Writing to you from Bolivia.
Glasses, Spanish, my kids, and the best networking advice I never get to finish explaining.
Well, friends and family, this one is a little bit different; I am writing to you from Bolivia!
I’m here on a medical missions trip through MMO with my sister. We got in country Thursday night, spent the weekend doing a little exploring and setting up a clinic, and today I got to see my first real patients come through. I’m running the autorefractor machine in the optical clinic and using a surprising amount of Spanish!
It’s already fairly rewarding. People come through who either need new glasses or have never had glasses at all. They find out we have something that matches their prescription, we get the glasses on them, and they see clearly for the first time in years. For some of them, for the first time in their whole life. It’s a truly incredible feeling.
As I was thinking through what to write this week, considering where I am and what I’d hope you get out of my trip, I realized a couple of things.
I want my kids to see me serving
I’m here, in part, because I want my kids to see me serve. I want them to know there’s more to life than building a business or going on fun trips and vacations. Yes, all of those things are important, and they all have their place. But I remember growing up with the ethic my mom and my grandparents instilled in me and my siblings about how important it is to give back. I remember all the Meals on Wheels we delivered. The volunteering in nursing homes. Working with other kids. Going on mission trips.
Not just to give back, but as a reminder of how truly blessed we are living in the United States of America.
I was able to get my kids their passports this summer, and I can’t wait to take them out of the country so they get a little enlightenment about how truly blessed they are. That’s part of this: setting the example. Not “do as I say,” but “watch, and let me show you why this is important.”
The business case nobody expects
There’s a business side to this too.
For years now, speaking in university classes and on panels, people ask me the same questions. What’s the number one piece of advice you’d give somebody going into entrepreneurship? What’s the best way to raise capital? (Something I’m fairly well known for being pretty decent at.)
Almost nobody expects my answer: volunteering. And I mean it.
Every person who has ever had a significant impact on my business or my life, and almost every single investor I’ve met, has come through some channel of volunteering. Boards. Nonprofits. Chambers, both in York County and in Charlotte. Incredible people met on humanitarian and mission trips….
Volunteering is a way to connect with people on a deeper level. Some of the wealthiest people I know don’t want to just give their money; they want to roll up their sleeves and do something meaningful. And when you work side by side with those people, it gives you a common interest and a common connection that cements a relationship far better than any networking event or business card ever will.
So not just for your kids. Not just for yourself. Even for your business: get out there and give. Find a cause or an organization you’re willing to put more than just your money into, and go serve.
Your turn
Where do you serve, or where have you been meaning to start? Hit reply and tell me; I read every single one, even from a clinic in Bolivia.
As for me, the rest of this week is right here: practicing my Spanish and lighting up a room with smiles, for people who for the first time may get to see me smile back at them clearly.
With love, until next week. Always moving forward, because we’re never quite there.
Ciao,
Ryan
Not Quite There Yet Guy
CEO & Co-Founder, Knowledge Perk | Chair, Gravity Center Foundation | EO Charlotte