Introduction
This article kicks off a three part series concerning priorities. If you are an entrepreneur, or if you are a new entrepreneur you will soon learn that it is impossible to do it all. There is just too much to do with too little time. From a business perspective you need to overcome gravity and get the business off the ground quickly before you run out of working capital. The business demands are nearly unlimited, all the while you will need to balance family and needs of organizations in your community whose membership you may partake. As a complete package it is nearly crushing. My hope is that this series will help lessen the pain and lead you to a more effective operation both professionally and personally.

In addition to initiating the new series, this article marks two important firsts for us here at Cape Cod Branding. First, we have received so much traffic that the sheer volume has crashed our website! Not bad for not even having reached our second month yet! The problem is compounded by the crash having occurred on a holiday weekend (Martin Luther King Jr. Day) so we will not be able to correct the issue until the weekend has passed. However if we are to experience a problem, this is the right problem to have! Both Amy and I thank you and ask for your patience as we work through this issue.

Second, I am going to begin writing about another topic that may be viewed as somewhat controversial – that of Freemasonry. When we first started this blog Amy and I stated that we would steer clear of topics such as religion and politics as they were too divisive. Additionally, we would stay away from material we deem as inappropriate (this of course is subjective) or negative, as like attracts like, and positive writing attracts positive people. Although Freemasonry is neither religious, political, or negative, we thought it may be viewed as inappropriate by some and potentially offend a portion of readers, but I will address this.

Concerning Freemasonry
Amy and I have agreed to open the blog up to Freemasonry for several reasons. First, as of one year ago from this writing (January 2008) I was initiated into the fraternity and have been a fairly active Freemason. I currently serve as Chaplain in my Blue Lodge which is Major General Henry Knox Lodge in Boston, MA and hold an affiliation membership with Mount Horeb Lodge here on Cape Cod. I also belong to York Rite Saint Andrew’s Royal Arch Chapter and Boston Council. In addition, I have traveled extensively and visit as many Lodges as possible, helping in whatever capacity I can. I plan to increase my involvement in the future.

Although membership in recognized Freemasonry is limited to men, Amy has had a supporting role in assisting me with general tasks which ultimately benefit the fraternity, accompanying me to events, and above all putting up with me talking about allowable topics relating to Freemasonry. Needless to say – her involvement has been critical. Finally, those familiar with Freemasonry know that a good deal of it centers around leadership and self improvement – which is certainly relevant to my writing and this forum. My decision to become a Freemason stemmed from our motto of “making good men better”. Most Masons are characterized by an intellectual curiosity and dedication to self improvement – both of which are very appealing to me.

So in making this important determination, I believe that Freemasonry is relevant and therefore appropriate (from our point of view) and so our experience in Freemasonry is appropriate for discussion in this forum. To exclude it from discussion, or even worse, discuss material without proper references, would be a disservice to our readers and to Freemasonry. Of course Amy backs me in this decision, or else I would not be doing it as this blog and our parent business of Cape Cod Branding is after all a partnership.

That being said this blog will not be pushing Freemasonry on our readers. It will simply open up the dialogue to an important part of my life experience and expose this to our readership and give credit where credit is due when and where appropriate. In effect, this will not change the intent of the blog, or even the objective, but will just allow me to draw upon another resource. I view the totality of my experience as my humble but proud upbringing in the Midwest, military service, corporate, academic, entrepreneurial, and Masonic, as a result I would like to share my whole self with our readers. Should you have any questions concerning Freemasonry feel free to contact me directly.

Although the objective of this blog has not changed, this new aspect of my writing as well as my revealing my involvement and support of the fraternity will undoubtedly turn off some of our readers. I fully expect this and respect your decision if you no longer wish to read the specific articles referencing said material or even the blog in general. Our hope is that you will keep an open mind and be receptive to my overall message. I in turn continue to pledge to strive to write in an unbiased manner insomuch as possible, and as a result hopefully educate our readers in the process.

In closing I hope that you find the experiences that I have gleaned as a result of Freemasonry will provide you with yet another perspective that you may have not ordinarily had. Freemasonry has afforded me some awesome opportunities, to name just a few: membership in a military Lodge of Masons, social events with a Harvard Lodge of academic Masons, travel opportunities to prestigious locales such as Provincetown and Martha’s Vineyard and the opportunities expand by the day. All the while I have learned to become a better man in an intellectual, gentlemanly, and charitable sense. My hope is that by taking the risk of opening this aspect of my life to you that I will help you become a better leader and person whether you use this knowledge for entrepreneurship, corporate leadership, or just making the world a better place.

Also I take my obligation to the fraternity very seriously and will only disclose that which is allowable under our guidelines. The information I provide will be from a personal point of view and will contain the advantages and limitations of my perspective.

Acknowledgment
I would like to take a moment and thank District Deputy Grand Master (DDGM) Darin Krum for his lecture which prompted my thoughts and subsequent writing on the subject matter of priorities. I would also like to thank Worshipful Master Jim Bennette of Adams Lodge in Wellfleet, MA who is also the owner of J Bennette Roofing, Inc. for providing me the opportunity to visit and serve as Chaplain in Adams Lodge which allowed for my presence at said meeting and ultimate receipt of the lecture.

To Be Continued…
In the next article I will provide you with a list of priorities as outlined by our first fraternal visit from our new DDGM, Darin Krum, and why I believe these priorities should be important to you!

Open mindedness may challenge comfortable thinking but is the true path to explosive growth!

-John R. Sedivy of Cape Cod Branding