The Annual Meeting

I am a corporation. Because of this particular distinction, I am required to have annual meetings. On a brighter day, my CPA would suggest Marty Sunshine (the other board member) and I go somewhere for a romantic getaway and have our annual meeting.

This isn't very practical for a variety of reasons. First, I have two young children and my pool of babysitters I trust for overnight babysitting is pretty limited. Second, Marty's idea of a romantic getaway involves a giant mouse and a monorail. Though one year we did have our annual meeting on the beach of North Captiva Island, Florida with the kids making sand castles as we went over our notes.

Our annual meeting this year started today during our drive to Tucson. The main topic was predictable: what do we need to grow the business? Answer: Raise capital. Yep, I will get right on that.

Ironically that was the main topic last year. Last year's solution was a business plan, a power suit (complete with panty hose) and meetings with business consultants and SEC attorneys in Birmingham last January. A lot of good that did me. Perhaps if the Birmingham economy hadn't tanked this past year, things would be different. Now, I am a year wiser and looking for different solutions.

This particular topic was tabled after a long, audible sigh from me. We have a few ideas we have been bandying around but are stuck on the execution. These are things we both need to talk to those smarter than us. Doable-but not during a two hour drive to visit the in-laws.

Our other major agenda item was more interesting. We listened to an audio CD called "Thou Shall Prosper" by Daniel Lapin. We got to hear a portion of the first CD with only a frequent interruption of "are we there yet"/"I'm hungry"/"stop touching me" from the back seat.

For now, we have adjourned with promises of discussing the first action item later this week over Mexican food with the kids in safe care of a babysitter.