Reconnecting to Our Purpose: Denver Mile High Open

In the past, I’ve written end of year review roundups of all the wonderful trips we’ve taken and festivals we’ve gone too. And while we have taken a number of excellent trips this year, most with the dog, and attended some incredible festivals, I want to write this year’s review a little differently.

The need to reconnect to our purpose as small business owners is something I heard early this year in a podcast by Rebecca Undem’s Growing Small Towns. Now I talk about it in some of my HeidiTown Consulting presentations.

As the co-owner of Ryan Schlaefer Fine Furniture, Inc., the furniture design and manufacturing businesses I own with my husband, this concept really hit home, particularly this year.

Not only did our business turn twenty this fall, we were able to participate in an event that made us realize why we love being business owners. This event reconnected us to our purpose as the owners of Ryan Schlaefer Fine Furniture, Inc.

Ryan is a longtime racquetball player, and in the past couple of years, he’s made real strides to become better as a player and get more involved. He has a genuine desire to grow this sport. Much of this has been inspired by his involvement in tournaments at the Denver Athletic Club, home gym of two of the top racquetball players in the world, Erica Manilla and Adam Manilla, siblings from Colorado.

They also own Manilla Athletics along with Bobby Horn and Annie Roberts, of which Ryan is a member.

Two Nights & More Tacos in Tempe, Arizona (home to the National Indoor Championships by USA Racquetball)

This summer, Ryan got the opportunity to be one of the sponsors of the Denver Mile High Open, part of the Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour featuring the top female racquetball players in the world. A non-professional tournament was held in the days prior and Ryan played. Then we attended the Mile High Open, held at the Denver Athletic Club. Some of our friends came too. Ryan was also able to donate a piece of furniture to the auction held at the event.

The Denver Mile High Open is awesome. The caliber of athletes is impressive. I was surrounded by the best of the best!

This event reconnected us to one of the main reasons we love owning our own business. Being business owners mean we were able to lend a bit of support to a sport Ryan loves. If we sell some furniture because of this, that’s a bonus. Ryan has dedicated a great deal of his life to the sport of racquetball and in this small way, he was able to help sustain it in a meaningful way.

For us, this is exactly what it means to connect with our purpose. Owning a business gives Ryan (and me) the ability support the things we love, in this case, racquetball. If we weren’t the owners of Ryan Schlaefer Fine Furniture, Inc. we couldn’t do this.

We can’t wait until the next Mile High Open!

If you are business owner, what connects you to the your purpose?