New times call for new business models, and STATUS is merging the world of social media with the world of public relations. But do Natalie Hills and Brad Forth have the plan that can change your business? You be the judge.

How They Tell It:

Status Social Relations was co-founded in 2010 by Brad Forth and Natalie Hills, with the understanding that Social Media is not just a trend. At Status Social Relations, we help individuals as well as companies establish and sustain Social Media pages,opening a broad range of options for productive connectivity. We enable meaningful projection of identity and empower effective promotion of unique, personal, professional or entrepreneurial paradigm. Grounded in the scholarly as well as commercial culture of artistic communication, Brad and Natalie collaboratively strive for the most aesthetic presentation of individuals and companies. Clients receive personal attention needed to support the creation of Social Media pages that reflect your desired image. SSR provides our clients with services related to Social Media including: The initial start-up of a Facebook or Twitter page as well as the creative development of your Social Media page(s); a photography session with Brad Forth in which we provide you with professional, high quality images ranging from individual or staff portraits, shots of your interior or exterior space for businesses, and product shots; Facebook FBML coding; and monthly management and updates of your Social Media pages.

If you or your company already have these accounts in place, we can critique the information and content you currently have to see where improvements can be made.

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What the Experts Say…

“My initial take on this is that it will be limited, but it will work. What I mean is that if you want to have a special niche, then that’s great. You can basically be a “social media specialty shop.” But if you are going to have clients that need to have more services like crisis communication or strategy, then you might be limited. Basically, if you want to eventually be a fully integrated marketing and PR agency, it wont work, because you’re leaving some tools out of the toolbox— you need as many tools as you can use, because you’ll never know what your customers will need. But if all you want is to serve that area (social media) really well, then it’s a great idea for a niche. I do wonder, though, how a company like this will manage in the long term, as social media becomes the new norm.”

Brett Turner
Director of Public Relations
Jackson Marketing

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“Bringing beauty to social space is a worthy endeavor. There are three pressures in this segment, though, that may make a sustainable business model challenging: first, the increasing momentum for integrating social media into a comprehensive marketing program; second, the difficulty in outsourcing a heart-and-soul based media to outsiders; and, third, the do-it-yourself appeal of social media.

The opportunity lies in the third pressure—the doit- yourself appeal of social media. Status can differentiate themselves by helping clients not only look good but by being good as well. Being good means effectiveness is being aware of individuals in the marketplace, paying attention to them, listening to them, and responding to them. The sustainable opportunity is training and development— giving the people behind the beautiful brands the mindset, tools, and skills they need to deliver beautiful enduser experiences across all interactions with the company.

To the extent Status Social can help clients look good and be good on social media, they’ll have a sustainable business model as social space continues its intense evolution.”

Trey Pennington
Owner,
The Pennington Group

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Now You Weigh In…

We want to hear from you. Give us your thoughts, ideas, and feedback. Post your comments below.

Everyone talks about “growing your company.” Why is that important, if you’re satisfied with it as-is? It’s not exactly obvious. Let’s take a look at the two big underlying reasons that growth is important, if not essential, to your company’s future.

First, it’s almost impossible to hold a business at steady state— it’s either growing or shrinking, depending on the strategies in play. If those aren’t growth strategies, a downturn is imminent. So, focusing on growth keeps everyone’s eye on the ball and the company’s culture aligned for success.

The second is more tangible. It’s about the long-term value of the company—what someone in the future can earn from the company (say, an heir or a successor employee owner) or what someone in the future will be willing to pay for the company. So, growth is a major ingredient in the valuation of the business.

Why is that? Aren’t companies generally valued on something like a multiple of free cash flow? Yes, but. The “but” is that growing companies are easier to sell—everyone wants to buy a growing company. Growing companies are easier to buy, as well. Why? Buyers are buying the future and usually paying back a lender. They love the idea of doing that out of a growing cash stream. For both those reasons, buyers pay a premium for a growing company.

So, if you have to choose between growth and status quo, choose growth. More in the next issue.

Many times in life, people choose from what’s listed on the menu, not knowing that you can usually order from what’s not on the menu. Similarly, in goal-setting, many people choose from options they’re familiar with rather than considering anything that’s possible. So as you begin to set goals, first you must dream. And dream big.

