Christin’s Intro | Cisco Catalyst 3750G Series Switch | Disinfectant Sprays | Rivers & Swamps | News to Start Your Day
Happy Wednesday!
Welcome to the CablesAndKits CEO daily email. Read more about this email by scrolling to the very bottom.
When the idea of a sabbatical came up for Craig, I mentioned to him that I’d be willing to be “the voice” of his CEO Daily for the time he would be off. A day or two ago, I threw together some ideas for points-of-view to Jason, our E-commerce Manager (you met him yesterday), and next thing I know, I’m being introduced to you guys. So, here I am, saying hello and hoping to get to know you all over the next few weeks.
I’m Christin, Craig’s wife and the co-founder of CK. We’ve been married for 16 years, together for 21 years and have worked together in various capacities for 19 years. (How all of that math works is a story for another day.) When we started in this business, I was 19 years old. I was a junior at the University of Georgia, pursuing a degree in chemistry, and I left to go “all in” on this life we’ve built.
As with the choices each of us have made about our family and careers, there were no guarantees about where we would end up. Between here and there are lots of stories and lessons learned. I hope to share some of those (and more) with you over the next few weeks.
So.. hi, new friends! If you’re inclined to help us improve this email, I would love to know what you enjoy most about the things we share. What “inside information” about CK or information about our products would you like for me or others to share?
Christin
Today’s Product Updates from Rebecca (our “Rock Star” Product manager):
Today we’re taking a look at a Cisco Catalyst 3750G Series switch, the WS-C3750G-48PS-S! This switch is an excellent option for midsized and large offices alike. It is a PoE switch that features (48) 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet ports plus (4) SFP ports. In addition, this switch also includes Cisco StackWise technology which allows users to stack up to 9 individual switches!
To learn more about this switch, check out our YouTube video, Product Info: WS-C3750G-48PS-S
PPE / Safety Supplies Update:
This is Jason stepping in here to help out with the PPE update today. I had a friend text me yesterday and ask what disinfecting sprays we had in stock and then ask what they smelled like. It is funny before COVID I am not sure we all really paid as close attention to the smell of cleaning supplies. I mean, we wanted it to smell good and not knock us out while using it, but now cleaning sprays are so engrained into our lives now that it is as important as the cologne or perfume we wear. Please do not use disinfecting sprays as cologne or perfume. Not a good move. (btw…I couldn’t answer the smelling question, so she went ahead and ordered one fo each. lol!)
All of our Disinfectant Sprays are on sale right now. Some of the top ones are:
- Lysol All-Purpose Cleaner (Lemon Scent) – $13.50
- Clorox Cleanup Spray – $13.50
- Claire Fresh Scent – $12.50
- Claire Lemon Scent – $12.50
Need safety supplies for your business, school, or family? We got ya covered!
Main Safety Supplies Landing Page: https://www.cablesandkits.com/c/safety-supplies
Rivers & Swamps – by Gary Epp, our Chief Administrative Steward
A river flows. A swamp stagnates.
A river gathers strength. A swamp generates stench.
A river provides energy. A swamp fuels decay.
A river identifies a path much traveled. A swamp invites aimless wandering.
A river has boundaries that provide direction and generate power. A swamp is a featureless morass that easily entangles and consumes.
Building Boundaries in my Life & Business
Good business leaders define the boundaries of their business. Personal mentors–authors, pastors/priests, coaches/bosses–often urge us to do the same in our personal lives. This exercise is both superficially simple and deeply difficult. There is a tendency to define ourselves and our business by what we do (i.e. our professional vocation, community role, the products we sell or the services we provide). However, highly successful businesses dive below the surface to define why we do it and often think in terms of the desired outcome in the lives of family, friends, colleagues, customers and suppliers.
Even if we can get below the surface to develop a richly fruitful understanding of what we do and why we do it, we face continual challenges in living up to what we believe defines us.
Why is it so difficult?
I touched on part of the challenge in Beliefs, Behaviors and Branding. Beyond that, human nature instinctively resists the imposition of boundaries. Boundaries restrain our freedom to explore. Boundaries confine us to the mundane. Boundaries limit our options. The idea of going anywhere, doing anything and being anybody sounds seductively liberating. But, in most cases we simply don’t like being told what to do.
Why boundaries matter?
Whether we like it or not, individuals and businesses remain subject to natural laws. One such reality is that every individual and business faces the reality of limited resources in every dimension. Well defined boundaries for our businesses and lives avoid the wasteful spending of our limited resources. Aligning our beliefs and behaviors provides the focus that generates exponential returns from our investments of time, talents and treasures ($$$). Consequently, it becomes crucial to define who we are, what we do and why we do it so that we are equipped to recognize and rebuff ideas and invitations that fall outside our boundaries. We must reframe those crossroads questions as not can we do it, but should we do it.
Putting it into Practice.
- Create a written list of your own resources
- Carve out some reflective time to define (or update) your boundaries in writing — things you will (and won’t) do in life or business; this might be in the form of a mission statement, a list of values you cherish.
- Periodically test the alignment among your beliefs, boundaries and behaviors (at least annually)
Thanks to my now deceased pastor, Buddy Hoffman for the reference to rivers & swamps that got my mind moving down the track of this topic.
We hope you are enjoying (and will continue to enjoy) these emails. If you are, we would appreciate it if you let us know! Respond to this email with your feedback. If not, or if you have ideas for how to improve, by all means, please let us know, as well! As always, please continue to let us know how we can be of service to you. If you need assistance with something, advice, or even if you just need someone to pray for you, we (including Craig) are here and listening.
Blessings,
The CK Team
P.S. Don’t forget to go follow us on Facebook here: CK Facebook Page.
COVID / Tech / Business News to Start Your Day With:
- Right at 33,903,100 cases worldwide, with 25,193,200 people who have recovered, with 1,013,726 deaths AND 7,408,100 cases in the US with over 4,649,800 people have recovered, with 210,835 deaths.
- The NFL faced its first outbreak of the season on Tuesday, as eight players and personnel for the Tennessee Titans tested positive for the coronavirus.
- Prolonged closures at Walt Disney’s California-based theme parks and limited attendance at its open parks have forced the company to lay off 28,000 employees across its parks, experiences and consumer products division. Around 67% of the 28,000 laid off workers were part-time employees, according to a statement from Disney’s head of parks, Josh D’Amaro.
- The Big Apple is moving forward with allowing indoor dining to resume at 25% capacity Wednesday. At his daily press conference Tuesday, de Blasio said, “We are going to watch that carefully, but the bottom line is indoor dining will go forward.” New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said later at his daily press conference, “I don’t believe we’re at the point of rolling back anything.”
- Apple granted Tim Cook 336,987 restricted units of Apple stock on Tuesday, as well as performance-based grants that could take his total to 1,001,961 shares by 2025. At Tuesday’s closing price of $114.09, the shares are worth $114 million. Cook’s current stock grant plan expires next year, so the new grant ensures he’ll be paid competitively through 2025 if he sticks around.
- Google is hosting its Sept. 30 Launch Night In. It already unveiled the Pixel 4A budget phone in August, confirming on the same day the existence of its next flagship, the Pixel 5, and the upcoming Pixel 4A 5G, both of which will have support for 5G.
- Amazon’s Prime Day won’t be the only big sales event in October. Walmart and Target this week both announced plans to offer up their own deals during online events that just happen to line up with Amazon’s annual shopping fest.