Happy Fourth of July! Today has me thinking about the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence, staking their lives on their convictions. It’s incredibly admirable and that we, as Americans, should be reminded of often. I’m also reminded today of George Washington’s first victory of the Revolutionary War, The Battle of Trenton, which really began the war that is really popularized. Incidentally it took 12 months of battles before the victory at Trenton. It was also a total route with no wounded or killed. I’m inspired by Washington when I fail or times are tough. He had to raise an army (in the midst of huge difficulty) and constantly encourage them to fight and sacrifice and die. He did this through the example of his life to his men (or you could add staff, coworkers, or family) and because of it they trusted him. It would be another 7 years before the British would surrender. The parallels between the struggles in the life of Washington and running a small start up or a large corporation are massive and it makes me proud to be an American. (Cue Lee Greewood)