You've got time. Trust me.

I'm too busy. I don't have enough free time. I don't want to miss my favorite show.

Blah.

You have plenty of time to get involved in YPW, Visioneering, or any other organization that will advance your career. Trust me.

As a trainer for Monster.com, I have the pleasure of teaching high school seniors about how time is one's most precious commodity. Many people whine about money, but time is way more valuable than money.

Time is a funny thing. Everybody has the exact same amount of hours in their week. 168. That's it. You, me, Bill Gates, Bono, Obama, Ryan Seacrest (ok, bad example... he is everywhere though.) You sleep for about 60 hours a week once you account for your weekend slumber and you work 40-60 hours per week depending on your job, the economy and your passion. Not a whole lot of time left.

If you are looking to further yourself in your career, and really, who isn't, then you need to become involved in organizations that can further your skills in areas of your life that you may be lacking. You may need more leadership skills, organization skills or need to enhance your speaking skills. Whatever you need to do, YPW can help. As long as you get involved of course. Join us at our next Envoy Presentation and let us help you find where you could best utilize your skills, and gain new ones.

There are several action teams that allow people to become involved. I've recently started on my second one and I've got to say, they are the single best way to meet and learn about the future leaders of our community. I know so many YP's mainly because of my involvement in Action Teams. Some are my greatest friends.

Check out this page. There are several different events to jump-start your involvement in YPW. If you need somebody to hang with, look for me, or any one of the other Ambassadors rockin our sweet green name tags at events. We like people. We like to talk. We love YPW.

If you'd like a more personal touch- hit me up. We'll chat. Seriously. Here's my email: brewmaster@rcompanies.com. Don't spam me. We'll fight. I'm like a vicious teddy bear. Cute with big teeth.

There's more than enough time to get involved. Tivo Lost and get out there. You may meet some peeps and learn something about Wichita that you never thought existed.

See you Thursday at the Pulse Mingle.

Be uncomfortable for ten seconds!

Come to a YPW Event and meet people just like you!

As an entrepreneur, part of what I do building my business is to take those awkward steps approaching somebody or calling somebody that I've never met. I'm sure you can relate. I always get this sense of fear or anxiety communicating with a new person or new group of people, especially when it comes to my business or my most important asset, me. Are they going to like me? Like my business? What are they going to think about what I have to say?

Did you know that 92% of the things you worry about never happens? That means that only 8% of the stuff you worry about actually comes true. I personally like those odds.

Some of you who know me may find it interesting that I have a hard time approaching people, but it's true. Approaching people is difficult for me. I'm a lot better at it now than when I started my professional career. Here's the thing. I'm not alone!

In networking events, much like other times in life, getting out there is hard. If you want to join a new club, you and I both know that there is an initial butterfly in your stomach that you have to suppress just to get out of the car to walk into the new event.

Here's the kicker, for me, IT ONLY LASTS TEN SECONDS! Seriously. That's about it. Think about it. The awkwardness of a meeting or a cold call only lasts a brief time. If I can get somebody talking about themselves, then that time is less!

YPW offers many different times for you to get out there. Check out our schedule of events to see when you can come. I promise that by the time you sit down, one of our amazing Ambassadors will assist in making you absolutely comfortable. If not, come find me, or any other Action Team Member. We are usually wearing tricked-out name tags. We're available to help you feel comfortable and help you meet some amazing other Young Professionals of Wichita!

See you soon!

Why would you come back to Wichita!?!

Like many of you, I was moved to Wichita by my employer. You may be curious as to what this Midwest town has to offer and why anybody would choose to live here. It's flat, there are a lot of churches and "there's nothing to do" (b.s. btw- that's a different topic all together, get out more.)

Like the Johnny Cash song "I've been everywhere," I too, have been everywhere. My travels in the past year have taken me from Colorado to the Atlantic, from Canada to Florida. I've seen a lot of the country, and it was an amazing time. (If you are ever looking for a career change, look into mobile marketing. It's truly a blast!) I'm originally from Colorado, a state with more to offer me than Kansas simply based on the activities I love doing.

