It's Never Too Late to Take on New Challenges

During these tough economic times, colleagues have oft heard me talk about the importance of innovation through invention.  I firmly believe that it's precisely these challenging times that the so called "overnight successes" are born - note, I said "born" but not necessarily all grown up. 

That's because there is really no such thing as overnight successes. 

This is true in entertainment, sports and, especially in business.  Entertainers hone their craft in relative obscurity for years, athletes train endless hours on end and businesses work through the daily minutia of building the company until one day and if it's done the right way, viola!, success is achieved.  The world only sees the ultimate success and thinks the path was quick and effortless but if you've ever been in any of these, or other similar categories, you well know that is the furthest thing from the truth! 

But, interestingly, dealing with constant naysayers could be the biggest challenge you face.  But the fact of the matter is, while many people are focused on the problems of a down economy, those who are open to and seize the “opportunities” are more likely to face real prospects of ultimate success.  Therefore, one must continually work hard during the "toils and tribulations" phase to ever expect to get to our ultimate goals - whatever they are.

I mentioned earlier the importance of innovation through invention but a critical component of this mantra should include re-invention as well.  Observers have recently noted a tremendous uptick in the number of people going back to school to earn additional degrees, re-enforce core competencies or just to learn something totally new.  Given the economic climate, this is not really news; however, the point this illustrates is that learning new things inevitably opens the door to new opportunities.  These opportunities may include progressing in your chosen line of work, learning a new craft or even starting your own business.

Taking on new challenges is a great way to jump start your life and often opens the door to new opportunities.  I, myself, try to practice what I preach.  Despite having my own job stresses and life constraints, I have made tremendous efforts to continue my education.  In the last year alone, I have earned certifications in advanced First Aid, CPR and have become an active member of my local CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) group.  I am currently completing FEMA's NIMS (National Incident Management Systems) course and plan to earn both ICS (Incident Command Systems) and SEMS (State Emergency Management Systems) by years end.  I've even graduated from the DMA's Search Engine Marketing course and earned a certification that will help me better execute on QuakeDog's mission to become the "de facto" brand in the marketplace!

Speaking of QuakeDog, our Company is a great example of innovation through invention.  And your efforts as valued members of our team have led us from a simple idea our CEO, Jay Everingham had a year or so ago to a truly one of a kind company that is leading the pack in our industry!  This all came about as a result of innate vision and a strong desire to create something new and exciting.

The bottom line is it's never too late to learn new things and there's never been a better time to take advantage of the given situation.