When you approach your life like a blank canvas, without the confines of a menu (where your options
are predetermined), that’s when you can truly begin to set your sights high. The problem with dreamers is they often don’t take action and choose to stay in their dream world. The converse of that are those who never dream at all and simply want a newer car, a bigger house or a higher salary. If you need motivation for your goal, then recognize you’re probably not meant to have it.

Typically, motivation to accomplish goals comes from an external source imposed by someone else in order to get someone to do something. Different from motivation is inspiration, which God puts in each person and has been there all along. It’s much like your vocation or calling in life—it’s revealed to you. When you’re truly inspired, you don’t need anyone to motivate you, you find others who are also inspired, and together you go the extra mile on life’s journey. One of the hidden secrets in life is not to waste time in areas where you require motivation, but set your goals in accordance with your vision—who you are, who you want to become—and your mission—what you want to achieve.

When you’re setting goals for your sales, recognize what comes naturally to you. Some sales folks are really good at networking and building relationships, while others are phenomenal at setting appointments. Neither of those is my forte. People I work with often tell me I’m a great presenter and closer. You need to find out what your strengths are and supplement your weaknesses, so they don’t hinder you in achieving your goals. In other words, focus on your strengths. Your personal greatness does not and never will lie in your weaknesses. The joy in the journey is the discovery of your strengths and attributes, which leads to your life’s purpose. This you are inspired to do, and the greatest reward and personal satisfaction come from these areas.

We began this series asking a list of questions: 1) what do you want, and 2) why do you want it? That led us to 3) why don’t you already have it? From there we examined our vision—who you are and who you want to become—as well as your mission: what do you want to accomplish? And how do you be a good steward of the things you already have? With this foundational framework in mind, you are now ready to set goals that don’t require motivation and because they’re aligned with your life’s purpose and you’re inspired by them and equipped to achieve them. When you finally reach those goals, don’t thank me. Thank God, because He’s the one who inspired you in the first place. Okay, you can thank me too, if you want, but just recognize that He’s the one who inspired me to write this series in the first place.

Why do I already talk to my preteen boys about what is most important in finding a mate? I want them to decide what is most important to them before they are charmed by the first pretty girl who turns their head! (I’ll let you know in about 10 years how it works out!)

Before you ask yourself what my personal parenting mission has to do with an HR article in the top local business publication; let me say that hiring the best available talent is much the same. Employers who hire top talent view hiring as a methodical, logical process where the desired result is determined at the beginning, not the end, of the process.

How often do organizations hire for familiarity or convenience rather than hiring based on a predetermined set of criteria? Think about it: what are the chances that the best possible candidate for your position is the person who happened to walk in your door, befriend your neighbor, or run into you at the gym? Even if they are the best possible candidate, how would you know, if you don’t have objective criteria on which to evaluate them? As with so many things, the easy way isn’t necessarily the best.

What do purveyors of top talent know?

1.They determine the very specific critical skills needed for their organization today and tomorrow.

2. They develop a recruiting plan that specifically targets the market they need to tap. Where are these talented professionals eating, living, reading, hanging out? Does the firm have the resources and expertise to find them or should they enlist an outside expert?

3. Successful firms match their assessment process to the outcome they desire. Hint: an interview is one of the least predictive assessment “tools.”

4. They know that a skill match is only half of the formula. Common values or lack thereof will make or break the relationship.

5. They carefully assess the candidate’s track record. Past performance in a similar environment or role is a strong indicator (not a promise) of future success.

6.They understand the need to put their best foot forward. These organizations understand that the hiring process is a two way street —both parties are making a very important decision.

7.They understand the cost associated with the wrong hire. Estimates range from one to five times annual salary (including training time, lost productivity, service interruption, poor morale, legal risk, and more).

8.They are patient. Hiring the right person for a position can take time, especially in sectors where the demand for talent outweighs the supply.

9. They do not settle and sell themselves short. Many small firms recognize that they can compete successfully with the largest of employers. Startup or small companies often provide a refreshing and exciting environment and the ability to “make a difference” not often found in other places.

10. Once the decision is made, they nurture the relationship. Your organization and the newly hired employee will benefit from a deliberate onboarding process. Laurence Peter adapted the famous Lewis Carroll quote (from Alice in Wonderland) by saying, “If you don’t know where you are going, you will probably end up somewhere else.” Given today’s competitive market, your business cannot afford to end up anywhere else! Stop now and determine what is most important for your long term success before you risk being charmed by anyone other than your best possible match. (Boys, did you hear that?)

