Happy Thanksgiving! What We're Thankful For (As Entrepreneurs)

Happy Thanksgiving from Think Big Partners! 

Sometimes, we move so fast that we don't take the time to sit down and realize everything that we have to appreciate in life.  Lucky for us, Thanksgiving is just a few days away, and is the perfect time for us to say "thanks" to those who have helped us grow, succeed and have fun throughout our very own startup journey.

As a way to say "thanks", we will be making daily shoutouts to some of our biggest supports on Facebook for 40 days straight starting on November 22, 2012.  Although it's not much, it's our way of sending appreciation from our crazy world to yours.

What are some of the things we're thankful for this year?  We're so glad you asked...

• We're thankful for our entrepreneurs.  The people who show up to bizperc, call us for advice, meet with us for coffee and partner with us on projects.  If it weren't for these passionate, driven and sometimes crazy people, we would not be in business.
  
• We're thankful for bizperc, our coworking space.  With its incredible view of downtown Kansas City, killer coworking amenities and super fun (and frequent) parties, we are truly spoiled with an amazing workspace. But most importantly, we're thankful for the different people we meet in bizperc every day.
  
• We're thankful for coffee.  If it weren't for coffee, we would not have productive days, checked-off to-do lists and 2:00am conversations that often make or break our next idea.
  
• We're thankful for partners who have always believed in us and supported us throughout our startup journey.  If it weren't for our incredible support system, we would not be where we are today.
  
• We're thankful for our gadgets.  From our iPhones to our laptops, from our Windows Surface tablets to our electronic whiteboard, these gadgets make our chaotic days a bit more organized.
  
• We're thankful for humor--it's what gets us through our not-so 9-5 days.  From office pranks, team bets, wearing prom dresses to work, and caricatures drawings on our windows, we're thankful that we can build something incredible and have fun while doing it.
  
• We're thankful for our team.  Although we've been referred to as "an Island of Misfit Toys" or a "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" company, we are the glue that holds Think Big together--and even though we may be a bit nuts, we believe that we are doing big things that wouldn't be possible without every single team member's involvement.

A BIG thank you to you all.  And happy Thanksgiving.

- The team at Think Big Partners 

(Ahhh..that's more like it.)

What is Think Big Partners Thankful For?

WRITTEN BY ALLISON WAY, SENIOR COPYWRITER & CHIEF EDITOR

What are we thankful for?  We're so glad you asked.

We're thankful for the amazing entrepreneurs who we have the opportunity to work with every day; from experienced techaholics to dedicated social media gurus.


We're thankful for our inspirational coworking space and the ideas that percolate within the bizperc walls.


We're thankful that Kansas City is exploding with entrepreneurship and collaboration with initiatives from KCSourceLink, the Social Media Club of Kansas City, Google Fiber and the Kauffman Foundation.


We're thankful for Twitter.


We're thankful for the 113 contestants who entered into The Gigabit Challenge and their dedication, passion and courage to put a business idea on the line.


We're thankful for our partners and all of our supporters who have helped make TBP what it is today.


We're thankful for other startup accelerators and business incubators out there that are leading the way for entrepreneurs and innovators. 


We're thankful for coffee.  


We're thankful for the precious time we get to spend with our friends and families.


We're thankful that our company is made up of driven, innovative and rockstar entrepreneurs who have been, there done that and are willing to help others do the same.


We're thankful that our office has one of the best views of downtown Kansas City.


We're thankful for 37signals and its mysterious ways of organizing our chaotic lives.  


We're thankful for all of the small businesses, entrepreneurs and organizations that have collaborated with us to throw events like Entrepreneur Corner, Think Big Kansas City, The Gigabit Challenge Finale and Entrepreneur Bootcamp.  


We're thankful for entrepreneurs, just like you, who have become living and breathing proof that Think Big Partners is making a difference in the Kansas City community and beyond.

What are you thankful for? 

Follow me! @AllisonThinkBig

The Gigabit Challenge Deadline Hits November 18, 2011

The end of November means a lot of different things for a lot of different people.  For some, it may mean Thanksgiving feasts and spending time with family.  For others, it may mean putting up Christmas lights and shopping on Black Friday.  For the entrepreneurial world though, the end of November means the start of The Gigabit Challenge.

Entrepreneurs, this is your time to shine.  The Gigabit Challenge is a worldwide business plan competition looking for the hungriest entrepreneurs with the brightest ideas to turn the tech industry upside-down on the Google Fiber network.  Not only does The Gigabit Challenge have a prize valued at $100,000, but it also allows one entrepreneur to build out a game-changing idea on the fastest network in the world.

But time is running out.  The deadline for executive summaries and applications is on Friday, November 18, 2011 at midnight.  Applicants must submit a 3-5 page executive summary by this time in order to participate in The Gigabit Challenge.

Don’t miss out on this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.  Apply for The Gigabit Challenge today and turn the technology industry upside-down. 

But wait: there’s more!  The Gigabit Challenge has received an incredible number of high-quality entries throughout the past few weeks.  With submissions from a number of different states and a handful of foreign countries, The Gigabit Challenge wants to get everybody involved.  Interested in joining The Gigabit Challenge team?  Ask us about our partnership opportunities that are currently available.  You can contact us at adeangelo@thinkbigpartners.com or call 816.842.5244. 

Follow me! @AllisonThinkBig

Entrepreneurs and Thanksgiving: What You Should Be Thankful For

Although to many entrepreneurs, Thanksgiving means a day off of work, a 4,000 calorie meal and relaxing time with family.  But in reality, the holiday couldn’t speak more true to the hard work of an entrepreneur—not their limited time off.  Thanksgiving is—of course—all about saying thanks to the things that we are most grateful for.  For entrepreneurs, that could be a successful small business, the wonderful people we have the opportunity to work with, or our families that support us along the way. 

Thanksgiving is all about the best American qualities – hard work, diversity, strength, and finding effective solutions to problems.  These, in effect, are the same qualities that are the cornerstones of successful entrepreneurship.  When the Pilgrims were invited to the harvest by the Wampanoag Indians in 1621, it was an invitation to survive the first winter in the New World.  The Pilgrims owed their survival to the goodwill of the Indians, who had taught them how to grow corn and how to fish in the very unfamiliar New England soil and seas.  This took guts, tenacity, a sense of adventure and just unbelievable hard work and perseverance among everyone.  And isn’t that, in a nutshell, what entrepreneurship is all about? 

So today, entrepreneurs, give thanks.  Give thanks to what you have become and give thanks to where you are going.  Give thanks that this nation has provided you with the ambition of a great American Dream.  Give thanks for the time that you can spend with your family.  Give thanks that you are given the opportunity to strengthen the American economy.  And finally, give thanks that you have the gift of Thinking Big.  Happy Thanksgiving!

Written by Allison Way.  Allison is a writer and videographer for Think Big Partners and bizperc, two of Kansas City's newest entrepreneurial resources.  To read more of Allison's work, check out the Kansas City Entrepreneurship Examiner.