Building Toward Launching C2A
Once I got the idea for C2A I decided to attend a conference in California that had a target population of 20–30 year old entrepreneurs that were working in outdoor recreation or looking to build that type of business.
Since that is our target participant here in the Mt. Washington Valley for the choose2advance social enterprise, I thought this would be a great place to gather feedback on whether there would be any interest.
Wow … I was surprised by the reaction I received!!
The idea received overwhelming support. These are people motivated to build their future. They want to put their energy, and their money, into their business ideas.
If I was offering the program in the Pacific Northwest, I could have signed up a hundred creative, motivated, intelligent, and just all-around young adults, trying to build an authentic life while working in and around the outdoors. Sounds like so many young professionals we know right here in MWV, right?
I got a chance to ask questions like, “would you be comfortable living with old folks like me?”
The answer was YES! Not because I’m cool (although I wish that was it), it’s because they have these dreams for businesses and no cash to act on them. They are stuck throwing all their money into housing.
I came home from California ready to jump right in and launch this program. That was February of 2020. Well, March of 2020 Covid-19 launched instead.
In the spring of 2020, there was really no safe way to share housing with folks outside your most trusted family and friends. And here in December 2021, it is still not looking good. Ugh!
Things got better for a bit; and I fired things up, handled some legal stuff, met with some key community partners.
Currently, the program is on hold until we navigate this most recent Covid surge.
In the meantime, I found a fully vaccinated candidate for the program and my wife and I decided to start the program with this person as a pilot C2A.
She is college graduate working in the MWV in the outdoor industry with big plans for her career and future. She had some emergency savings a few years back, but some health costs associated with a sports related injury drained her savings in no time at all.
She needs this opportunity to get her financial footing built back, and we are thrilled to be able to help.
It’s kind of funny because she works all the time, and is hardly ever here, so there has been almost no change in our lifestyle. And paying rent for a place you just crash at seems like such a waste for these folks just starting out.
When we get Covid under control, I hope you will consider participating in the C2A program as a participant or a homeowner.
But don’t wait, I’m gathering names and listening to ideas now that are helping me design the program.
Please get in touch and let’s talk about building a better future.
Mike Armstrong, C2A Founder
Mike@choose2advance.com
