It may sound a little vain but I love to meet people who are as creative, quirky, innovative, and as passionate I am. I'm talkin' folks who push the envelope and aren't afraid to do it. Folks who understand that we've actually got choices and options in life and we don't have to remain in the same ole' rut just because tradition tells us so. Recently I had the pleasure of meeting and working with one such person.
Laura Clemons, founder and CEO of Collaborative Communities Management Company, is by far one of the most interesting people I've ever met. And I know some interesting people. An arts major with a Master's in Education, Laura's mission is to help fuel collaboration within communities to affect change. This weekend I had the chance to co-facilitate a design workshop, aptly named a Charrette, with her to observe first-hand just how powerful of a mission that is.
A group of us including Laura, several content experts and facilitators, met with a group of 25 high school students who attend P.D. Jackson Olin High School who had qualified to participate in the workshop by writing an essay about their vision for their neighborhoods. In light of the recent tornado damage the area received in April 2011, it was no surprise that many of the students' essays included ideas for improving the devastated area. Among some ideas for improvement was to re-build the community in a manner that is inclusive of youth and encourages youth to take stock in their neighborhoods. Content experts spoke on topics like mixed-use buildings, greenspace, trails, connectivity, and universal accessibility. Afterwards the students went on a walking tour of the area and designed a plan of action for their ideas.
It was truly amazing to witness young people learn to take ownership of their neighborhoods and essentially, their lives in the process. One of my favorite takeaways was a quote that Laura shared, "There is no them". In other words, if you bear witness to a problem, issue or situation, or it affects you in anyway, YOU alone are responsible for enacting the change you want to see. The students will present their ideas at a local city hall meeting next month. Kudos to Laura and all of the contributors of the project!
Showing posts with label Entrepreneurship. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Entrepreneurship. Show all posts
Monday, April 23, 2012
Saturday, April 21, 2012
Other-Smothered
My mom always likes to recount how industrious I was as a child. She says my first "business venture" involved me picking flowers out of the neighbors yard and then knocking on their doors to sell those same flowers back to them. At the time, it seemed like a good idea.
When I was 19 and wanted to add some income to supplement my minimum-wage-paying job, I purchased a 100 piece lot of jewelry from a friend of mine and resold it at a 300% markup. It worked! I started successfully selling jewelry pieces to friends and family, at local hair shows, flea markets, city fairs and even had a Peddler's License. I could smell a sale from a mile away. I was, by all accounts, winning!
Eventually I opened a street corner store front. No really!! I was on a street corner with literally all of my inventory sprawled out on one of those 8x8 fold up tables you get from Walmart. I even hired a security guard to stand watch during my street corner transactions. One night some friends spotted me and pulled over. "Giirrrl, why you out here hustlin' and stuff?" they asked. "You get kicked out?" "Girl, you need a ride?"
Here I was with a vision, a fully executed plan, a license, and $600 in so-called "hustle" money. So what did I do? I packed up the remainder of my inventory, paid my security guard, packed my trunk and drove off crying my eyes out. I was humiliated that my peers would think about me this way. None of what they'd said was true and yet it brought my vision crashing down and I let it completely transform my plan, my business.
Now I look back and realize that I still occasionally fall victim to other-smothering. There are still times when my fear of public reaction and disdain get the better of my logic. I've been sidetracked more than once by a hyper-consciousness of other's reactions to my unconventional approach. But I've learned that it takes a type of bold obliviousness to others reactions and with the best of intentions our peers can often project their own fears on to us. My advice is to flee from all signs of dream-tampering and pursue your visions boldly and diligently.
When I was 19 and wanted to add some income to supplement my minimum-wage-paying job, I purchased a 100 piece lot of jewelry from a friend of mine and resold it at a 300% markup. It worked! I started successfully selling jewelry pieces to friends and family, at local hair shows, flea markets, city fairs and even had a Peddler's License. I could smell a sale from a mile away. I was, by all accounts, winning!
Eventually I opened a street corner store front. No really!! I was on a street corner with literally all of my inventory sprawled out on one of those 8x8 fold up tables you get from Walmart. I even hired a security guard to stand watch during my street corner transactions. One night some friends spotted me and pulled over. "Giirrrl, why you out here hustlin' and stuff?" they asked. "You get kicked out?" "Girl, you need a ride?"
Here I was with a vision, a fully executed plan, a license, and $600 in so-called "hustle" money. So what did I do? I packed up the remainder of my inventory, paid my security guard, packed my trunk and drove off crying my eyes out. I was humiliated that my peers would think about me this way. None of what they'd said was true and yet it brought my vision crashing down and I let it completely transform my plan, my business.
Now I look back and realize that I still occasionally fall victim to other-smothering. There are still times when my fear of public reaction and disdain get the better of my logic. I've been sidetracked more than once by a hyper-consciousness of other's reactions to my unconventional approach. But I've learned that it takes a type of bold obliviousness to others reactions and with the best of intentions our peers can often project their own fears on to us. My advice is to flee from all signs of dream-tampering and pursue your visions boldly and diligently.
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