To Overcome
When we had to shift plans for this year’s More Than Just Great Dancing® Member Rally to become an all-digital event, I knew that our keynote speaker would have to be someone who could be the ultimate inspiration.
We needed someone who could tell a story of hope and survival, someone who could remind us that, if we keep the right perspective, there are truly no such things as bad days.
There have been times during this pandemic where being a business owner feels like being on a battlefield … and I mean that with no disrespect to the military who face actual battlefields. But metaphorically, we have seen so many entrepreneurs fighting for their businesses, their employees, and their livelihoods.
Overcome became the word in my head; what I thought our theme for Member Rally should be. That as a group we will overcome, as an industry we will overcome, and as HUMANS we will overcome.
So who would be fitting of this theme and this motivation? Who could shine a light for us?
I had to look no further than Jason Redman, a retired Navy SEAL lieutenant whose extraordinary journey took him through failure and injury and disappointment but evolved into a story of redemption and leadership. His book, Overcome, shares his philosophy about using crisis to rebuild and thrive. And, well, it couldn’t be more perfect for the inspiration we need!
And it isn’t just the inspiration WE need at More Than Just Great Dancing®. I believe that the lessons from Jason’s book are relevant to ALL studio owners, and really, business owners of all kinds. Because HOPE is truly what we all need right now. It takes guts for anyone to start a business, but it takes an extra measure of “hope + strategy” to keep going when your business has to take on a pandemic environment.
Hope, along with strategy, is needed everywhere. As entrepreneurs, we need the HOPE that we can overcome this situation AND we need ideas to implement. We need the HOPE that our businesses can come out stronger AND we need a framework to follow.
HOPE drives us through difficult situations.
HOPE keeps us from giving up.
HOPE allows us to say to our children, “There’s MORE than meets the eye right now.”
Jason brings hope, plus strategy and framework.
His story has reminded me that if we have hope, we can do the hard work that’s needed for our businesses to overcome. We can see that even with uncertainty, there’s room for progress.
I’m certain that to overcome, we not only have to shift our mindset, but we also have to embrace the reality of where we are: That this IS a challenging time. That there are no easy answers that fit everyone’s business the same way. But also, that there is so much OPPORTUNITY to rise up and do better for ourselves, our families, our businesses, and our communities.
If you, like me, have needed a boost in this perspective, I can’t recommend Jason’s book enough. If he can overcome, if he can have hope, then so can we. <3
Even more, let’s have HOPE together. We can build a stronger dance community with forward-thinking, linked arms, and grateful hearts … and enough hope to carry us through to the next adventure.
Love, Misty
