subject: The Paradox Of Postelhartz Press [print this page] Not so long ago, our new daughter lead her new dad up a wide staircase to the place she had called home only days before: a dreary, sixth floor wing devoted to children with special needs.
Our little girl toddled excitedly in the direction of her old crib, which was aligned like a freight car in a crowded depot.
There my daughters tiny bunkmate lay swaddled and almost invisible in the grey light. She gazed upwards in searching, wordless farewell, apparently aware on some level her friend would be leaving forever. Then her eyes found mine and held on.
This went on a long second or two. Maybe three.
I found myself uttering a kind of vow at the edge of this little ones crib: I cant bring you back to the States, but I swear Im going to do something to help you.
Im going to help you, just as so many people have gone out of their way to help me.
I had vowed to do somethingbut what? I was busy running an interior design magazine that had gone from the proverbial kitchen table to several million in revenue with a payroll to match. And I hadnt even met Rob Hartz who was crisscrossing continents for Fidelity Investments. Both of us had famies to support, what could we hope to besides writing a check to CARE after all the bills were paid? Rob makes his living now consulting for large organizations on leadership issues.
He makes a good point that true leaders invariably find themselves in a paradox. While others may feel caught in an impossible dilemma, an impossible choice of either/or, yes/no todays most successful leaders master the art of functioning at a high level between opposing emotions which allows them the space to arrive at a unique solution.
Paradoxically, I wanted very much for my magazine to succeed and for its people to succeed and at the same time I felt the ever- increasing pull of my commitment to the all the kids left behind in a room full of unattended cribs. Rob would say, You dont have to be torn apart by these two feeling you can work them out. And
And lo we did work it out in creating PostelHartz Press. The resolution of the paradox seemed so obvious in hindsight: use our experience in media and business to reach out to undercapitalized communities and left-behind kids. Team up with schools, orphanages and community groups in the developing world to create what certainly had the most enduring impact on my life growing up: literary magazine writing, editing and publishing.
Micro-financed by us, supported by us, the kids that would normally be left behind will have access to 21st century Micro-Publishing Centers and a format for self-expression and dialogue. Stories, poems, drawings, photographs all were reinforce each other in the mosaic that makes magazine formats unique.
Once the stories and written, our Micro-publishers are going to gather them up, edit them, proofread, collate, print and bind them. Theyre going to sell ads to local businesses, boxes of copies to tourists and three year subscriptions to libraries. In the end, our little magazine will guide everyone involved to a more creative, collaborative and connected future.
And when I say everyone, Im referring particularly to my daughters little bunkmate back in special needs whose eyes held such wonder and fear combined.
Log on to http://www.postelhartz.com/ for more information!
by: Louis Postel
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