November 28, 2007
Back To The Cottage
Chapter 3: Cottage Principles
In chapter 3 of Back To The Cottage, John Sipple lays out 7 foundational principles of Cottage industry. Value #1: Knowing What You Stand For:
My father's motto was wrapped up in a statement I heard many times, "If it's worth doing it's worth doing right."
He brought this home to me when I was about twelve. I was making a wooden jewelry box for my sister, Ellen. I had it assembled and sanded and, thinking it was good to go, I asked Dad for the stain. He said, "Got it ready to go, eh Bub? Let me see how it looks!" He took a careful look at it and said, "This is a really good looking jewelry box Johnny, but it needs more sanding before you apply the finish." He must have noted my discouraged look — after all this was for my sister, did it need to be so perfect? "Always remember son," he intoned, "if it's worth doing, it's worth doing right."
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