Lessons From Cirque Du Soleil and Other Things

First, other things.  I learned if I wait till evening to write, I might not make my goal to blog everyday for 30 days, such as the case of yesterday (SAT, March 10th) when I was out wining and dining till well after midnight!  So, today, SUN, March 11th, I am writing early to get back on track and will write a double post to make up for it.  But the real lesson, and one we try to teach our kids, is to plan ahead so you can get things done in a timely manner and provide quality work.  However, when you do get off track, as we all sometimes do, don’t beat yourself up, just simply learn from what led you astray and get back on the path.  One of my favorite motivational speakers, Les Brown says, “If you fall down, try to land on your back, because if you can look up, you can get up”.  Not only does that quote make me smile, but it is a reminder that we just need to keep going.

Went to Cirque Du Soleil OVO on Friday night as you know, and while I enjoyed the show immensely, there was inspiration in the evening regarding business lessons.  We all have ideas, but quite often, we dream small.  Cirque Du Soleil is anything but small.  It is quite complicated and is a variation on the traditional circus theme which largely captivated its audience with the presence of lions, tigers and bears (I know, elephants and other animals too, but I liked the way that sounded). So imagine presenting this idea to investors back in the late 1980’s and saying, I’ve got this vision and this is what it can become. If you want to know a little of the history and just how BIG Cirque has become, you can go to this link.  In reality, Cirque started with one show and two street performers and grew ” to 19 shows in over 271 cities on every continent except Antarctica. The shows employ approximately 4,000 people from over 40 countries and generate an estimated annual revenue exceeding US $810 million”.  Like any business, it has gone through its share of failures and successes, mostly successes, but again, a reminder to dream big, believe in your vision, and keep going, despite the obstacles.

Cirque also depends on teamwork.  If one single person isn’t performing with accurate precision and full attention during the entire show, it could lead to a disruption in the performance, or worse still, catastrophic results for the performer.  Every single performance, every member of the Cirque must bring their best, every minute they are on.  And they do.  So it is really impressive to think about the thousands of dedicated performers they have on their team that share the same values, work ethic and mission.  Who is on your team?

xo, jan