Ok, so clearly that's not what I really thought. But I hadn't foreseen the road blocks, misdirections, lack of sleep, endless rewrites, financial pressures and insecurities (and did I mention planetary levels of insomnia?) that come along with a devotion to a great idea. As I am married to someone who has never met a bad night for sleeping, this has left me much time to ponder the frightening/exciting world of business creation.
One might think that creation begins with a good idea. Well, to quote Seth Godin, "Ideas are easy, doing stuff is hard." Having the good idea seems to just be the common point of departure. Landing with a successfully established business that is profitable, relevant and community-engaged is what separates the thinkers from the doers. And this motivation cannot be externally driven, one has to pin down exactly what pushes them forward in this inner pursuit to achieve in the tangible what they only glimpse in the unseen.
Wow, well that was a weighty thought. While I blame the two americanos and way too much alone time, the sentiment does not change: entrepreneurship is not for the weak kneed. And so here is my story in pictorial representation.
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| Step 1: A great idea equally grounded in personal conviction and pleasure. |
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| Step 2: Adapting that great idea to personal needs, community ideals, business structures and financial risk. |
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| Step 3: Risking self enough to engage others smarter than I for a little help. |
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| Step 4: Keeping the vision, even when all the circumstances seem to say its an empty possibility. |
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| Step 5: Risking everyone and everything for a singular vision and purpose; being "all in". |
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| Conclusion: A celebration of the small triumphs that lead to your small, little slice of victory. |
And so began our journey; It started with a good idea but only came to blossom under the commitment to a bigger idea of self. One that starts with the fundamental conviction that Waco needs an infusion of excitement that is convicted that thinking and doing are essential to the human experience; and the acceptance that delays, upsets, redos, misdirections and insomnia are really just part of the journey. So I declare a new theme song for this phase of the journey thanks to American Authors' "Believer".
I'm just a believer
That things will get better
Some can take it or leave it
But I don't wanna let it go
So, in conclusion, what does it take to hang a sign in Waco? Pretty much everything...and a lot of caffeine.
AND BY THE WAY....Did I mention we started demolition today :)
