Remember the feeling you had as a child walking home from mowing the lawn holding that crisp $5 bill in your hand, imagining all the countless things you’re going to buy with your new found wealth? Or maybe it was the little twinge of excitement every time that quarter dropped in the bucket as you handed your customer their freshly squeezed lemonade (which we all know was really just Country Time).
Regardless of whatever your big plan was as a child for how you were going to achieve greatness, we all have within us a desire to succeed. A dream to be able to provide for our children a life we never had. A drive to do all within our power to overcome obstacles and leave a legacy to be remembered.
Last night, Exhibit Edge’s CEO and President, Bev Gray, had the privilege of speaking at the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Florida. She followed a speech given by Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell in which he warned Americans that “we cannot lose that dream.”
In a time of economic turmoil with small businesses struggling to stay afloat, it is so easy for entrepreneurs to lose heart and to forget that blind hope they had as a child. When Exhibit Edge began over twenty years ago, founders Bev and Mike Gray had an endless list of temptations luring them to “lose that dream.” Working long hours in between raising two children, piling up debt, and not receiving a paycheck for four years is only a glimpse into the daily stress they had to endure and fight through to reach the success that Exhibit Edge enjoys today.
What is so amazing, however, is that they are not alone. Small business owners across America all have similar stories – stories that speak to the courage, dedication, and fortitude it takes to transform a dream into an accomplishment. Just as Mrs. Gray said last night, “We risked everything and succeeded because of our hard work and commitment.” They built it!
Knowing all the blood, sweat, and tears that are required to build a business is part of what drives Exhibit Edge. We want to partner with other businesses by utilizing our skills and knowledge of the exhibiting industry to launch them into new heights of success. Our goal is to be able to look at our clients and their achievements and proudly say, “You built it!”
What an honor it was to have Exhibit Edge represented at the Republican National Convention where a movement is taking place to restore “that dream” in America. To breathe new life into a defeated, exhausted, and hopeless economy and put a leader in place who truly knows what life as an entrepreneur is like and who understands what businesses need to be able to thrive. The children (and grown-ups) of America today need a catalyst to be able to realize their dreams and to one day say with a breath of satisfaction, “We built it!”