Since this is our first blog post, a little catching up might be in order. What has gotten us to this point? How did it all start?
About two years ago I had this sense that something is missing. Not really in my personal life because I have been blessed well beyond what I deserve. It was more of a sense that something is missing in the world in general. Looking back, I think it takes this kind of purpose to keep it rolling when the days get extra long. The “need to be heard” fades, but the drive to fix something that needs fixin (as we say in the South) will keep you up at night.
What seems to be missing in the business world is a sense of trust as well as a genuine concern for what we see going on in our communities. Who can you really trust and is there more to life than the pursuit of personal gain? I am all for showing a great return for the money and time invested, but what will happen if we put the most important things first? Can an even greater “return” be realized if we base a business on serving, giving back, and making a difference? Of course the definition of “return” is up for interpretation, but we can get to that later.
As I started down this path, one thought kept reoccurring to me…what would happen if I found a group of people with the same desire to make a difference but with a variety of skill sets? “Similar hearts, different gifts” is how I summed up the approach, and is what this business is based upon. What can happen if a network is formed of people with a true desire to use their skills to have an impact on what they see going on around them? So with an open heart and mind, I started down this path with a clear sense of purpose but an uncertainty of how to get there. It has been pretty amazing the kind of experiences that I have had, and the people who I have met along the way. A lot of this website will teach the technical aspect of setting up a business based on these principles so I will not go into the details at this time, but I do want to mention a few of the “similar hearts” that have shown up in my life as I journeyed down this path. This blog post is not intended to be a recognition of the people who have impacted me personally. It would be impossible to construct a list without missing someone. I have been very blessed from this aspect. A majority of the rest of this post will only mention a few of the key players that have helped construct this dream. This kind of thing cannot be done alone, so it is extremely important to get the right kind of help and remember that life is full of seasons. The key players will come and go, but finding the right people for the right “season” is critical.
My wife, Robin, has been with me since the conception of this idea. She heard me ramble almost incoherently at the beginning as I struggled to formalize what was going on in my mind and heart. Later as it took shape, she was patient with me as it turned into something of an obsession. I have more than a full-time job and two kids, so you can do the math. There are only so many hours in a day. If people think golf is an annoying hobby, try building a web-based side business. She is gifted in several different ways, and they will be demonstrated throughout this site.
Early on in the formation of this business venture a friend of mine, Kellie Fowler, dropped back into my life after more than a ten-year absence. Kellie is brilliant and a very gifted writer with an amazing heart for serving others. She takes my words and thoughts and helps me form them in ways that others can understand. Kellie is a talented “wordsmith” and is a very important part of SomewhereOver. It would not have been possible without her.
So with the concept and a couple of players, I started down the path of building a team that can help bring this thing to market. It took a ton of trial and error (see article “Selection of Vendors”), but I found a web designer. Interestingly enough, I was sitting in a networking function in a church listening to the CEO of Coca Cola Consolidated talk about community involvement when sitting at the same table was Dimeji Onafuwa of Casa Julie. It only took a couple of meetings to see that his company was exactly what we needed to make the website a reality. Dimeji has built his company based on the values that we hope SomewhereOver will demonstrate.
It has been almost a year now since we started working on the website that will be the vehicle to take the business concept to market. We are only a few months out from it going live, so the amount of work and activity is certainly picking up. It is fun to see how hard our team is working in each of their respective areas. “Similar Hearts, Different Gifts” is right on.