Me? Grateful? Absolutely! On June 14th, Seaside Magazine hosted its first-ever charity event, Taking It To The Street, in support of Help Fill A Dream Foundation (see photos on pg. 10). We raised just over $12,000! I want to take this opportunity to personally thank all the sponsors (see pg. 6), my staff, the volunteers and all of our special celebrities that came out. You all made it a truly special event!
Over the past few months, while organizing our event, I had a number of people come up to me and ask: “Why now? Why host a charity event when you have a bustling business to run?” Good questions, but really easy ones to answer: I was ready! Help Fill A Dream simply fell into my lap last year, and I paid attention. When the idea started to percolate, nothing could stop me, and thankfully, I’m at a point in my career that allowed me to do this.
I read once that success isn’t just a reward; it’s a responsibility. Think about it for a minute. Success is not only a way to improve our own lives, and the lives of our employees, but it’s a means of improving the lives of other people by giving back. That’s exactly why I felt so passionate about this event: it was my time to give back.
Not only did we raise significant funds to go towards families for children with life-threatening conditions: our event brought an entire community together. I think any small business, no matter how successful, can give back. All it takes is a dash of effort and a dollop of creativity. I think every great entrepreneur should answer the question: “Can you make the choice that your happiness will come from the success of others?” with a resounding “Yes!”
As an entrepreneur, I feel very fortunate to work alongside so many remarkable local business owners, and have a job I love. If you plan on working 40-hour weeks from age 20-65, that’s 90,000 hours of your life at your job. For that reason alone, you owe it to yourself to figure out something you really enjoy doing.
This summer, I look forward to publishing more exciting stories for you in Seaside; I look forward to spending more time in the community; I look forward to spending more time with my kids.
And … oh yes: start planning for our Second Annual “Taking It To The Street” charity event for 2015!
