For a person who likes change, I’m in a rut.
FlagandBanner.com is over 45 years old, I’ve been married for over 35, and I’ve lived in the same house for three decades. This rut, I don’t want to change. I love my life. But I would like a new creative project to work on. For me, business is my creative outlet. I like building things and solving problems in groups but only if I have the final say (self-awareness is a virtue).
Giving Back
It has been 14 years since the founding of the non-profit Friends of Dreamland Ballroom. It has been 7 years since we started our radio show/podcast, Up In Your Business with Kerry McCoy (UIYB), and BRAVE Magazine was first published in 2014. Now, this next timeline really blows my mind; it was 2004 when I wrote my first entry for this very blog!
Though impressive, it is only Arkansas Flag and Banner that creates revenue and has something to sell. The other projects are what you might call “Ego projects.” Through our work at Dreamland Ballroom, we’ve saved a piece of Little Rock’s black history. The oral histories and research collected by hired historian and author Berna Love was made into a book, Temple of Dreams, which later became the basis for the PBS documentary Dream Land: Little Rock’s West 9th Street.
Many years later, on an impulse, UIYB was launched. Much like now, I was feeling bored and looking for a new project. Out of the blue the idea of sharing my business knowledge with other budding entrepreneurs came to pass. Since UIYB’s first on-air radio show, it has morphed into more of a biographical podcast with mostly fellow Arkansans telling their stories of success. For our listeners, we hope, it is interesting and encouraging to learn that many of my guests come from humble beginnings and their secret to success is simple; most work hard and believe in a higher power. I like this quote from the founder of Hilton Hotels, who is known for his optimism, honesty, and unfailing sense of fairness:
“Success seems to be connected to action. Successful people keep moving. They make mistakes, but they don’t quit.”
Conrad Hilton (1887-1979)
Moving
Though I am not as fast on my feet, I’m far from being ready to retire. I have a lot of experiential wisdom that can be put to good use, and with my new face “I look the part.” I’m in need of a new project and the project can’t be a family member (lol).
Some people have suggested I volunteer for a non-profit. But I find working for 501C3’s to be frustrating; most move too slow for me and, as I mentioned above, I have a need that can’t be met by non-profits: I like to have the final say. This is not meant to be arrogant or egotistical, it is just that I no longer have the time or patience to watch other people learn what I have already learned.
So, what is next? I guess I will take my own advice by listening to life and going where it leads me. Stay tuned.
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