RMAE Sponsored Pop Up Event Was a Huge Success
This last weekend, RMAE got a chance to engage with local entrepreneurs at the Let’s Make It Green day party & pop up shop. There was great music, delicious food, and some very talented local vendors selling their products. The event turned out to be a huge success with a great turnout of people wanting to support local businesses. The RMAE booth was poppin’ as vendors and business owners got a chance to discuss their stories and passions with President Stephen Nicholson and Vice President James West.
Welcome to the community!
Throughout the day, RMAE was able to partner with over 20 new members looking to grow or develop their businesses. The industries ranged anywhere from retail beauty & health products to education to bakeries and food vendors. Each business owner displays a unique set of values and different motivations to get them where they are today. The best way to grow is together, so please take a few minutes to welcome all of our new additions to the community and show them some support!
- Published in RMAE News
Leaning into fear
Leaning into fear
By Stephen Nicholson
It doesn’t seem natural to move toward something that signals danger. Most people won’t stroll up to a wild bear in the woods or put their hand in a burning fire because experience has taught us that these actions will likely bring us harm. The interesting thing about experience is that it doesn’t have to be personally encountered to have an impact. The same people that won’t put their hand in a fire probably didn’t burn themselves to know that it’s dangerous. We evolve from learning through the experiences of others.
In many cases, this learned behavior benefits us and makes our lives more efficient. Our brains process this collective information and send signals to our bodies when there is apparent danger, keeping us safe. In some cases, there is a gap between actual danger and perceived danger. The fear that lies within this gap is the type that we should be leaning in toward. In order to properly analyze something it’s often beneficial to take a closer look. You don’t have to get burned by the fire to experience the warmth that comes from getting close to it. I challenge you to do something that scares you, it might just be the thing that changes your perception.
Upcoming Events
Member Spotlight: Connect For Health Colorado
Health insurance can be one of those things where you don’t need it… until you need it. Connect for Health Colorado is trying to eliminate that need by offering affordable insurance options. They do this by providing funding to individuals or families that can’t otherwise afford to be insured. See our conversation with Jessica Smith in a Facebook Live Interview as she discusses ways entrepreneurs and small business owners can capitalize on the benefits that Connect for Health Colorado offers. As a sponsor for our upcoming event The Black Business Experience in Denver, we are so excited to have this great organization as a member of our community. If you find yourself without health insurance right now, visit the website and get enrolled through May 15.
“We are the only place that you can apply for financial help… We provide tax credits that will lower the amount you are paying monthly .”
— Jessica Smith
Do You Have Business Questions?
Email us your business questions to questions@rmae.co and we’ll have experts answer them for you.
- Published in RMAE News
Be Yourself
Be Yourself
By Stephen Nicholson
Connecting with your target audience is something that can drive business success, regardless of the resources you have for spreading your message. Strong businesses are built on strong foundations, so aligning your business with your personal values will generate interest while keeping you motivated to move forward in the long run.
Many great success stories are ideas or products that started out as a solution to a personal obstacle. I was recently talking with fellow member Jason Keefer about how he was able to turn his pandemic-caused problem into a business solution. He has a great story created by his unique situation. Human beings can be oddly similar despite our cultural differences and life experiences, providing opportunities for us to connect with one another. We don’t need to have a similar background to understand each other, so embrace those differences! Authenticity is a priceless trait, generating continued benefits.
Upcoming Events
Member Spotlight: Adam Laarsen w/ Laarsen & Associates
Adam creates an environment of openness and trust with the people he interacts with, and his genuine love for supporting others is apparent in his Facebook Live Interview. Honesty and integrity are two personal values that Adam brings to the table with Laarsen & Associates. His mission is to guide, facilitate, and nurture growth for his clients. He adds a personal touch of honesty, bringing ease to a complicated task of managing your taxes and accounting. It’s always great to have Adam as a part of the community, but especially now that it’s tax season! Find him in the directory and give him a call for a free consultation
“Be honest… not only with your clients but with yourself.”
— Adam Laarsen
Bonus Member Spotlight: Oriole Crumbley w/ Peak One Painters
Oriole’s passion for painting is clear in some of the homes he has transformed on his projects. He displays true authenticity in his Facebook Live Interview with some of his own artwork in the background.
Do You Have Business Questions?
Email us your business questions to questions@rmae.co and we’ll have experts answer them for you.
- Published in RMAE News
Having A Community Mindset
The Benefits of Having A Community Mindset
By Stephen Nicholson
I have had the pleasure of spending some time with new RMAE members and supporters each day as we continue to expand our reach, and I have noticed something that we all have in common. Regardless of our background or our current situation, we all want to have a sense of purpose and belonging.
Communities have existed in some capacity for ages because they provide a benefit for the group and the individual at the same time. On one hand, communities provide people with encouragement and support from like-minded colleagues, making it physically and mentally easier to accomplish big goals. On the other hand, communities build their strength through the diversity of the individuals involved. Everyone has a unique experience, meaning we all have something to offer in our group. I’m so excited to be a part of the positive impact RMAE is going to make on the world and on each of our members individually.
