MotionTemps Introduces New Business Venture

It's been a very busy summer. As if my schedule wasn't busy enough, I had nothing else better to do than start a new business venture. It's called MotionTechs.

MotionTechs is a service that is only available in Paris for obvious reasons. I'll be introducing it formally this October but this site provides affordable and flexible PC maintenance services in English for home-based business owners, independent consultants and families. It's fun because it's a job I really enjoy doing, and to be honest, it's how I've met so many of my MotionTemps clients in Paris.

I'm usually called to help with a computer problem. That visit usually leads to questions concerning programs like PowerPoint. Before I know it, I'm assisting a new client in some virtual capacity. It's also nice because doing house calls makes my week less predictable, and I actually get to leave the office for a few hours.

I don't know what will happen with this venture, but getting it started is always a blast!

Because Gucci Is Its Own Reward

Today, I did something totally out of character for me: I made an impulsive purchase. I know that doesn't sound really earth shattering, but for people who know me really well, it's a big deal. In fact, there are only three things that are powerful enough to make me throw caution to the wind and buy something without thinking: shoes, CDs and purses. Today, the latter won out. I saw this Gucci handbag that I just had to add to my collection, but hey, it was on sale. I'm not talking about the French's idea of a sale, I mean a REAL sale and once I completed my purchase from the store in the U.S., I ended up paying about a third of what I would have paid for the same bag here in France. It didn't hurt that the euro is still riding high against the dollar - sorry Uncle Sam.

Okay, now I've explained what I've done but let me explain why. This month I will not only celebrate MotionTemps' fourth anniversary, but just this week, I also picked up a new Canadian client for a long-term PR project, and I'm really excited about the details. I thought it was time to give myself a nice pat on the back, and the Gucci was my reward.

Three years ago my friend and business coach, Carole Nicolaides, gave me some excellent advice that I try to incorporate into my business daily. Each year when I am listing my goals for the company, I put those goals into an excel spreadsheet. I assign points to those goals and every time I achieve one of those goals, I award myself with points. I give the points value. For example, 500 points equals a new outfit, or 1,000 points equals a day at a spa, etc. At the end of each month, I an supposed to tally up the points and reward myself, the idea being if I don't do this, who else will? It has been such a great exercise. I don't always have time to tally up my points each month, but I do perform this exercise twice a year when revisiting my business plan. I've been a busy girl this year, hence the new handbag.

Now, this doesn't mean that my long-term priorities are all off kilter. Every day, I'm still working toward saving money for retirement, college education funds, and ultimately that new house. However, every now and again, you have to be willing to put the delayed gratification on hold and enjoy the moment. I think I can enjoy this bag at least until December.

It's Still a Holiday for Me, Too!

It's the 4th of July and MotionTemps is closed today. My clients in the States get this immediately, as they are also at home enjoying great barbecue, something I can only dream about until I return.

Contrastly, why do some of my French clients have such a hard time understanding this concept - even after I tell them that the office will be closed well in advance? Saying that I'll be closed for July 14th is a no brainer, however. You see, that's their independence day, Bastille Day. However, my need to celebrate my country's holidays and customs seem to put them at a loss. I'm always struck by their defiance.

Last year I remember telling a client that I was taking the day off due to holiday celebrations in the U.S., and she said, "But you're not in the U.S. anymore, you're in France!" I looked at her really annoyed and said, "Every day can be a holiday if I want it to be since that's the beauty of owning your own business. I choose when my office opens and closes." Truthfully, I celebrate both countries' national holidays when they make sense. I will be closed on July 14th, for example. As Bobby Brown says, "That's my perrogative," as long as I have my work prorities under control.

That comment really unnerved me because it made me feel like I'm a 24/7 robot, which I'm not. Also, it was almost like I'm supposed to leave my holidays, and culture for that matter, behind. This year, I'm just sending all calls to voice mail. I can guarantee that no business calls will be returned until July 5. That'll teach them a lesson.

Music Can Change the World

... or at least my world again. A couple of months back both Philippe and I signed the One petition, lending our support to "making poverty history." And now Live 8 is taking place today. It's so great to see Sir Bob Geldolf and others out there reminding us that the world is much larger than our little neighborhoods.

Geldolf, Sting, Peter Gabriel and U2 first changed my life 20 years ago. Back then I was just a 16-year-old kid on the South side of Chicago who just loved all kinds of music - all kinds, from rock, metal and punk to soul, funk, house, jazz and classical. I remember getting up at 5:30 am to watch Live Aid on television, and there I sat on the floor of my mother's bedroom mesmerized for hours by the vast array of musicians hitting the stages in London and Philly. Live Aid changed not only the way I looked at other people living around the world, but it also made me more aware of those less fortunate than me living right in my own city. It fueled a need in me to act and I did. One of my first jobs was cleaning the parish church on Saturday mornings. I had been saving up my money for over a year for something, but I can't even remember why anymore. All I know is that I handed most of the saved money over to our priest and ask him to put it in the contribution box for Ethiopian relief. It was clear to me at that time that whatever I wanted paled in comparison to what those people needed.

Live Aid also made me want to see how people lived in other parts of the world. Now, I haven't made it to any part of Africa yet, but hey, back then I never thought I'd be living in France either.

I became more interested in politics and the current events. I started watching the news and reading the newspapers, making myself aware of the issues around me. I started volunteering at various organizations. By 1992, I was deeply involved in political campaigns (from the presidential elections all the way down to local elections) and haven't stopped nor do I ever plan to stop.

I'm getting the same feeling today as I watch the Live 8 streaming over AOL. Wow, who would have thought 20 years ago that this is where we would be! Sure times change and the lineup of musicians is different, but the sincerity, sense of urgency and motivation for action are all still there, and those are the things that matter most. My commitment to change hasn't change either. I have to keep going now so that my kids will understand that they also have a responsibility. It's working because they were rocking right along with Philippe and me. In between the music, I got a chance to throw in a simple history lesson for 8-year-old Chloe.

Kids are influenced by so many things. They are just as moved by seeing their heros committed to worthy causes as they are to watching we do as parents. So I want to thank these guys for putting on another great show. Just like I became more aware of the world around me, you can bet a bunch of kids are going to follow suit. Our future leaders are watching.