Remember when the year 2010 seemed so futuristic? Here it is now, just one month away, and things don’t seem ultramodern. I suppose if you go back in time to 1984 when the movie 2010 was released, some things have changed quite a bit.
Take music for instance. CD’s came out in the 80’s and now they’ve gone the way of cassette tapes. Remember when the 8-track was old-school?
One’s perspective never ceases to amaze me. The other day my two-year-old daughter saw an old phone and wondered aloud, “What’s that string?” She was referring to the phone cord, yet another relic that her generation won’t understand.
Over the last few months I’ve paid close attention to the reaction I get from people when I tell them I’m starting a new business. More often than not, their look of surprise was followed by a comment like, “Wow, that’s brave.”
From my perspective, the decision to start a business was not one motivated by bravery. Instead my motivation comes from my desire to work for myself rather than someone else. I suppose that could also be construed as being stubborn, but like to think of it as a strong sense commitment.
I assume the bravery comments reflect the current state of our economy. Starting a business in the face of such adversity must seem courageous. Regardless of the economy, starting a business takes a level of courage that most people don’t possess.
Moreover, it takes commitment to succeed. Time, money, and enthusiasm are easily exhausted. It’s the strong sense of commitment that gives one the strength of character to not give up. Then again, maybe I’m just stubborn.
Until next week,
Matthew Anderson, President
Milestone Marketing Associates, Inc.
P.S. Invitations for our Grand Opening Celebration on New Year’s Eve were mailed last week. Please don’t forget to RSVP by December 17th.
What will you be thankful for when you get together with friends and family this Thursday? Given the terrible tragedy that 2009 represents to my family and me, I am grateful that it’s almost over. On the other hand, this year is also marked with triumph.
Starting Milestone Marketing Associates has proven to be a daily challenge and a constant joy. I often feel like I’m riding on an emotional rollercoaster. Between the highs and lows; however, is the constant thrill of anticipation.
I am thankful for the freedom to choose with whom I spend my time. Since my brother passed away in May, I have often said the brush with mortality helped me prioritize the people in my life. I was referring to people already closest to me – my family and friends.
Now that I have immersed myself in the business of networking, I am coming to a new realization about relationships and sales. While I’ve known for a long time that sales are built on relationships, in reality I’ve only been a spectator. Things are different now that I have to dance for my dinner.
Back during planning mode, my business consultant often said you have to “kiss a lot of frogs” when you’re first starting out. The idea being that once you’re established you can be more choosey about your clients.
What I realize now is that the “frog” doesn’t refer to a kind of person, but rather a type of business. In other words, if the ideal client is a software company, or some other type of business that has some inherent appeal, then the frogs refer to the other clients – the ones you take on because you need the work.
The point is the people you work with are not the frogs. These relationships are built on common ground, similar interests, and mutual respect. That’s the constant thrill of anticipation. Not if the next business I run into is a frog, but whether the owner is a prince, or princess, basically just someone I want in my life.
As a business owner I recognize that I have a greater degree of freedom when it comes to making those decisions. That is why I am thankful – the triumph of starting this business and the freedom it gives me to choose.
Until next week,
Matthew Anderson, President
Milestone Marketing Associates, Inc.
