Saturday, March 5, 2011

Nate Berkus? His show called me

This is what my last two days entailed and what I learned. I received an email from NBC and the Nate Berkus show on Thursday and it said please call us asap.  I called and they said they were doing a segment on small business owners and wanted me on with some of my furniture. The stress started when they said you will fly out next Tuesday and we tape on Wednesday.  The trouble was not flying to New York that soon, but that I only had a few pieces of furniture actually completed and after talking to them, that was not exactly what they wanted.  They went over my furniture with me and we settled on a couple pieces I said I could build and ship the next day, but I have to get busy now.  It was settled and I was stressed but it was still under control and I was going to get it done.  It started going bad when they called about 13 times after that and sent at least as many emails and several phone calls were with more than one person on the phone at one time.  They changed their mind on the pieces they wanted and wanted shipping quotes on getting my things there immediately. I started and stopped cutting metal and building for the next several hours trying to do what I thought they wanted, and after several hours of this, I had a horrible headache and nothing to show for it in the terms of furniture that I was supposed to ship the next day and no later. The day was almost gone and what I had told them I could do at the start of the day was going to get done and I was positive I could do it and ship it.  I knew I would have to compromise on the quality and my standards a bit just to get things done and that was stuck in my head the whole night before and the whole day through the stress. Finally I looked at the clock and turned my phone off and just took a look around and a deep breath and said "this is not going to happen, and it is not worth it".  I contacted them and said I can not do this.  I pass.  I am flattered to be considered, and appreciate it, but I am done. They said they were disappointed, and I just said that is was just not realistic or worth me compromising my standards to slap things together just to put them on tv and the stress that was coming with all of it.  As soon as it was over, I felt so much better and enjoyed the rest of my day, and got back to work on the list of projects I have to do for customers who have commissioned me for custom work already. Anyway the whole point of me  writing this is, that I learned is that you should never compromise who you are or what you do, just to make people happy.  Be yourself, no matter what.  It is the most simple advice ever given and has been said millions of times, but it has been said that many times because it is the best advice there is.  The people I dealt with from the show were very nice, but they were very stressed themselves and explained that to me, and that was just their normal day.  I do not think they were asking to much from me on purpose, I just think that is what is expected of them every day, and I feel sorry for them a bit, and I don't blame them for stressing me out.  It is there environment, and they are under a lot of pressure.  I know they moved on as soon as I said I can not do it, and they went to another person on their list, and they never thought one thing of it, and will forget I exist.  No problem.  I am happy.

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