaker:It's Sue.
Speaker:And thanks for joining me for tips and talk day.
Speaker:These are bite-sized topics that I pull from community questions and
Speaker:things that I'm observing in the world of handmade small business.
Speaker:If you'd like to submit a topic,
Speaker:DME, over on Instagram at gift biz,
Speaker:unwrapped integrity,
Speaker:have you ever given this word much thought pulling from a
Speaker:blog article titled the true meaning of integrity by so young
Speaker:Kang? When I look at integrity,
Speaker:it's defined as a concept of consistency of actions,
Speaker:values, methods,
Speaker:measures, principles,
Speaker:expectations, and outcomes in ethics.
Speaker:Integrity is regarded as the honesty and truthfulness or accuracy of
Speaker:one's actions.
Speaker:To me,
Speaker:one facet of integrity is being true to your word.
Speaker:People with high integrity are known as being trustworthy,
Speaker:dependable, and someone you can rely on and living with integrity
Speaker:is important because it can determine the depth of your relationships
Speaker:and the success of your business.
Speaker:I don't think this word gets the attention and the focus
Speaker:it deserves.
Speaker:It also is an area that presents a huge opportunity.
Speaker:And that's why I want to focus on it today.
Speaker:Let's dive deeper into a part of what integrity is and
Speaker:how it can affect your personal life and business results.
Speaker:A facet of integrity that you may not have ever considered
Speaker:before is in conjunction with how you treat yourself personal integrity.
Speaker:This is how it can show up,
Speaker:or let's go into how it looks.
Speaker:If you don't treat yourself with integrity,
Speaker:you say you're going to get up early and work out.
Speaker:Your intentions are salad the night before,
Speaker:but when that alarm goes off,
Speaker:you push the snooze button again and again,
Speaker:until it's too late to fit in that morning walk before
Speaker:you head into the office.
Speaker:Here's another one you voiced interest in seeing the Northeast you've
Speaker:heard new England is beautiful and love the idea of seeing
Speaker:some of the historical landmarks marking our country's birth.
Speaker:But up to this point,
Speaker:it's just been talk.
Speaker:You haven't pursued even the first step in making this happen.
Speaker:It's all conversation between you and you.
Speaker:There are so many places where we can fall down on
Speaker:the integrity scale to ourselves,
Speaker:losing weight,
Speaker:going back to school,
Speaker:eating healthier,
Speaker:spending more time with extended family.
Speaker:I know you can easily add to this list and I
Speaker:don't bring these things up to make you feel bad.
Speaker:Believe me,
Speaker:I'm guilty of this too.
Speaker:Even someone who displays solid,
Speaker:personal integrity will slip up from time to time.
Speaker:Here's the thing,
Speaker:though. It's the recognition of your behavior,
Speaker:where you can find a path to improvement.
Speaker:How would it feel to finally take the action needed to
Speaker:lose some weight?
Speaker:It doesn't have to be 25 or 50 pounds.
Speaker:How about just that first five?
Speaker:Or what would you say to yourself?
Speaker:If you finally signed up for that watercolor class that you've
Speaker:been eyeing for years,
Speaker:you see,
Speaker:when you start showing up for yourself in ways like this,
Speaker:you build your integrity muscle.
Speaker:Along with that comes the feeling of achievement and a boost
Speaker:to your self-confidence.
Speaker:Not only does the world look brighter and more interesting.
Speaker:You are proving to yourself that you have the power to
Speaker:make things happen.
Speaker:Let's shift now and talk about how this looks on the
Speaker:flip side,
Speaker:meaning showing integrity to others.
Speaker:A big part of this is that when you say you'll
Speaker:do something,
Speaker:it actually gets done.
Speaker:Honestly, this sounds so simple,
Speaker:but when push comes to shove,
Speaker:it doesn't happen.
Speaker:I'm talking about things like showing up on time for lunch
Speaker:with a friend or gosh,
Speaker:following up to even set up the lunch that you said
Speaker:you would sending the link to an article,
Speaker:a website,
Speaker:or a photo that you had a conversation about.
Speaker:And you offered to share returning borrowed items or repaying casual
Speaker:loans in a timely manner.
Speaker:I'm sure you can tell me right now about some people
Speaker:in your life who,
Speaker:you know,
Speaker:you can't count on.
Speaker:They're always late.
Speaker:They never follow through with commitments and you already know they
Speaker:are all talk.
Speaker:No action.
