VETERANS DAY

We have been so busy arguing among ourselves about politics, watching many of our cities being taken over by rioters and worrying about the Covid-19 pandemic that many feel that they are at war.

We  forget the real heroes that are fighting, being injured and dying in foreign lands without the  comforts that we enjoy in the middle of our current self-made battles.

I want to share a story about one of my mentees. He served for 12 years under the worst possible conditions; saw many of his comrades die or suffer terrible injuries. He said he is blessed because other than those horrible memories he was not physically injured.

I met this young man in early September; my job was to help him fulfill his vision of having his own business. He is currently holding down a full time job and is married with two small children.  The following are a few observations:

• Our weekly meetings are optimistic and joyful. I have never seen him without a smile.
• He is not looking to run a $100,000 company but to grow a multi-million dollar company.
• His vision is to become the leader in the development of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
• In order to achieve this vision he has reached out and gathered a team of 5 people with different skill sets and one that is, in my opinion, a recognized leader in AI development. He has been gathering his team for over a year.
• They have identified their strengths and have built upon their connections (during the last 12 months) in the private sector as well as government sector.

We are now in the process of organizing (creating a vision based business plan) his company and developing an action based marketing plan. With the work this team has accomplished on their own and their dedication to learning what it takes to be successful, I know that there will be a few million dollar contracts coming their way in the very near future.

Veterans believe in themselves and in the future of our country. They are willing to work hard and to take advantage of the available learning opportunities. They don’t know the phrase, “it can’t be done”; their motto is “how can we do it?”

Reach out and thank a veteran today, no matter where or when they served. We have to thank them for our Nation and the rights we have and enjoy today.