Thoughtful contemplation and a vision of things to come

As 2009 slowly fades into the review mirror of time I ask all of you to take a moment to pause and reflect. Let your minds eye relive the blessings you received, and your conscience mind reflect on the lessons learned from the challenges you overcame. As the saying goes, "The past is history, the future a mystery and today is a gift which is why it is called the present."

With my own tendency to reside within the extremes, I must admit that finding that balance between envisioning the future and living in the present difficult. I usually find myself either hyper-focused on the planning and strategy of moving forward, or the tactical implementation there of. As I reflect on the blessings of 2009 those that stand out most are the relationships gained, many of which through social media.

Some amazing men and women have come into my life. Each of which have served to enrich it in their own unique way and make me a better man. For most of my adult life I have believed that you can only rise to the level of your association and I take this opportunity to thank all of you for helping to elevate me. Some of the most notable influence's in my life are my good friend and Bellevue Tweet-up Co-Founder Jean Luc David; Rod Brooks who unbeknownst to him has been a bit of an unofficial mentor, my confidants and advisers Mr. John Kelso & Miss Leanne Underwood; the entire Stigmare team, and many more too numerous to mention.

Through the many trials I was required by the universe to endure over the last year these individuals were right there by my side helping to propel me forward. I do not resent these trials as everything happens for a reason, and as a dear friend once told me, "the strongest blades are forged in the harshest kilns."

2010 holds a great promise of better days ahead personally and professionally. I'm happy to say that Stigmare has quite the pipeline going right now. Emerald City Fashion Week has had a renaissance of its own and is driving forward. A little different than the original concept, but a much more industry centric vision that will last the test of time. Though 2009 was ripe with heartache, the universe has blessed me with the opportunity to make right a wrong of 15 years ago.

Take stock of your trials as they are ultimately what truly defines you. It is only by knowing what we don't want that we can ever truly determine that which we do. A friend commented that it must be nice to know with absolute certainty what is going to happen in your life. To which I replied I am sometimes wrong, but you can't find your way around Chicago with a map of Detroit. If you don't know what you want out of life how can you ever seriously expect to achieve it?

My vision is ever evolving, as any living entity should, but it is still an absolute in my mind. My trip to Houston over New Years Eve clarified a vision I thought was lost some 15-20 years ago. A time in my life when I hid behind masks of bravado and believed emotions and sentiment to be a weakness. I lost something very dear to me back then which has been a gray cloud over my head, and shadowy thought in the back of my mind ever since. The joy I have felt since this gift was returned to me by the universe is unparalleled.

To honor this gift I continue to build my enterprises and bring my vision to life. They are but the means to the end of presenting proper homage to this gift. I still sometimes struggle with whether I am worthy of such a thing, but in our insecurities we find those opportunities to advance ourselves. They expose those parts of us that are scared or weak that need healing so that we can again be whole as we were in our youth without a care and concerned not with the judgment of others.

On Gratitude and Faith

They say that, "All good things come to those who wait." Quite recently my little adventure in entrepreneurship was blessed with a very GOOD thing. A prospect which we have been courting for nearly a year is now a client. As much as I would like to name drop as this is the type of client that can exponentially increase our reputation I must refrain. A formal Press Release will be forth coming in that regard once the Model Release is signed.

That being said, I've never been known to be an incredibly patient man when it comes to accomplishing my goals. There fore I am incredibly grateful for my Creative Director putting up with me. Her cool head, dedication and persistence earned us the opportunity to exceed this notable client's expectations. I am incredibly indebted to her faith in our little venture as she has been working solely for commission and an equity position since joining the company. I know that the past year has been just as challenging for her as I.

While at times things appeared bleak we never lost faith in our vision and now that faith is being rewarded. She and I have both sacrificed a great deal, but we did so with smiles knowing that what ever we lost would come back to us many times over. This small success is just the first of many for as anyone in business knows success breeds success.