Speaker:At least with these people,
Speaker:you already know that whatever comes out of their mouth is
Speaker:questionable. The harder situations are aware.
Speaker:You believe what you're being told and then are let down.
Speaker:When it doesn't happen,
Speaker:I can only speak for myself,
Speaker:but I'll tell you my relationships with these people is much
Speaker:more of a surface level relationship,
Speaker:not the deep,
Speaker:rich friendships I cherish and the ones that enrich my life.
Speaker:I had someone telling me she was putting something in the
Speaker:mail to me last November.
Speaker:I still don't have it.
Speaker:I know people who say they'll finish a project by a
Speaker:certain date,
Speaker:and then they don't even bother telling me that it won't
Speaker:be completed on time.
Speaker:And I'm paying for their services.
Speaker:I've been on committees where people don't follow through on assigned
Speaker:responsibilities. They just flat out decided they're not going to do
Speaker:it. And that leaves everybody else hanging.
Speaker:There are so many problems with this.
Speaker:Oftentimes people are counting on you and by delaying action or
Speaker:not action,
Speaker:you disrupt others plans or the ability to get a project
Speaker:on at all.
Speaker:I really don't understand how people think it's fair not to
Speaker:follow through or are blind to the ripple effects of their
Speaker:non-action with friends.
Speaker:I have to say,
Speaker:I put up with this behavior to some degree,
Speaker:but with friends like that,
Speaker:we don't get together often because I don't even know for
Speaker:certain that scheduled plans are actually going to happen on the
Speaker:business end.
Speaker:I've separated myself from at least two significant relationships and several
Speaker:minor ones to come to think of it because it's just
Speaker:not worth the hassle.
Speaker:I also don't want to be associated with that behavior because
Speaker:it can rub off and affect your reputation too.
Speaker:Here's the thing about business integrity.
Speaker:There is such a lack of it out there that when
Speaker:you do stay true to your word are honest in dealing
Speaker:with customers and follow through timely.
Speaker:With commitments.
Speaker:People notice I've observed over and over again.
Speaker:That success comes to those who exhibit a high level of
Speaker:integrity. That's why I wanted to bring up this topic to
Speaker:begin with repeat sales,
Speaker:new customers and opportunities.
Speaker:Continue to come the way of people who display integrity,
Speaker:because others feel confident referring their products and services.
Speaker:I hope this hasn't come across as a major gripe session.
Speaker:I'd actually use another word,
Speaker:but I don't want to mark this show as explicit.
Speaker:My intention here is for you to give this some thought,
Speaker:what grade would you give yourself when it comes to exhibiting
Speaker:integrity in your life,
Speaker:integrity to yourself.
Speaker:So personal integrity,
Speaker:and then also integrity that you show to others.
Speaker:If you've been lackadaisical,
Speaker:I challenge you to up your game on the personal side,
Speaker:start with something that you've been telling yourself.
Speaker:You do clean out your closet schedule and show up to
Speaker:your annual physical pick.
Speaker:One thing you've said you're going to do,
Speaker:but haven't gotten to yet,
Speaker:and then follow through in business,
Speaker:review your company procedures to make sure your actions match the
Speaker:expectations you've set to your customers.
Speaker:And then before making any new commitments,
Speaker:take a deep breath and do a double-check ask yourself,
Speaker:will I really be able?
Speaker:And do I want to follow through with this?
Speaker:If not,
Speaker:don't commit.
Speaker:Don't say you'll do something in the moment and then not
Speaker:back up your words.
Speaker:Now, listen,
Speaker:there will be times when adjustments need to be made to
Speaker:what you've agreed or promised to do.
Speaker:That's okay.
Speaker:Integrity also means following through when something needs to change,
Speaker:acknowledging that you do remember what you committed to and addressing
Speaker:how you need to change the plan based on new information
Speaker:or situations is still living with integrity.
Speaker:Totally ignoring the commitment as if you've never made.
Speaker:It is not.
Speaker:Okay. Are you with me?
Speaker:Let's agree right here and now to work on this together,
Speaker:to be aware and place weight on the importance of integrity
Speaker:in our lives to ourselves and to others know better,
Speaker:do better,
Speaker:be better.
Speaker:That's a wrap.
Speaker:I'm a get to the point kind of girl.
Speaker:And this is what you can expect from these quick midweek
Speaker:sessions. Now it's your turn go out and fulfill that dream
Speaker:of yours.
Speaker:Share your handmade products with us.
