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Growthink Blog

President Obama and Entrepreneurship: "The Risk-Takers, the Doers and the Makers of Things"

Print Written by Jay Turo on Tuesday, January 20, 2009
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In my 10 years at Growthink and my 20 years in business, I have never lived nor worked through a period with as much uncertainty and negativity, as much economic depression, as much market fear, as we are living through right now.  As spirits have waxed low in the markets, I would be not candid if I did not confess that I have bouts of dispiritedness.

But when I step back and reflect on why I am doing what I'm doing, I have never been prouder of the work that Growthink does, nor more convinced of and committed to our core mission in a nutshell: To Serve The World's Entrepreneurs. And that mission has ever been more timely, more resonating, more legacy-building than it is right now.

A line in the new President's inauguration speech made me reflect on the good and very important work that we and our clients do:

"In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of short-cuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted -- for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things -- some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom."


One thing I know for sure is that the answers to the problems out there will not come from General Motors. They won't come from the U.S. government, or from the Chinese government, or the Russian government, or the French government. They won't come from your friendly local utility company, or your cable company, or from a law firm, or from a commentator on CNBC or The New York Times.

No, as has always been true throughout modern economic history, the only way out is the way forward -- and that way forward will be led by the country's and the world's entrepreneurs, its scientists, its engineers, and its business builders.

And what Growthink does is to serve and support these thinkers, these dreamers, these doers. This is very good and very, very important work.

We are part of the solution -- a small part for sure -- but a part nonetheless. The world has enough naysayers, enough doomsdayers, enough Chicken Littles. What it needs more of is courageous entrepreneurs and folks like us that believe in them and serve them.

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Des Crowley says

People out there have to lose their fear now and not suspend their projects indefinitely or more jobs and homes will be lost..... money needs to circulate, it is the lifeblood of the economy!Have faith in the future we cant just sit idle and wallow in self-pity!
Posted at 3:58 pm
M says

Jay, While I agree with your premise that the answers will not come from government, there are many today who believe otherwise. President Obama is one of them. he continued on to state the following; "For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act — not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. And all this we will do." Unfortunately, Government action is Kryptonite in the world of the entrepreneur.
Posted at 4:23 pm
Sheila says

I am proud to be an American. I am excited to have Barack Obama as our nation's leader. I listened intently to his inaugaraul speech. I really liked how he said we the people need to take charge over our economic situation and work together to rebuild our economy. With that in mind,I am proud to be an aspiring company growing despite the recession. So as entrepreneurs we need to come together and merge our thoughts for success in rebuilding the wonderful USA. With the continued entrepreneurial dream for success, we will make this nation stable once again. But, just not overnight! Thank you for the opportunity to share my thoughts.
Posted at 4:40 pm
Chris says

The only way we'll dig ourselves out of the ditch we're in is to help foster that innovative spirit that has made America what it is today. Unfortunately, the system for funding these early stage ventures is severely flawed, with only a very small percentage of companies deserving funds actually receiving them. Something needs to change and the time is now. I came across a whitepaper with some very forward-thinking ideas on the subject: http://www.northvp.com/main.php Any thoughts?
Posted at 5:24 pm
Dr. Nono C. Pearson says

I do believe that we are living in a time whereby change should be seen as an opportunity rather than a threat. The problem that we have as a nation is do to our greed; that often times hurt ourselves. We don't want to give credit and funding to the actual innovators, so we don't get to see a complete vision being brought to market. In past history the rule has been "he who has the gold makes the rules". This has been a major down fall for us as a nation. Just because a person has capital does not mean they are qualified to make key decisions about another persons vision. I believe if we stop trying to control everything & everybody rather than ourselves and let things take its' natural course, we will see economic growth. It's time for us to all come together and do our part and not try to do someting that we was not made to do, in the name of capital gain. It's our only hope.
Posted at 5:36 pm
gammill says