I remember a time I was traveling through New Jersey when the realization hit me that in this amazing society, every town is EXACTLY the same. There are the preverbal big-box stores, the fast-food chains, and the same restaurants everywhere. It's great if you are a major connoisseur of Buffalo Wild Wings like I am, but not-so-great if you like to try new things.

Then I started to think of my daily schedule. I get up, work out, go to work, visit with friends, read, relax and pass out. I do this five days per week. The other two are reserved for chores, church and spending time with my friends and family. It would be no different anywhere else in the country. Call me boring, but that's my rut.

When I gave it some serious thought, I came to the realization that I could start a company anywhere in the US. I have enough contacts in Tampa, New York City, Denver, Chicago, Las Vegas and of course here. Each of these towns has pretty much the same thing to offer me, but why Wichita?

Here's why:

1. It's cheap

My sister and her husband live in Los Angeles. Know how much they pay in rent? $1,500 for 700 square feet! Um, yeah, when I owned a house in Wichita, 1,000 square feet, $650 mortgage, and that was a great little house. Wichita is inexpensive compared to the rest of the country. The median price for a home is $110,700 according to the National Association of Realtors. The national average is $223,500. That's more than double!

2. It's easy to get around

The average commute in Wichita is only 18 minutes according to the Wichita Metro Chamber of Commerce. Nationwide it's 25.1 minutes. Okay, so that's only two more songs on the radio, but that's something. There's more to getting around than just getting to work in the morning. I love the way Wichita is laid out. I used to be a West-sider and now I'm an East. Now, I'm not choosing sides, they are both amazing. Everything is so close! I can get to anything within ten minutes, with a parking spot. As a matter of fact, I don't think I've ever had to look for a spot. Ever. In Chicago, forget it.

3. It's open to young people

Before I traveled for a living, I was in YPW and honestly, it's one of the main reasons I'm back. Sure a few things have changed in a year's time, but the organization as a whole is a great place to network with people. When I worked for my first company here, I hung out with my coworkers. When I moved to a non-profit, YPW became my place to meet people that support me. Now, YPW is my network, my coworkers. If I need something either personally or professionally, I can call on one of my fellow YP's and usually get it or get in touch with the person who has it. Pretty amazing stuff!

4. Growth is available

There are eleven colleges in Wichita. ELEVEN. That a lot of places to continue learning! On top of that, there are a ton of initiatives in place to grow via the Wichita Metro Chamber of Commerce, the Young Professionals of Wichita and several other organizations. I always want to keep learning. The more I learn, the better I can be.

5. It's got a lot to offer

It really doesn't matter where you live in the city, with the short commute, you are just a few minutes from great food and fun. Wichita has some amazing restaurants spread throughout the city, not to mention great attractions to visit. I personally like Old Town the best. It has a great atmosphere with old brick buildings and music, but it also has some amazing restaurants. My personal favorite right now is Sabor. Try the queso with corn. AMAZING!

While Wichita may not have spectacular mountain or beach views, there is something to be said about a great Kansas sunset. Go to El Dorado and sit at the reservoir. Beautiful, peaceful and only a half-hour drive max.

Wichita is really a great place to be. I have several friends that have been moved to this city and probably won't leave. As we grow up, start families and change our Facebook status, Wichita will still be a great place for us. I believe that organizations like YPW are just beginning to offer great programs to its members. Wichita also has an amazingly bright future with even more to do with a new downtown arena and a new riverfront area, not to mention all the great attractions and new restaurants in the works. It's up to you to view the city you live in as a great place to be. I know I started out thinking it was a bad place to be, but in reality it's almost perfect. I wish you the best of luck in Wichita and I hope to see you out and about at one of our great attractions!

Ryan is a member of YPW and owns The R Companies. Check out his blog, gearup4urcareer.blogspot.com