A View From the Mountain Let me tell you about a time when it looked like all my luck had run out. It turned out to be a lesson that has shaped how I have lived ever since. I like to call this my “Mount Bachelor Event.” It was a bad day for Express Employment Professionals in Bend. A “good” client had left town in the middle of the night, and several other accounts could not meet their payroll obligation during an economic downturn. Our timber-based economy was faltering, and the prospects for a rebound were bleak. I was left to cover several company payrolls for multiple people with no way to be paid back. The largest one was the equivalent of $300,000 today. I visited my banker, my accountant, and my attorney that morning trying to decide what direction I should go in. They all advised the same course of action: Cut my losses and close my doors. I couldn’t afford the amount of money I would have to pay to make up for those companies. I respectfully thanked them for their advice, stood up, pushed in the chair , and told them, “I am going to do this with or without. Thank you for your time.” I left those meetings feeling like I had just been knocked out in the first round of a championship fight. I passed the Express Employment Professionals office, not able to go in and face the staff yet. I knew I needed a sign. Should I go on? Or was I just stubborn and my ego was thinking I could overcome any obstacle. I drove west toward Mount Bachelor’s ski area, literally looking for divine intervention. I parked my car, got out, and walked up to purchase my lift ticket. Later I wondered what those skiers must have thought of the woman in a business suit and heels standing in line for a lift ticket. I suspect they thought I might jump. An elderly couple behind me dressed in ski bibs, ski jackets, and goggles watched me closely. I rode the chairlift to the top of the mountain and prayed all the way. I prayed that I would be given a sign so I could make the right decision. I had never asked for a “sign” before and wasn’t sure what, if anything, to expect. The question was, should I take the advice of all the experts and throw in the towel, or should I go with my instinct and fight? The chairlift returned to the bottom of the hill; I got off and headed toward the parking lot. I looked up to see Bend’s most successful and powerful businessman standing in the parking lot in his ski gear entertaining a client. He asked what I was doing in “that outfit,” to which I replied, somewhat embarrassed, “Maybe someday I will share the reason with you.” Though he was clearly puzzled he said, “Gee I’m so glad I ran into you today. We have several positions we need to have filled and I’d like Express to do the job. Call me on Monday.” That day he gave me the single greatest job order I would fill that year. I had my sign. I still have that lift ticket to this day to remind me of the sign I was given and the decision I made. It was the right decision. Years later I was able to thank that businessman when I was the emcee at an event to honor him. I let him know how he had made a difference in my life without even knowing it. I told him that night, in my opinion, there are three essentials in life: There are many things we do because they are the right choice. There are those things we do because we want to. There are those things we have done that we are not even aware of. That night I told him about the one essential thing he had done in my life that he wasn’t even aware of. That same faith in divine intervention and the ability to ask for and receive signs still guide me today. Too often we are blind to the everyday miracles. Many people tend to think of miracles in terms of grand gestures. They miss the simple openings of the heart that can be practiced with almost everyone. I challenge all of us to continue to watch for those openings. This truly was a miracle that changed my direction. It is my belief that one of the unique strengths men and women bring to entrepreneur and leadership roles is a sense of purpose or destiny, usually coupled with a strong value system. The sense of purpose may also manifest itself in a commitment to business and to community, causes, or projects. Great leaders contribute to the common good, reinventing organizations, optimizing work-life balance, lifelong learning, mentoring, and continued growth, which is what I have tried to emulate in my life. Business people need a vision they are able to articulate and sell by striking a balance between optimism and grounded reality. As women continue to move into leadership roles in many industries and fields, I see us bringing an emphasis to new ways of doing business, visions that challenge established leadership practices, cultivation of customer-focused relationships, collaborating alliances with customers , and forging unchartered paths for the future. The well-worn phrase “You’ve come a long way, baby” is so true, and we are still on our journey to becoming the best we can be. Today’s leadership for men and women, is about creating value, personal and professional authenticity, developing relationships, and leading the way to a new kind of future. Our lives can also be a book we write for ourselves, wonderfully illustrated by the people we meet, and experiences we have both on purpose and unexpectedly given to us. I keep this quote at the forefront of my mind as I forge ahead in business and life. “A life i s about its events; It’s challenges met and overcome – or not. It’s about successes and failure. But more than all of these put together, i t’s about how we touch and are touched by the people we meet. It’s all about the people.” ~Colin Powell. “It Worked for Me: In Life and Leadership” (2012) As former Secretary of State, Colin Powell said it is about “how we touch and are touched by the people we meet.” So, i t did become apparent to me , as I put my thoughts together to share in this book , that the successes were a blessing and all the challenges have become lessons. I have been able to share the M ount Bachelor story as one of those pivotal moments in my life. A time when a change, commitment , and desire to succeed in my business was fine-tuned by a challenging experience and what I chose to do with it. By the way, after the economic slump, my house needed to be put in order again and I certainly had the desire and determination to change and win. The first thing I had to do was carve these two lessons in stone for my life: Know that there will be economic downturns during the course of your business, and know that the only certainly in life is change.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Connie go to the ski lift in a business suit?
After a devastating day, Connie drove to Mount Bachelor and got on the ski lift in her business suit and heels. She still has the lift ticket.
What does the ski lift ticket represent?
The lift ticket is proof that sometimes the most important business decision looks completely irrational. She found her answer in the view from the top.
How do women entrepreneurs find clarity during business crises?
Connie's answer wasn't a business book — it was a mountain. She needed to physically remove herself and find perspective.
What is the significance of Mount Bachelor?
Mount Bachelor appears throughout Connie's story as a place of renewal — where she connected with something bigger than quarterly results.
