Last week I chronicled how after learning about Renovo Bikes, through fantasy I realized that a great place to market them would be Jackson Hole, WY. See this blogpost [HERE].

As we start up this week, I want to focus more on an important part building one’s intuition – AKA “the still, small Voice” – by sharing how I noted the meaning in what I perceived as a serendipity … and acted upon it.

My late mentor, Bob Proctor often seized on this quote that Steve Jobs gave in his 2005 Stanford Commencement address [1]:

You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future.

Bob estimates that this is difficult for 97% of the population. We simply are not trained to trust our “mental muscle” of intuition and as a result for the vast majority of people – like any muscle which isn’t exercised – it becomes weak due to atrophy.

For some reason, I am the opposite. I may rely a bit too heavily on my intuition. Somehow in the moment of crisis, I know exactly what to do and say. Yet, in that most of life is not a crisis situation, what I find myself doing is recognizing by intuition what is the proper course and just doing it.

Admittedly, this has resulted in some spectacular errors. But, in the main its created much more good than bad.

Most of the time, now that I am on the “better side of my mid-century mark” – i.e. 50 plus – I tap the breaks a little bit with my reason before jumping right in.

Essentially, I take a moment to reason it through and in doing so provide the “backfill” to determine that my intuition is sound and worth acting upon.

In the light of “My Renovo Adventure,” this involves recognizing this particular serendipity which I am about to relate. …

Early Spring 2024, I visited my folks at their place in Santa Fe.

Now when one is in Santa Fe, there are a few things which are on the “must do list”: (a) Drive up to the Ski Basin; (b) have a meal and sopapillas at Tomasita’s; (c) check out the galleries on Canyon Road; and of course (d) visit the Plaza.

After enjoying a late morning at the Plaza with my brother Rick, we decided to check out where we had both worked in the past – The Camera Shop.

Notably, when we had worked there in the late ’80s & early ’90s, this was actually a camera shop. So, it’s a bit weird to see the same name atop a storefront which is now selling women’s dresses. I don’t know if that is due to some sort of code enforcement of a historical marker, but being Santa Fe … I wouldn’t be surprised.

All of those stucco, adobe houses on the plaza and in the foothills of the Sangre de Christo mountains didn’t just happen without a “nudge” from local government … and this has served the “City Different” extremely well as a point of attraction for its most prominent industry – tourism.

At any rate, after a quick nostalgic look, Rick and I did an about face and went across the street to the French Pastry Shop at La Fonda and had a late lunch which of course was fantastic!

If memory serves, I had a bowl of French Onion Soup and a sandwich on their freshly made baguette. I don’t know what Rick had – but I do know that they were accommodating to his gluten allergy. Because of the later, I think we passed on their phenomenal desert pastries … though I probably picked up something along those lines for my Mom.

Satisfied with our lunch, did we head back out to the street? No.

Instead, we went into La Fonda … and there I met this “Artist in Residence.”

He was just sitting there reading the “Federalist Papers” and so I decided to chat him up because I liked his wooden rocking chairs.

Over the course of the conversation, I indicated that though I hadn’t done any woodworking since Middle School, I had recently fallen in love with the wooden bikes made by Renovo.

If memory serves, I asked him what it took for him to become an “Artist in Residence at La Fonda.” He mentioned that there was a bit of a process and I think there is an emphasis on “residence” – i.e. the artist has to be from or quite close to Santa Fe. So, there was virtually no chance that Renovo Bikes will be appearing at La Fonda any time soon.

But, he then mentioned that he would soon be going to the Western Design Conference in Jackson Hole!

Wyoming, right?!

Yes, of course. They usually have it all booked up several months in advance, but I was able to book a booth about a month ago … you could check it out. I bet you could still get a spot.

Huh! That’s a good idea!

And right here, I should mention that I get “good ideas” all the time. Ideas that I know would be a game changer for people if they were willing to act upon them. And, for some reason I feel compelled to share these ideas with the people for whom I believe they have come to me.

The response? Politely and usually not audibly expressed, it nevertheless almost invariably amounts to … “mind your own business, pal!”

Maybe as a result of this, I am a bit more receptive when I am the recipient of one of these – “you should do …”.

So, that is exactly what I did. First step, look up the program. Check!

Second step, find out if there is space yet available. Answer: Yes, there was. Check!

Third step, find out if I could get a bike to represent there at that time. This is a check as well.

But, I better save something for this ongoing saga.

The reason why is because even though I had gone this far, it’s about having the “cajones” – or as I like to say in an effort to remain unisex – either the “gonads” or the “stones” – to move forward.

So, check in tomorrow to learn about taking that first courageous step.

Cheers! BZ/JUSTICE SMILES, pllc

Note [1]: For Steve Jobs 2005 Commencement Address, See [HERE].