It's Worth the Work

I'm probably a bit behind, but I recently got a chance to hear the story of Lisa Price and her company, Carol's Daughter [http://www.carolsdaughter.com/]. Lisa is an African American woman who (as she put it) turned a hobby into a business. Carol's Daughter carries a variety of beauty products, many of which Lisa was once preparing by hand in her kitchen. Today the business has grown and she's a self-made millionaire.

Listening to Lisa's story got me to wondering why more of us don't do that. I sincerely believe that we all possess at least one (in some cases more) God-given talent, skill, or ability -- but why are so many of us just sitting on those skills and not putting them to use? What is the difference between the person that let's their skill go to waste, and say a Cathy Hughes or a Lisa Price? What is it that he or she is missing? Some argue, "No one ever told me that was even a possibility." And to those folks, I hear you loud and clear, but you can't make me believe that if you were stranded some place, desert island, mountains, unfamiliar city -- whatever -- you can't make me believe that you wouldn't *figure* some things out. I have to believe that you would eventually learn how and where to get food, that you would eventually learn one or two survival techniques, if surviving was important to you. And these things, again, you would *figure* out on your own -- WITHOUT THE ASSISTANCE OF NO ONE.

The world that we live in is no different. Most of us don't have the family examples to follow, but I believe that all of us have the capability of being the example for someone else. We have the choice of whether or not we want to start a new trend. And if you are one of the people that's looking for the example, use Cathy and Lisa -- and of course there are others -- but here are two excellent examples of starting from nothing. Cathy would be the first to tell you that she sacrificed much to build what she has, but I'm sure she'd also tell you that it was all worth it.

African Americans, as a people we really need to step up our game, if not for ourselves, for the examples we want to set for our children. My challenge for you is to begin taking the steps (no matter how small they may be at first) towards creating something of your own. Lisa began by selling her homemade goods at church and local flea markets. Find out who the clientele is for your product or service, and make yourself known. Anything is possible.

Just remember, "It's worth the work."
~jaz