Did you ever have an opportunity that’s so cool, you just keep pinching yourself, to be sure you’re not dreaming? That’s what’s happening right now for me as a Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Cohort 15 scholar in Philadelphia.
I cannot recommend this program highly enough. It is challenging , stretching, and equipping me to take to my business to an unprecedented place.
Each week, I’m surrounded by other scholars on the same mission as we’re guided through 13 weeks of business knowledge and expertise taught by industry professionals and fellow business owners.
It’s a stellar learning experience and I am beyond grateful for this scholarship that Goldman Sachs has offered to the business community.
Last week, I attended the Big Power of Small Business, GS 10K SB Alumni Summit held in Washington, DC. I had the honor of being in a room with over 2,500 graduates of the program, including 3 other alums and scholars from Delaware. Senator Coons was one of the speakers and gave the four of us a shout out from the stage!
The Summit was a non-stop day of learning and connecting as we sat at the feet of entrepreneurial giants like Sir Richard Branson, Sara Blakely, Warren Buffet, Tyler Perry, and many more.
The beautiful take away from their presentations was that their entrepreneurial story is our story. It’s one of ‘falling down and getting up, burned and learned, bumped and bruised, shake it off and keep going’ moments. It didn’t seem to matter if they made millions or billions, received accolades and awards, had setbacks or struggles—their story is our story. By the end of the day, I was more inspired than ever, to keep running in the direction of my dreams with all of my heart.
The next day, a couple of thousand of us spent time on Capitol Hill. We spent time with Senators Coons and Carper, as well as Congresswoman Blunt-Rochester, which gave the four of us from DE, the opportunity to share about our companies, as well as our most pressing business concerns. I realized our potential as entrepreneurs to advocate and have a voice.
So, here I am at the halfway point of the program, with a 5 year growth plan to write in order to graduate, and I couldn’t be more fired up to do it!
What is significantly stretching you this year? How are you growing and shifting for even greater success? Thank you for being courageous enough to keep at it. Your story is my story. It’s our shared entrepreneurial story. May it inspire others to step fully into theirs.
Best,
Donna