Each issue I promise you an insider’s perspective of what is occurring at your South Carolina Statehouse, and this month is no different. I will bring you—as Jim McKay so famously opened each ABC Wide World of Sports’ episode with—“The Thrill of Victory and Agony of Defeat” at the S.C. State House.

There was no greater thrill than the news we heard around the state on a fall day in October 2009 when Boeing announced it would build a Boeing 787 facility in Charleston. Officials say this announcement is as great as the BMW 1992 announcement. The headline in the Seattle Times that day read, “Boeing Chooses Charleston: What Went Wrong.” The agony felt in Washington State countered the immense thrill for Sandlappers to the tune of thousands of new jobs and millions in new capital investment. The Senate, House, Governor’s Office, Department of Commerce, and private sector officials, such as those with the Nexsen Pruet Law Firm, pulled together to bring a huge win for the home team.

The legislation to lure Southwest Airlines did not hold the same fate, though it was a victory in and of itself at the end of the day. Charleston and Upstate officials pulled together to attract the low cost airline to each respective region and it did so without any legislative incentive. When the bill faltered in the Senate, the Upstate folks retained a high-powered Columbia lobbying firm in the eleventh hour to pass the legislation. Interestingly, the Midlands business community hired another high powered lobbying firm to fight the legislation. In the end, neither was needed as Southwest circumvented the need for any State House legislative incentive package and announced it was coming anyway.

Greenville Spartanburg Airport Executive Director Dave Edwards did a fine job, with the help of some Upstate House members, to get the $15 million incentive package through the House. Unfortunately, they fell to the same fate as many other wellintended bills in the Senate. But, as the saying goes, all’s well that ends well, at least for the Upstate and Charleston.

Like the Southwest incentive legislation, the bill to lure Bass Pro Shops stumbled and ultimately languished. But, unlike Southwest, Bass Pro Shops has yet to announce its move to the Upstate. The bill, supported by most Upstate legislators, moved easily though the House Ways and Means Committee, only to hit snags in full House debate. Employment Security Commission Reform and paying back the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund to the tune of $900 million was probably the biggest issue facing the business community this year.

In a year when Sanford faced mounting criticism, he found an issue that he could be proud to hang his hat on. The Governor last year used his bully pulpit to rightly shine light on the draconian problems at the Employment Security Commission by refusing to accept a federal loan to cover the insolvent trust fund until the last minute. But, with his point made, the Legislature went to work to correct the embarrassing Commission’s problems, such as paying claims to people who had been fired for cause (drugs, tardiness, stealing). The Governor signed the bill this spring. The Commission, which was more or less a check-writing institution for the unemployed, now will be charged with connecting the unemployed of the state to available South Carolina jobs.

Unfortunately, ESC Reform did not solve all of the problems. The final chapter in reforming this system was to determine how to pay back the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund deficit of $900 million. Just prior to the adjournment, the Legislature agreed that businesses would shoulder the responsibility of paying back the insolvent trust fund in the next seven years.

One of the most hotly contested issues for the better part of a decade was whether or not to pass a significant cigarette tax increase. Last session, the House and Senate passed the increase, with the Governor vetoing the bill, killing it. This session, the House and Senate overrode the Governor’s veto to increase the cigarette excise tax to 57 cents. The Senate narrowly overrode Sanford’s veto, with 12 voting to sustain his veto, while the House more handily passed it with only 29 House members voting to sustain the Governor’s veto. This increase will take effect July 1 of this year.

To wrap up, the budget continued to remain an issue, mostly because the state’s decreased revenue from last year. Word from legislators is that next year the state may reach crisis proportions in terms of money it doesn’t have to sustain education, healthcare, law enforcement and the like. We’ll have to see what plan Chairmen Leatherman (Senate) and Cooper (House) come up with to meet the needs of the state.

Tort Reform, a perennial issue, will have to wait another year. Even with Senator Larry Martin’s efforts, the House and Senate will have to take this issue up again when they return in January.

Lastly, the voters this fall will see on the General Election ballot a provision that could change the state’s Constitution by guaranteeing the rights of workers to a secret ballot election when voting in a union election. Championed by Representative Eric Bedingfield, this bill combats the Federal legislation, called the Employee Free Choice Act. This bill, too, would further South Carolina as a right to work state.

