Peer Advisory Boards – It Takes a Village
June 25th, 2008 Filed under: Uncategorized — Small Home Business AuthorThe old African proverb states, “it takes a village to raise a child”. No man, woman, or family is an island onto itself. We venture into a new role, undertake a new project or set out to do what no man has done before. Whatever direction we choose to take, we go there with limited knowledge and experience. “The Village” can take many forms, but the one commonality is we seek the knowledge of those who have come before us.
Entrepreneurs are a proud and independent group; we have a better way and are willing to assume all the risk to deliver our product to the world. Unfortunately, pride and independence can work for us and against us at the same time. An entrepreneur is someone with the courage and passion to take a concept and turn it into a business and is willing to do whatever it takes to achieve their desired outcomes. An entrepreneur can also restrict themselves to solitary confinement and resist the aid of “the village”.
Why do we resist?
Fear of looking bad
Need Permission
Didn’t know the option was available
Waste of time
Don’t know who to ask
I am a mother and an entrepreneur. As a new mother I also resisted “the village”. How could I admit that I didn’t have the faintest idea what to do with this child? All I knew for sure was that I loved her, and wanted to take the best care of her. I soon realized that I wasn’t alone; my mom shared how she felt after I was born. “What a relief, I may actually have a shot of raising this child.” From that moment on, I sought out the expertise, took classes, surrounded myself with other parents, and got involved in activities to help support the village. We are now the proud parents of 2 teenagers who openly communicate, take pride in their work at home and school, and set goals for their own future.
Unfortunately, I didn’t realize the same rules applied to entrepreneurship, and it took me a little longer to get acquainted with “the village”. How could I admit that I didn’t have the faintest idea what to do with this business? All I knew for sure was that I had a better way, and wanted to deliver the best product in my industry. Someone recently asked me “why I do what I do, and what makes me good at it?”. I do it because it gives me joy. I am good at it because I eventually got tired of solitary confinement. I got tired of repeatedly making the same mistakes. I grew weary of the paralysis of my fears. I looked at the areas in my life that I was the most successful, and applied them to my business. “The village” has become my greatest resource. The residents of the village are fellow entrepreneurs that have shared with me their experiences, and expertise. In return, I gave them the gift of my experience and expertise. They come in the form of my accountant, my attorney, peers, clients, and most importantly my Mastermind group. My mastermind group has become the governing branch of my village. They have shared with me their experience, supported me when I have fallen, been patient, and never judgmental. They have helped me to align myself with my business, take leadership, and look at the business for what it is and what it can become.
We all possess the power to accomplish what we set out to do, some take the long route and others seek the direct route. When we accept the village we remove the fear, and isolation that can stunt our progress.
Maria Keiser has a wealth of experience and success in relationship building, business growth development, operations management, and event planning. She has helped many of her clients grow and better understand their businesses.
Maria takes a proactive and personal approach with her clients, she feels that this method promotes trust and a sense of community within the membership, which is conducive to success and is one of the differentiating factors in her industry. She lives by two mottos, “stretch your comfort zone” and “only ask of others what you are willing to do yourself”.
Her most recent accomplishment is her recognition as one of The Hartford Business Journal’s class of 2007 40 Under 40.
Ms. Keiser has worked to improve the business climate in the State of Connecticut. Her current project is working with law makers and state officials to eliminate the Business Entity Tax.
Maria is the creator of the *”Ask the Entrepreneur” speaker series, and has been invited by several organizations to present to new and emerging entrepreneurs.
She attributes her success to her business partner and spouse Michael who introduced her to the world of business, and learning from other business owners who have achieved success. Maria and her family live in Manchester, Connecticut.
* “Ask the Entrepreneur” is comprised of an eclectic group of successful entrepreneurs who share their experiences, successes, and mistakes
For more information visit http://www.theecircle.com/
Our Blog http://resourceforbusiness.blogspot.com/
