The Unbreakable Piñata
October 26, 2023
👆 Listen to the article
October is one of my favorite months of the year. Not only do I start wearing all my favorite sweaters and scarves, but it’s also my birthday month!
These days I keep the celebrations low-key, but growing up it was tradition to have a Halloween-themed family party where everyone would dress up, and we’d have a spooky, silly time.
At those parties, it also became tradition that we would do a piñata every year. My mother, a thrifty, creative lady, would always make the piñata herself … out of an old Avon box. She would jam that thing with candy and duct tape the heck out of it, so that it wasn’t “too easy” to break.
Needless to say, it wasn’t the prettiest piñata, but it was durable. It was like the Fort Knox of piñatas.
Every kid would take their turn: blindfolded, they’d smack away at my mom’s indestructible monster. But it would not burst. Eventually, we’d start getting desperate. The blindfold would be thrown aside and the adults would get in on the action.
One after the other, each adult would beat the living hell out of the piñata with their suppressed Midwestern rage until it finally broke. It was a glorious, epic finale to a crazy candy battle.
I was recently reminiscing about this annual event with my husband. He asked why we didn’t just give up on the piñata from hell. It was a valid question. But then I think about my life as an operator, and I get it.
The harder the challenge, the more rewarding it is when you finally break through. It feels like doing the impossible. Even if it’s just getting through a couple of layers of duct tape to eat some smarties.
Happy Halloween :)
—Ariana
International Ops Fest
Aušrinė Keršanskaitė, is a seasoned operations leader and a Co-Founder of Operations Nation, a community of operations professionals to share advice to help each other grow, and thrive in their careers.
Top Operator Qualities
Being a successful operator is not only about having the right technical skills or industry knowledge.
It also requires a delicate combination of soft skills and personal qualities to really thrive…
Gareth Evans Interview
Gareth Evans, CEO of Veckta, is disrupting the energy industry by empowering businesses and communities to make the global transition towards a more affordable, secure, and renewable energy future.
Ops Initiative Planner
Want to ensure you hit your milestones?
Check out the Our Secret Ops Initiative Planner to help you achieve your goals, track your progress, and stay on top of deliverables.