All We Have is Us

This weekend, we visited a beautiful new bakery on a small corner of Alberta Avenue near our neighborhood. My family and I were greeted by a smiling business owner and rows of beautifully colored Filipino-style Polvoron donuts. I had a real sense that we had entered into more than just a tiny donut and coffee shop; we were stepping into someone's dream—a dream equipped with the determination and skills of an entrepreneur. Everything in that shop was paid for with blood, sweat, and tears.

There's a noticeable difference in the experience of walking into a franchise opening a new location, and entering the doors of a new start-up. You can sense the risk and vulnerability in the latter. When I feel this, I want to do everything I can to help the dreamers behind the new business succeed. These pioneering business owners plant their dreams in the soil without the support of a corporate head office, a marketing team or even support from a human resource department.

There are many messages in our culture that encourage us to pursue our dreams, but very little in life that encourages us to champion the dreams of others. When we support a small business, we do just that. 

Last year, our family started growing vegetables in our front yard. I wanted to try something new and learn some new skills.

One of the things I've learned about planting seeds from other gardeners is that it can be difficult to grow plants near a well-established tree. Trees hog sunshine and water because they've grown to a size that enables them to collect resources efficiently. The best way to successfully grow a garden near a tree is to ensure the plants receive water and sunshine. You have to be intentional about seeing something grow.

Dreams, like plants, need to be nurtured where they are planted. We have the greatest opportunity to help bring the dreams of small business owners to life. We would be mistaken if we expected a flood of business to come in from other markets to help our local business grow. When it comes to cheering on our neighbors, all we have is us. Big brands have a wealth of resources to keep their own dreams afloat. Let’s do what we can to support our local dreamers and entrepreneurs so they can thrive.

Thanks for reading friend, I’d love to know which local businesses you enjoy supporting. Feel free to leave those in the comments!