Pedaling Forward
“It doesn’t matter what the tool is, it’s what you do with it.”
I bet every single one of us has known someone who has lost a cancer battle.
In fact, just this last week another friend of mine lost his life to a multi-year battle with cancer. His passing further enforced the need to find a cure for the many cancers that are still out there.
Eight years ago right around this time of year I heard the word leukemia in a way that I had never heard it before.
The word took on a whole new context as my mother’s Oncologist shared with us that my mother had Acute Myeloid Leukemia for which there was no cure. Her 3-year battle with ovarian cancer and all the chemotherapy that had come with it had produced this new form of cancer within her.
When my mother left the planet just a few short months later I vowed to do something to help the organization that had helped me to understand more about the disease.
The LLS.org organization has a program called Team in Training that does physical challenges such as marathons and long distance cycling events.
Having been a bike enthusiast most of my life, the idea of riding my bike in honor of my mom as I raised money for the cure has been with me all these years. It has taken me 8 years to get to the courage to register for this ride that is way out of my comfort zone.
The time is at hand to go all in and I am completely focused with the training that is required to complete the 100 mile ride around Lake Tahoe in a single day on June 4, 2017.
It is now completely clear to me as someone who asks others to step beyond their fear levels on a regular basis – that it's time for me to do this thing that brings up so much fear and emotion in me.
With that I need your help and support. There are two aspects to this ride…
The first one is 100% on me and requires intense training. I have started in full force and will have to continue to increase in the months ahead. I will be keeping you posted at the bottom of each Victory Letter of my weekly biking miles I have traveled to have you help me stay accountable to do the work.
My long time friend Erica (@bonosgrl on Instagram) has joined forces with me and together we have formed a team called the Pedal Girls. Erica shares my passion because she too lost her beloved sister to cancer.
The second piece of this effort is the fund raising commitment to help support this amazing non-profit. If you are reading these words and any of this is resonating with you, I am asking for your help. Check out our Pedal Girls website for more info and a link to donate.
I want to ask if you donate and also have someone you loved that who lost his or her life to cancer to let me know via email: cheri@businessvictories.com . Share with me their name and story of how they made a difference in your life. I will be riding for them as well on June 4th. I would also like to share their story on our Pedal Girls website!
My bike is going to be the tool that brings this home for me along with those who donate and share their stories. I hope that you can ride along with me.
Here is to a week of pedaling forward!
PS Here is one more tool that will be of benefit to you if you are looking to increase company profits. My good friend and colleague Mike Michalowicz is releasing tomorrow his revised and expanded copy of Profit First – an amazing book that started a bit of a revolution in the way that small business thinks about the best way to look at profits.
To Your Success and Victories,
- Cheri
Cheri Ruskus
Business Strategist and Founder of the Victory Circles
Email me: cheri@businessvictories.com
