One of my staff members calls me the “Eternal Optimist,” because no matter how dire the situation, I’m always convinced we will devise a positive solution.
I prefer to think of my stance as an unwavering belief that if you face adversity with a level head, you’re apt to overcome it and achieve success.
If you’ve never faced adversity, you’ve yet to be challenged in your business career. You may not even know whether you are adept at creating calm, well-thought-out solutions to the business catastrophes that pop up when you least expect them.
I mention this because September marks the fourth annual Innovation in Business Conference. While not necessarily designed to honor overcoming adversity, the conference and awards program was developed to underscore the power of innovative thinking in the business world.
When we founded the program in 1999 with Anthem, our goal was to bring the pages of our magazine to life and honor those companies and decision-makers who understand how to tackle tough situations and devise creative solutions in order to forge ahead — no matter the economy.
As I read through this year’s entries, I was struck by the enormous amount of innovative activity in this region. Not only did the quality (and quantity) of nominations we received this year leave me smiling, I was also surprised by the burgeoning entrepreneurial activity across Northeast Ohio. Needless to say, I’m optimistic about what the future holds for emerging business in this region.
Recently, the bulk of the news being reported hasn’t left a positive impression about business. But this is an inaccurate picture of what’s really happening. The reality is that Northeast Ohio is loaded with interesting firms engaged in a multitude of activities, including more software developers than I ever imagined.
It is with this in mind that I encourage you to read the profiles of this year’s honorees and finalists in this issue. I’m sure after you’re finished, you’ll agree the region really is bursting with smart ideas … and hope.
