Virtual Administrative Services from Robin’s Desktop

One of the many things I do is write freelance for a local advertising mailer. I call upon clients, spend some time with them, and then write a small feature article. In the time that I have been working with this particular company, I have written articles on everything from surgeons to dog groomers. These clients have one thing in common; they are all entrepreneurs.

I glance at my file drawer and I see people who are stepping outside the traditional world of work. Much like the pioneers who stepped out of the established communities to find their own way, not the way someone else created for them. Let me introduce you to a few of them.

Janet and Stan Smith are owners of Still Meadows Farms, near Walton. Janet is a teacher at Marshall Community and Technical College, Stan cares for the farm full-time. They have one son, Luke. When I visited with them I found them to be welcoming and hard-working. Their farm wouldn’t rival Southfork, but it was more than enough (in my mind) to tend and try to work at a college. The Smiths weren’t just in it for themselves, they offered their bounty to anyone interested in the purchase. I quoted Stan as saying “We grow what we sell from seed, right here in West Virginia.”

RetroShades Tanning is another successful small business I covered. Craig and Vanessa saw an opportunity, developed a plan and went out on a limb to start up their own business. They work very hard to keep their customers happy and they are succeeding! They use social networking technologies expertly promoting their business and building their base.

Dakham’s Tailor Shop has been in operation since 1944! Dakham Sayavong runs the shop with her husband in South Charleston. She arrived here from Thailand and started primarily as a women’s clothing store. Now she makes custom riding clothes. She has adapted with the changing times, finding a need, and addressing it. Dakham’s story is a great one and should be held as a fine example of what is possible for those who truly want it.

In West Virginia, you find independent minded, successful entrepreneurs on almost every corner. Our work ethic isn’t confined to the coal mines or utility companies. The hills and hollows which comprise the majority of our geography hold within them some of the most successful and enterprising people you will ever find. These are the descendants of the rough and rugged pioneers and settlers who were forced to make do with what they had.

Many successful people have come from the West Virginia hills. A quick list can be viewed here. The ability to handle the tough times is strong in our DNA. We are survivors.

I come from a line of strong families. Like so many native people of West Virginia, I can trace my father’s side of the family to Morgan Morgan, the patron father of Morgantown. My mother’s side traces down into Virginia’s Botetourt County. While we oftentimes think of the pioneer “men” who trekked across the land mapping and marking and paving the way for the settlers, we should never forget the families who came to the unfamiliar and lonely lands. It was a combination of their strengths that have given us the determined, hardworking people who live, love and play in the Great State of West Virginia.

Thanks Jason Keeling, of aBetter West Virginia, for thinking of this!

Here’s to another 145 years of strength and character. Happy Birthday West Virginia!

This entry was posted on Friday, June 20th, 2008 at 6:11 am and is filed under West Virginia. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.