February 25, 2022

From The Baltic Sea to Seattle 🛫🗽

An Entrepreneur from the country of Georgia regaled us with story of starting the second business in his country after USSR’s ban on private businesses had been lifted by Mikhail Gorbachev under Perestroika/glasnost.

Georgia borders the northeastern portion of the Baltic Sea.
Ukraine borders the North/Northwest portion of the Baltic Sea with Russia in between these 2 countries.

I was astonished by his story, while VERY aware of the irony of having a conversation that 10 years before would have not been possible.

He was a successful entrepreneur in the United State, living in Seattle, when we met.
I hosted him to lecture the top engineers, scientists, and executives of the launch systems company I worked for at the time.

Remembering the drive from the airport to the company's campus still gives me goose-bumps because it was the impossible becoming reality: a respected scientist/engineer from the (former) USSR would be sharing how we could be engineers and scientists.

Unthinkable, a few short years before that!

Speaking of sweet irony, on this day in 1870 Senator Hiram R. Revels became the first African American to serve in the United States Congress! Merely 5 years after the civil war.

Sen. Revels, a Republican representing Mississippi, took the Senate seat formerly held by none other than Jefferson Davis. (https://www.britannica.com/biography/Hiram-Rhodes-Revels)

Irony often results from how things play out over time. No doubt that will be true of current events.

As an entrepreneur - a leader - you have an opportunity and duty to be the calm eye in the hurricane of current events.

You can have a massive, positive impact on the world by growing your company - continually expanding opportunities for others in the process.

You'll affect future Hiram R. Revels, and other future leaders that go on to great "firsts." Mostly without even knowing them or how you helped.

For example, if you make products, every manufacturing job supports at least 4 other jobs. (https://www.epi.org/publication/updated-employment-multipliers-for-the-u-s-economy/)

That's positive leverage that helps a lot of families!

As that calm in the storm you'll be able to act on the opportunities for grow that always result from chaos.

Enjoy the moment.

In fact, today is National Chocolate Covered Nuts Day! Celebrate accordingly. With a favorite beverage and some of your favorite people.

Have fun Friday!!

See you on the trail.