Jay, I too felt a great deal of pride when he spoke those words. It is my POV that it will require a healthy innovation ecosystem, one that is in need of some work. While at IBM, I worked on an important project call the National Innovation Initiative (NII). I hope, now that our backs are against the wall, more will be done in DC to put policy in place to drive 21st century innovation. check out www.innovateamerica.com. Maybe the 'America COMPETES Act' (my understanding is the NII influenced the Act) will gain some momentum and have an impact. Each part of the ecosystem has to contribute to the solution - if so, we will return ever stronger and with a new sense of purpose!
Posted at 8:09 pm
michaelh says

The market has changed. It is somewhat like playing on a natural turf football field while it is raining. The field continues to get worse but...people will score and there will be winners. The quarterbacks who were great on a sunny dry spring day might have a difficult time standing up in this changing weather but...there are new spikes to be developed for the wet field...there are new gloves that allow players to hold a wet ball easier...and there are even groups of players who could work to change the rules to improve the game. One thing for sure...If you walk off the field and don't play you can't win. Yes I am an optimist at heart. And quitting, for me, is not an option. It is my opinion that the crop of politicians we currently have in the US are the most feeble minded in my life time. That will be the case until we change it.
Posted at 9:32 pm
Angela Noelle Thomas says

I felt the same sense of encouragement that now there is a leader in place that recognize the importance of building this economy, this nation from the united efforts of our entrepreneurial sector. As a graduate student looking to start my own hospitality company I am energized by the President's commitment to this sector. We need to come together and pool our economic and technical resources to create the jobs that this country so desperately needs to turn around the economy. As a spiritual person I never lost hope and as I watched this election unfolded and saw this nation unite for the greater good, I am assured that this nation will thrive because we are "One Nation under God".
Posted at 10:57 am
beagilbert says

while enjoying all of the yes we can speeches i can only wonder about how many of us will. I am proud to be an american and witness this major change in my time. But change is what it's going to take so that our future will be brighter as business owners. I don't think it's fair for those that have control over funding to put those that need in such dire despair of never being able to obtain what one needs. At this point i think that this will only make those in charge raise the bar a little higher.But my faith in God never lets' me forget that all things are possible.
Posted at 4:47 am
Lorne Pike says

I live in Canada (Newfoundland and Labrador, to be exact), but am in New York, Atlanta, Miami, or some other US city once every 4-8 weeks on various business trips. This gives me an interesting perspective for comparing sentiments and levels of optimism on both sides of the border. I hear at least as much fascination with President Obama, and hope for his policies, in Canada as I do in the US. We are very interconnected, and your new President will have tremendous influence on all of us... including those of us living outside the US. More than I can ever recall seeing before, I think we're all ready to work hard together, to make a better time and place.
Posted at 6:41 am
Mahal says

I'm observing that more people these days are opening their minds and lifestyles to do things outside of their regular work - whether it's pursuing the advanced master's degree or finally starting the home-based business. For some, it's almost as if they needed to be cornered by dire circumstances so they can finally leap to the next phase of their development. This article is reassuring, especially for us entrepreneurs. When working on something new, it's nice to know you're not alone nor entirely crazy for insisting on doing something different.
Posted at 1:13 am
Sebastian Mancillas says

We are living a hard times but is time for every small business owners and entrepreneurs to show that the real patriotism is to create jobs here in our country and not overseas.
Posted at 8:31 pm
Richard Bishop says

This article makes me feel good. Feels good to know that the world and the current economy is dependent on people like me who have big dreams of being one of the worlds greatest self made entrepreneurs. I know in my heart that wether it takes 6 days, 6 weeks, 6 months, or even 6 years I will be successfull in my business adventure no matter what any one says. Why? Because thats what we do! Thank you, Growthink!
Posted at 7:25 pm
Peter says

Want to open up new opportunity? Try to read lots of articles about entrepreneurship. I have read good articles at www.cairnsweb.net Peter cairnsweb.net
Posted at 12:57 am