Forty years ago today, February 4, 1985, I started my professional working career as an Assistant National Bank Examiner 1 with the U.S. Department of Treasury in the Office of the Comptroller of Currency. That launched me into a 15-year journey in the banking industry that saw me hold 11 positions within seven different organizations.
Twenty-five years ago today, February 4, 2000, I left the banking industry to go out and work on my own. Over the past two-and-a-half decades I have worked on well over 100 various client engagements. I have been afforded an opportunity to…
Help turnaround struggling companies and save people’s livelihoods
Assist entrepreneurs in finding ways to launch their business and turn their dreams into reality
Plan successful negotiating strategies that have enabled small company “Davids” to prevail against large company “Goliaths”
Write books that range in topic from public policy, to medicine, to leadership, to philosophy
Deliver talks at national sales meetings and academic conferences; even getting to speak at a United Nations’ conference
Play an acknowledged role in helping to elect a President of the United States
Co-start a program to teach young people how to engage constructively and think critically
This all from a kid who grew up on the Canadian border in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan.
This remarkable journey has been made possible along the way never by riding on the backs of others, but by being willing to grab so many outstretched hands that have offered to help. Looking back, I have far too many people to thank to mention any by name for fear of leaving out someone who would deserve such mention. I’m also sure there are people who have helped me and where about such help I have no knowledge. To both the known and unknown, I offer my profound thanks and gratitude.
I am so fortunate to have been able to make the living I’ve enjoyed in the way I’ve made it. I am grateful every morning, evening, and all the hours in between that my career has not been a job, but instead an adventure. The past forty years have had so many inflection points, most of them upward in slope, that a regression line would be a mathematician’s nightmare. Their nightmare, however, has been a series of dreams coming true for me.
Forty years ago today, sitting at an orientation meeting at 1211 Avenue of of the Americas in New York City waiting for HR to come into the room, I spilled an entire cup of coffee onto the lap of my brand new $60, light brown, polyester suit. An auspicious start to what has been a story not yet fully told.
So many of my friends are now retired. I’m happy for them but not envious. I know that I will never retire. From what would I retire? To stop doing what I do would be to abandon my own sense of life.
My wish for all who read this would be for you to have the chance, not at the end of your journey but along the way, to experience the joy and fulfillment from your professional endeavors that I can now, 40 years later, look back upon. If you are already on that path, stay the course. If you feel you are not, maybe look around and see if there is a place to exit and reenter the working world.
One last thought about dreams: If you had them when you were young and they are not yet coming true in your professional life, don’t discard them. Keep them around. You can never tell when the opportunity to realize them might appear and we must be present to win. My professional journey is proof-positive that dreams can come true.
Comments