Hello Friends,
It is that time of the year and I hope you are doing well. Just the other day, I had someone ask me if I was sending out another Christmas card with a picture of Rose. I even still see last year’s card still hanging in some of your offices. This thought just makes me thankful for so many things.
I normally write something individualized to each of you, but I felt each you should read the same little message.
I just finished my third year of business and it is because of you, your friendship, your kindness, and commitment to our relationship that I am still able to work side by side with you. I think about three years ago and the journey I embarked upon and here we are doing some fun projects and sharing some great times. Each year we have grown together as my business has grown.
Thank you so much for being you. Thank you for everything you have done to help me become successful. And finally, thank you for supporting this business, my family, and our friendship.
Merry Christmas!
PS…if you would like to see the holiday video many people still remember from 2010…here ya go! http://youtu.be/4PpDFnxfNw0
I am so excited to announce that I am launching my 50 States 50 Stories initiative today. I have been working on this concept for close to a year. As a storyteller, I like to capture and share people’s stories. This initiative will give me the opportunity capture stories, interviews from people I have never met and may never get a chance to meet.
I am dropping this box in the mail today. It is off to Arizona to the first entrepreneur. Hopefully during this year long initiative, we will be sharing 50 entrepreneur’s stories on a website to be launched soon. It is up to these people to share their story and send the package to another entrepreneur who they think has a great story to share.
Soon…I will be launching the website where we will share these stories as I receive them. You never know…you might receive this box in the mail.
Rose is helping me with a little work, but the family is enjoying a wonderful vacation in the mountains of Georgia. We are looking forward to catching up with everyone once we return from our vacation on January 9th. Happy New Year!!!
Rose Frances Rettew was born on Tuesday, September 6, 2011 at 7:22am…She Rocks!
Yes…I am getting organized and bringing more focus to my writing. I have been really working on the future of my company and the future of my family. As you know, I am having a little girl this coming Fall. With this new addition, I am going to be witnessing some evolution to my business as well. With all these changes and growth in my family, my writing is evolving.
So this is what I am doing. I have three main areas that I am writing:
1) My business blog, which is here. This blog is going to help me tackle and articulate the business and stories of both my clients and the climate my business represents. I will continue to tackle new media, video, storytelling, and emerging technologies as topics in this blog. I will also use this platform to tell the stories of my clients and the surrounding context. It is my belief that I want to reinforce the idea of storytelling and how we can use this practice, and the technology that supports it, to generate natural movements of change.
2) My personal blog, which is located at https://rettewcreative.com/personal-blog/. This blog will be tackling personal issues from my family, becoming a father, and also political/human advocacy issues that are the foundation of my belief system and moral ethic. As a former journalist, documentary storyteller, educator, and as an advocate, I have found myself voicing my opinions and beliefs that necessarily do not fit congruently with my business blog. So I found creating a new space to allow my writing to naturally grow, separating it from my business practices. Sometimes you will see me writing about similar topics in both places, but only when they naturally find a match.
3) A personal journal, which is private place. This is where I am tackling personal struggles and issue that have plagued me from growing up in a divorced family, the death of my mother-in-law, and the miscarriages for three little ones. These were tough times in my life, so finding a place to write privately will be a true platform for reflection, healing, and growth.
These areas of writing are going to help me with a few long term goals that I have on the horizon. I have always wanted to complete a PhD and write a few books. I am going to use these various platforms as places to write and research topics that I find interesting and could potentially bring deeper exploration for academic growth and intellectual stimulation. There are also some documentary ideas in the works that I will be using these platforms to flush out various ideas while generating business plans based on community interest.
Today’s business world has taught me to become organized, especially when it comes to our writing and how we articulate our ideas. This separation is also a test. I am interested in testing some validity in the dichotomy between a blog meant to generate revenue/business development and a blog for creative and passionate inquiry. As my writing has grown, so have my interests. This shall be a fun test!
Have you ever attended an event or a conference and been overwhelmed with the personalities in the room? Have you walked into a new place or situation, and been in a place where there are a lot of smart people talking, exchanging ideas, and not know where to fit in? I found myself in those situations more times than not.
I am an opinionated person, passionate about what I believe. I am also a person that has to understand and assess the audience before engaging in the conversation. Sometimes I need to remind myself to just listen and learn.
