Big Red Car here. Oh boy, it’s a wonderful day in the ATX. It is still not too hot but it is getting there. The mornings and the evenings are incredible.

So The Boss is getting on his high horse about planning and the necessity to plan effectively.

The first thing about planning is that it is all handmade — one size or degree of complexity does not fit all. It is bespoke. It has to fit YOU.

Here is an example of a very nice bit of craftsmanship in which a boxy building with no windows is being converted to a more open usage. It is all handmade to the specifications of a new user of the space. Handmade.

Look at the opening on the left. It is a new window being cut into the front wall of a retail “box” in which the exterior is brick and the wall is block. Block wall supporting exterior brick skin.

If you look closely you can see the following elements:

1. The load has been transferred to a temporary beam — inside the building — above the opening. This is why the bolts are above the opening.

2. Look at the “stitch” pattern of the bolts which are bolted through a steel plate which is taking the load of the block and brick temporarily to keep them from collapsing while the opening is worked.

3. Notice the new steel beam (you can only see the edge) which is now going to permanently carry the load of the block and brick above the new opening.

4. See how the bricks have been individually fitted at the top and edge to recreate the strength and pattern of the bricks. This is good craftsmanship.

Here is a similar opening being worked on the other side of the entrance. This shows more of the detail.

In this picture you can see the following:

1. See the bolts and their lovely stitched pattern which are attached to the beam on the inside of the building? Notice it goes beyond the limits of the opening.

2. See the galvanized steel beam at the top of the opening carrying the block on the inside and to carry the brick on the outside. It is snugged tight against the block and will be snugged tight against the brick when the exterior brick is installed. From a structural perspective this is a very tight and sound assembly.

3. Notice the toothing of the side brick which will ultimately trick your eye. You will think this was all done as part of the original construction.

4. The finished effect will be to add two large windows to an otherwise dark box like space. This is bespoke customization of the building to its new use.

This is what happens when you plan well — you tailor a solution to YOUR vision of the company you are building in your unique sense of things. It is a bespoke plan.

This is where you start to plan effectively — attitude. Custom plan. Only for YOU. Handmade!

But, hey, what the Hell do I know really? I’m just a Big Red Car. Get off to a damn good start this week and do a bit of planning. Spend a couple of hours planning. You’ll be glad you did.