Entrepreneurs aren’t crazy…

Sometimes I wonder as a small business owner if I am valiant for taking a risk or stupid for not thinking practically. You face so many challenges out on this limb that you feel at many times the limb is about to break and yield you free falling to the bottom! Running and maintaining a small business seems like an impossible feat…why would someone want to do that? Forget the reality that millions of Americans clock in at businesses every day that were founded the same way. Forget the fact that you will never obtain wealth working for someone else. Why would you want to live on the edge everyday working hard to make something materialize from nothing except your own great ideals? It seems insane right?

However, it is not insane. In the state of Texas where I reside, 90% of the businesses that employ people are small businesses. This means that the majority of employers in this state started out just like me…taking a risk that seemed insane. Maybe the “practical thinker” is the one that has missed that mark. Practical thinking usually equals conformity. Practical thinking usually equals assimilation and practical thinking may be the very thing that is actually more risky now. With rising gas prices, inflation, wars and rumors of wars–there is no job that is secure. When the economy is down, companies get rid of there most expensive commodities–employees. The other problem with practical thinking is that you live life so “safe” that you may be missing an opportunity to take the one risk that will be the portal to your dreams. So as I rationalized and analyzed this very thought today, I realized that as an entrepreneur I am not crazy. I propose the notion that the millions of Americans that are trusting someone else to provide for them by way of employment just might be though! We are increasingly becoming a society where we must depend on ourselves for the financial health of our families. This is not just a thought…this is becoming the reality in America. You must face it or be left behind.

Roll with the punches…..

How many times have you put your best foot forward and been knocked to the ground like you were an opponent in an unfair fight? I feel like sometimes life puts us in situations that make us look up to God in confusion wondering what is going on and what we did wrong! Life is a reality of pain, acceptance of inadequacies, and constantly fighting to raise yourself back up from complicated seemingly unfair situations. I just have to believe though that any and all challenges we face in life are only for a season and we will come out of them if we endure. I have to believe that if we give up, we have missed the meaning and lessons of life. Every challenge is a prelude to a triumph and every change is a catalyst to newness of life…when we are backed against the wall, our only response is to act like a fighter thrown in the corner by his opponent…ROLL WITH THE PUNCHES!! Life forces you to respond hit for hit when you are backed into a corner or you will get knocked out! I faced challenges this week…I found out a close friend of mine died, I am steady reaching to expand my business and I am still recovering from an extreme inner hurt.I also know that I cannot quit though no matter what and I know that you cannot quit no matter what! Our challenges develop our character and refine our consciousness of what we are made of. I believe that my Pastor’s message this past Sunday morning can serve as a them for society…”Quit faking it”. As Pastor Pyles so eloquently stated, we can only heal when we acknowledge our hurt, recognize our issues and face our challenges. To roll with the punches you have to acknowledge who the opponent is and how that opponent is attacking even if you are the opponent! We deal with things longer in life because we hide behind them and use them as an excuse to be mediocre. We deal with things to long in life because we blame everyone else for not working on our healing when we are capable of doing it. We deal with things longer in life because we are not willing to fight to push through our inner pain, resolve our inadequacies, and work towards purpose! Don’t look at things as a challenge…look at them as a lesson.

My friend did that in His life– he faced challenge after challenge and relied on faith to make it through. He fought like a soldier for justice and education. He was the example of what a father should be to his children. He was an example off how each generation should teach the next. In the days when fathers run away from their children, he ran to his and gladly took on the role of single father. In the days when people are engaging in the trendy use of slang, he encouraged the proper use of etiquette. He encouraged every one to be the best in all and to represent themselves with dignity. He endured like a warrior, and now has been promoted. As my fraternity celebrates 100 years, he is exactly what makes the legacy great. He was the example of a great Alpha man and more importantly a great Godly man.

To my dear brother David Keaton…you walked with dignity like a King on Earth, now you are walking with the King in Heaven. You served with grace in this place, now you can behold His face. Although in my selfish human nature I wish you were here, I rejoice that you closed your eyes on this side and are walking with the angels in the clouds where one day our Christ will appear! I will miss you…

What happen to the value of a college degree?

What happened to the days when a college degree actually guaranteed you a good job and better opportunity? It is amazing to me that in this current economy, under the leadership of the Bush Administration, individuals with college degrees are forced to compete for the same jobs as those that have high school diplomas. Rising operations costs are forcing mainstream corporations to downsize and push more college educated employees into the labor force. This situation creates more competition in labor level jobs, but also unfairly excludes the college graduate from being hired due to claims of being “over qualified.” These same displaced employees are competing against more individuals for the higher level jobs in their fields that may come open. This creates the rise in unemployment rates that we are seeing for college educated employees.

Is there a solution?

There is a solution! When there is a season of unemployment, it is a great opportunity to create your own employment. I found myself in this exact situation before I made the decision to start my own company. You can take this opportunity to also change your career aspirations. A college degree can be more valuable to an entrepreneur starting a business than to an applicant applying to work for a business these days. As an entrepreneur, when you have a college degree it gives you an instant level of credibility that entrepreneurs without degrees do not have. My final conclusion on the whole matter is that the degree has only lost its value when you utilize it in the wrong market. As I always say, you must think more open to take your education and skills to the most profitable level. You have to think against the grain. When every one is looking for work and business operation cost are rising, you are better off creating work than seeking employment. It is hard work, but in the long run you take the power away from some one else to fire you! It doesn’t hurt to try a different angle…

You must have passion….

You can achieve anything in life that you put your heart into. I really believe that people contain the tools to their personal success on the inside. In my life, I have realized that God has often lead me in my pursuit of purpose back to the things He gifted me with on the inside. He designed all of us with everything we need to fulfill our lives and impact the lives of others. We must always look inside and above to achieve all that God has in store for us. The best is really yet to come for you! It takes time to refine what you are purposed to do and patience because of the seriousness of the assignment that you have. Every one can choose to make the most out of life or they can choose to squander their time away. You can decide from this day forward to reach for every day in front of you with all that you have to be the person that you desire. Go after your dreams in life as if your life depends on it. Chase your dream as if it is a criminal that has taken everything valuable from you. Go and get all that you are designed to be and all that you desire to be. Be patient, stay focused, and you will reach that goal! Winston Churchill once said that “a pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” Do you see opportunity or difficulty?