Thinking back over the past ten years, I have many great memories.
When I decided to open my own office, I contacted the Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center staff, and, as expected, they quickly sprang into action. In fact, they were so accommodating that before I knew it, I had an office.
It was a single room office with a shared conference room down the hall. Somehow, I managed to find a desk, a chair, and of course, I had my laptop. Oh, and after a late-night trip to Wal-Mart, I had a printer. I was in business!
The very first day I was actually “in the office” I received a telephone call from Mary Miller. If you do not know Mary Miller – think female Virginia Tech trailblazer, business owner, rockstar, mentor, and friend to everyone she meets!
“I hear you have an office. I am coming to visit. We’ll have coffee,” she said.
I replied, “Great, but Mary, I don’t have a coffee maker.” She responded, “I’ll bring the coffee.”
But, Mary, I don’t have any furniture,” to which she replied “we’ll sit on the floor.”
There was no stopping her. She said it was a big day for me and she wanted to stop by and congratulate me. So, you know what happened, right? She showed up a few minutes later with Starbucks.
She insisted on a picture to commemorate the day, so somewhere there is a picture of me and Mary sitting on the floor of my new office having a cup of coffee.
Thank you, Mary.
Every small business owner must have mentors and cheerleaders. I have been blessed to have many. Thank you all.
“We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give”-Winston Churchill
