Real Entrepreneurs
As you know, I am not a fan of sitting around waiting for the government to bail you out or a big business coming along to offer you a job. I think things work better when you ignite your own energy and scramble for ways to make money by starting a business. The week I spent in North Korea last week makes me even more committed to this idea. I think that people starting and running companies is what makes America the most resilient and creative economy in the world.) Today they call this stuff entrepreneurship–too big a word for something as important as survival.
That’s why Dani Babb and I have a show on Fox Business every Saturday from 1-2PM EST to help people figure out how to start and grow their own companies. We take call ins, emails and twitters from people all over the country struggling to do their own thing.
My purpose of this post is to tell you of a victory we had last week. This victory may seem simple but makes all the work we are doing worth it.
Two weeks ago we took a live call from Terry. Terry told us he is a disabled vet but wants to work. He has accounting skills and wondered if we had any ideas that would help him get going. I can’t tell you how excited we were to talk with him about starting a company in his home to be the off-site accountant to help small companies everywhere do their books, file their taxes, and collect their receivables.
But that wasn’t the payoff. Last week we received a call from a different man (we’ll call him Tom) who had been motivated to start a company while watching one of our earlier shows. He said his business was succeeding and he had reached the point where he needed an accountant, that he liked the sound of the man he heard call into our last show, and wondered if we would put us in touch with Terry.
Are you kidding? We could have fallen off the couch! God, I love these guys. That is exactly what we started the show for. With people like Terry and Tom out there we can make this place work again. Terry and Tom are the REAL entrepreneurs, not Bill Gates or Warren Buffett. We need to recognize them for the heroes they really are.
Another show next Saturday. Tell all the people you would like to see a blue flame coming out behind them to watch the show and give us a call.
JR
I heard that on Saturday and cheeerd. You guys are doing God’s work (and America’s), my friend!
I think many human resource departments and the attitudes they create
within companies wreck corporate entrepreneurship. Futuristic thinking
such as preparing and presenting proposals, organizing resources and
implementing plans should be given top priority. What do human resources
departments do? They tend to focus on “past performance” justifying the hire. By so doing, they encourage retention of people who aren’t risk takers
and don’t grow.
Recent entrepreneural Forays of my own: I pitched, organied and presented seminars on Internet Marketing Basics From the Trenches and
Survival Skills For Turbulent Times: Competitive Intelligence and Security
In Wisconsin to Lorman Education Services. I prepared successul grant applications for the Monroe County Habitat for Humanity. I contibuted to the development of an Energy Management Certification program offered by the Masters Academy– senior engineers who formerly worked for Merchant Marine. I contributed to the Wisconsin Healthcare Financial Management Association Electronic Communications Committee by coordinating development of a healthcare finance jobs repository for
inclusion on the Wisconsin Healthcare Financial Managemen Association
website. I have served as a substiute teacher for Tomah and Sparta, Wisconsin school districts substitute teaching classes as varied as elementary, special education, computers and english for middle school students; and high school agriculture, biology, mathematics, physics,
science, social studies, German and English. Most importantly, I have served as caregiver for my mother who is dying of terminal cancer.
John…love that story. I’ll ring you up on the show this Saturday. We met a few years back when you were in Indianapolis to address a legsilative committee on the need for investment in broadband in the U.S.
Anyway, I launched a company this month that focuses on putting messages of hope and optimism out in the world. There’s way too much fear an anxiety out there and I think your show is all about giving people the confidence they need to get the economy moving again.
Cheers to you!