Need money to help your young entrepreneur get his or her business project going? Kickstarter may be just the thing. Kickstarter is a start up web platform that matches aspiring entrepreneurs, artists, designers, writers, filmmakers and others with patrons willing to finance their projects.

How Kickstarter Works:

Let’s say your son or daughter wishes to sell customized T-shirts to their friends or teachers when school starts back up. They want to first create a few examples to show prospects, but will need money for materials once people start buying.

You help your young entrepreneur set a fundraising goal, deadline, and an optional set of rewards for backers. The rewards for the project’s backers can be anything, but preferably related to the project. In this case, some backers may wish to have their own custom T-shirt.

If the goal’s reached by the deadline, then backers are charged via Amazon Payments and they get their cool rewards. If the goal’s not reached, nobody’s charged, so it’s all or nothing.

Is This Good for Young People?

I’d say yes, because it allows your young business owner to familiarize themselves with the concept of taking money and
investing it back into the business to gain more money.

The tone that the folks at Kickstarter set is much like that of social networks, meaning that they encourage a good project creator to do the following:
• Create and upload a video
• Spread the word through their network, audience, friends, and family
• Keep backers in the loop with frequent Project Updates
• Engage with the community that develops around their project
• Fulfill rewards in a timely manner

Be sure to visit www.Kickstart.com for more information

Get ready. In February, 2010, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) launched what one tax expert has called “the most comprehensive set of audits in about 20 years.” The IRS estimates that United States taxpayers fail to pay $345 billion dollars annually in federal taxes. Of that, an estimated $54 billion represents unpaid employment taxes—Social Security, Medicare, federal unemployment taxes and federal income tax withholding. The new audit program is intended to determine who is not paying and provide information for further IRS efforts to ensure that employment taxes are collected. The IRS intends to audit approximately 6,000 employers over a three-year period and has reportedly trained an additional 200 new field agents to assist in the program. The audits reportedly will concentrate on small businesses and self-employed persons with under $10 million in assets.

Worker classification has always been a potential problem area for employers, and the IRS audit program will focus heavily on the issue. For those who have been fortunate enough to avoid this topic, “worker classification” in context, refers to whether a worker is an employee or independent contractor for federal tax purposes. Employers generally have to pay employment taxes for employees, but not for independent contractors. Errors in this area can have horrendous consequences, including personal liability, and can create costly problems in respect to employee benefit plans. A column does not provide enough space to do more than scratch the surface of this issue, but here are some key considerations for employers:

The IRS does not care how you classify a worker. How an employer classifies a worker is generally irrelevant for federal tax purposes. You may have a contract with the worker stating that the worker is an independent contractor, or you may have a contract with an employee leasing company stating that the worker is their employee, not yours, but that is not binding on the IRS.

High risk situations. Circumstances that tend to create a high risk of worker misclassification problems include use of “leased” employees, hiring former employees as “consultants,” using “temporary” workers for long periods of time and using workers supposedly employed by a professional employer organization (PEO). Three-month “temp-to-perm” arrangements usually do not create problems, but having a third of your workforce classified as independent contractors or PEO employees is usually asking for trouble. Don’t believe me? Ask Microsoft about its multi-million dollar lawsuit involving “temporary” employees.

Personal liability. In addition to the typical consequences of a tax violation – payment of back taxes, penalties and interest – worker misclassification can create personal liability for employees, officers and directors who either are involved with compensation and payroll or have authority over those areas.

Check your benefits for potential worker claims. Beyond the tax consequences, you may have employee benefit plans and insurance policies that state that “employees” are eligible to participate and receive benefits. If a determination is made that someone you thought was an independent contractor or employee of an employee leasing company is reclassified as your employee, that employee now may have a—retroactive—claim against your company for benefits. That can be really painful if, for example, you have several hundred reclassified workers claiming retirement plan contributions going back five or ten years. Many modern retirement plan documents are drafted to avoid this problem, but other retirement plans, and many medical plans and employee benefits insurance policies are not.

Worker classification is for professionals only. It is dangerous to analyze worker classification issues without an attorney or tax accountant experienced in the area. Worker classification and the potential issues created if there is a misclassification are highly technical matters.

