Welcome to my new blog: Am I a Social Entrepreneur?!? (notice I leave off the punctuation in the title) Let me explain why. At first, I was not sure I am a social entrepreneur, hence the ...am I? idea... then, last week, I was happily accepted into the School for Social Entrepreneurs and its now... I am... Sounds confusing. Am I? I am!
I have begun to attend the School for Social Entrepreneurs (in Sydney) this week and I, indeed, question my inclusion. I know several, perhaps many, Social Entrepreneurs personally. In fact, I work with at least 4 of them (as volunteers) and have coffee weekly with another. They are true entrepreneurs in the social sector. Sometimes when I see them working I feel like a fraud. Why? Well I think it's because I'm used to spending a lot of my time leading social entrepreneurs in their work, managing the issues surrounding the enterrpise and less time in actual entrepreneurial activity myself. So I feel fraudulant. I got the title, but do I actually do much direct social entrepreneuring?
But then I remember. I remember the days when I set up a business teaching time management to Spaniards (yes, the manana crowd, the "tomorrow" culture). I remember that it was me who envisioned serving free meals to the community which now operates weekly out of NationsHeart and feeding over 30 lovely people each time. It was me who went weekly across town to pick up boxes of food to commence our currently productive FoodHut. Yes, I must remind myself, I am a social entrepreneur!
And now I'm trying to really live out that title in two ways. I am trying to think more entrepreneurially for myself and my ministry while at the same time I am trying to get others who may actually be and yet not realise they are social entrepreneurs to get involved. And how exciting is that? I have both feet in two worlds. Now that's very exciting!
So I invite you to join me in this journey throughout 2009 in understanding the role, purpose, pitfalls and pleasures of being a Social Entrepreneur. Yes, I am a Social Entrepreneur. Are you?
Ronaldo.
27/03/09
I have begun to attend the School for Social Entrepreneurs (in Sydney) this week and I, indeed, question my inclusion. I know several, perhaps many, Social Entrepreneurs personally. In fact, I work with at least 4 of them (as volunteers) and have coffee weekly with another. They are true entrepreneurs in the social sector. Sometimes when I see them working I feel like a fraud. Why? Well I think it's because I'm used to spending a lot of my time leading social entrepreneurs in their work, managing the issues surrounding the enterrpise and less time in actual entrepreneurial activity myself. So I feel fraudulant. I got the title, but do I actually do much direct social entrepreneuring?
But then I remember. I remember the days when I set up a business teaching time management to Spaniards (yes, the manana crowd, the "tomorrow" culture). I remember that it was me who envisioned serving free meals to the community which now operates weekly out of NationsHeart and feeding over 30 lovely people each time. It was me who went weekly across town to pick up boxes of food to commence our currently productive FoodHut. Yes, I must remind myself, I am a social entrepreneur!
And now I'm trying to really live out that title in two ways. I am trying to think more entrepreneurially for myself and my ministry while at the same time I am trying to get others who may actually be and yet not realise they are social entrepreneurs to get involved. And how exciting is that? I have both feet in two worlds. Now that's very exciting!
So I invite you to join me in this journey throughout 2009 in understanding the role, purpose, pitfalls and pleasures of being a Social Entrepreneur. Yes, I am a Social Entrepreneur. Are you?
Ronaldo.
27/03/09
Hi Ronaldo - and I get to be commenter number 1...
ReplyDeleteExciting journey starting