Entrepreneur extraordinaire Steve Jobs once said, “Great things in business are never done by one person. They’re done by a team of people.”
After launching Aunt Laurie’s over one year ago, I can so appreciate the truth behind this statement. In fact, I’ve found that one of the greatest aspects of running your own business is the people you meet along the way. From individual customers to organizations that support our mission of providing employment opportunities to individuals with disabilities, it is remarkable to experience the success that can occur when you bring the right people together.
I was especially reminded of this several days ago when SCORE, the nonprofit association dedicated to helping small businesses get off the ground, shared a Facebook post for #MentorMonday on the success I had in working with my mentor to develop my business plan. I’ve continued to meet with him since launching Aunt Laurie’s in March 2015 and, as the post notes, he has been instrumental in helping me move forward.
So successful was our work together that, in October 2015, Aunt Laurie’s was awarded the SCORE Lowcountry Chapter’s “Client of the Year” – an accomplishment I’ve continued to be very proud of.
While I may be the face of Aunt Laurie’s, there are many people behind the scenes – including my mentor – who made that award possible and have continued to make Aunt Laurie’s successful. A quick glance at our growing list of “Family and Friends” is enough to prove the point.
Most notably, however, are the individuals with disabilities who make our handmade gift baskets and the products in them. They are the reason for Aunt Laurie’s and are some of the most valuable members of my own “team.” After all, our mission is to inspire others to see their value, too.
Little by little and gift by gift, we’re working to ensure that individuals with disabilities receive the respect, acknowledgement, appreciation and opportunity they deserve. And we feel blessed to be doing it with a great team of people.
