The Symphony Orchestra and the Construction Industry

I'm so proud of my daughter!
Of course I am proud of my daughter, as parents, we all are proud of our children and all of things that they do. Every once in awhile we get surprised and out of nowhere things happen, let me share.
My daughter, Erin, is a musician, literary freak and all-around very bright woman. All through high school she was a very artsy and unique young lady. She went to college and got a degree in music and business and had a bright future in front of her. She played viola, loved costumes and theater and had a direction in her life. When she got out of college she got a job with the Pittsburgh Ballet Theater and was having the time of her life. One day she had a mishap at the costume shop and severely broke her left wrist. She was devastated! Her left wrist and fingers are needed to play her instrument and she couldn't do it. At the age of 23, she felt lost.
Five years have passed and she hasn't played, and she got out of the orchestra and theater arena and tried some different things for employment. I could tell she was not happy but the person that had to realize it was her.
This week she started a new job with Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra, http://www.westmorelandsymphony.org/ in the marketing department. She is back in the arts and she told me that she is going to play her viola again. I am so proud of her!
Erin had a dream and a vision, when she was young, about something she wanted to be and as life would have it, some obstacles got in the way. It took awhile, but I think she's back! She hung in there and kept her vision and her dream. I believe that this week, this new job, this new opportunity, is the beginning of something great for a person that always had greatness within. How lucky she is, how happy am I!

So how does this tie in to the construction industry? I think of that very typical construction contractor at a young age having a dream and of being self-employed, having skills and talents and wanting to apply them. The idea of having one's own business and being able to apply the skills learned from trade school, a parent, or from on-the-job training, is a driving force. There are many obstacles that get in the way of success and sometimes it seems as though it is out of reach. But here's the commonality; it's the clear vision. If we don't have an absolute clear vision of where we want to be we will never get there. The only way to overcome the obstacles is to know what you want and never give up.

I think of my daughter and her skills and talents and I know that a young age she had a clear vision. It takes more than skills and talents, it takes an absolute burning desire along with the wisdom to know that you must make changes in your life in order for that vision to come to fruition.

Is your vision clear and if it is, are you willing to make the changes necessary to accomplish your goals?

Preparation for a keynote speech

I am a member of BNI Network Connections and my keynote speech is on Monday. As I'm preparing for this speech I was thinking about the process that I went through. I came up with the idea, I started taking notes and I honed the concept in my mind. Today I sat down and put it all together. A lot of preparation goes into making a 10 minute speech, especially if you want to be really good.
Now here's what I want you to think about, I know my subject so that I could just stand up and talk and probably do a pretty good job but I want to do more than just a pretty good job, I want to be excellent.
What do you want to be in your business? Do you want to be pretty good or do you want to be excellent? Those of us that want to be excellent realize that what goes in to doing a presentation or running a business is all the same. It takes a lot of research, and a lot of extra effort, a lot of review and it takes a clear vision. I believe that my vision is clear, for the first time in three years, I know exactly what I want. Now I need to have a plan and a clear message so that my vision is understood. What are you doing for your business, is your vision clear, do you want to good or excellent?

Trading Talents Networking

Today was a great day!
The second training talents networking event was a huge success. The buzz in the room was an indicator of the way the contractors felt. It was so exciting! For those of you that where there I thank you for coming. There was no doubt in my mind that you enjoyed the networking and the chance to learn about the importance of having a business plan. Pat Putnam you are outstanding! You provided value and insight, what more could we ask for? For my wife and I, the meeting after the meeting was even better.
It is so exciting to me to see a group of blue-collar professionals interacting in a natural environment, sipping a beer, with a smile on their faces.
The feedback was much appreciated and very positive, we will do it again.