Sunday, September 30, 2007

An Open Letter to the Community

An Open Letter to the Community, my staff, my wife, Harry, Bob, Bob, and Arlin.

On Saturday Sept 29, I was asked to play a minor role in Jay Weiss's magic act at SMB Nation. Great show. My job was to put on an oversized shirt and a Yoda mask while Jay miraculously made me appear before a crowd of 700 attendees.

Fine. I'm no stranger to embarassment.

So right before the fun starts, Bob Hood informs me that I've been awarded SBSer of the Year.

Thank you, Bob, for giving me a little warning. While I still appeared like an idiot, at least I had some time to compose myself before I "popped out." Thank you to Bob Hood and Arlin Sorensen, the previous SBSers of the Year. Both have been spectacular guys, contributing all their time to this community. They are inspirations to me and, it is no coincidence, two of the first people I met when I was introduced to the SMB Nation community in 2004.

Please let this email serve as the blubbering thank you note that I was too stunned to give at the time.

This community -- SBS and SMB consultants around the world -- is spectacular. I'm pleased and honored to be a part of it. I'm pleased to contribute in some way.

You may not know me from anything other than my blog and my books. But believe me when I tell you this: I don't do anything for very long that I don't enjoy. I don't "have to" do any of what I do. I don't have to run a consulting practice to put food on the table. I don't have to travel all over the world. I don't have to sell books. I don't have to hock other peoples' stuff.

I am the luckiest person in the world because I wake up every day and do something I enjoy. Period.

So, whatever I do for the community is done because I think it's fun.

Having said that, let me be very clear: no one achieves the level of success I've achieved without amazing love and support at every level. With that in mind, let me introduce you to my perspective of the world.

My wife is the most supportive, loving, understanding, and forgiving person I know.

"You FORGOT you have two conferences in May?"

"You're selling a book that you KNOW can't make any money?"

"Do we really NEED 1,000 foam hammers?"

Thank you, Laura, for being the absolute foundation of everything I've achieved in the last 16+ years.

No one does this stuff alone.

My staff, led by Manuel and Nicko and Jennifer, have made it possible for me to build my business, improve my business, and take everything to the next level. They've stuck in there with all the craziness and hair-brained schemes. They've made it possible for me to take vacations, dissappear, work at home, write books, and do whatever else I decide to do. At this point, they are more "KPEnterprises" than I am.

The community as a whole is truly unbelievable. I have friends and associates on six continents! As a kid from a small town, this is the most amazing thing to me. When people come to town from across the country (and sometimes across "the pond") they contact me and we get together. Business is business, but business is built on people. And the people in the SMB community are the best people I know.

In that community, the biggest help to me on a daily and weekly basis is Bob Nitrio, the co-president of our Sacramento User Group. Bob is always energetic, positive, and willing to contribute. When my wife steps in at home, Bob steps in for the user group. He has allowed me to travel more freely because I know things will be taken care of.

I also thank all the dozens of people who help promote my activities, including Vlad Mazek, Erick Simpson, Amy Luby, Jeff Middleton, and literally dozens of others. Please forgive me for not mentioning everyone.

And finally, I owe more to Harry Brelsford than anyone else. Harry has been a friend, an inspiration, a business partner, and more. Harry had faith in my first book. And that led to the book, and the first tour, and the engagement in the community, and everything else that has happened. I think sometimes you don't really understand a business partner until you fail together. Harry and I have had so many projects and plans and schemes that some have been, well, not as successful as we had hoped. But through it all we just kept plugging along.

Thank you, Harry, for everything.

And thank you, to the community, for being there. I love this community and I hope to see you all (again) real soon.

2 comments:

  1. Anonymous3:34 PM

    Karl,

    Out of all of this Community, I can't think of anyone who deservers SBSer of the Year more than you. Congratulations!

    Amy Luby

    ReplyDelete
  2. I said it before and will repeat it:

    You are THE man.

    ReplyDelete

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