I came across a survey of business executives in a magazine. Fully 65 percent said that they would not want to start their own business. I can understand, though not relate.

I’m now old enough, and have been running my own business long enough (13 years), that men and women, usually younger than me, occasionally come to me seeking advice about their own business aspirations. They hope I have some answers, hope my graying beard makes me sage-like. I initially disappoint them when I say I don’t have any answers. I tell them I think I’ve got a pretty good handle on the questions, though:

If you want balance between work and family, are you willing to kill yourself for it? If you’re going to run your own business you have to be dedicated to it 100%. There’s no room for lopping off, say 10%, for your family. That doesn’t mean you can’t be equally devoted to your family – of course, anybody who has read Blogenberg realizes I am. But you have to kill yourself to do it. About two to three times a year I get sick, simply because I work, travel, and tend to family so long and hard, my body decides getting sick for a day or two is the only way to get some rest.

Can you live with the frustration (pain?) found in the gap between striving for perfection and realizing you can only do your best? Are you committed to endlessly working to shrink the gap? Recently, my company has made a few mistakes. Fortunately, they were small mistakes, having mostly to do with process that in no way affected the client or the product. But it sent me through the roof. I expect perfection for clients. When we don’t hit it, I’m depressed. As a result, we work harder. I also go to the gym to throw weights around. (more…)

Blogenberg is enjoying Blogen-giving, or Thank-enberg this week, because Blogenberg is a bit worn out so Blogenberg apologizes to the international bevy of Blogenberg fans who may have been hoping for something more meaty (like turkey) this week than these little Thank-enberg bits:

Thank-enberg 1: My oldest son is home from school for the holiday. I keep looking for my boy at baggage claim whenever he comes home; instead there’s a man holding his luggage.

Thank-enberg 2: Regular readers of Blogenberg. They come from China, Europe, and the U.S. I’m not sure how — I hope that Blogenberg is not some terrible slang word in some other country and that’s why they visit my blog.

Thank-enberg 3: Staff. The new guy is working out. (My new-hiring terror is nearly over.) The rest of the staff keeps firing on all cylinders.

Thank-enberg 4: Awards. We’ve won a Silver Telly and a Gold MarCom this year, two prestigious awards in PR, communications, and marketing.

Thank-enberg 5: We’re still here. We didn’t win that proposal I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, the one based completely on an online social networking platform. Disappointing. But we keep plugging away — and we’re continually working on how best to differentiate ourselves in a crowded market, especially now that we’re competing, more and more, with the big guys. I think we’ve got the answer. (That’s a trailer for a future Blogenberg.)

Happy Thanksgiving.

Twenty years ago, I was involved in the seemingly unending fights over interracial adoption – specifically, should white parents be allowed to adopt black children? The organization I worked for, and represented in the media, believed the answer should be yes. I was even labeled a racist in one major newspaper.

Part of the argument against allowing such adoptions was the “who will teach” argument, as in who will teach these children how to navigate an inherently racist society. My answer at the time was, I’d rather see these children trying to figure it out with parents (in this case white) than trying to figure out anything in a foster care system that was increasingly betraying their futures.

I had such a “who will teach” moment of my own yesterday, at the mall – where so many of my important parenting moments seem to happen (loyal Blogenberg readers will recognize that!). I took my 13-year-old twins shopping. Each of them, the girl and the boy, armed with a cell phone and “safe shopping” instructions, were allowed to shop on their own, while I stayed available in the mall. (more…)

Last week, I was consulting for a day at a major social services provider in the northeast. We were exploring ways they can get information — news, events, fundraising — to target audiences in addition to or, at times, instead of relying on traditional media. We developed a strategy for utilizing parents who are involved with the organization as ambassadors, as living, breathing news services.

“And many of these parents will have Facebook or MySpace pages,” I noted matter of fact. “Those that do, ask them to post information, put it in their feeds.”

What I thought was a simple, end-of-the-conversation, tail-end addition to our strategic discussion launched quite a debate. The organization’s lead communications staffer was steadfastly against it. She didn’t want her organization in any way connected to the uncontrolled information and materials that one of these parents might have on their Facebook or MySpace page. Because she couldn’t control what somebody said or posted on his or her page, she didn’t want any news or information about the organization appearing on anybody’s Facebook or MySpace page.

I told her she was being short-sighted. (more…)