Time to Reflect: Step 89

Among the many heroes in American history the one who fascinates me the most is Theodore Roosevelt. A sickly child he grew to become a tough soldier of diminutive stature, a fiery orator with a high-pitched voice, a monopoly-busting advocate of free enterprise, and a champion of conservation responsible for our national park system. Born into a family of power and privilege he built his reputation and earned the respect of the vast majority of Americans through grit and determination. “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are,” were words he not only spoke, but also lived.

Over the course of the past week I made four trips to Irvine to network with members of Experience Unlimited and to contribute to the operation of our office, to participate in my weekly Toastmasters meeting, to attend a workshop on finance and bookkeeping for entrepreneurs, and to meet with my business advisor from Project Success. Each time the purpose was to contribute what I can to the organization, given the skills I possess, and without having to leave Orange County to do it. Actually, my purpose was not as altruistic as the previous sentence implies.

As a person in transition during a time of economic uncertainty it has become clear many of us find ourselves wanting to do something meaningful with the skills we have in the communities where we live. So, we band together forging a network of diverse backgrounds, experiences and abilities creating a synergy. We rely on each other to ward off discouragement, build enthusiasm, and do whatever it takes to continue getting out of bed, getting dressed and getting out of the house.

While there were signs earlier this week that things were turning around in the employment market, something I will comment upon further in my blog tomorrow, I have noticed a growing entrepreneurial spirit among people with whom I network. Many of us not satisfied with waiting around for employers to act want to take whatever action we can to move forward and contribute to both our personal growth and the growth of the economy. As was pointed out in my business workshop the recession provides a level playing field from which to launch a new business.

So, yesterday in my meeting with my business advisor we examined my vision for the future of this website. We explored the likely demographics of my target audience and what their particular needs are; ways to identify competitors and what my competitive edge is; and methods for enhancing audience engagement through various forms of interaction. Different strategies to increase the number of people participating as well as ways to generate a revenue stream were discussed.

A schedule for completing the workshops, meeting with both technology and marketing experts and writing the rest of the business plan were laid out in detail. By the end of our meeting she had helped me reflect on where I have been and reach Roosevelt’s criteria of knowing what I can do with what I have where I am.