First Follower Journal - CEO Observations From Within The Entrepreneur Community Online(ECO) Startup

Thanks Becky for starting this journal. With your permission, I would welcome any free user or subscriber member to participate in this journal - as this community is all about how to create and/or expand our businesses. This effort to create and/or expand makes learning how to be and have a first follower even more important.

Even though I always wear my shirt, I must say that many days I have felt like I am dancing on the hill by myself. Then, I enter ECO and see you and all the other subscriber members dancing there with me. And if I look close enough, I see that inside ECO, we are taking turns dancing on each others hills. I rejoice in their belief in me and my dream and I happily return it by believing in their dreams! This group mutual support and encouragement is definitely a key part of the ECO culture.

Of course, all of these observations come from within ECO, because that is where the action truly is - inside. With the recent upgrades to the site, we have an even greater ability to communicate. This new communication, our new ability to personalize our posts/profiles by adding photos and the incredible work in the public and private power teams is starting to make it productive and fun to hang out in ECO. It ain't done until it's fun.TM

Ok, back to my observations of the day.

On many occasions you have commented that I stand for substance... that my tweets, my conversations and my intentions have substance. Someone questioned you about that at a recent networking event and you responded with, "when have you ever known Linda to make small talk?" Hmmm, wasn't sure how to take that one. However, that statement is true. I have a vision, I have a mission and I am dedicated to making it happen. This focus doesn't leave much time for other things.

In a nutshell, that vision/mission/purpose is to provide a place for my fellow lone nuts to thrive and to give them the tools that they need to do so. I am successful if my fellow startups and business owners get the lesson, find the resource or meet other ECO Advisors or Connectpreneurs that can take them to their next level. I get closer to fulfilling my mission when a connection made through ECO turns into a solid strategic partnership or paying customers.

This has and will always be more important to me than what something may look like. So this is why I am concentrating more on infrastructure and content than I am on aesthetics. That is also why I am spending more company energy on creating great learning environments both within ECO and offline. I want to see results from all of this effort before I spend time and money on the curb appeal of the site.

You and I have discussed and agree that today our focus is SUBSTANCE BEFORE STYLE.

My final observation is this:

I want to create a hill where all of the lone dancers can swing, sway and shimmy to whatever beat turns them on and drives them to success. I want it to be that one safe place where they can play a new song for the first time, try a new move, or throw out their very first pirouette. I want to help create a place where they all can experiment in a community that encourages and rewards first attempts.

I want ECO to be the place that says this "mistake" was not a dismal failure, rather it was an incredible gift to the progression and fulfillment of a business dream.

I am truly honored to be apart of this community, glad to know that everyone here feels the same way.

On that note, I think I will go dance!

Onward and upward!

Linda Hughes, CEO