The ultimate conclusion of Michael Corleone, the younger Don, was this:
Everything is personal.
Despite the family’s official line, “It’s just business.”
Flashback
It must have been 2001 or so.
I was reading The Godfather on the way to Bologna when they pulled me aside at the landing gate. Special check, they said.
I was pretty nervous they’d confiscate my Skibbereen Library copy.
Instead the young guy just tapped the cover, paused, and said, “Si, si. The Godfather. Nice taste!”
After which, I cleared customs easily.
More on Italy in my next In Search of Meaning post.
Aside about business being personal
We’ve been running Design Kompany out of Seattle full-time now for two years. You get to know a lot about the importance of personal relationships when you’re a small business owner working with lots of different kinds of people.
For one, you have your clients.
For two, you have your interns. Who draw comics, stencil t-shirts, and bring in books to show us what they’ve learned about a range of illustration styles.
Then there are your collaborators—people you contract for their special expertise. Like back-end development for Swoon Spa’s website design, and Case’s, too. We do this so we can focus on our own speciality: asking the right questions to articulate a brand message.
In each case, we’ve been inspired and moved by things we’ve learned from each person who’s somehow connected with Design Kompany.
We’ve been able to enjoy a constant exchange of ideas, and with people who are engaged with what they do. Many become friends. Business. But personal, too.
Learning from others drives us to make, do, and become better in our work.
More on inspiration, being engaged, and Italy in my next In Search of Meaning post.
Which, incidentally, is a series of book reviews of reading matter recommended by DK clients.
Also see DK’s posts:
To succeed in business, focus
What samurai say about winning
‘Round and not square relationships’
And others from our book review series In Search of Meaning
Interesting. Over the Christmas and New Year holiday, Seattle International Film Festival’s showing the Godfather I and II at their cinema by Seattle Center. Today (Jan 1) is the last day.