Greg Kozera

Greg Kozera

Break Out to Find Your Opportunity

For over two months, Lynnda and I only went to the grocery store and physical therapy. Then it was time for us to “break out.” We got our hair cut for the first time since mid- March. We have been out to dine-in with friends at our favorite restaurants. We were surprised they weren’t crowded. It was easy to be socially distant. We are back to church wearing our masks and social distancing. We are putting money back into the economy for the salon people, the restaurant owners and their wait staff. We slipped over to The Greenbrier for a get-away anniversary trip. Our first overnight since March. There was no problem social distancing, even at the pool. The staff all wear masks. I bought gasoline for the first time in weeks. No surprise that gasoline prices are low, since demand is low. I had my first face-to-face (but socially distant) meeting with the Sr. VP of a company we are helping to expand in our region.

The world changed again! Our May speaker for our NSA (National Speakers Association) Ohio Chapter meeting was Mark, a young man in his 30s who built a 7-figure professional speaking business in less than five years after he left the military. We scheduled him before Covid-19. Our Chapter members who are all small business owners and professional speakers, trainers, consultants and coaches wanted to learn how he built his business. Because of the virus we had our meeting on Zoom. Mark was in Arizona.

Mark opened with the apology, “How I built my business won’t work today.” Because of the virus, live meetings are canceled for Learned Leadership LLC months. Mark is a keynote speaker. No live meetings mean no keynotes for Mark and no money. Our Chapter members have the same problem. Most saw six months of their business disappear in two weeks. The world of the professional speaker, just like the restaurant, hotel, airline and many other thriving businesses, fell apart overnight. When America went into lockdown, meetings, travel and most eating out stopped. We have no idea if, or how long, it will take to come back.

At NSA Ohio, we could have had a 3-hour pity party. Instead, Mark facilitated a brainstorming session with the entire Chapter. The focus wasn’t on the virus or the problem of canceled meetings. The focus was on the opportunities the problem presented. If most meetings were going to be virtual, how could our chapter members be part of them and get paid for their expertise? Mark closed with a segment of his original pre-virus presentation. In the middle of a depressing market we all felt positive, energized and hopeful. We gained ideas we could use in our own businesses.

We can all learn from Mark and his attitude. We can focus on the problem or we can look for opportunity. Like we did at NSA Ohio, if you can surround yourself with like-minded people, a brainstorming session can be very effective. As the economy opens back up, are you focused on the problem and what you can no longer do? Are you focused on opportunity? To keep your attitude positive and your creativity high, make sure you surround yourself with positive people. Also watch what you allow into your brain. I have had to minimize my exposure to movies, TV and network news programs that are negative.

Mark closed our Chapter year and my Presidency on a high we all needed. I conducted our first virtual awards ceremony. Our members deserved the recognition. The awards were all “Made in the USA,” purchased locally from and engraved by a small business owner in Pinch, W. Va.

One of the opportunities for Shale Crescent USA is using radio interviews to get our message on the advantages of locating or expanding a business in this Region to all of the United States. We have done over 30 shows since mid-March from New York City to Tampa, Missouri and Michigan to California. Over half were nationally syndicated shows and one was an international show. The reason I share this is to let you know for the first time in a long time, based on people across the country we talk to, Americans have something we all agree on. Republican or Democrat, urban or rural Americans agree, we need to bring manufacturing back to the USA, particularly from China.

People realize we are dependent on other countries for our PPE and medical equipment to protect our health care workers and citizens from Covid-19. Today 80% of our prescription medications come from outside the US, much of that from China. People across the country want high wage manufacturing jobs. Suddenly “experts” on TV, radio and in print are saying what Shale Crescent USA has been saying for years, “We need to bring manufacturing Opportunity Continued on page 14