A first-person testimonial from Marion H. describing how participation in the Entrepreneur Ready program helped her overcome fear, build a network and confidence, and launch a fruit-and-vegetable grocery pop-up serving multiple communities. She recounts specific networking successes and emphasizes entrepreneurship as personal growth and community impact.
Chapters
If it scares you and you feel that little feeling in your gut, then it means that you should be doing it. I had wanted to start a fruit and Vegetable Company 10 years ago and felt like I didn't know anything about it. I didn't know any have any resources or a community or a network. And what I found in the program is that community, that network. And it built my confidence and allowed me to go out and to really pursue this dream of not only launching but owning a grocery pop up and being able to provide access to yummy things for the community. I made a list at the start of who I wanted to reach. There were CEOs, they were running their businesses, they were ahead of grocery stores. But I made the goal to challenge myself, that no matter what insecurities I was having, I would put it aside. Because I knew that this purpose and this mission was greater than any other fear that I could ever have. And I was able to speak to president of Trader Joe's who now runs a nonprofit daily table in Massachusetts with three stores. I was able to network and reach out to people like Mike Brady, who is the ex CEO of Grayson foundation and Bakery. I was able to speak to Second Harvest, the CEO that runs the entire food bank system in Canada. But I'm grateful for the receptiveness of the community. Not only the community in New Rochelle, but the community that now wants me in the Bronx and the community that wants me in Greenberg and the community that wants me in Dobbs Ferry. I don't think that without this program I would have been able to accomplish many of the things that I've accomplished. I think that it's not only making me a better mom and a better wife, I feel like it's making me a better person. I think the biggest thing that we tend to do as entrepreneurs and just as people is we psych ourself out of things before they even happen. So no matter what the obstacles or your personal challenges are or situations, trust in yourself and your ability to create the things that you are dreaming of. I never believed that dreams are accomplishable because if they were unaccomplishable, you would have never had that dream.