The biggest enemy to executing your business strategy and meeting the goals of your start-up business is not what many people think. Procrastination is the enemy that keeps new businesses from launching in the first place, but there is another enemy
that lurks around the corner waiting to pounce on you after you’ve overcome the hurdle of getting started.

That enemy attacks in the area of staying focused and it often appears in the unsuspecting guise of multiple good ideas.

Initially you’d think that the bandit that steals the momentum of your launch and highjacks your agreed-upon milestones in the process would be more evident in bad ideas or concepts. But in many cases the ideas that sound great but steals our focus away from the intended target are the ones that get in the way. It’s the good idea that would be great to pursue …but not now, or the one that someone needs to do…but not you…those are the ones to beware of.

To prevent this from happening, something I learned from the book Good to Great by author Jim Collins is what I stand by. It’s called the “Hedgehog Concept.” It’s reminiscent to the age old “tortoise versus the hare” tale and it goes like this: There are two different types of business leaders, foxes or hedgehogs.

Although a clearly defined objective or goal is defined for his business, the fox is easily distracted, especially when adversity hits. The fox is seen as always running back and forth at every new scheme that is introduced. Just like in the tale of the tortoise and the hare, the fox is picked to win because of a few short term successes, but loses in the long run because each good sounding idea had no relevance in reaching the intended endgame target.

The hedgehog has a much different business approach. A hedgehog in the real world only has one effective method of defense. When threatened, the hedgehog curls into ball, allowing the spikes of its fur to protrude to keep attackers at bay. It then rolls in a direct path forward to get out of the dangerous situation.
The hedgehog exemplifies sticking to focused, specific tasks. He is an expert in what works, thus the reason why he’s consistent. Like the tortoise, the hedgehog may not be picked to win at the beginning, but he comes out the winner because of a focused strategy.

Both of these business types are approached with good ideas during the course of their growth, but the hedgehog filters out ideas that don’t align with the intended end-game target.

How to Avoid Getting Off Track

Keep it simple: Make sure that your business target at the end of the term is a simple, achievable goal.

Any new idea should directly or indirectly help achieve that strategic goal. If it doesn’t, toss it or at least table it.

Finish what you start before branching off to start something new, especially if the new idea does not line up with reaching the target.

In our first two issues, we discussed the need for expatriates (expats), why they are important, and the “recipe” for maximizing ROI. In this second installment, we will discuss how the expat needs to manage, how they need to be managed and how they change over time.

In the 1980s and 1990s, expats both successful and unsuccessful were characterized by a curious mindset. They didn’t keep anything inside for long, and because nature abhors a vacuum, they constantly needed to ingest something new, replenish themselves, multiply, augment. The expat’s mind found it difficult to stop at one event or one country. Something always propelled them forward, drove them on without rest. Such people, while
useful, even agreeable, to others, were, if truth be told, frequently unhappy—lonely, in fact. Problems would arise because the expat was on his/her own. They lost touch with the best practices of their home country, both professionally and personally. This caused two major problems: first, the expat was no longer effective at driving the HQ message across and the expat no longer fit in back home.

In addition, many expats developed an over-inflated sense of their capabilities. The result was that the expat became an outcast both at home and abroad. Yes, they would always seek out others, and it may have even seemed to them that in a certain country or city they had managed to find true kindred and fellowship, having come to know and learn about people; but they woke up one day and suddenly felt that nothing actually bound them to these people, that they could leave at once. For all intents and purposes, they didn’t grow attached to anything, or put down deep roots.

Today, the expat has the same drive and impatience to get things done by taking calculated risks, regardless of country, industry, markets and position. However, the expat is a global executive and they also realize the long-term impact on the business, family, and their career. They know that having long lasting relationships and networking on a worldwide level is paramount for success today and in the future. In addition, they become experts in every facet of the enterprise—from Sales/Marketing, to Operations or R&D and Finance—not just care takers of the business. Finally, they know how to balance the local business cultural capabilities and the expectations of what the corporation requires. Regardless of industry, markets, and or countries of patriation, both expats and senior management need to take special consideration of the following, less they become caretakers of yesteryear.

