On Wednesday, I had the honor of hanging out in Detroit with entrepreneur Alex Linebrink. If you’re looking to meet somebody who will inspire you to do great things, meet Alex. He does a lot of things, most recently this.
Alex graciously hosted me for lunch at the DAC (thanks man!) where we dined over the most fancy grilled cheese and tomato soup I’d ever seen or eaten. It was so fancy, I even snapped a photo in anticipation of sharing it with all of you.
As great as the meal was, this isn’t about the sandwich or the awesome plate it came on.
It’s about fish.
Alex and I discussed a lot of common topics: Detroit, entrepreneurship, startups, and people. And then he said something very intriguing: ”Working and living in Detroit is like being a big fish in a small pond.”
That got me to thinking about common success principles that I pull out of my back pocket almost daily. One way to increase opportunities is to position yourself so that the odds of success are in your favor. In Lake Michigan a goldfish is pretty small. In a small bowl in my living room, however, this goldfish is the main event. He’s a big deal. He’s what people comment on when they come to visit me. I’m always watching him when I walk into the room. It’s all my neice ever talks about- that BIG fish in that bowl.
But by changing the environment, every great feature of that gold fish gets highlighted, noticed, and appreciated a thousand fold. Had the fish stayed in another environment, he would be just one more fish in a sea of millions.
Right now, those positioning themselves in Detroit- like CoreDetroit, Alex, and all of those on this list and blog- have positioned themselves for success. They have put the odds in their favor, and they are being noticed. They are the main event. And everybody is watching.
About Ryan Eggenberger
Ryan Eggenberger is a Michigan-based blogger and connector. Ryan enjoys helping aspiring entrepreneurs create concrete plans of action to achieve their business goals. You can follow Ryan on Twitter @ryaneggenberger.
