Giving Tuesday

In elementary school my class went on a field trip to my Dad's office. I cannot ever remember feeling prouder that my Dad was his own boss than the day my class visited him. Most of my friend's parents sat in cubicles, did obscure jobs and most importantly worked for other people. All the while my Dad worked for himself, set his own schedule and made his own rules. As a free spirit and one who disliked being told what to do I found this option for work rather appealing.   

Growing up watching my father happily own and operate a small business has had a profound impact on how I view work. As a young person I held the naive notion that everyone loved what they do. As a result of all those years watching my Dad work hard to support our family, I like to support small businesses whenever possible. When holiday shopping I like not only to support small businesses, but try to find companies who are trying to improve the lives of other people. One such company I recently ordered several items from was Krochet Kids International. Krochet Kids is a non profit which sells hats, scarves and gloves for men, women and children. It was started by three guys who had a passion for snowboarding and who learned how to create unique hats for themselves in high school. Eventually their hobby turned into a non profit as they single handily are working hard to change the future of Northern Uganda one hat at a time. 

What are some of your favorite gifts this year that give back?