Upcoming Events
Member Spotlight: DJ KTone w/ Still Livin Ent.
By Stephen Nicholson
I got a chance to talk live with DJ Ktone about his business and his passion for helping people succeed. Being around someone that is so dedicated and so motivated in pursuing his goals is not only inspiring, it’s contagious to those that share his growth mindset. Whether you’re listening to Turf Time w/ Tona on Fridays, or Meet The DJs on Tuesdays, DJ Ktone seems to embody his phrase of “always live”. He directly impacts his community with the annual DJ Ktone Book Award that assists high school seniors in pursuing secondary degrees. It’s a pleasure to have DJ Ktone as a member of our expanding community and it will be exciting to see how Still Livin Ent. develops with our support.
Being an entrepreneur is a lifestyle. You have to be dedicated and keep in mind all you need is one YES
— DJ KTONE
Business News
Small-Business Owners Promised More PPP Loan Application Help
How to Get the Most Covid Financial Relief When Filing Your Taxes This Year
- Published in RMAE News
Why Pursuing Your Dream Is Important
Have you ever heard the expression “Do what you love, and you’ll never have to work another day in your life”? It’s a great concept, but it’s hard to picture a world with everyone pursuing their passion simultaneously. We all have obligations and responsibilities that tend to force our dreams down the list of priorities, often to be forgotten for long periods of time. For many of us, the problem isn’t the pursuit. It’s figuring out what the dream actually is. This all seems like a lot of effort for an idea that will likely take time to actualize, if at all. Then there’s the possibility that your dreams will change over time. What then? These are valid concerns, and answering such difficult questions requires some serious effort. The key takeaway from all of this uncertainty is that it’s perfectly normal to have concerns when big changes come along. Here a couple of important benefits will make you want to take on these challenges.
Pursuing your dream will help you gain a better understanding of yourself
From my personal experience and many others I have spoken with, the pursuit of your dream tends to reveal details about yourself that you may not have known otherwise. There’s something to be said about exposing an idea to scrutiny while internalizing that the most important opinion is your own. Highly challenged ideas tend to be more solid because they have been tested by many perspectives, so remember to thank the next person that shoots you down for their help!
Being Happy Actually Improves Your Physical Health
If we can assume that pursuing something you’re passionate about intrinsically makes you happier, then your dreams are helping you to live longer. I read an article in Psychology Today about the health benefits of happiness that describes how happiness can lower blood pressure with reduced risk for cardiovascular disease and affect the immune system in the progression of various cold and flu viruses (COVID-19 protection anyone?).
Aligning your passion with your actions will draw like-minded people into your life
I’m a supporter of the law of attraction, but sometimes it’s hard to see how thinking a certain way can magically make it a reality. It’s easier to explain how pursuing your passion means that you’re thinking about it and talking about it more, which activates your brain to notice when you hear similar points of view. The physiological term for this brain function is the Reticular Activating System and the best way to describe it is when you buy a new car and you start seeing that same type of car everywhere you go. The same thing happens for others when they hear you talk about a passion that they share.
Deciding to figure out your passion or to pursue your dream may seem like a big step because the end result is life-changing. When you break it down into small consistent steps, it’s tangible regardless of your current situation. It’s important to remember that we don’t need to have everything figured out before we start. Appreciating the benefits of the pursuit is just as vital as getting to the destination.
- Published in RMAE News
An Announcement from our new CEO
Dear members and affiliates,
It is with absolute pleasure and sincere gratitude that I announce my endeavor as the Chief Executive Officer of the Rocky Mountain Association of Entrepreneurs. My vision is to give current and prospective small business owners a path to achieving their goals in a way that is affordable and effective, creating sustainable and lasting success. As a recent Finance graduate from an international MBA program, I have mastered the principles of how to create a business that manages risk while maximizing reward. For those of you thinking that money isn’t everything in running a successful business, you couldn’t be more correct! People with unique stories and ideas are the key to success and my goal is to make sure that RMAE encourages business owners to put a little of themselves into all aspects of their business.
As the new year comes around, I see so many people ready for a fresh start. Many of us want to forget 2020 and start with a clean slate, but it’s important to remember that with adversity comes an opportunity for growth. With that being said, I challenge you to do something unorthodox with your 2021 goals and commitments this year: start them a day early. This will help drive home the idea that you don’t have to wait for the perfect time to take action on your dreams, you can do it in the middle of the week on the last day of the year. If you are reading this post sometime after the new year, start tomorrow! It’s the small and consistent actions over time that get big results, and that’s exactly how each member can play a part in building up our community together. I can’t wait to see what the future has in store for all of us!
Sincerely,
Stephen Nicholson
Chief Executive Officer
Rocky Mountain Association of Entrepreneurs
- Published in RMAE News