Just read the post and give a meaningful response to these two posts

post 1

Hi guys, I'm Andrew. That covers pretty much everything for me, but pretty much nothing for you, so I'll try to get you caught up. At age 10 I had been living in Denver for exactly 10 years, a habit I have not managed to shake in the 25 years hence, despite some effort on my part. I grew up very comfortably (more so than many, which I did not realise for some time), and my parents were both big role models for me. My mom taught me frugality to such a degree that I did not realize it was a choice, rather than a necessity, until I was well into my teens. My father taught me that excuses don't carry much weight, and I'm only as good as I am when no one is looking. Together they taught me the value of hard work and generosity, but also that the more you gain for yourself, the harder it is to have genuine empathy for those with less.

In college I met a sociology professor named Dr. Fritzvold, who had read more books than I had titles. Learning about the modern and historical structures and forces that shaped our society had the dual effect of contextualizing the vague sense of guilt I had developed in my teenage years and helping me realize I could really excel in school when I had a genuine interest in the material. So I rocked college: honors program, student government, a bunch of clubs, a few broken hearts (mine included)-- the works. But once I graduated I found myself with a lot of knowledge, no small amount of anger and disillusionment, very little faith in our system, and no desire whatsoever to get along with the business of growing up. I fell back on my favorite part of school, outdoor guiding, and worked in summer camps and as a snowboard instructor for a few years. Very fun and rewarding work, but the economic reality of the situation was untenable. I decided to try to turn my home brewing hobby into a career by working in a brewery for a few years, but it was still a struggle, and after a few years it became clear to me that I was avoiding my life instead of living it. So I quit, exhausted my meager savings traveling a bit and loafing more than I should have, and finally found my way into a construction career program than got me where I am now, a carpenter for a general contractor with plans to move to a salaried position when I finish my degree next year.

About a year into that things came together for me in a way I doubt I deserved, and I met the woman who became my wife a few weeks ago. She spent her 20's being the opposite of me (goal oriented and driven), but we each found in each other the parts of our lives we had neglected. I had toyed with the idea of entrepreneurship before meeting her, but I always worried that I lacked the drive and wherewithal to turn my ideas into reality by myself. It's a lot less scary with a partner, though, and our hope is that after we spend a few more years developing professionally and getting our feet under ourselves financially, we'll be able to start something of our own. In terms of entrepreneurial skills and traits, I think I have vision, a good grasp of finance and long term planning, and a willingness and ability to take smart risks. Combined with her talent for organization and management, her natural ability to network and build relationships, and her intrinsic motivation, our hope is that we will be able to create something that enriches us while also addressing the problems we see in the world.

Post 2

My name is Elizabeth Holm and I am 41 years old. I have been a single mother to one son that turned 20 over the summer. I was born in Wisconsin. Transplanted and raised in Louisiana until I was 20. I have been living in Colorado for over 20 years now. The experiences, trials and tribulations of my life could be written as a best-selling book. However, these things have molded me into the strong independent woman that I have become today.

As a young girl I remember playing with my grandmother's old calculator, the kind with the paper roll. I would pretend that I was calculating pressing all the keys as fast as I could. Playing games like McDonald's, I was the person running things. As a teenager I decided to concentrate on business in high school. I enjoyed working on the computers. I took business focused classes and was part of an organization the Future Business Leaders of America. Being involved with the group I took part in competitions attended conferences and lectures that were focused on training entrepreneurs. The teacher that led the group was also the computer teacher and our senior class home-room teacher. I admired her as a woman and a mentor. She helped me through tough times.

I graduated high school in 1999. I went on to a 4-year university to obtain my Bachelor's in Nursing but quickly decided that the nursing path I chose was not meant for me. I then changed my major to study for my Bachelor's of Science -Business Administration. However, that was short lived. In 2001 I ended up in Colorado and became pregnant at 20 years old.

To say life as a single mother has been hard is an understatement. I tried several times to attend school. Each time I would try to attend something would happen that I would have to drop out, one of the reasons being depression. After years of having issues I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia in December 2007. At that time I applied for disability. I went through the process for a year and was denied. This isn't an abnormal occurrence but there was no way I could go without working any longer. This was a big turning point in my life. I decided that I was not going to let these issues control my life. I made up my mind that I would not let myself be limited. The limitations and quality of life of being a person on disability is not what I wanted for my son or myself. I was going to fight and work against the odds to provide more for my child.

In 2018 I decided to go back to school with the help of the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation. I chose to enroll in a program for Pharmacy Technician Certificate. I did great in the program graduated on the Deans list. However, there was a problem. The time you have to spend on your feet was too much for me and with sleep issues I had to face the fact I couldn't hold a normal job.

I became an independent contractor and gig worker. This was what worked for me in an amazing way. I have the business mindset and have always wanted to do my own thing. I created my company Top Priority Solutions LLC. I became a small business owner. Now that my son is out on his own I am able to focus on my own things. I am in school to obtain my associate degree as a business owner. I look forward to learning more and utilizing my education to become successful as a small business owner.