Natalie shared a link to Jonathan Leger's blog, and a post titled, "Business lesson from a 9 year old." How could I resist clicking that link?

Once on Jonathan's blog, I lost myself in the story. The story of a young boy who recognized an opportunity and took it. As Jonathan says in the telling of the story, "Ian, being the genius marketer he apparently is, saw a need... So, he figured he'd [fill it.]" I took some liberties there, but I want you to get the whole story from Jonathan... So hop over there and read it.

Once you've done that, come on back and share your thoughts. What does this story teach you? I found the spirit of entrepreneurship so powerful, the story made me pause and reflect on my own business pursuits. Am I truly focused on filling a need - or, have I gotten lost in the belief that customers will find me because I'm using good SEO? I wondered if I could be more original in my marketing; am I really making the best use of social media? Of other marketing opportunities? Am I following my own advice and getting out of the office, meeting propsects nose-to-nose?

Perhaps most importantly, I wondered what opportunities I might be missing because I've stopped dreaming? I've allowed myself to get stuck in this office, in this chair, making the motions, like a robot. Ian's story shocked me out of my "ordinary-ness." I'm pushing for extraordinay in 2011.

The most important thing I took away from this story is that it's never about us. Ian, in the story, apparently needed some cash, and he quickly figured out how to get it. He didn't do a market survey. He didn't create a business plan. He didn't organize a focus group. He did what he could, with the resources he had. The "about him" part was needing cash. The about the customer part was everything else.

It's the "everything else" that really matters. Don't you think?