The two sign installers stand back to assess their work before finishing the job. But something isn’t right. A couple of the large adhesive letters they have applied to the storefront window are crooked, and one of the men calls this out. His colleague agrees. The sign is definitely looking a little wonky. But, he reasons, if the store owners don’t care about fonts, they aren’t going to notice this.

‘Let’s just crack on with it,’ he says.

And they do. But something else is not right—something that skips his attention, as he turns to get the rest of the equipment from their van. His colleague’s smile slips, his shoulders slump. Even though he agrees that the store owner might not notice the sign isn’t perfect. He knows. And that knowing sucks all the joy out of the work.

We are not only showing up for customers. We are showing up to ourselves—to do work we’re proud of, even when no one is watching.

Image by Peter B