Take Two

We are canceled for tomorrow.  Now looking for a sturdy piece of rope (aka ideation with plan).

I did not sleep well last night.  As I mentioned, the white death is looming.  I have, what psychologists call, suicidal ideation without plan (yes Tiffany, you will be tested on this).  We have literally spent a year and several thousand dollars preparing for our conference this weekend and are now looking conservatively at six inches of snow and up to a foot by some estimates.  I have had folks call and email me in the last day asking whether or not I was going to cancel.  My response has been that, unless there is a level three snow emergency and the sheriff orders us off the roads we are going to have a conference.  It may be a small and wildly unprofitable conference but we’re having it.

The reasoning behind my thinking or, as some would say, stubbornness, is that I really believe that fate favors the bold.  We had similar weather concerns last month in Barberton and that rally turned out great.  On a more macro scale, about a month ago I took a flyer and left a very good job to help start a new firm.  While it has been a long and tiring month, we have planted the seeds of something that will do more than just provide financial rewards.  There is a distinct pride in looking 1-5-10 years back and seeing that you helped build something of value.  It’s a very cool thing.  But you don’t get that feeling unless you step out and take a chance.

So what about failure?  Folks who take chances are going to fail and will likely fail hard at some point (it’s kind of the premise of this blog).  But failure makes the successes so much sweeter.  Whether it is work, church, or whatever, you will never feel the thrill of victory (or the agony of defeat) unless you take a chance.

Having said that, the conference is on.  Scott Graham and a terrific line-up will be here and if you’re in the neighborhood you won’t want to miss it.