FreedomWorks contest turns up gems as winners

FreedomWorks sponsored a contest centering around the theme of entrepreneurship.FreedomWorks sponsored a contest centered on the theme ‘I am an Entrepreneur.’ The contest required no entry fee and asked for both video and written submissions. The grand prize and second place winners received cash awards. Top winner in the video contest is D. Knight for the film ‘The Entrepreneurial Legacy of my Fathers.’ Top winner for the essay is Virginia Murr for ‘Dr. Steven Hicks, Cultivator of the Entrepreneurial Spirit.’ Each winning entry presents a well crafted perspective on the challenges and opportunities of being an entrepreneur.

Murr explores the role of the academic in entrepreneurship and shines a much-deserved spotlight on a man who has made a difference in countless lives.

Knight’s video spoke directly to my own spirit because our upbringing had similarities. My father’s family members ran their own businesses; I’ve done the same for the majority of my adult life. Knight’s video, blending personal photographs and a memoir style of narration, parallels my own approach to writing.

When I became self-employed, I did a lot of contract work for small businesses. I saw firsthand the obstacles government often placed in their path, and I also saw firsthand the value small businesses place on their employees. Large corporations sometimes do the same, but the size of a business matters when it comes to the personal touch. I had the privilege of meeting many business owners of all sizes—from companies employing 3 or 4 people to those providing jobs for hundreds. I suppose if I have a personal cause it is support for the small businesses that have inspired many others to leverage risk in hopes of achieving financial success. One reason I could not cast a vote for President Barack Obama is that I perceived a lack of understanding in the Democratic Party regarding the small businesses that have been part of the great success story that is America. At times, the Democratic Party even seems hostile to small business, evidenced most recently by an excellent post at one of  my favorite blogs I Hate the Media.

I was honored and surprised to learn that my own essay, ‘From pecans to politics,’ won second place in the contest. I plan to use the cash prize to sponsor low income children for summer camp, something my husband and I have done for several years. My dedication to capitalism is one reason I insist on paying contributors to The US Report an honorarium for the work we publish here. Sometimes the writer asks that the money be donated to a charity and we oblige. On my to-do list today are two such donations requested recently by contributors.

Founded in 1984, FreedomWorks is headquartered in Washington, DC, and has hundreds of thousands of grassroots volunteers nationwide. The organization is chaired by former U.S. House Majority Leader Dick Armey and the President is Matt Kibbe. FreedomWorks focuses on the heart of what I perceive as true conservatism—less government, lower taxes, personal freedom.

If you’d like to be your own boss, I highly recommend reading and viewing all the entries in the FreedomWorks ‘I am an Entrepreneur’ contest. There’s a wealth of information that may assist you in making your own dream come true. The grand prize winners are real gems.

The Entrepreneurial Legacy of My Fathers from D Knight on Vimeo.

FreedomWorks contest turns up gems as winners by Kay B. Day