One for the Little Guy: How Union College’s Big Win Can Inspire Us

I grew up in Boston in the 80's as a diehard Redsox, Bruins, and Patriots fan.  I yearned for victory because I knew they should be winning.  Close call after close call but our teams never quite got there.  Obviously that all changed with the Pats in 2001, the Sox in 2004, and bruins in 2011.  And those changes in championship stature helped confirm what I had always believed - that if your team worked hard enough and worked with both brains and brawn - anyone could win.

This belief is something I've always stood by in my professional life as well.  When I worked for a 5 million dollar research agency, I knew that we could grow enough to become a top 50 firm.  When Constant Contact set out to build a social media tool I knew we could get huge numbers of smb's to use it.  And when I set out to find a job at an awesome early stage startup, I knew I could make it happen .

But I guess I never really expected my small liberal arts college to take the big stage and win a national championship in a major sport.  I certainly loved that we had a Division I team and it weighed heavily in my decision to attend  Union College.  For me, Union hockey was an intimate experience.  I did play by play for the team on our college radio station.  I was good friends and fraternity brothers with most of the guys on the team.  And I believed we could be good.  I just never believed we could win it all.  And then there we were, in the finals against a school with 52,000 students.  A mere 26 times bigger.  

But we did.  In grand fashion.

And I feel even stronger for it.  

If they can do it, I can do it and you can do it.  Any small budget startup with passion, smarts, and a great idea can win.  Any employee looking for their next great job can find it.  Anyone chasing a dream against the odds can beat them.

This Union hockey team is an inspiration for me, and it should be for anyone who feels like the little guy.  Nothing is beyond our reach.

The little guy can do it - work harder, play smarter, and don't think you can't because you haven't done it before.



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