In a society where we see more and more of the “It’s all about me” attitude. I want to say I’m proud to be part of SMC Business Councils advocacy efforts. On two separate occasions we filled buses and traveled to Harrisburg and Washington D.C. Here are business owners countless hours to study the issues concerning Pennsylvania’s small business and sacrificing days of their time to visit with our legislators. We are making a difference on the state level and on the national level. Our members make a conscious effort to sacrifice their individual businesses to fight on behalf of all businesses. Instead of saying “It’s all about me” our members are saying “It’s all about us”!  They don’t have the time to do this. They make the time to do this.

This fall has been totally exhausting.  I have two teenagers. My son plays JV soccer, enjoys fall baseball and is diligently working toward his goal of being an Eagle Scout like his old man. I thank God for my wife driving my daughter to dance and swimming.  As much as I can, I help in the concession stands and attend club meetings, where I’m being recruited to take over as president of the soccer club for next season.  I’m an assistant coach to the middle school soccer team.  At least one (and sometimes all) of these activities occurs every evening of the week.  I serve on the Board of the SMC Business Councils and on the Board of the NSBA.  In my spare time, it seems, I own a successful marketing support company in a down-economy where marketing budgets are the first thing that are cut by clients.

Go ahead and ask anybody on the SMC Advocacy Bus, and they will give you a similar list. They don’t have the time. They make the time.

My wife asks me why I continue to say “yes”.  I guess my answer is this: I can’t stand sitting in the bleachers when I think I can help on the field. When I know that others are there with me, it makes it a lot easier to make the time; and it’s easier to make a difference.

To those on the field I say thank you for making the time. To those of you in the bleachers I say there are plenty of positions on the field we can always find more busses!