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Passion, Excitement, Commitment

Written by: Jack Fraenkel

Article Overview: A calling is a passionate commitment to work for its own sake. Imagine starting a business because you cannot imagine anyone ever being as passionate, excited and committed to an industry, its skill set and its customers as you are. Then imagine sharing this dream with your 17 year old apprentice and watching his eyes glaze over with mutual desire and anticipation and both deciding there and then to throw everything you own into this, ‘calling’.

Passion, Excitement, Commitment

In November 1999 Felicia White, AKA Flea, and her partner Adam formed Wazzup Screen Printing, the name was influenced by an imported beer commercial at the time and gives an insight to the philosophy, culture and belief systems of these two ‘bright young things’. Since then, Wazzup has at least doubled in physical size and revenue annually and will exceed 7 digits in its balance sheet this year, ‘Howzzat’?

Starting part time in a 20sm garage in Adams’ parents home then moving to a 30sm garage in Fleas’ home within 12 months, Wazzup occupied a 210sm factory in March 2001 and will move yet again in November to a 400sm unit. Currently trading 3 years ahead of their business plan and employing 4 full timers, 2 part timers and of course Flea and Adam, this business has never advertised or openly marketed itself and has been built purely on referrals and repeat business.

I decided to find out just how these two young people, Flea at 33 is the oldest member of the team, Adam is just 21 and their team ages range between them, managed to build such a successful business in such a short time, in a competitive, crowded business environment. Not only do they compete with 6 major players in Sydney alone, there are dozens of small operators who ‘get in the way’ and of course significant competition from Asia.

Walking into the Taren Point factory, you are greeted by a free standing basketball hoop and a blaring radio tuned to an ‘oldies’ station so the team can guess what old band is playing while working under the usual deadline pressures of any printing business. Flea and Adam are firmly committed to their team and believe that there is no way they, (or anyone else), can build a successful business without people who share the passion. Supplying a $400.00 basketball hoop or silly rock trivia radio stations simply translates into a happy team who are prepared to go the extra mile for Wazzups’ clients, note the value and emphasis is placed on the client, not the business.

Running a business with the slogan, “If you can wear it, we can print it” or as Flea likes to say; “Silly name, serious printers”, means that you better damn well perform to your brand identity. Flea believes that Wazzup is in the fashion business with secondary markets in corporate promotional wear and hospitality, particularly nightclubs, uniforms. Being clear about their target market and having trained in graphic arts means that Flea and Adam clearly understand the needs of their clients, are able to communicate this to their team and can measure their quality and performance easily.

Both partners believe passionately that the business is built through the energy and effort that their team puts into each working day and every job. All members undergo a 360 degree feed back appraisal every 6 months, 360 degree appraisals are a powerful developmental method and quite different to traditional manager-subordinate appraisals. 360 degree appraisals involve the appraisee receiving feedback from people (anonymously), both peers and supervisory, whose views are considered helpful and relevant. The feedback is provided on a form showing 27 job skills/abilities/attitudinal/behavioural criteria and an overall score. The appraisee also self assesses using the same feedback form.

The Wazzup team share in a variety of rewards, both token and serious, for example, each week one person receives a therapeutic massage during working hours, Christmas bonuses are significant and of course regular time outs on the ‘basketball’ court. The opportunity for professional development is always stressed and the team are absolutely empowered to do the job properly, training is provided to ensure that empowerment can be utilised, (so many employers pay lip service to empowerment yet use it as a means to extract more from less).

What do Adam and Flea look for in a team member? A genuine desire to succeed, a willingness to learn, humour, preparedness for challenge; in other words, they hire for attitude and train for skill. How do they motivate the team? Treat them well, pay them well, support them and point out performance that is below expectation, don’t expect anything less than perfection!! The client expects a perfect job delivered on price, on time and with a smile.

What drives Flea and Adam? Firstly, they have built their business purely by cash flow*, at no time have they gone into debt other than minor support from their families to buy groceries on those occasions of poor, (read negative) cash flow that all businesses suffer sometimes. A wish list that is regularly updated and they reward themselves every time they complete a wish, (are wishes goals?). What’s the secret to their success? Be prepared to bust a gut, regularly check back with the client to ensure you understand their needs, walk away from work that doesn’t suit the business, question the client why they need or want a specific product or service, always ask why, be prepared to stop a print run if it doesn’t look right, understand that the market is small and bad reviews travel like wildfire and finally, care, care and care some more.

Finally, I asked them both this question; “If you weren’t doing this, what would you be doing?” Their answer came back within a nanosecond and in unison; “Huh, this of course; DUH!”

Martin Seligman, in his most recent book titled Authentic Happiness (2002), distinguishes between "three kinds of work orientations: a job, a career, and a calling, a calling (or vocation) is a passionate commitment to work for its own sake. Individuals with a calling see their work as contributing to the greater good, to something larger than they are, and hence the religious connotation is highly appropriate. The work is fulfilling in its own right, without regard for money or for advancement. Guess which one the owners, (and possibly the team) of Wazzup fall into.

*Footnote; in March this year they decided to lease a company van just to establish credit worthiness with a financial institution.

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Article Tags: Adam, basketball hoop, successful business, Wazzup, Wazzup, Wazzup Screen Printing



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