On Dreams

 

One thing this era of real-time information and instant feedback has done (thank you Twitter, Facebook, forums, etc.) is to make magazines - and print publications in general - become very good at what they do and, lest they perish, better all the time.  

Two great examples of very good publications are Inc. Magazine (you're waiting a whole month for a new edition – 30 days!) and The Week (you guessed it...published every seven days).

Both are anxiously awaited and consumed at first sight.  The Week not only provides exhaustive articles about the past week in politics, business, arts, etc., but various other writers and editors view on the same story providing a well-rounded, sort of non-partisan, look at a particular current topic.

Inc. Magazine, The Magazine for Growing Companies, is one I have lived with for many years.  Each edition provides profiles of small- to medium-size businesses who, at some point, had the dream of creating and building a company.  Grant it, Inc. considers small companies as those with millions in revenue, but I can dream, can’t I? Overall Inc. is very motivating and essential reading for this business owner. I admit I become a little giddy when the annual Inc. 500 edition featuring the fastest growing privately held companies arrives in my mailbox.

One of the articles in this month's Inc., which is both motivating and instructional, is “Dear Future Entrepreneur.” This article gives us advice from the founders of companies who are living the dream they dared to have.  Here is some advice they have to share with us, the “next generation” of entrepreneurs:  

Tomorrow Can’t Wait – “I look back and think, ‘Why didn’t I get started sooner?’”  - Cloud Ettinger, Founder and president, Red Cloud

Focus – Don’t diversify, always “go back to your original premise.”  - Kimberly Kovacs, Co-founder and CEO, OptionEase

Remember Where You Came From – His employees are trained to do at least one good deed a day.  - JJ Frazier, Founder and CEO, New Horizon Security Services

Start Now – “You’ll never be fully prepared to start a business."  - Michael Simmons, Co-founder and CEO, Extreme Entrepreneurship Education

Learn by Doing – With your business, “You’re in the best university in the world.”  - Steve Vicinanza, CEO, BlueWave Computing

Start Early  – “When you start younger, you have the guidance you need.”  - Taliay Herbert, Founder, Baggie Swagg

Open Pandora’s Box – “Business is about testing your boundaries.”  - Stephen Mills, Founder and CEO, Aqiwo 

Dare to Dream – This entrepreneur was laughed his the face by executives at Rite-Aid, his employer, for his idea to improve services.  So he left and started his own company to provide those services.  - Reddy Annappareddy, Founder and president, Pharmacare

The entire article, including great photos of the founders (think body-writing!) can be viewed here. 

Best wishes to all for a Merry Christmas and Peaceful New Year!

- Steve Curtsinger

Beyond The Things We See

As do many of you, I spend large amounts of time in front of the computer screens on my desk positioned in the center of my desk in about the middle of my office.  You may think they are the center of my life and sometimes I guess they are.  Admittedly, they get most if not all of my attention throughout the day. 

But sometimes I stop and think, daydream or look around the room beyond the computers.  This is where I am reminded of the truly important centers of my life:

On the wall in front: a picture of my wife, three daughters and son given to me on Fathers Day.

Down beside the printer, a homemade sign with simple reminders: 

• Present choices determine future consequences
• Today is the only day you can affect
• You learn from the past, you plan for the future, but you deal with who you are today
• Today is the best day there is

Beside the sign: A crucifix

Above my calendar: A Junior Achievement poster signed by all the 7th grade students I taught as a JA volunteer at Head Middle Magnet School in Nashville. (I learned quite a bit from them.)

Beside the JA poster: My two daughters in costume for last years mini-Nutcracker performance.

Below that: A framed quote (anonymous) given to me many years ago by my wife that reads "It doesn't matter where you go in life, what you do, or how much you have...It's who you have beside you."

Taped to the left monitor: GOD ALONE (as seen at the Abby of Gethsemani).

These are the the things that matter at the end of the day.  It's the good stuff, but often overlooked... like Mary's "yes" to God and the birthday of the Child Jesus we soon celebrate.

Merry Christmas to all of you!