As I was waiting for my flight to Toronto from Ottawa, I couldn't help but smile at what has been my life for the last couple of weeks. Ottawa was great. I met people that I haven't seen, for about 10 years, others for a couple of months. It is always great to meet with old friends.
I went to Ottawa for a conference and I had dual duties. I was one of the speakers as well as participants. My presentation was scheduled for the first day, so I got to enjoy others' presentations (as well as the free food and nice hotel room. I went just for that lol). The response to my presentation was great and while I was getting this great feedback, my mind went back 7 years ago.
Yes, it was seven years ago that I met my friend Paul. It was a fall night of 2003 when I saw this guy on the subway platform waring a nice blue jacket. I went to him and just said:"nice jacket". The guy smiled and we started chatting a little bit. He mentioned that his passion was to help people to start their own business. As I was new to Canada, I thought that this guy could help me achieve my dream. Two days later, we were sitting in a coffee shop talking about our respective dreams.
Over time, Paul and I became business partners. We wanted to achieve the same things. It was no brainer that we were meant to work together. The first thing we did was to write down on paper what we would like to do. The list went on like this: Radio and TV production, Event Planing, Projects in Africa to help kids, Public Speaking and helping people to start their own business. Did I tell you that none of us had the expertise to do all of this? Yes I had been working in a radio, but TV? No chance. Paul was still taking some courses and had some experience in client relationship management. That was it.
For a while, nothing happened (or so it seemed). All we did was meet on Saturdays to have breakfast together (Paul paying of course) and talk about our future, how we were going to change the world (at that time I did not have any change in my pocket, but talking about changing the world!!!)
Seven years later here I am, part of expert speakers at a conference in Ottawa. For the last month alone, I spoke at five different events, helped a client start his own non for profit organization and started the process of applying for government grants. Last year I went to Mali as part of a project to help kids (projects in Africa?). Currently, I am working on a documentary of the Mali project (is that TV production?) and it has been two years since I have been hosting my radio show on Fridays and Saturdays (I think this is called radio production). For the last five years I have been part of a team that organizes events for the Black History Month, and now I am helping a client to prepare his concert to be held in August this year (my guess is that this is called event planing).
How all of these things came together is a mystery. All we really did was write down our dreams and goals without having any expertise at all. My friend Paul is now a Business Consultant for the Federal Government (talking about Mister Big Shot) and to think that it was eight years ago that Paul had made this one of his goals, having no experience in the field at that time. Eight years later it's no longer a goal but a reality. Now, when we meet, we just laugh at what is happening to us. Was that easy? Are you kidding? I have never been that challenged in my life. But it's really worth it.
Moral of the story? Do you want your dreams to come true? Just write them down and you will fly to Ottawa.
Always a pleasure
Patrick
The Journeyman
pbizindavyi6@gmail.com
I went to Ottawa for a conference and I had dual duties. I was one of the speakers as well as participants. My presentation was scheduled for the first day, so I got to enjoy others' presentations (as well as the free food and nice hotel room. I went just for that lol). The response to my presentation was great and while I was getting this great feedback, my mind went back 7 years ago.
Yes, it was seven years ago that I met my friend Paul. It was a fall night of 2003 when I saw this guy on the subway platform waring a nice blue jacket. I went to him and just said:"nice jacket". The guy smiled and we started chatting a little bit. He mentioned that his passion was to help people to start their own business. As I was new to Canada, I thought that this guy could help me achieve my dream. Two days later, we were sitting in a coffee shop talking about our respective dreams.
Over time, Paul and I became business partners. We wanted to achieve the same things. It was no brainer that we were meant to work together. The first thing we did was to write down on paper what we would like to do. The list went on like this: Radio and TV production, Event Planing, Projects in Africa to help kids, Public Speaking and helping people to start their own business. Did I tell you that none of us had the expertise to do all of this? Yes I had been working in a radio, but TV? No chance. Paul was still taking some courses and had some experience in client relationship management. That was it.
For a while, nothing happened (or so it seemed). All we did was meet on Saturdays to have breakfast together (Paul paying of course) and talk about our future, how we were going to change the world (at that time I did not have any change in my pocket, but talking about changing the world!!!)
Seven years later here I am, part of expert speakers at a conference in Ottawa. For the last month alone, I spoke at five different events, helped a client start his own non for profit organization and started the process of applying for government grants. Last year I went to Mali as part of a project to help kids (projects in Africa?). Currently, I am working on a documentary of the Mali project (is that TV production?) and it has been two years since I have been hosting my radio show on Fridays and Saturdays (I think this is called radio production). For the last five years I have been part of a team that organizes events for the Black History Month, and now I am helping a client to prepare his concert to be held in August this year (my guess is that this is called event planing).
How all of these things came together is a mystery. All we really did was write down our dreams and goals without having any expertise at all. My friend Paul is now a Business Consultant for the Federal Government (talking about Mister Big Shot) and to think that it was eight years ago that Paul had made this one of his goals, having no experience in the field at that time. Eight years later it's no longer a goal but a reality. Now, when we meet, we just laugh at what is happening to us. Was that easy? Are you kidding? I have never been that challenged in my life. But it's really worth it.
Moral of the story? Do you want your dreams to come true? Just write them down and you will fly to Ottawa.
Always a pleasure
Patrick
The Journeyman
pbizindavyi6@gmail.com
Comments
Post a Comment