Today, I’m going to write one blog for two different sites. I have feeling that this breaks some sort of SEO commandment. However, since I’m not going to ask for permission I’ll keep on writing. And if I am committing some major blunder; MAYBE, I’ll beg for forgiveness later.

Yesterday, I spent another long day at the dentist in between meetings for my newest brainchild. (Notice that it was not the other way around.) That is why I am a day late getting this info out, but it is important enough that it is worth the late share.

It is also part of my latest epiphany: community Jason Mendolson, a Michigan native, spoke at Xconomy Detroit yesterday. He is part of the billion dollar venture firm The Foundry Group located in Boulder, Colorado. He urged us to come together as a startup community not only in Detroit but also with Ann Arbor to create a symbiotic force to be reckoned with. While in front of the group, he said that he had identified four main points to starting and maintaining a strong startup culture.

1. Entrepreneurs must run the community: A startup economy will not continue to grow if it is run by traditional big business.
2.  2o Year Horizon: He also noted that no one should expect immediate results. He said there should be a twenty year horizon for any new startup community. 
3.  Anyone who wants to participate should be able to participate: We all got in this because we couldn’t work for someone else so why should we tell someone else that they have to be able to “work” with us. We were all outliers at some point.
4.  Regular engagements: Regular meetings like Startup Grind (shameless plug!) help to build a strong community. We are not just getting together to give/receive awards. We are getting together to really connect and get to know each other and become a sort of family. 

We all have good ideas, we all need each other. We shouldn’t exclude just because an app doesn’t save lives like the biotech venture can or a retail outlet isn’t inventing the newest sexy technology. We are all interdependent. Let’s do this! Let’s build a new community and I’m happy to let each and every one of you shine in your own way…just as long as you drink my coffee :)  Actually, just come be a part of Startup Grind. Show up, you never know who you might meet.

Resurrection

Ha! 

I haven't written a blog in a Looooonnnng time. At least not a personal one. A lot has changed...I'll give you the short story: 

1. DF became DH (see above)

2. No more smoking 

3. I am still "well-nourished." (I'd say fat, but that has negative connotations and I gave up negative self-talk for Lent.) 

4. I have anywhere from 2-7 kids during the school year and 2-9 in the summer and none of them are biologically mine. 

5. Overall, I'm really, really happy 

I'm back. The truth of why I'm back is because I need a place to sort it all out. And even though I'm not going to be famous and have tons of followers, maybe one or two things I write here will help someone. So why not? I'm a relatively smart, yet quirky girl... 

Today's inspiration is that I'm finally "getting it." See, for several years now, I've been hearing about how "You" have to build a community...and in relation to what I am doing (coffee) my eyebrows would knit together and I would give "You," (think of "You" as a generic term right now, like the ubiquitous "They") a very confused look. "You mean customers, right?" You would respond, "Well sort of...more like a community of customers." 

I have always been a direction-reader and after the directions, I jumped in with both feet to figure it out. Except this one took me awhile. Only today, while I was writing an introduction for a new group did I realize that I was using this term community and really understanding it for the first time. I also think that I finally have defined it for myself in a way that is meaningful and relevant to what I am doing. I also realized that I am interested in creating three communities that may overlap, but are all equally as strong. 

Now I feel like I know where I'm heading but I still have things I want to discuss and meander over in my head. That is what has prompted me to come back here. I feel like this next step is really important and that I need to share it. Maybe it's only just me and cyberspace, but at least I am sharing.... 

So stay tuned. I promise I'll be playing this show for awhile.