When you catch your own salmon and fillet it right off the river, it dulls your knife fast.
This past July my fellow fishermen and I caught king, red, and silver salmon in Alaska. That meant a lot of filleting.
So as we drove down the Sterling Highway from Seward to Kenai, it was a no-brainer to stop by Walt & Connie’s Knife Shop for a free sharpening (as part of having purchased knives from them before).
I’ve been to the shop in the past, but this time the sign outside struck me. It read:
Knives
With a huge knife jutting off the side of the pristine, green landscape.
It almost unnerved me. It was bold and unforgiving.
Knives
That cut. That hurt. That can kill.
Walt & Connie know how to sell
Walt and Connie broadcast what they offer to passers-by as plainly as they can. That knife is huge so you can’t miss it while driving by.
They don’t refer to their products as “cutlery” or “hunting tools” or try to dress up the title to attract more customers. They tell it like it is.
As I looked at the wooden knife off the side of the road, a voice inside me said, “Now how can this mom-and-pop shop stay in business?” (As I’ve wondered about a lot of businesses in Alaska.) “They have such a plain sign and such simple inventory.”
“It’s the knives,” said another voice. “Alaskans need knives. To cut stuff, and stuff. And Walt and Connie sure got ‘em!”
Alaska isn’t a sophisticated place (though the fishing and hunting can be). It’s a place of survival. Enduring cold, dark winters. Enjoying only a few weeks of sunshine each summer. It’s a place where the river feeds you, and you have plenty of time to enjoy the simple things in life.
So for Alaskans, “Knives” is advertising enough for keeping a business.
Selling direct ain’t easy
It’s actually harder to advertise in this direct fashion.
Not just with products, but also with ideas.
And how easy it is to beat around the bush than say how you really feel about things.
You don’t come out of nowhere and say, “I’m irritated right now.” (Unless you’re being particularly crassy.)
It’s easier to talk about the thing that makes you feel irritated, than to take responsibility for your own experience. To blame the thing instead of respond.
But to succeed in life you need to be direct about how you’re feeling. You need to communicate who you are, and sell your ideas with confidence.
Life is about passion
Life is about being with those you care about as much as you possibly can.
To be with those you love, you need time and other resources, like money to pay for weekend movie tickets or a comfortable apartment to live in.
Most people have to buy that time and those other resources.
What’s the ideal way to do so?
To earn that right to be with those you love? In a way that actually brings you closer to them, keeps you emotionally healthy and thus more emotionally available?
Doing what you’re passionate about.
But what is passion?
Passion is about selling
Passion doesn’t have much of an outlet if you’re slaving away most of your life at a job that eats away at your creativity and values.
Passion does have an outlet when you get paid for being who you are, and doing what you want to do with your life. (Or, when you can afford a lot of time off from work.)
Passionate people don’t live double lives; they live and breathe their passions. Because they know how to sell their passion to the rest of the world. They know what makes them one of a kind, and what they have to offer the world, what they want to offer.
Passionate people either make a living by being who they are.
Or make a living that doesn’t interfere with their passions.
Do you know how to sell yourself?
Your passion is what drives you to change this world for the better, just by being you.
When you really know your passion, you’ll do what you can to make it a constant in your life. You’ll know what gifts and talents you have to offer the world.
Life is short. You have only so much time to make your mark. And be with those you care about.
Walt & Connie from Sterling, Alaska know what they have to offer. Straight-up knives.
What do you have to offer? Can you put it in such direct terms?
About the Author: Melissa Karnaze is the founder of Mindful Construct. Check out her free e-class, ‘Your Life is Your Construct‘ and get inspired to make the best of your life.
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
I loved this post. Thanks so much for the beauty and simplicity.
Having visited Kenai last year, best vacation I’ve ever had, I could really relate to the story as a visitor, salesperson, simple guy, business leader and marketer. You hit all points very well.
Melissa,
This is probably the simplest and most accurate explanation of passion and passionation people.
“Passionate people don’t live double lives; they live and breathe their passions. Because they know how to sell their passion to the rest of the world. They know what makes them one of a kind, and what they have to offer the world, what they want to offer.”
Good to read you again.
At the very end of the day – connection.
Dan, Kenai really does grow on you! Did you do any fishing? Great to hear that it spoke to you on different levels, thanks for sharing!
Thanks Abubakar, I’ve tried not to write about passion early on because it’s often over-hyped and put into non-practical terms, but that giant knife got me going!
As co-owner of Walt and Connie’s Knives, I want to tell you how much I enjoyed reading your article! Connie and I thank you all for your past business! See you in the summer of 2011!
Walt
Another Summer’s end – just looked out the window and the birch leaves are beginning to turn yellow. So by that reckoning, I guess its time for Walt and Connie to close up their Knife Shop and head for home.
Sorry I didn’t make it to the knife shop this year – it’s only 5 or 6 miles from where I live. Well maybe next year.
I know Walt is very passionate about the knives he makes. Why shouldn’t he be, he makes most of them. Anyone that uses knives will appreciate the fact that Walt puts his heart into what he does – making and selling knives. He learned this trade from his Father. Connie is Walt’s ‘back-up support’. But she is also a ‘stand’ alone woman – she has her own career path.
I enjoyed the article on ‘What an Alaskan Knife Shop Can Teach You About Being Passionate”.
Walt & Connie – have a safe trip back home, and make sure your pilot knows how to fly that plane. Seems like we’ve had small plane crashes every other day this Alaskan Summer. Now today another one is missing over SW Alaska.
How appropriate that you found Walt and Connie’s Knife shop to illustrate your concept of pure and simple passion for life, for that is what they have! You can’t be around them without wanting to live life to the fullest. I’m from their “Lower 48″ hometown, and get to enjoy them nine months of the year. Walt and Connie’s Knives have to be the finest quality, for that’s the kind of people they are.
Walt, so great to see you here! You and Connie are always a pleasure to visit, and your knives are awesome! Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment. :)
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