My Take on the American Dream

You don't have the freedom to BE anything you want, you have the freedom to TRY.

Column American Dream Dusty Rhodes 547f8108e63ad
prowrestling.wikia.com

Welcome to 2015! I cannot believe it has been a decade and a half since we ushered in a new millennium. Some of you weren't even in business back then. Heck, some of you weren't even old enough to drive a crew to a jobsite!

But I remember that New Year's Eve back on December 31, 1999 like it was yesterday. Y2K, remember that? Everybody was freaking out that the power grid would go down, banking systems would break down—all because of a computer glitch caused by the year turning to ##00. Well it never happened, thankfully.

And just think how far technology has come since then. In 2000, flip phones were cool, as were website blogs and sit-down zero-turn riding mowers. Now you're trendy if you have a 4G smartphone, Twitter account, and EFI- or maybe propane-powered stand-on mower. Technology—and times—always change.

One thing that doesn't change, though, is the American Dream. I'm not talking about pro wrestling legend Dusty Rhodes; he definitely has changed with age, though he's no more rotund than he was back when he was grappling for championship belts in the '80s. I'm talking about the American Dream where you have the freedom to be anything you want to be if you work hard.

Somewhere, somehow, a shocking number of people have come to misinterpret this. You aren't automatically granted the right to be anything you want. You are granted the right to try. I always wanted to be a pro baseball player. But the scout holding the radar gun who kept yelling "82!" advised me to find a Plan B.

Each and every one of you should take great pride in the fact that you've had the courage and discipline to try your own hands at entrepreneurship. Dealer Ronnie Lingerfelt and contractor Mitch Nerby are two great examples. One started his business in the 1970s, the other more recently in 2006. Separated by some 40 years, these two green industry pros still have much in common. For instance, each built businesses from the ground up, one while Jimmy Carter was president and the other during the Obama era.

Both Ronnie and Mitch share another similarity: They possess what I call the 3 P's of successful small business ownership. They have a Passion for their trade, take Pride in their work, and have made a commitment to Professionalism.

Do you possess the 3 P's? I'll bet most of you do, which is one reason why you've been able to live your American Dream. Keep on dreaming in 2015—the best for this industry is yet to come.

Latest