Recently I have walked out of meetings and thought to myself, I need to keep my big mouth shut. My passion can get the best of me, engaging in a conversation where I will debate a point because it is hard for me to see past my point-of-view. I am human, I think we all do this from time to time.
Listening is key. Really listening to the people we want to have healthy conversations with, regardless if it is a meeting, conference, group, dinner, or a public setting. Sometimes we have to learn how to pull out the big black clip and use it to shut our lips together. Then take time to listen and learn from others. I am the biggest victim of this issue…speaking when I should be listening.
We are surrounded by smart people. Our friends, family, clients, customers, colleagues, students…they are all smart people. We could learn a thing or two sometimes. We should learn to stop trying to interject into a conversation that does not need our noise anymore. I know my big ole lips can flap a conversation into complete bordum.
Why do we do this? Well, we want to be heard. Whether it is the fact we are control freaks, or we have a good idea…we want our ideas to resonate with others. We want to be perceived to be smart and innovative. Sometimes it is fear or insecurity that drives us to fill the void…driving a conversation to the painful point of no return.
We should just shut our mouth and just listen. It is ok. We will be heard at some point.
I noticed the last few days my mouth has communicated my passion a bit much. I am passionate…but maybe I should use my passion just to listen. I might learn a thing or two!
Have you felt this way before? Do you think listening is a better form of communication than talking?
So I met Greg Hartle in Chicago at SOBCON2011 and his story is one of inspiration and somewhat crazy. Who would be willing to give up a great career, great house, great financial resources to travel the country with only $10 and a laptop. Some people think he is crazy. Some find it inspiring. Some think, he will fail. Some think, there is no way I would not be able not to use my previous resources to travel the country. I know I would struggle with this since I am married with a kid on the way.
So I decided to conduct a series of interviews with Greg to learn more about his story, his passion, and his mission to travel the country. His goal is to stop in all 50 states, interview an entrepreneur in each state, and create a new business to sustain the “new life.” He started with only $10 and a laptop, hence his website (http://tendollarsandalaptop.com), and to generate income along the way to sustain life including fulfilling his mission.
Why do you ask? Well…I hope to learn more during these short little interviews! This is part one in a seven part series of interviews to learn more about Greg Hartle!
A few years ago, I was chatting with John Warner and he was describing the InnoVenture experience to a group of people. As he described this conversation, this conference, this experience…he explained that “Sparks will fly!” I was wondering what the heck he was talking about…and it was not until today that I fully grasped this statement.
InnoVenture Southeast 2011 Day One…and it all started with watching my friend and client Lonnie Emard of IT-oLogy present in front of close to 200 people. As I sat and listened, more and more folks became recognizable. More and more of my close friends, colleagues, and clients began to walk through the door.
As I was walking around the follow-up conversation in the center of the room, I walked into a conversation of my own. Yes…a colleague from Clemson. This led to a conversation that led to an idea. As we were brainstorming this idea, another friend walked up and joined the conversation. This idea was growing…three minds are better than one. For some reason, something caused us to stop chatting and walk away.
A few minutes later, as I was standing in-front of IT-oLogy’s booth chatting, those two people who were brainstorming with me a few minutes ago walked over and said, “hey, remember what we were talking about…how can we make it happen?” Then it started right back up again. The brainstorming continued and before you know it…we set up a meeting for next steps and action items.
THEN…and only THEN…another friend walked up. I made introductions and after the exchange of business cards, my friend said, “I have an idea.” This sparked a whole new conversation, a whole new set of ideas, a whole new brainstorming session. This session could only happen if the right people are present and the right innovative thinking was in progress. Sparks were flying.
What you do not know, each of these people were decision makers in their organization. They had the ability to use their entrepreneurial spirit and engage in a conversation around a common theme…innovation. These were two conversations that I was a part of during day one of InnoVenture Southeast 2011. Imagine the numerous other conversations happening that led to exchange of ideas, ideas of innovation, contact information, and follow-up emails that night.
I was so excited, so struck by these ideas…I could not wait to get back to the office to send follow-up emails. We were already emailing ideas back and forth…Sparks were flying! Innovation is a funny thing…all it takes, get like minded people together and a open forum of conversation and innovative exchange. I walked away inspired!