Mike McMillan
Introworks cofounder and Chief Strategy Officer

I think all success stories have their origins here: People giving other people a shot. Taking a chance. Putting their faith in them. Trusting others with their reputation.

Why do they do it? Mostly because they see something in you. They see something in you because they are looking for it.  And they are looking because they are generous.

We’ve all experienced this generosity; where people who may barely know you put your interests before theirs. It’s woven into the fabric of American business and indeed, into our nature. Not greed, but giving.  Such a wonderfully human thing to do – and it happened to two hungry, bright-eyed and utterly naïve entrepreneurs 25 years ago.

There was Tom Swatosh, who allowed two kids to open a business by giving them a 10’ X 10’ room and an open phone line at his magazine company. Bob Rasmussen who advised, nurtured and connected us to the right people on the right path. Chris Lowry, who became our first real client by responding to our promotional mailer. Jim Hickey, CEO of a medical company, who lifted us into the big leagues by paying close attention to our proposal and selecting us from an established group of A-list agencies. And certainly our very own business partner, Nancy Chesser, who saw enough in us to leave her real job to put operational structure and service excellence into the business.

We are profoundly grateful for their generosity, and to so many others who continue to see something in us as we journey forward.

Our story is not unique. It is born of big ambitions, brutally hard work—and selfless generosity.

Who gave you a shot?