The Upstate's Entrepreneurial Spirit

I have been in Greenville and at Greenville Tech for almost nine months, and what impresses me most about the community and the College is the strength of the initiative to thrive and grow, even in the slow economy and in the face of difficult times. Then last week I was visiting with a group of business men and women who truly are considered to be successful entrepreneurs. One of them made a comment that I continue to think about and which, I believe, is responsible for the "strength of the initiative to thrive and grow." A gentleman said, "The Upstate has always had a strong sense of entrepreneurism, and that is the reason for our success. However, I am concerned that we are losing our spirit of entrepreneurism, or that it is decreasing at the very least."

I don't know if you can measure a "spirit of entrepreneurism," but I think we see the evidence of it thriving, and to lose it would certainly be detrimental to a community. So, the question is, how do we strengthen this spirit? What role can GTC play? I guess we could point to a number of activities that might accomplish the task. However, I believe that entrepreneurism is a belief, a way of thinking, and that's why this task of strengthening seems to be elusive. Maybe this goes as far back as Abraham Lincoln when he said, "Your own desire to succeed is more important than any one thing." Once again, a belief or gut feeling fuels your desire to be successful.

I don't have the answer, but there is one. Perhaps the answer is to continue to believe. Believe that we will make it through a tough time. Believe that we live in a community that invites us to do our best. Success exists in each of us if we believe.

I would welcome your comments on the entrepreneurial spirit in the Upstate and how Greenville Technical College might contribute to keeping it strong. That's why we're here.