I find a great deal of irony in the fact that this post is being written shortly after that of one on overcoming adversity. Perhaps the universe was just waiting for me to put it out there in an incredibly public way that I had no intention of giving in. Again another lesson for which I am incredibly grateful.

While I never lost faith there were moments where it was tested. This last weekend I re-watched the movie "The Patriot," with Mel Gibson and Heath Ledger. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the film it is about a group of Militia at the on set of the Revolution. Through out this film on the struggle for our nation's independence one line was prevalent, "Stay the course." They say that the measure of a man or woman is not in how the carry themselves when things are going well, but in those times of extreme duress. I have both failed and succeeded by this measure at various stages in my life.

I am grateful for both the highs and lows of my life. Without the lows I wouldn't truly appreciate the highs. Additionally it is in those lows that I tend to become most self-aware. They expose those rough edges that need to be honed. Be grateful for them and have faith that you will overcome them. Without these two things nothing of true value can be accomplished.

On Adversity

When it comes to overcoming adversity there are any number of quotes and cliches.

"Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit." Napoleon Hill

"Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish." John Quincy Adams

"The block of granite, which was an obstacle in the path of the weak, becomes a stepping stone in the path of the strong." Thomas Carlyle

"Reflect upon your blessings, of which every man has plenty, not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some." Charles Dickens

As trite as they may seem statements such as these are the absolute truth. In my humble opinion it is a tired spirit that dismisses them and casts them aside. I say that having been that tired spirit on many occasions myself. I firmly believe that happiness is a choice, a very hard choice at that. It is so easy to fall into despair when things aren't going the way you anticipated.

Some would call this weakness, I disagree it is simply human nature. For some unknown reason our culture, under the guise of protecting us, has taught us from a very young age to fear failure. Failing in our society is considered shameful and something to be avoided at all cost. It has become so prevalent that we now reward participation so as not to attach the stigma of failure on our children.

This is entirely the WRONG mindset. Failure is simply a form of adversity to learn from and overcome. Success is a terrible teacher, so the quicker you fail the better off you will be. Provided of course that you learn from these failures. I've been starting businesses since high school with varying degrees of success. Every failure though has brought with it valuable lessons for the next venture.

If it weren't for these trials and adversities I would have repeated the same mistakes. More importantly I have never given up. Some would say this is due to being a masochist, others that I feed on rejection, and a few that its due to my undying optimism. While I do have my moments for the most part I concur with the later. Though lately I've felt like a kicked dog.

Regardless of this I get up every morning determined to move the ball forward. My little start-up firm Stigmare has some great projects in the pipeline. The kind of projects that can really take us to that next level. If it wasn't for the adversities faced prior to this point, and the knowledge gained from them would these opportunities have presented themselves? Who's to say?

All I can say is that I am personally very grateful for them. I am grateful for my Creative Director whose dedication and hard work secured these opportunities. I'm grateful that instead of going home or to the bar after a hard day last December I went to a networking event where I met my current Creative Director. I'm grateful for meeting my friend Rachel at the Columbia Tower Club about three months prior who invited me to that networking event.

I could have very easily made different decisions that would have dramatically changed where I am today. Its been a struggle, but most things of value are. There have been a lot of times where I questioned if I was on the correct path. Through it all I continue to persist, so I say to you persist. Don't give in to your fears, I pray you.

On Intensity

Anyone that knows me personally knows that I am a very intense individual. This intensity of purpose and drive is extremely valuable in a business environment especially being a start-up. I set very aggressive goals for myself personally and professionally. One of my favorite quotes is, "Aim for the moon at the very least you will land among the stars."

While in business this level of intensity is very much a prerequisite in social and personal circles it can be easily misunderstood. I know this from many years of personal experience. One of my greatest weaknesses is my ability to, "Turn it off," and just let things be. I've been reminded on several occasions recently on why this level of intensity is not constructive in interpersonal relationships. Over the years I can't count how many friendships and relationships have been strained because of it. Not the least of which is that with my immediate family.

