Our view from the top
David Clegg, The Social Sherpa
My boss and wife, Mary has a very tactful way of drawing me up short when a story of mine goes on a bit long, so I will do my best to keep this to the bare necessities.
My wife and I were married in 1990, (but do not panic, I'm not starting there. That just gives you a little context for the story) and throughout our marriage I have had one business or another. Even when I had "regular" jobs, I normally had some sort of business on the side. My wife, on the other hand, did not have an entrepreneurial bone in her body. That is not to say she was not a great cheerleader, a cautious one, but a cheerleader nonetheless.
In 2009 I began a traditional print media/marketing company that got off the ground very rapidly, but everyone was asking about social media and online presence, which I had learned in my time as Director of Marketing for Dinovite, a pets product E-tailer. It didn't take me too long to realize, there was an opportunity in those questions. Small businesses were crying for help and we had solutions. There were, and still remain, very few cost-effective providers for the mid-market. Anyway...
In the spring of 2010 Mary went with our 3 children (Audrey, Allie and Simeon) to visit her niece who was a senior at a boarding school in Culver, IN. When she returned I asked about the weekend. She responded with the usual family sort of updates but then she asked me something in a manner she had never asked me before that time. "David," she asked, "are we good stewards?" Of course, as a Christian, I began my obligatory answers of living on a budget, not living beyond our means, etc., etc. She became exasperated with my answer and with a look on her face I do not ever remember seeing before she said, "NO! That's not what I mean. I mean, are we earning as much money as we can in this life, with the gifts and skills God has given us? Because a tithe on a million dollars is a lot more than a tithe on eighty thousand!" It was very evident she meant what she was saying! She had just spent the weekend in the company of some very successful people and came away with the conclusion, there wasn't anything very different about them. Basically, if they can; why can't we was her thinking.
That weekend we began to assess our unique skills and talents then began to formulate that into a business plan and shortly thereafter launched The Social Sherpa. We recognize the origin of our gifts, which come from our Creator. As such, our goal is to leverage with all of our might, and by His spirit, those talents for His kingdom.
Matthew 6: 19-21 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
Blessings to you and yours,
My wife and I were married in 1990, (but do not panic, I'm not starting there. That just gives you a little context for the story) and throughout our marriage I have had one business or another. Even when I had "regular" jobs, I normally had some sort of business on the side. My wife, on the other hand, did not have an entrepreneurial bone in her body. That is not to say she was not a great cheerleader, a cautious one, but a cheerleader nonetheless.
In 2009 I began a traditional print media/marketing company that got off the ground very rapidly, but everyone was asking about social media and online presence, which I had learned in my time as Director of Marketing for Dinovite, a pets product E-tailer. It didn't take me too long to realize, there was an opportunity in those questions. Small businesses were crying for help and we had solutions. There were, and still remain, very few cost-effective providers for the mid-market. Anyway...
In the spring of 2010 Mary went with our 3 children (Audrey, Allie and Simeon) to visit her niece who was a senior at a boarding school in Culver, IN. When she returned I asked about the weekend. She responded with the usual family sort of updates but then she asked me something in a manner she had never asked me before that time. "David," she asked, "are we good stewards?" Of course, as a Christian, I began my obligatory answers of living on a budget, not living beyond our means, etc., etc. She became exasperated with my answer and with a look on her face I do not ever remember seeing before she said, "NO! That's not what I mean. I mean, are we earning as much money as we can in this life, with the gifts and skills God has given us? Because a tithe on a million dollars is a lot more than a tithe on eighty thousand!" It was very evident she meant what she was saying! She had just spent the weekend in the company of some very successful people and came away with the conclusion, there wasn't anything very different about them. Basically, if they can; why can't we was her thinking.
That weekend we began to assess our unique skills and talents then began to formulate that into a business plan and shortly thereafter launched The Social Sherpa. We recognize the origin of our gifts, which come from our Creator. As such, our goal is to leverage with all of our might, and by His spirit, those talents for His kingdom.
Matthew 6: 19-21 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
Blessings to you and yours,
David Clegg
Founder & CEO
Founder & CEO
