I have been fortunate through the years to have been involved in owning small businesses and serving small business owners by providing them with clarity and peace of mind through HR solutions. I have seen companies launch and experience great success, only to succumb to the growth because they did not have a sufficient infrastructure in place while others launched and have been resilient over the years to reach stability. Yes, there have been many that have started their businesses and failed, yet they took the lessons learned and relaunched. That’s why I love being a part of this community. Failing is not fatal, but an opportunity to learn and grow. I believe being an entrepreneur who takes the action to start a business and create a community of people who are committed to achieving their mission as an organization is one of the greatest differentiators we have as a country. This belief is why I am so passionate about using my life to work alongside entrepreneurs and small business owners to help them achieve greater levels of sustainable success.
Why did I choose to write Unprecedented for entrepreneurs and small and mid-size business owners? There are two significant reasons. First, throughout the last twenty-five years I have spoken with hundreds of people whose dream was to be entrepreneurs and to build successful companies, but unfortunately many of them did not pursue their dreams. Years later, one of their greatest regrets is that they did not act on their dreams when they had the opportunity. Life is short and many will get to the end of life saying, “they wished they would have” rather than “I’m glad I did.” My desire is that the book will be an encouragement to the entrepreneur to pursue their passion and purpose. The biggest difference between those who are dreamers versus those who are doers is that one took action.
The second reason I wrote the book for entrepreneurs and small and mid-size business owners is one that is personal to me. My intent is to use my greatest failure and the lessons learned from going through my trials to help business owners navigate their way through the unexpected challenges that all businesses will go through. I did not have mentors or advisors in my life when I went through my deepest valley, which is why I am such a proponent of business owners having a coach or being a part of a peer group as the entrepreneurial journey is not meant to go it alone.
At the beginning of 2021, I began writing my thoughts, opinions, beliefs, and documented findings from conversations with my peers, consultants, and clients in a journal with the intent of being able to crystalize my understanding of what had been happening within the culture of small and mid-size companies. After the first three months, I began to reflect on what was written and I started seeing common threads through the writings that included issues with gaps in relational leadership, breakdowns in communication, and rigid, outdated management policies and processes that have all led to a lack of trust, respect, and the valuing of people within companies and society.
The impact of Covid affected everyone regardless of age, ethnicity, or social status and it destroyed many of the practices that were a part of our daily lives. I see this as a once in a lifetime opportunity to re-create how we want our families to function, businesses to operate, and the way we interact and communicate with each other. My desire is that we will commit to creating something new, that is better than what we had before.
Unprecedented will be available on Amazon, Kindle e-book, and in print beginning in May. You can subscribe to our newsletter, follow our journey, and order your copy of Unprecedented on our website which is chuckcooper.info.
Please reach out to me if we can be a resource for you. My contact information is chuck@whitewaterconsulting.net and my phone is 704.236.3131.
