Confessions of a Bedroom Entrepreneur
Like many of you, I enjoy being a “bedroom entrepreneur”! (That’s a fancy term for those of us who work from home in a spare bedroom converted into an office.
It has a rather nice cachet though, don’t you think?) And I know Alex likes it too; he runs his business from a converted bedroom also — a fact most of you probably already know. Let’s face it, it’s hard not to like the 17-second commute… no pantyhose or shaving required!
Of course this past month I was very ill and pretty much confined to bed so being a bedroom entrepreneur took on a bit more of a literal translation (gotta love those wireless networks).
Have laptop, can work from anywhere (like my actual bed since I was too weak to leave it), anytime (day or night since I was unable to sleep for 5 whole days… when this happens you might as well be looking at something if your eyes are open anyway).
Bottom line, I had plenty of time available to study the very first group of entrepreneurs we funded through Kiva.org. (You can see the complete list under the “Journal” tab.) I read all their stories; I studied their photos. I looked into their eyes and could see their pure grit and determination.
And when you are looking at them closely you see they are just like us. Hardworking. Committed. Hopeful for the future. Willing to do whatever it takes.
But what I also saw in the photos was hard evidence of how they are living and some of the challenges they face that we don’t have. For example, the dirt floors. They were cleanly swept but I can’t imagine they’d be terribly comfortable to sleep on.
I have a reasonably good idea of what that’s like. Forty years ago, when I began my career, I slept on a thin mat on a hardwood floor for two whole years in an otherwise empty apartment. It was all I had then materially. But it was clean, it was safe and it was better for me than the place I’d escaped from so I didn’t mind at all.
In fact, I was very happy. I could see that very same happiness in the eyes of the entrepreneurs we’d funded too. And it made me feel very close to them.
I had plenty of time to think about what it would be like for them if they got sick and were confined to bed as I was. Would they be worried about the money they weren’t making that week? Would they be comfortable in their beds? Have enough to eat so they could get well again? Be able to get to a doctor?
I thought maybe our micro-fundraising program is helping them with those things. Now that they have the funding needed to move forward with their business dreams, who knows what opportunities will open up for them?
Then I thought about all of you helping Alex and I with this project through your donations and how grateful we are for that support. I hoped and prayed I’d be well enough to do the call on the Final Friday.
My prayers were answered. And because of your generosity, we had $2,650 to donate to the second group of entrepreneurs this week. Unfortunately, I’m still sick (although improving compared to the previous three weeks) but, frankly, I’ve never felt better. You made that possible! Thank you.
Tags: alex mandossian, kiva.org, linda m lopeke, smartstart giving, smartstart mentoring, teleseminar secrets
