What Small Business Saturday, Margaret Thatcher, & Aristotle all have in common.

Small Business Saturday has gotten me pondering today. I really think it's an awesome initiative someone took on. I know there's some who may view it as just some mass marketing campaign to get Americans spending even more money, and more specifically, spending through America Express. I do believe much that's great about America was built on the ideals of small business, community and the principles of entrepreneurship. Community and commitment increase when people take ownership. For us all to get out there and show our support of entrepreneurial spirit is a fantastic thing.

I always wanted to be an entrepreneur myself. The autonomy and independence, the excitement of innovation, and the pride of owning something and growing it to achieve success on your merit by your own hand...it's all so very exciting and just thrilling to me! I suspect a lot of people feel this way. I hear about surveys that a majority of people, when polled, would like to be their own bosses. The reality in America is that most are not. Most of us have jobs. I know I do (I have a business as well but more on that a tad later.) Most people feel that they are either lacking the money or expertize to go into business for themselves. Or they can't take the risk or the pay-cut while they get a new business off the ground because they have a family to feed and bills to pay. We all know the dilemma. That was my dilemma too. These are pretty much all the reasons I started in a direct selling business (this is not a pitch I promise! Just some good ol' fashioned honest-get-to-know-me-stuff! Stay with me I'm going somewhere with this.)

I've had my Amway business a couple of years now. I was a customer of the products I now sell so the transition was natural for me because I already loved and could recommend them. But to borrow from my pal Aristotle's 'one swallow doth not a summer make'; I'll add that a business doth not an entrepreneur make. And I would venture to guess anyone not afraid to offend a business-owning-buddy of theirs would likely agree. We should probably go find that statistic everybody quotes: "^insert ridiculously high percentage here^ of businesses fail in the first 5 years" to use as an indicator we may be right.

Simply having a business will not make it a success. Owning a business does not equal owning key entrepreneurial traits for success. I AM INCLUDED IN THIS! I have been learning these traits and habits and taking ownership of them to become a part of that community. But it is a process. Much like training for a race...hmmm the plot thickens...

From QuoteHD.com

...So this in turn reminded me of one of my favorite quotes. Margaret Thatcher said that "Being powerful is like being a lady. If you have to tell people you are, you aren't." Which I always took to mean that power, and being a lady, is something you possess. It's in who you are and how you act and the life you live. It's in your actions rather than in your words. Or similarly I suppose, not in the words anyone else says either! If you have it, or are it, there are no words that can take it. So, I  concluded, the very fact that I want to be an entrepreneur, the way I feel about the excitement, the autonomy, independence, and pride of owning something of my own and growing something, and the action I take daily and the road I'm traveling down, means, I already am one. So thank you to Mrs. Thatcher for another lesson learned; You, Aristotle and Small Business Saturday all got into my brain and helped me see something more clearly. I already have power over my attitude and actions, I am already a lady, and I am already an entrepreneur. (Insert quick giggle at my just doing exactly what the quote tells me not to do ;-)

I originally named this blog after the immortal Forrest Gump (one of my all-time favorite movies!!) and Jenny's shouting "Run, Forest, Run!" I figured plenty of people would catch the reference. I also know another movie is called Run, Lola, Run (which I have not seen) but either way, I figured the marathon running reference would be made. But in a happy turn of events, as I watched #smallbizsat #smallbizsaturday and #entrepreneur tags inundate my Twitter feed all day long, I realize that, my running goes for not just running a marathon, but also a business, and also a life in general. We are all running the business of our own lives and sending ourselves in whichever direction we choose each and every day. I feel like I just got a mega sign from the universe, and I'm totally excited about it! Happy Small Business Saturday everyone! Cheers!

 Zazzle Bumper Sticker It seemed relevant :-)

Daydreaming and Doing: A quick introduction to Jessica Diane Miller

If I sit and think much longer about writing my first blog post I may just turn into stone. I have that daydreamer tendency that gets in the way of ACTUALLY DOING sometimes... Daydreaming is all well and good when you're accepting your fifth Nobel Peace Prize or your third Oscar, but not so helpful when sat in front of your computer screen with your typing fingers at the ready... So... in true "just pull the bloody band-aid off!" fashion here it is: My first ever blog post! I suppose some introductions are in order.

 My name is Jessica Diane Miller and the basic basics are over in the about me section to your right :-) But in addition to those points here goes. I attended secondary school in the UK at Hinchingbrooke School in Cambridgeshire. I went to Kennesaw State University, in north metro Atlanta, graduating with a B.S. in Communication and a minor in Legal Studies. I work in finance and administration now, so yes, like the other 70% of the college grads in the country (or whatever that number is now say our friends at The Washington Post ) I do work outside my major field of study. But that's okay with me because I LOVE the people I work with (which is actually true; I'm not just saying that in case they read this - promise!) I also commute about 4 minutes to work - way less than the average metro-Atlantan - which is a beautiful thing in a city where some people commute upwards of 90 minutes EACH WAY a day and we rank in the top 10 cities  (at least according to Forbes ) for worst commutes most years I think. So anyways, I'm totally off topic but that's as PERFECT an introduction as any to me, because it sums me up!

I like to chat and learn and socialize and so many things interest and excite me that it is just too easy to get off topic. While my main purpose for writing this blog is to track my progress toward a marathon goal I have (more on that later in my next post) I think the truth is nobody is that one dimensional... I am more than my marathon goal! So I will likely be blogging about running (eh um, or at least the clumsy, flailing-forward motion I do that I call running) as well as life, the universe and all things. Isn't that the purpose of a blog?? Not sure - but I plan on finding out! So welcome to captains (b)log one! And on the off chance anyone actually reads this, AND decides to comment (which I would of course love you forever for) just remember: be gentle...it's my first time ;-)  Cheers!

Atlanta skyline image I found. After complaining about the traffic,
I feel compelled to share just how beautiful the city skyline is :-)