“Success in life comes not from holding a good hand, but from playing a poor hand well. “
Denis Waitley

In the 1976 World Series of Poker Main Event, after surviving a field of competitors which included some of the best poker players in the country, Doyle Brunson, affectionately known as “Texas Dolly”, and Jesse Alto were the last two players standing. As the two poker veterans faced off in a head to head battle for the illusive title of World Series of Poker Champion, the last thing they could have imagined was that they were about to shape poker history.

Every summer my brother, a Jesuit priest, takes a group of high school students and parents on a mission trip to the Dominican Republic for two weeks to help a desperately poor little town with the most basic of needs. The group, which averages about 100 people, includes doctors who run their makeshift medical clinic and engineers who oversee their yearly construction project. The high school girls generally work in the clinic or with the town children, while the boys are more than happy to prove their brute strength and exert their energy in the manual labor of construction. As you might imagine, this is quite an experience for these young men and women, most of whom have never seen real poverty, as they volunteer two weeks of their summer vacation to serve those most in need. For some the experience is life changing.

As this year’s group prepares to embark on their journey, a journey that will undoubtedly be filled with adventure and wonder and meaning, I’m reminded of a story that my brother shared with me after one of his recent trips which seems curiously relevant for those of us in the world of business at such a difficult time in the global economy.

If you find yourself in the position of having to look for a job, consider this: You are not alone. While there’s always something positive to learn from your experience, it’s probable that you weren’t the cause of your unemployment, as is the case for millions across the country. The problem is bigger than all of us. Your past, however, does not equal your future. The job market may be extremely competitive, but it’s not impossible to overcome. The key to finding your next job is getting in front of as many potential employers as possible, and to do that you absolutely must stand out in the crowd.

Over the last three weeks we have been addressing an issue recently reported on by the U.S. Department of Commerce Minority Business Development Agency regarding disparities in access to financial capital between minority and non-minority companies in the United States. This is my third and final part of this series where we not only address the problem, but offer potential solutions and an open forum to discuss your experiences, questions or concerns. Whereas last week we looked at various sources of capital, this week we will focus on the requirements typically sought by lenders of borrowers and the local and national agencies and resources available to assist business owners with the process.