Last year I was so focused on saving my faltering business that I fore goed attending Thanksgiving and Christmas festivities. I rationalized this by telling myself that I needed to work harder than anyone else to show my dedication to my clients. Needless to say many family members were not very happy at my decision. The scary part is that I didn't learn from that and am contemplating the very same decision this year. I'm a little hard headed that way.

What's worse is when it comes to the fairer sex. I do not fall often, and I honestly don't go out looking for relationships. When I do fall however it is very hard and very fast. Couple that with my inability to censor myself on most occasions and it can be very intimidating for most young ladies. Again, I recognize the behavior but for some reason unbeknownst to me I cannot seem to temper it. This is very disconcerting for someone who preaches the belief that everything in life is a choice.

Being goal driven is not a bad thing when it comes to business or personal growth. However it should have no place in the courting process. A relationship is not a goal to be achieved, it is a delicate rose to be cultivated and nurtured very gently. Logically I understand this and pray that I can find the strength of will to implement the changes within myself to achieve this level of tranquility. Until then I hope to find a strong woman with a great deal of patience to tolerate me while I work through this. I haven't found her yet, but I pray that she's out there somewhere.

Hold On To Your Vision

In this post I'm going to expound on both the benefits and the necessity of having a clearly defined vision. This should be nothing new as I generally prologue most of my entries with such an example. I feel that as we are slowly starting to see the signs of economic recovery it is important for us to take the lessons learned and apply them moving forward.

As I look back over the last year there have been a lot of ups and downs personally and professionally. The thing that has kept me pushing forward and prevented me from loosing all hope has been my vision. My vision for Stigmare, my vision for Emerald City Fashion Week, and my vision for the philanthropy I want to perform. It is easy when times are tough to fall into a victim mentality and blame everything around you for your failures and short comings. This is a choice and it is one that I refuse to make.

This time last year I was enjoying cocktails at the Columbia Tower Club, serving on the clubs Tower 39 Board, Membership Committee and Business Forum Committee. I still had my dream car, a black on black SLK 320, and a nice house in the Newcastle area south of Bellevue. Today I ride Metro because I could no longer afford my car. I have a small two bedroom apartment in the Fairwood area of Renton, and I've had to leave the Tower Club. I don't say this to brag or seek sympathy but to illustrate that we are not the sum of our circumstances.

While I have been humbled and have a greater appreciation for the small blessings in my life I am still essentially the same man. I have achieved success once I will achieve it again, because I have a clear vision of what that success is to me. It is not soully financial, all though without finances the other aspects of what I consider to be success are next to impossible. I've always believed money to be a tool, as impartial as a hammer or an automobile. It is the intent of the user that determines the justness of its use.

What is this vision that drives me, and allows me to be the duck on the pond gracefully gliding across the water's surface all the while paddling like a mad man underneath. Well you are all aware of my vision for Stigmare if you have ready any of my recent posts. While I talk a great deal about Emerald City Fashion Week on Twitter I have not shared my full vision with you. Nor have I really gone into the full scope of what I wish to accomplish philanthropically either. Well I shall rectify both of those now as I firmly believe that until you put it out into the universe it will never happen. A lesson learned from, "Think and Grow Rich" and other books on success principles.

Twenty years from now I envision Emerald City Fashion Week to be an epicenter for the Northwest and Pacific Rim fashion industry with designers, manufacturers, industry experts and suppliers from around the world converging on Seattle. Designers will be offered continuing education opportunities and trend forecasting enabling them to better apply their craft. Design houses will flourish in SODO and the Georgetown area. Suppliers will have set up distributors in the area and will showcase the latest materials. On and off shore manufacturers will compete for the mass production of goods for distribution to major retailers. The city will come together for a grand spectacle celebrating the art and function of fashion of all kinds. All of which will bring credibility to the industry in Seattle and increase employment and the local tax base.

