On The Team - April Ambassador Article

Growing up I played on various ball teams. After high school I joined the Army "team", later the commercial construction "team", and eventually the fire protection "team". When I started my own business I found I had no team and no support. Where's my team now? Fortunately some of the instructors in the business courses I took guided me to join a chamber of commerce, in particular The Chamber, the Kirkwood-Des Peres Area Chamber of Commerce. Finally, I was part of a team again.

At first I began to wonder, how was it I succeeded in the various tasks throughout life when now I was struggling? My talent and ambitions had not changed but the outcome had. After joining The Chamber and experiencing the kind of reinforcing and encouraging support that a team brings, from day one, I realized what I was missing.

Most teams provide the basic structure needed to build an effective machine, however, access to the best players or even the leadership is curtailed. In the Kirkwood-Des Peres Area Chamber of Commerce, team access to the best and brightest is completely open. I get to rub elbows with the "big dogs". The Chamber is similar to an individual sport team, such as wrestling or swimming. Each player has their own responsibilities, but works toward the common good and benefit of the whole group.

This team concept works for me, because through my experiences I have found I need a certain level of structure to be productive. Accountability, structure, support, and opportunity are just some of the key elements I have found are needed for me to be successful and these are just the things I feel make the Kirkwood-Des Peres Area Chamber of Commerce team a great choice and one I am continually glad I made.

Joe Starry
Unique Home Maintenance
314-229-6269