My first Springboard class was very similar to the time I signed up for the Flying Pig Half Marathon the day before the race, with no training. As I walked to ArtWorks, I was overcome with mixed emotions. Nervousness due to my general lack of preparation, anticipation of the unknown, and an excitement I always seem to get whenever I do things that put me out of my comfort zone.
In general, I like to think I am a risk taker. I have gone skydiving, hiking across a glacier, rock climbing, traveling abroad alone, driving across the country with a stranger and unexpectedly running a half marathon. These risks I have taken turned out to be some of the best experiences of my life. If an opportunity is presented to me that has the potential to challenge my comfort zone, nine times out of 10, I’m going to do it. After one class, I could already tell SpringBoard was another for my list.
We wasted little time getting to know one another and sharing our business plans. Telling a group of strangers a crazy idea that I had not even shared with friends and family was almost equivalent to running down Gilbert with jello legs during mile 11 to the cheers of hundreds of people. It might sound ridiculous, but saying aloud, “I want to open a rock climbing gym in OTR,” gave me a rush of adrenaline and a realization of a potential reality.
Everyone in my class has a unique business idea and equally distinctive personalities and skill sets. Some, like me, have just an idea, a few are set to open soon, and some have already been in business for a few years. While we all have varying degrees of business backgrounds, the SpringBoard course will culminate with a detailed business plan for each one of us.
After our introductions, we quickly delved into topics like business licenses and registration, tax identification, and permits and personal budgeting. All necessary realities that I had not previously acknowledged. I could tell this was going to be a legitimate learning experience. A concrete place for my intangible ideas; an abundant toolbox for the gym I want to build.
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