There are so many parts of the face shield project I’m proud of. There’s the fact Creation Nation was equipped and available for the task. There’s the volunteers that came together with complimentary skills. We had local businesses support us with donations of money, raw materials and services. We had creative problem solving and dedication to learning on the fly. We supplied about 2000 face shields to the community, many of them at no cost to people who’s jobs put them at high risk but were essential to our community’s safety. We raised $17,000 for Creation Nation Makerspace and attracted donations from community groups like Rotary that supplied new 3D printers and other equipment to CNM….
But for me there’s a part of the back story that almost no one knows that means the most to me.
Rob and I used to be close friends.
For reasons that no longer seem to hold any meaning, we stopped being close friends. Years past and we had no contact. Then we both had a similar idea at the same time and it was Hope from BNRC who put us in contact with each other.
It was a little awkward at first for me (I suspect it was for Rob too). But I also knew that Rob and I had complimentary skill sets. Rob knew 3D printing, laser cutting, model rendering and the production end better than anyone else in Brandon. I can source materials, build teams, recruit volunteers, talk to anyone and structure the business plan.
Neither one of us could do this alone.
If this project was going to happen, it would only happen if we worked together.
Both of us put aside our years old differences and worked together to get a job done.
I am grateful to Rob for this experience because it taught me the power of letting go of old grudges and working with purpose to solve a shared problem.
No, this project didn’t bring Rob and I back to being as close as we used to be, but I have nothing but respect for him for being my partner in the project. This experience cemented my belief that setting aside old grievances or perceived slights isn’t just possible, but essential, if you want to be successful.
Thank you Rob.