2008

May/June 2009

There was a time when California was the bellwether state, leading most of the nation in productivity, revenue, educational reform, and good weather. Although that's not why I moved here from Chicago (after leaving Oklahoma behind with my childhood and adolescence), I came to appreciate all that this state has to offer, not the least of which was strong leadership in matters of affirmative action for minority-owned and woman-owned businesses.

Now the state is running out of money, the city of Los Angeles is slashing budgets, as are most of the other municipalities in the state, and schoolteachers are being arrested for protesting layoffs and possible reductions in classroom time and benefits. And California can lay claim to Proposition 209, the first of the initiatives that sought to overturn affirmative action in state hiring, contracting, and college admissions.

Ever the optimist that I am (like many of our entrepreneurial readers), I set about slimming an already lean budget and then getting back to the job of producing this magazine. Then the earth began to shake-literally. As I was doing one final read-through of this issue last night, my walls began to tremble, the sofa shifted from side to side, and the picture frames on the coffee table danced around. It's amazing how long 10 to 15 seconds can be when you are wondering if the ceiling will drop on your head. There's no time to move to a safer place.

After a night of somewhat restless sleep, I have once again come to the conclusion that worrying is unproductive. Concern is acceptable, but only if you get up and do something to change things, which brings me to my concern about corporate supplier diversity programs. I doubt that corporations would rashly reduce their minority and women's participation goals. But they are certainly trimming off any remaining "fat," leaving a bare bones program that they hope will continue to run on its own inertia. However, the slightest bump in the road can bring that momentum to a standstill. And without the guidance of a strong supplier diversity director, corporate buyers in the supply chain will be hard put to meet those goals.

What can we do about that? We must sharpen our pencils and our skills, trimming prices and improving services. Even more important is the communication of those improvements to our customers. It's up to us to stay informed about what they need, and to keep them informed of how we can help.

The economy is not the only factor affecting our business decisions. Every crisis, unexpected event, or change in technology forces us to reevaluate. But, as our cover subject, Mike Cruise, says when faced with a disappointment, "Okay, what's next?" Her can-do attitude is the best advice I could possibly give.

I can do it. And so can you!