Ordinary People Doing the Extraordinary

Today I walked into a room with some of the top small businesses across the country.  Norhart was one of the winners of SCORE’s American Small Business Championship.  The winners are in Reno this week to network and learn how to run a small business better.

Walking into the room was a bit intimidating but undeniably exhilarating.

The events have been both educational and at times unconventional.

One of the most awe-inspiring people I met are the parents of an 11-year-old child who is academically gifted.  This kid is already taking college classes.  But being gifted isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

He was often bullied because he was different than the other kids.

This inspired him to start a bow tie business and to use that businesses as a platform to bring awareness to bulling.  His story has exploded, and he has been on many national TV shows.

As incredible as this one story was, I learned that everyone had their own story.  Most of the winners were ordinary people who simply had a drive to something extraordinary in their community even if it was as small as baking a cake for their neighbor.

The reality is that we can all make a difference.  You just need to know what you are passionate about.  Surround yourself with good mentors (like a free SCORE mentor) who can give you honest feedback.  And then fight hard for that dream.

Thank you to @SCOREMentors for a wonderful first day at the conference.  #bizchampion