I saw a fantastic movie recently called, ‘A Star is Born’, a tragic love story with Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper. Cooper was a country singer star in the midst of a downward spiral but he discovered and falls in love with Lady Gaga who has just about given up on her dream to make it big – until he coaxes her into the spotlight and begin a career that took off.
I can sort of relate to Lady Gaga. With the Whitewater Singers I made the leap of a lifetime by attempting to sing for the first time ever. Part of the weekly practices for more than three months now, my singing voice still has a long way in the improvement classification but I’m optimistic that big things are in store! If Susan Boyle went from obscurity to fame and fortune, so can others.
There are numerous examples just in Whitewater where entrepreneurship has blossomed with dreams of making it big or at least bigger – and I might be in that category too some day. A few recent examples are Whitewater Foam Insulation Solutions, Sugar Creek Farm and Ottawa Valley Yoga.
Entrepreneurship, as is singing opportunities, is not the glamorous path it’s been made out to be. It’s not about big ideas and ideals. It’s not about hopes and dreams. It’s not about guts and glory. It’s not even about invention and innovation. And it’s certainly not about a search for fame and fortune. It’s about perseverance and determination. It could begin as a one-person contractor in electrical or roofing or a handyman/handywoman ready to tackle almost anything that needed fixing or an up and coming singing sensation.
Selling chickens, beef or berries is another way of getting your feet wet. When I was 14, I collected enough beer bottles one summer that had been strewn into the ditches, cashed them in and bought a new bicycle. Back in the day, the men were mostly big beer guzzlers and habitually threw empties out of car windows… moving or stopped!
You could become an Uber driver but you must be careful. A few drivers didn’t keep their hands on the wheel, letting them wander where they shouldn’t and so were charged with a criminal offence of sexual harassment. Some people work from home doing part-time income tax returns. One time I agreed to keep a record of my television viewing for payment as arranged with one of those exaggerated telephone callers. A few weeks after my data was submitted, I received it. What a disappointment – it was only a twoony. I should have read the fine print as I thought my efforts were worth much more than that.
There are disadvantages of small businesses too. Nobody to delegate work too and a lack of expertise so paying for a qualified person or persons will be required from time to time. Even your own ideas may not be the most suitable to meet goals, but never, never use lip syncing – that could ruin a career even before it gets noticed!
At the Craft Show held at the Westmeath Hall last week a dozen exhibiters had tables displaying their wares. While strolling along I was corralled in by a vendor who said, “I have a product here that could improve your balance.” I stopped in my tracks as I need help in that area for sure. I was all ears. The sales pitch was most worthy and it convinced me that I needed a fix from those items with their specific sequence of a neuroreceptor activation. It is suppose to trigger a signal that aides the brainstem to reach and maintain a stable equilibrium. Some benefits from the use of the product includes enhanced pain relief, improved balance, enriched mobility and overall energy. If all these paybacks perform the magic I hope, I could be skating and playing pickle-ball again in the near future. I’ve been on the sidelines basically because of the balance difficulties I have experienced.
My dad used to say, “Too soon old, too late smart.” As a teenager I wasn’t interested in his meaningless philosophy, only doing things and meeting with friends and the three squares a day while living at home. If only I had of listened carefully to his harping, I wouldn’t be trying a comeback at such a late stage in my life.