As for my philanthropic goals, the most pressing of these is my desire to give back to my almamater. I have put it out there on many occasions that one goal is to be able to provide 250 full ride scholarships a year to the Albers School of Business and Economics at Seattle University. I owe so much to Seattle University for giving me the tools to apply my craft, teaching me to be a perpetual student and instilling in me a sense of civic responsibility beyond my military career. I see what's happening with my brothers-in-arms coming back from war zones and not re acclimating well and know that I am not doing enough currently to help them and want to rectify that.

I have long dreamed of setting up a mentorship program for veterans by veterans. We have a habit of not lending much credibility to someone that hasn't been there, done that. There are countless examples of veterans that have gone on to be highly successful in the civilian world after leaving the military. These young Marines, Sailors, Soldiers and Airmen need to know there is a whole life available for the taking after exiting the service. I never want to see another veteran on the side of the road pan handling again, they have given to much to all of us to suffer that fate. These men and women need the tools to retrain themselves and a supportive hand to help them through the transition which I still suffer with today.

These are just a few of the visions which drive me forward. They are my purpose for being here and I will not give up until they are obtained. No one can convince me otherwise. When I am struggling and things appear bleak I try to consciously refocus on them and regain my bearings. What drives you, what is your vision, do you know or are you still searching for it? Follow your passion, I dare you.

Wow, a designer from Australia is interested in showing at ECFW!!! That Rocks!!!

Bellevue Tweet Up Statistics

I was recently sent the following email from my good friend and Bellevue Tweet-Up Co-organizer Jean-Luc David of Microsoft. Jean-Luc and I met on Twitter and one day over coffee we were discussing the fact that there wasn't a regular event on the Eastside. We decided to create our own and are about to put on our seventh one this month.

I hope you find as much value in this information as Jean-Luc and I did. It's nice to see something you helped to create flourish like this.

Hey Steven,

Thought I would share some interesting stats with you. Total of 863 tweets and 320 attendee confirmations across 6 Bellevue Tweetup events.

Breakdown:

• Bellevue Tweetup 6.0 (http://twtvite.com/8aslat) - 140 Tweets/Mentions, 55 Confirmed Attendees
• Bellevue Tweetup 5.0 (http://twtvite.com/5q3ngp) - 78 Tweets/Mentions, 33 Confirmed Attendees
• Bellevue Tweetup 4.0 (http://twtvite.com/jl8r4f) - 183 Tweets/Mentions, 54 Confirmed Attendees
• Bellevue Tweetup 3.0 (http://twtvite.com/w51zy6) - 87 Tweets/Mentions, 50 Confirmed Attendees
• Bellevue Tweetup 2.0 (http://twtvite.com/0laloj) - 258 Tweets/Mentions, 82 Confirmed Attendees
• Bellevue Tweetup 1.0 (http://twtvite.com/sjcvj9) - 117 Tweets/Mentions, 46 Confirmed Attendees

Online References:

• Promo from influentials such as Chris Pirillo - example: http://www.koornk.com/status/630061/ http://chris.pirillo.com/social-media-updates-for-2009-06-21/
• Mashable (photos not visible): http://my.mashable.com/photo/view/id/7902bb56eb5ed42619bab6d3834c8697/page/4
• East Side Journal: http://eastsidebusinessjournal.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3237&Itemid=2
• Bill Wixley (Q13 Reporter): http://blog.billwixey.com/2009/07/04/a-little-help-from-my-friends.aspx
• Social Media Club Seattle: http://twitter.com/SMCSeattle/statuses/4150301122
• Photos from the events: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jldavid/collections/72157622082077366/

Conclusions:

• Bellevue Tweetup 2.0 got high interest, attendance and “juice” due to several mentions by Chris Pirillo. We should get him promoting & involved at our future events.
• The events you organize tend to have more attendees. The tweet count is also higher and it appears you tweet more about the events when you directly organize them. ;-)
• The average number of attendees at our events is 53 and we on average get 144 tweets. We don’t appear to be increasing or decreasing attendees - seems to be relatively constant.

Cheers,

Jean-Luc David
Field Readiness & Community Team | Developer & Platform Evangelism