Entrepreneurial Inspiration: What Do You Stand For?

Just like the colors outside my window have changed over time, so have my perspectives and opinions. If I asked you the question,”What were you most passionate about 20 years ago” would your answer be the same today or would it be different? Has something occurred in the past 10 years of your life that created a desire within you to improve the world? Perhaps a random experience set you on an unexpected course that has taken you to where you stand today operating a business or organization you never imagined.

Sometimes it is hard to say when change occurs within us. For the most part, big life changing events change us immediately; but most often subtle shifts in thoughts, new people we meet or wisdom we glean makes us realize we changed. Other times it can be friends or family telling us we are different. If only seeing change within ourselves was as easy as watching leaves change from green to orange outside our windows.

At last week’s Women TIES Retreat I surprised the audience by having a woman dressed as feminist Elizabeth Cady Stanton share her thoughts on why she and our foremothers fought so hard for women’s rights 80 years ago. As I sat with my back to the audience mesmerized by her words, I could not see the reaction of the women in the room. Elizabeth’s speech was more about feminism than entrepreneurship so I wasn’t sure how the audience would respond. The only thing I could trust was my desire to bring my feministic approach to life, work and business to the event for others to experience. The response was positive.

I didn’t see the world “pink” 20 years ago, the way I view it today. I view the world pink because I notice when women aren’t equally represented in government or leadership roles. I view the world pink when I support any woman trying to change the world for the better for women – no matter what the issue. I view the world pink in my own household where I talk about inequality with my two sons who think the issue of equality has been solved and won’t affect their lives.

Today’s blog post is to ask you what you stand for. What moves you the most? Is it the same as it was 10 or 20 years ago? Is it different? If it is different, are you lending your voice enough on the subject? Perhaps your family member was diagnosed with cancer and you have been a cheerleader for a cure ever since. Maybe there are community members around you that don’t have enough food so you got involved with an agency that feeds people. Maybe you needed a certain product that wasn’t offered in the market, so you created one. I want you to stop today and see how you have changed for the better in your life or in your business the past 20 years and write it down. Recognize what you stand for.