Somewhere Over The Rainbow
If you've met my mother, you know that she is one of the kindest, giving, forgiving women on the planet. Having lived my life and being able to reflect on personal experiences, I really do believe that my mother was quite fortunate to have lived in a bubble. My friends and I have an inside joke that she truly IS Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz (just click your heels in those ruby slippers and all will be well).
Though she worked and lived abroad when she left the house at 18 to pursue her professional career, and lived in Sin City for over 35 years... she only thought the best of people and believed what she was told. I, on the other hand, who am quite the opposite, always needed proof. Though I do hope for the best, I am not disillusioned. Human beings are fallible and it is human nature to be self-serving.
For those of you who are not familiar with the dance competition industry, It is our goal to have 500 acts per weekend (Fri, Sat, Sun Competitions). At the time when I took Rainbow over, we were averaging 150-200 acts per weekend. When shows were that small, the days ended around 5pm, which allowed the crew to have a nice dinner and a good night's sleep. When the company began to grow averaging 300-350 acts per weekend, the end times were much later, which changed the dynamics of weekend schedule that everyone was accustomed to.
After a while, it started to become an issue. Like most challenges I worked to find what I thought was a fair solution on a spreadsheet of course lol. I calculated the averages and began to make adjustments in compensation (the crew was paid a daily rate). It certainly was not our intention for the crew to work more and get paid less. I was also still pushing for a complete restructure to the travel arrangement policies to cut costs. With all of these changes... the Indians were restless.
You would think that the individuals who had been alongside watching my mother struggle for 9 years would be celebrating Rainbow's growth.
Oh quite the contrary.....
And during this time, my mother was no longer having to travel and work the weekends. The additional mortgages that financed Rainbow in the beginning stages were starting to be paid down aggressively, and her personal income had tripled by year two....
OH - and that 10% I bought.... It was resulting in immediate profit distribution!
There was a great deal to be proud of: Working toward sustainability, creating opportunity for our contractors (additional income), and allowing my mother the opportunity to finally retire after her long career of giving to others (performer, dance education, dance competition promoter).
Truth is... everything seemed so right. Logic was being applied, it was balancing on a spreadsheet, operations were starting to be in alignment with the organization's goals....
Yet there was great frustration and unhappiness. Oh, and I was public enemy No. 1 ~
Though she worked and lived abroad when she left the house at 18 to pursue her professional career, and lived in Sin City for over 35 years... she only thought the best of people and believed what she was told. I, on the other hand, who am quite the opposite, always needed proof. Though I do hope for the best, I am not disillusioned. Human beings are fallible and it is human nature to be self-serving.
For those of you who are not familiar with the dance competition industry, It is our goal to have 500 acts per weekend (Fri, Sat, Sun Competitions). At the time when I took Rainbow over, we were averaging 150-200 acts per weekend. When shows were that small, the days ended around 5pm, which allowed the crew to have a nice dinner and a good night's sleep. When the company began to grow averaging 300-350 acts per weekend, the end times were much later, which changed the dynamics of weekend schedule that everyone was accustomed to.
After a while, it started to become an issue. Like most challenges I worked to find what I thought was a fair solution on a spreadsheet of course lol. I calculated the averages and began to make adjustments in compensation (the crew was paid a daily rate). It certainly was not our intention for the crew to work more and get paid less. I was also still pushing for a complete restructure to the travel arrangement policies to cut costs. With all of these changes... the Indians were restless.
You would think that the individuals who had been alongside watching my mother struggle for 9 years would be celebrating Rainbow's growth.
Oh quite the contrary.....
And during this time, my mother was no longer having to travel and work the weekends. The additional mortgages that financed Rainbow in the beginning stages were starting to be paid down aggressively, and her personal income had tripled by year two....
OH - and that 10% I bought.... It was resulting in immediate profit distribution!
There was a great deal to be proud of: Working toward sustainability, creating opportunity for our contractors (additional income), and allowing my mother the opportunity to finally retire after her long career of giving to others (performer, dance education, dance competition promoter).
Truth is... everything seemed so right. Logic was being applied, it was balancing on a spreadsheet, operations were starting to be in alignment with the organization's goals....
Yet there was great frustration and unhappiness. Oh, and I was public enemy No. 1 ~
What a journey...
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