How they need to manage:

• Instill mindset that compliance and accountability are essential
• Develop relationships with a local but global mentality
• Place greater importance on strategic planning than in their home country
• Maintain standards of home country
• Have a basic understanding of the history and political system of the country in which they are managing
• Put a greater emphasis on human capital development than in home country

How they need to be managed:

• Need to be empowered
• Need mutually-agreed-upon concrete targets; the statement of “Go fix the China office and good luck!” probably won’t cut it in today’s market
• Need a balance of autonomy and support from HQ
• Essential that they are educated on the country in which they will manage from a socioeconomic perspective
• Essential that a repatriation plan is in place for future critical functions

How they change over time:

• Become more culturally sensitive
• Learn skills of diplomacy
• Increase importance of compliance and accountability
• Resent consensus management
• Can appear to lose national pride from a superficial level
• Develop into a state of constant motion, both beneficial and detrimental
• Without proper contact with home country, they can develop into outcasts, both at home and in their host country
• Become more entrepreneurial

In the fourth issue, and final in the series, we will discuss the repatriation process and how to manage the global executive once they come home.

I had lunch recently with a great friend, Roger Rhoades, who has 30-plus year’s experience as a relationship counselor. Somehow we got on the subject of the difference between people who are spectators of life versus people on the field in the game, and the song “Centerfield” by John Fogerty came up. The chorus is amazingly insightful to me, as an advisor who works with a lot of CEOs and pastors, to help them build great organizations that stay relevant to the worlds they’re trying to connect with. I know Fogerty didn’t write it for that purpose, but here’s the chorus:
“Oh, put me in, coach—I’m ready to play today (2x);
Look at me, I can be centerfield.”

The chorus illustrates four great principles that separate dreamers from success stories:

1) Power of the Ask (Put me in, coach!)

Over the years I’ve marveled at the people who appear less talented, less qualified, less “voted most likely to ____”, yet they got the job, got the TV show, got the dream girl, got the book deal, fulfilled the dream. The difference: At some point, they realized they’d have to be bold, strike the fine balance between humility and confidence, and say “Put me in, coach!” Notice a critical, subtle key word: ‘coach.’

Are you asking the right person—the person in authority over your opportunity—for the chance to be put in? Telling your friends, complaining to co-workers, asking the wrong people for feedback does no good. At some point, you’ve got to recognize the power of knowing your rights; ask the right person for the right opportunity at the right time for the right motives. This also means asking for the opportunity, confidently, knowing you may get a “no.” It’s your future, your dream, your life. Wanna have it?

2) Power of Preparation (I’m ready to play!)

David had to practice throwing a rock with a slingshot for days, months, years…before he got to throw it at Goliath one time. When the call came, he was ready, and his entire life changed in 24 hours. Olympians spend every day of their life trying to shave the 1/100th off their time to make the difference between bronze and silver medals. Before your door of opportunity finally opens, are you preparing your gifts and talents in private in preparation for them to be on display publicly?

3) Power of Priorities (Today!)…

I don’t advocate being a workaholic, nor am I suggesting everything happens overnight. However, there are moments we have to recognize that a door is opened, and be keenly aware of its closeability. All doors close eventually—that’s why they’re on hinges. What matters most is what side you’re on when it does close. When the door opens today, what’s your excuse for waiting until tomorrow to charge through it with a sense of urgency? “Oh, it’ll be there tomorrow…I have all these emails to catch up on before I make the call…I can’t possibly pick up and fly to New York just for a lunch…” Well? Why not today? What guarantee do you have the door will be open tomorrow? After all, why would God open it today, if you weren’t supposed to move toward it today?

4) Power of knowing who you are vs. what you do (I can BE centerfield!).

The amazing part of that lyric (the part I always thought was bad grammar), an awkward ending to a chorus…I never caught it in 20-plus years until now…he said “be” instead of “play” centerfield.

Your gift, the thing inside you that’s uniquely you and opens doors of opportunity for your future—is in you because of who you are, not what you do. Great jobs, relationships, and other opportunities rarely come to you as a result of what you do, they usually come to you because of who you are.

He knew he loved baseball, and could play a lot of positions. But the one he was born for—was centerfield. Middle of the action. The one that required the guy with the best speed, the best arm, the best sense of the game to be counted on to cover the most ground and save the day the most times up against the wall.

Great success stories are great because they didn’t ask for any job, they asked for a chance at “the” job. The relationship. The internship. The chance. They asked for it because they knew it was in them, it was what they were born to do, and it was who they were.