Get Free Updates & Tips
Our Clients Write Back
"Thank you for your amazing work on our brochures. You did a great job of capturing our mission, spirit, and voice." – Jim T., Executive Director, Child Welfare Advocacy Org.
"As a small PR firm, our ability to professionally represent ourselves is key to demonstrating how we will represent our clients. You helped us put our best foot forward when we needed it most." – W. Moore, CEO, International PR Firm
"Thank you for fitting me into your schedule at the last minute. It gives me such a secure feeling knowing I've run something by you first." – Diana B., Non-Profit Director and Published Author
"Magnifico! This is why I like you so much!" – Mark M., Owner, Web Consulting and SEO firm
Facebook Fans
We Merchant Venturers
An article I read today on Ragan.com asked corporate communicators, “What words inspire you?” The author invited readers to share which classic writers they liked to read when they needed inspiration for their own writing.
I thought about the works of great authors that inspired me, and a passage from Louis L’Amour’s The Walking Drum stuck out most in my mind:
I was a landless man, and there was nothing lower, nothing less vulnerable. One was attached to a castle, serving some great lord, or one was nothing. We merchant venturers, we were the first of a new kind of man, creating a new kind of wealth.
It’s a fantastic book, in case you’re looking for a good read. And unlike most of L’Amour’s books, this one is not a Western (which was a plus for me).
Leaving the Castle
Why did this passage inspire me?
I read The Walking Drum the same year I started my business. Venturing out on my own—without an employer to provide health care benefits, a 401(k) or all the other perks you get “serving in the castle”—well, it felt very vulnerable. Did I have what it took to be a new kind of man—er, woman? Could I create a new kind of wealth for myself?
Six years later, I can say it has been an amazing—and yes, sometimes frightening—adventure. But I wouldn’t have traded a minute of it. Well, maybe just a few minutes.
I’m grateful for all of the clients over the years who have helped us become the company we are. As small business owners, we have much in common. We share this merchant adventure, pursuing our business visions and trying to communicate our ideas the best we can.
So, when you get stuck—whether it’s writing, planning a product launch, executing your marketing plan, or just believing you can successfully build your own castle—remember what inspired you in the first place and keep pressing ahead. Chances are you’ll inspire someone else along the way.
———
An Editor’s Note: Is there an error in old Louis’ text? Shouldn’t this passage say, “there was…nothing more vulnerable,” not less?