In April, my company, Planting People Growing Justice LLC was named an American Small Business Champion by SCORE and Sam’s Club. This award commemorated our hard work and dedication to the success of our business. Our prize package included a $1,000 Sam’s Club gift card, an all-expense-paid trip to a training and networking event in Dallas, TX, SCORE mentoring and publicity throughout the year.
At the training event, some of the dynamic speakers included Giselle Chapman (Chief Performance Optimizer), John Pietro (SCORE Mentor), Ron Cates (Digital Marketing Expert), Hal Shelton (Author, SCORE Mentor), and Betsy Dougert (SCORE Communications Manager).
I learned 5 key lessons on business success from Giselle Chapman:
1) Know your why- Starting with defining “why” will help businesses with understanding their how and what. Often times, business owners begin by focusing on our products and services. However, exploring the question of “why” is of paramount importance. This defines what makes your products and services unique. This is your competitive edge and value-added proposition.
2) Breakdowns are opportunities for breakthroughs- These words provide the motivation that every small business owner needs to hear on a daily basis. It is a reminder that a wise man falls seven times and will arise again. On the eighth time, he/she will arise triumphant with new insight and foresight. The challenge is rising again and reflecting on the lessons learned.
3) Bridge the belief gap- Henry Ford once stated: “If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right.” Victory is won or lost in the mind. During our training session, we practiced affirming our work and sharing our vision.
4) Find your happiness factor- We participated in a happiness exercise. We each shared three things we are grateful for. My faith, family, and community were top on the list. Each inspired me to reach my dream of educating, equipping, and empowering the next generation of leaders.
5) Neurons fire together and wire together- It takes 21 days to build a new habit. This reminded me to be intentional with how I manage my time and energy. I left the training with a new commitment to build time in my day to re-energize and reflect. I will tap into the happiness factor by expressing my gratitude for the support of my team throughout the day.
I also had the pleasure of networking with other business owners who have overcome similar challenges to ours and who are passionately pursuing their dreams of small business success. I cannot wait to visit Café Tola in Chicago and enjoy their award-winning empanadas, eat Perfect Pop Kettle Corn, lather my skin with the lavender Shea BODYWORKS and try Cakes and Desserts by Monica Anderson.
I am eager to apply what we learned in Dallas to our business operation here in the Rondo community (Saint Paul, MN). From day one, our team has been dedicated to planting seeds of social change through education, training, and community outreach. We believe ordinary people can have an extraordinary impact on the world around them. We provide the training and resources needed to make this vision a reality.
