Take a Stand in Your Community – Just Do It

In this case, Kaepernick taking a knee opened the eyes to many that something needs to be done. Yet, we need to honor and respect our county, the flag, our forefathers, and the many brave veterans.

There is no excuse for the poor treatment of some ethnicities in this country dealing with numerous false accusations and brutality. It was the veterans of this country that had traveled far and wide under severe circumstances to fight for the rights of others that were being threatened to prevent further abuse. Many of us couldn’t imagine living, or surviving where my grandfather and other brave women and men had gone to war. We can’t turn a blind eye to brutality in our own backyard. It was Kaepernick’s actions that may actually create a way for others to stand up in their community and do something.

“Believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything. #JustDoIt”
– Colin Kaepernick Tweeted on Twitter

In the news, I was sickened to see many police officers make false accusations and use physical force on African Americans and other nationalities. It’s a disgrace! My grandfather was the only Jewish WWII fighter pilot in his squadron among pilots of other faiths. Few ever met a Jew, but befriended my grandfather and recognized the atrocities around the world. Many were killing, torturing, or making false claims then, as some people continue to make racist comments today about Jews and other minorities. My grandfather was adored by his fellow pilots and put his life in harm’s way to save others.

It’s a shame that in some cases people need to take desperate measures, or find a public stage, before ‘We the People’ recognize this is a major problem that needs attention at home. Some feel powerless to take action, but it takes the power of one man and one woman to do something to say this needs to STOP! In some cases, an army will follow to break down barriers, fix the problem, and find a way to come together. They should not be penalized for their actions.

If it wasn’t for the courage and controversy of Kaepernick, Martin Luther King, and other civil rights activists, many would not take notice and recognize something needs to be done. In a media consumed world, and in some cases a very ignorant society, people continue to watch the stupidity of the Kardashians.

I would like to see the NFL and Kaepernick agree to come together to create programs with their financial support that educates and empowers people starting at a young age. We need to come together in our communities. Law enforcement needs to wake up and educate their staff, as well as change the many hiring practices. It was disgusting to see many cops across America on video threatening African Americans. Some shots fired for no apparent reason and these people were killed when they were proving their innocence.

How would you react to someone accusing you of something you didn’t do with angry threats and a firearm to your face? Think about it and what’s happening every day in this world.

What can you do to make a difference? Nike encourages people to take a stand for your beliefs, or as Kaepernick took a knee, and do something to make others think harder about their actions. Value life and each other by creating a positive change in your community.

In an interview from the Bleacher Report, the VP of Brand for North America at Nike said, “We believe Colin is one of the most inspirational athletes of this generation, who has leveraged the power of sport to help move the world forward.”

Now it’s your turn to move forward and JUST DO IT!

Diane Hessan Made A Place For All At Communispace

Hessan Made It Happen

It amazes me time and time again when you hear the stories of entrepreneurs and how much they didn’t know, didn’t have, but figured it out along the way because of their passion and belief in a business. “I had no idea how to raise VC money,” but it was imperative for Diane to seek assistance during the early stage of her venture and she raised over $10 million in her first round.

For Diane Hessan, CEO of Communispace, she envisioned one day to have her own business. However, she didn’t quite know what that outcome would become, but she made it happen. Recipient of the 2009 Entrepreneur of the Year award and her company recognized as One of The Best Places To Work, Diane Hessen knows a bit about using her physical energy to bring to life a true professional and a great mom to her daughters. As Mariah Carey sang, “If you believe in yourself enough, and know what you want, you’re gonna make it happen.” Diane’s making it happen for her and many others in her life.

Diane knew her company would be filled with talented people, where she visualized the office, as well as the culture she hoped to one day cultivate. “I knew that I could always get a job in big company that wasn’t my biggest fear, but rather not getting something off the ground and achieving my dream.”

I know life can be so tough,
And you feel like giving up.
But you must be strong.
Baby hold on.

Her dream team came true building Communispace. Yet, her initial product strategy wasn’t what made it a success. At first, the design of the software was built around an opportunity for members of a company to create profiles to communicate their business needs, questions and concerns to other employees. For example, a community for retail managers was designed for the ability to share their collective knowledge for the benefit of others to apply best practices throughout the stores. Yet, it was a slow adoption process for Diane’s first three clients. Competition from IBM, Microsoft and others was fierce. Also, very few people were participating in the community she built, so they decided next to incorporate facilitators that initiated questions in hopes to encourage the employees to participate. Still few people used the community platform that she dreamed of becoming a useful internal resource at companies. At one point, Hallmark requested, “why don’t we find real customers and have them answer our questions?” Ultimately, this changed the premise of the business and opened the door to new opportunities for Communispace to reach a wider audience of customers and became the catalyst of success for her business today.

A New Model For Success

A new business model and concept was born for Communispace. At that moment, Diane contacted all the mom’s she knew, as well as Hallmark reached out via email through their customer service department to elect real consumers to contribute to the discussions around the product, stores, and provided advice on better service. The magic finally came together and numerous members joined the conversations that provided Hallmark suggestions. Rather than creating focus groups, or surveys that were a sample of a small segment over a short period of time, Communispace created a constant connection and communication with the audience to determine how to make improvements. Today, the company is now providing comprehensive reports that are a quick resource for executives to gauge the audience preferences, decisions, and interests, in order to make decisions for their businesses.

I held on to my faith,
I struggled and I prayed,
And now I’ve finally found my way.

At the end of the day what makes her most proud, “It’s about building something with amazing people who offer different skills and each having a meaningful purpose in their life with passion.” She hopes that 100 more CEO’s come out of Communispace through the life lessons learned, challenges, and advancements made throughout the business ups and downs.

If you believe, within your soul,
Just hold on tight,
And don’t let go.
You can make it happen…make it happen.

Stay Positive, Focused, and You Can Also Make It Happen

If anyone doubts your abilities, rejects you, or believes it’s impossible to make your business dream a reality,  you can and will make it happen! One day all those people who said no to you, slammed the door in your face, or told you thanks, but no thanks could later have second thoughts. It’s always best to be professional in these encounters and continue to develop your network. Those struggles along the way we encounter, those tests of your character and strength will eventually help you to become stronger to win the bigger battles to make it to the top. As Diane said, “For all those people who said no, it’s a possibly one day they will regret it,” having experienced it for herself. Today, she’s proud to be a role model for entrepreneurs, as well as on the board of numerous companies to create new places and spaces for many people who enrich the community.

Lyrics in this post by Mariah Carey, Make It Happen © 1991