Then somewhere along the tenth or twelfth time I delivered my twenty-minute “Incubator” presentation, I provoked thoughts of creating new businesses, who by themselves might struggle to get by financially for years. Yet in the Cluster, they achieved a 90% success ratio within the first 2 years. This success equated to their generating $2 million in sales and/or grew to the point of having ten employees.
Early on in my speaking career I was speaking at a Rotary Club in Berkeley where we were fed pasta, meat with gravy, and ice cream with a rich topping. At that time, I was not yet aware how quickly high carbohydrate meals turn to sugar. This will cause most people to experience sugar spikes and get incredibly tired. Fortunately, I barely ate a bite because I was too nervous.
When it was time to get up and talk about how the Rotary group in Berkeley could support the new incubator in Oakland, I noticed that at the second table back, a man in his mid-60’s sat with his arms crossed and he had his eyes closed. As I began to enlighten my audience, this gentleman began to snore. Most of the other members laughed softly, while still paying attention to my talk the best they could.