What My Quirks Taught Me About Business

The stuff those closest to us already know — and how it shows up in the world

There's a person in your life who knows exactly where you don't quite have it together.

Maybe it's a close friend. Maybe it's a sibling who has never once let you forget that thing you did back in 2011.

In my case, it's my wife and partner, Liz.

She doesn't need to say much. There's a look. And when I get it, I already know.

At the end of the day, she knows exactly where my gaps are ... where things fall down in my professional or personal life. And I don't think anyone — at least not anyone I know — is brilliant at everything. We all have our strengths and the areas where we come up short, and those tend to show up most clearly for the people who know us best.

Frankly, I think it's great that Liz knows where I'm going to struggle. After all these years, she either accepts it or just accepts me for who I am. Laughable as it is ... it must drive her crazy, though. She sees me do things so well at work, yet I'm absolutely terrible at keeping ahead of the same things at home.

She's not alone in knowing this, either. A few close friends have figured me out too ... and then there's my dad, who remains patient and knows, deep down, that I mean well.

Take a look below for some of my weirdest quirks.

My Photography Lights Are Always Charged. The Kitchen, Not So Much

An example of this playing out is my home... And maybe yours is this one. At work, I'm meticulous about making sure my lights are charged and ready before every session. Without fail. Not doing it isn't an option for me.

Now, head on over to my house.

The pot light in my kitchen has been burnt out and unchanged for five weeks. Liz has pointed it out more than once. I've noticed it too. Did I do anything about it? Absolutely not. Weeks went by, and at this point Liz and I are eating dinner in what can only be described as 'mood lighting.'

It's actually absurd writing it down ... but there you go. So organized for work, not so great on the home front.

I'll Call a Client Back Before They've Finished Leaving the Message. My Dad Waits Weeks.

If a client calls, I'm on it immediately. You reach out, I respond, we move forward.

No delays.

My dad calls ... and I'll get back to him eventually. A day or two later, if he's lucky. (Honestly, it could be two weeks) A few friends have actually figured this out and started emailing my business account because they get a faster response than a text message.

Funny and a little embarrassing, honestly. The quirk is the same on both sides.

The urgency just isn't there, and I really need to get better at calling folks back in my immediate circle. Sorry, Dad. I'll call you soon.

I'm Also Not Great at Taking a Compliment

This one shows up everywhere — business and personal life equally.

My wife gives me a compliment. My good friends do the same. Even clients compliment me on my work. And every single time, I get super uncomfortable with it. I get sheepish, I shy away from it.

I think it has something to do with belief in yourself. Does anyone else react that way? It's something I often discover I'm doing without even realizing it. And it's something I still have to work on. I think I need to see myself differently in order to accept that compliment.

Here's the funny part, though. I can tell other people they look great. A few months ago, I put out a post called "Bull$@ip, You're Not Beautiful" — making sure there's a star in their eye when we publish it. Basically, I tell people they're solid in the camera. They don't need Photoshop. They just need to be their authentic self.

Yet I can't take my own advice. I mean, I wrote earlier this year about not liking going in front of the camera. It's evident that I have my own hang-ups about compliments and seeing myself in a picture.

Along the same lines... I also have difficulty asking for help. I will drop everything to help a friend, a neighbour, a family member, well-wishers, even, but would I ask for help... Nope! I just can't seem to do it. I don't know why but there you have it.... I'd probably pay for help before I'd ask for help. What's wrong with this picture?!

That's why I'm writing this. I need the self-reflection. I need to name the things that are really tripping me up, both personally and professionally. My quirks. And frankly, this one's on the list because I'm giving people advice and then not taking it myself.

I need to work on this for sure.

The Gap Is Smaller Than We Think

Here's what all of this has actually taught me.

The skills are the same on both sides. The follow-through, the responsiveness, the care — it all lives in the same person. What changes is where we decide to apply it. And most of us, if we're being honest, give the professional version of ourselves the best of what we've got ... and let everything else wait.

That's not a character flaw. It's a quirk. But it's worth noticing.

The more self-aware you are about where you come up short — where your good intentions don't quite turn into action — the better you get.

As a business owner, a manager, a partner, a person. Real growth tends to start with an honest look at yourself, not just working harder at the things you're already good at.

I guess that's why I've written this here... I may add to it over time as well. But we all have quirks or things we don't do very well in parts of our lives. The fact we own it and try to do better is the bottom line.

So What Are Yours?

We all have a gap. The thing you do brilliantly at work that somehow never makes it home. Or the patience, the care, the follow-through you give your family that your clients or colleagues rarely see.

I'd genuinely like to hear about it in the comments.

I'll try to reply ... but don't hold your breath. I will read every single one, though.

That much I can promise.