Today, I Confess: This is My Roman Empire.

*If you're unaware of the "Roman Empire" trend, it's essentially code for something you find yourself thinking about with (perhaps irrational?) frequency.

There's a house I drive by almost every day that intrigues me.

The family who lives there has one of the largest collections of inflatable lawn figures I've seen.

...not so much in quantity, but in variety. Sure, this yard is decked out for Halloween and Christmas... but they also put out inflatable decorations for various holidays all year long. If it's on the calendar, this house has inflatables for it.

I'm a pretty festive person - so I'm totally on board - but here's what nags my thoughts:

Instead of facing their lawn decorations out to the street, they face them inward, toward their own windows.

Case in point, here's what I saw on Monday (St. Patrick's Day):

On one hand, I totally get it: If you're investing the time, money, and energy to set these things up, wouldn't you want to enjoy them as much as possible?

On the other hand, this is not the norm: I can't name another property I've seen do this consistently.

I guess it comes down to the question of: do we decorate yards for our own enjoyment, or those of passers-by?

Perhaps it's both? Many of us who decorate for holidays enjoy the fact that we are making the world a more festive place. We do it for ourselves and others.

So far, this feels like a pretty random confession, doesn't it? Why am I sending you these thoughts today?

Well, I think it circles back to last week's podcast episode about the differences of "Look at You" energy, vs. "Look at Me" energy.

Admittedly, I'm over-thinking this entire situation...but still: these yard displays often serve as a visual reminder that I want my life to serve the greater-good; not just that of my own family.

I believe we can do both.

...but it's easy to get caught up on one side or the other.

1. We can focus so much on building a business that we let policies and strategies overshadow the humans we work with.
2. We can also pour from the proverbial empty cup; bending backwards for others SO far...we break.

There are few things I care about more than helping teachers understand the magic of Symbiotic Relationships: a studio where EVERYONE benefits (and knows it!).

There is no need (or purpose) in power struggles within the studio. Your studio families are good for you, and you are good for them. Both are true.
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(in other words, everyone should enjoy the inflatables!) 😂

Nothing stunts me more than feeling an imbalance in that relationship.

If you've not listened to episode 068: Cheers to Symbiotic Relationships, I consider it one of the Defining Episodes of my entire catalogue.

(And if you're interested in other Defining Episodes, there's a playlist for that!)

In an age where there are SO. MANY. marketing gurus telling you how to make your studios more profitable by using high-pressure sales techniques and making promises that only hold up on technicalities, I want to be your voice of reason:

You can serve your people well while they do the same in return. It is possible. It's really not even difficult.

Losing sight of the people behind our policies is never going to end well.

Phew - maybe that takeaway was a stretch from a few backward-facing leprechauns this week, but I said what I said and I'm not one bit sorry about it. ☺️

🥂May we never be so focused on building a business that we neglect the humanity which we serve. 🥂

Now for the real question: Have YOU ever seen someone stage their yard decor to face their own house, rather than the street? If so, hit REPLY because I NEED TO KNOW.

On the Podcast: If you noticed there was no new episode on Monday... well, thanks for noticing! 😁 I did eventually publish a new episode this week (better late than never, right?). ​Episode 208 is an important reminder to appreciate your studio roster as it is today, because change is always on the horizon. Listen Here

On YouTube This Week: This week’s Really Really Quick Piano Teacher Tip is a story of how I handled my first crying student, and what I would do differently today. If this sounds familiar, it's because I talked all about this situation in Episode 125. Watch it Here

Favorite Supplemental Pieces If you find yourself looking for arrangements of popular music, don't sleep on Alfred's Premier Pop and Movie Music Series! I don't teach arrangements like this often, but they come in clutch for a lot of my adult students (as well as younger students who want to play familiar standards). I keep every level on hand just in case! Supplemental Music

A Favorite Tool As springtime settles in and students get squirmier, don't overlook the power of putting something in your students' hands! Score study is MUCH more fun when you're playing detective with a magnifying glass, rather than just answering questions from your teacher. Find these on My Favorites List

Thanks - as always - for reading!🥂

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