The Essence of Entrepreneurial – and Human – Success

After a week of being out nearly every day meeting new people it feels good to be at the office with the people who matter most.  Reminded me of what my late father-in-law told my husband when he started working at the family business, before it went public.  I think he was 7 or 8 years old – his job was to sort little things like screws and nuts and bolts.  He was going to meet the people that worked for his father and if he was anything like he is now at that age, dad was probably concerned he might say something that could be misinterpreted.  (I am married to the least shy, most outspoken man in town, and proud of it.)  He said, “Barry, respect these people, they make our business work.”

When I think of it, that is probably the key value any entrepreneur has to put into action to be successful.  I’ve yet to find as good a quote in any entrepreneurship textbook.

Thanks, Syd.  I wish you’d lived longer.  There’s a lot I would have asked you.

The Making of an Entrepreneur

Teaching is almost always a trip into the unknown.  This time, teaching Entrepreneurship in the Health Professions at Temple, the light has been turned on.  We gave the class access to the assessment at www.Tools4Entrepreneurs.com and by the time I got to class Monday, it felt like I knew all of them.  In fact, I did, since when you know someone’s Role, you know the most important things about them.  Case in point, a fabulous Watchdog.  I commented that Watchdogs were generally drawn to work in the financial world and she said she’d worked in the field but left because she didn’t like that people were sold products that were wrong for them.  Just like a Watchdog, such a great protector!  She’ll make a wonderful team member in whatever she ends up doing.

We had a guest entrepreneur share her story with the class.  What an inspiration!  Marie Frisbee is a single mother of three who is driven by a dream.  She started The School of Medical Massage in Philadelphia to teach massage without funding or an MBA – just a huge amount of heart and the soul of the social entrepreneur.  She’ll do well by doing good.  Providing people with HIV/AIDS and other diseases, pain and injuries with services that are complementary to the the usual medical modalities, her students have a waiting list for their $30 hour-long massage.  You don’t even have to be sick or in pain to enjoy that!  The best part is she is growing the next generation of Medical Massage Practitioners, just in time for we, the Baby Boomers, to have a happier old age.  Thanks Marie!