From the Publisher: We Rise

There are moments in time where we are forced to do things differently, to see things differently. Times that give us a new environment, a new situation and a new perspective that doesn’t allow the “this is how it’s always been done” to even work. Times when you want to throw your hands in the air and give up, but you can’t.

And from these hardships—these opportunities—we rise. Whether what keeps us motivated is the dream or the bills, we rise.

Every business owner I have talked to over the last several months is adapting. It is in their nature to bob, weave and throw a few punches as they navigate each challenge that they are confronted with. Those punches are filled with innovation, creativity and probably a little anger and frustration. But the key is that they keep fighting.

We also grieve. The losses have been great. I had to close a business a few years ago, and it continues to haunt me as I mourn that loss, that failure. I still ask myself constantly—why did I give up, where did I go wrong? But this storm is different... this storm feels out of our control.

No matter. We are resilient. We are fighters. We are creative, innovative and strong. And today is not the day we stay down. Today is the day we rise. We rise to survive. We rise to learn. We rise to serve. We rise to thrive.

As with all storms, this one will eventually end. We must not miss the opportunity that the storm presents... What will you do differently? What should stay the same? Where do we go from here?

Don’t just ride out of the storm. Rise.