When I first read about Walsh College offering a class in Riga, Latvia last fall, it seemed so far away yet it posed a unique opportunity that really stretches me outside of my comfort zone. Being away from the love of my life, Janice, for a long time (missing her immensely). Very long flights. Turboprops (What if I get Captain Chop?!?). Not able to look at my blackberry for a couple weeks. No Sila, Green Lantern, Pizza Papalis or Crispelli's for two weeks. Not a Starbucks in sight. Latvian and Russian were the top spoken languages, neither of which I knew. And visions of ice floating in the Baltic on a summer day chilled my visions of going to a beach. (Keep in mind, ice was floating in Traverse Bay still on Memorial Day). Being away from work (missing the people, calls and at least 6 open windows). And with less than 2 days left, all those visions started coming back again.
This is not the Google Earth view!
Yet, I am not hesitant, as the more I read about Riga over the past few months, the more intrigued I became. I "Google-earthed" Riga and found it had many businesses similar to the Detroit-Windsor area. Not only could I find businesses marketing in English (as well as Latvian, Russian and German) on Facebook, I was able to map out over 20 Italian restaurants within 5 km of "Old Town". And pubs that did karaoke in six different languages. It also sparked interest because Riga started over after breaking off from the Soviets in the early 1990s, really demonstrating how hope, opportunity and entrepreneurship are still alive and flourishing in the world! Most Latvians speak at least two languages, and many under 40 are fluent in English. Talk about a highly educated culture! Latvia has had 3 business cycles since the Global Financial Panic of 2007-2009, each time coming back more robust. Thus, it is a service-based economy that is resilient. An economy that is not only rapid-growth (most likely the highest growth rate again this year in the EU), but actually fiscally sound enough to support adopting the Euro (like it did January 1). My vision became apparent: to relearn capitalism. This inspired a mission: take away lessons that can be applied back in the Detroit area.
Strategy, Marketing, Financing, Technology, Human Capital, and Organizational Culture are all important elements that seem to come together well for Latvia as a system, as well as its businesses. Government that actually creates conditions conducive to helping businesses grow, instead of creating barriers (remember those days?). Organizations that actually focus on delighting customers and mobilizing communities as shown through their actions, including related diversification (imagine: increasing the bottom-line by actually being customer-centric!). New infrastructure that actually produces fast internet speeds (instead of concentrated internet providers). An economy that relies on organic growth and taking global approaches, rather than band-aids, mandates, and short-termism. Finally, the most important piece, the people composing Riga rose above challenges and oppression to succeed and flourish. Inspired, I asked myself what Ronald Reagan would do, and knew the answer: Go, learn, apply!
. It's the final countdown, and I am ready!
When I first read about Walsh College offering a class in Riga, Latvia last fall, it seemed so far away yet it posed a unique opportunity that really stretches me outside of my comfort zone. Being away from the love of my life, Janice, for a long time (missing her immensely). Very long flights. Turboprops (What if I get Captain Chop?!?). Not able to look at my blackberry for a couple weeks. No Sila, Green Lantern, Pizza Papalis or Crispelli's for two weeks. Not a Starbucks in sight. Latvian and Russian were the top spoken languages, neither of which I knew. And visions of ice floating in the Baltic on a summer day chilled my visions of going to a beach. (Keep in mind, ice was floating in Traverse Bay still on Memorial Day). Being away from work (missing the people, calls and at least 6 open windows). And with less than 2 days left, all those visions started coming back again.
No comments:
Post a Comment