The tough form councils.
How did Tom Hanks do it? In Castaway, he extracted one of his own abscessed teeth with the blade of an ice skate, he was a sole hunterer/gatherer, and he managed to live a really long time (you win a free slurpee if you guess how many years) on a deserted, albeit gorgeous island, while somehow maintaining his sanity and his fighting (and creative) spirit.
I, on the other hand, have been working on the birth of another company – a relataively safe venture comparably. I would argue, though, that on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, Tom H. and I share a similar placing…. we’re both bottom feeders in that regard. I just have easier access to an In ‘N Out cheeseburger.
Anyway, during a moment of weakness, during one of those days when I was wondering was the hell I was doing starting another organization, my friend and mentor said, “You need a council, Tanya. You need help.”
It was in that moment that I had a brief bit o’ clarity. Here I am, creating an organization that provides the means for others to band together for support in realizing their toughest ambitions, and I was going at it on my own – just solo. Typical.
So, I followed her advice and reached out. And surprisingly, the response was loud and enthusiastic. Even more surprising, and incredible, is that none of these team members are PAID. They are volunteering to help me build this company for nothing. They spend extra hours, working with other women, all of whom are separated by thousands of miles, to create things that will build an even more powerful, influential organization.
I realize now they are getting much in return for their efforts. They’ve had to remind me a thousand times. (Girls, if you’re reading this, i’m working hard to make sure you’re official one day!)
But in this experience, I’m also reminded of the power of engaged and enthusiastic teams.
Leaders can put a list of job descriptions together, list a bunch of necessary skills and behaviors to realize specific business objectives, but without engaged, willing, enthusiastic people, you’ll always settle for mediocrity – at best.
Watch us grow — GOTRIbal(TM). www.gotribalnow.com
ANd read about us in Triathlete Mag: http://triathlon.competitor.com/features/triathlon-networking-organization-strives-to-empower-women.html
Onward and upward!
Susan Gunelius
Susan Gunelius is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Women on Business. She is a 25-year veteran of the marketing field and has authored ten books about marketing, branding, and social media, including the highly popular Ultimate Guide to Email Marketing, 30-Minute Social Media Marketing, Content Marketing for Dummies, Blogging All-in-One for Dummies and Kick-ass Copywriting in 10 Easy Steps. Susan’s marketing-related content can be found on Entrepreneur.com, Forbes.com, MSNBC.com, BusinessWeek.com, and more. Susan is President & CEO of KeySplash Creative, Inc., a marketing communications company. She has worked in corporate marketing roles and through client relationships with AT&T, HSBC, Citibank, Intuit, The New York Times, Cox Communications, and many more large and small companies around the world. Susan also speaks about marketing, branding and social media at events around the world and is frequently interviewed by television, online, radio, and print media organizations about these topics. She holds an MBA in Management and Strategy and a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing and is a Certified Professional Career Coach (CPCC).
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I’m with your mentor…everyone should have a personal board of directors of sorts…Andy Andrews taught me that. Bravo!