Interesting … people have always had this odd tendency to “remember” the “good old days” … and look forward to the future with pessimism:
“In 1848, writer Thomas Macaulay wrote in his “The History of England” that “In spite of evidence, many will still imagine to themselves the England of the Stuarts as a more pleasant country than the England in which we live. It may at first sight seem strange that society, while constantly moving forward with eager speed, should be constantly looking backward with tender regret.””
While I’m on-call for another week, and will return to the office next Friday for a cake&coffee with the team, I’m leaving the company that I’ve been with for 15 years (give or take a month).
That’s 15 years through 7 different jobs:
Research Assistant
Staff Writer
Marketing Project Manager
Technology Solutions Manager
Director of Home & Family markets
Product Manager
Director of Product Development
And 15 years through 3 different ownership stages:
What a wild ride it’s been, from a company that did about $40 million in annual business to a company that does over $130 million yearly. From a small family-run operation to a cog in a billion-dollar public corporation. From a small, cramped office in a leaky Abbotsford building to the former President’s (Henk Berends) corner office in Langley, and then to Bellingham, WA.
The opportunities I’ve had have been incredible. Just one of them is the travel, which has enabled me to go to San Francisco multiple times, Silicon Valley, Salt Lake City multiple times, Seatle, Portland, Wisconsin, Asheville North Carolina, San Diego multiple times, New Orleans, Virginia Beach, Texas multiple times, Florida multiple times, Quebec, Phoenix, Whistler, Winnipeg multiple (multiple multiple) times, Chicago, Philadelphia, Atlantic City, Moose Jaw (!?!), and many more places. Business travel is not always all it’s cracked up to be, but I always made a point of seeing or doing something at each place that I could not have seen or done at home … and so it has enriched my life.
Other opportunities have been career development. I started with Premier almost right out of Simon Fraser University. I had some previous experience managing a retail sports store … but Research Assistant was my first real career job. From that beginning people and experiences at Premier taught me product development, marketing, and basic business realities. My interest in technology grew significantly while at Premier, and the company had an opportunity for me to start and lead a web development department. From that, I moved on to other interesting and challenging jobs, including the one I’m currently leaving from: Director of Product Development. What a blessing! I feel truly fortunate and blessed to have had the career opportunities that I’ve already had.
But probably the best opportunity at Premier has been the people. Meeting and working with the amazing people at Premier … the David Leoppky’s, the Henk Berends, the Joel Zuckers … and so many more. I can’t – really can’t – name them all, but ones that really stand out are Pat Graham, Brandon Bird, Foeke van de Poel, Kelly DeVries, Bruce Morris, Sibrand Stulp, Andrew Westrink, Raymond Kenny, Teresa Alexander, Brad Kuik, Kevin Moore, Jane Hix, John Flokstra, Jonathan Catherman, Harold Ludwig, Wim Kanis, Natalie Critchley, Ronnie Zindorf, Larry Huinker, John Wesselius, Steve Misenhimer, Rastin Mehr, Arie Veenendaal, Ray Kuik, Dave Shoots, Bob Goodman, Diego Rodriguez, Sheldon Atkinson, Dominique Fugere, Francois Lupien, David Boone, Larry Renooy, Tom Osborn, Mike Skovgaard, Bernie Van Spronsen, Lisa Peumsang, Brian Koning, Steven Leyenhorst, Anita Lofgren, Phil Minderhoud, Tyler VanVliet, Bram Vegter, and Cheryl Vandeburgt. There’s more … I know there’s more, and I apologize if your name isn’t there. But those are the ones that came to mind. We had a great run together, and I wish you all the very best of everything.
Some of my favorite memories of these 15 years are:
Running the annual convention in ’98 or ’99 in Victoria, BC – the first convention that we made a huge splash with a major show-biz type presentation. That was a blast!
Bringing out the Discover Zone … an online learning, edutainment, productivity, and groupware environment in 2002-2003. What an application it was, and what excitement it generated!
The convention we held in Quebec, about 3 hours North of Quebec City along the banks of the St. Lawrence. 35 or so of us stayed in the hotel lobby/bar until 1 or 2 AM, singing around the piano and generally enjoying each others’ company.
Visiting our partners The FaQtory in Winnipeg in the winter and playing outdoor ice hockey at Ray Kuik’s house in -20 degrees Celcius … in shirtsleeves because we were so hot from the exercise.
Building out a new department when I became Technology Solutions Manager. Finding space, painting, furnishing, hiring, and managing … tons of fun!
A lunch with Henk Berends when he pointed out a serious error in judgement that I was making in a very gentle, tactful way, and saved me from a major, major disaster.
Playing hockey with the Canadian sales team at their regional meeting this year.
Giving a presentation on Royal Dutch Shell-like scenario planning at one of our company’s top meetings in ’97 when I was still young and green, and hearing via the grapevine that Chuck Farnesworth said “that kid made more sense than all the rest of them put together!”
Getting to write for audiences of tens of millions when I was a staff writer. Our product goes out to over 20 million students internationally, and their parents and teachers view it as well.
Pulling an all-nighter with David Boone to get the Premier website ready on-time in ’98.
Boogy-boarding in 10-foot San Diego waves in ’96, dislocating my shoulder in the surf, and swimming 100 feet back to shore one-handed.
Working for a month on a Discover Agenda presentation to executive in 2007, presenting it, and getting an unbelievable reception.
Getting the 3-day training sessions on 7 Habits as well as the Organizational Effectiveness Model when we joined FranklinCovey.
Going to San Antonio for a conference and staying at the Emily Morgan hotel in a suite looking directly down into the Alamo.
Getting a massive one-day raise in 2001.
Jim Gibson’s last day, when he came to me at our north campus. We found an available office; he told me he was leaving; and we prayed together before he walked out the door.
Imitating Henk Berends’ speech style in a send-off at his retirement banquet, and managing to do it well.
Winning the company-wide crud tournament with Loren VanCorbach and Sheldon Atkinson at the Portland conference in 2007 while playing the last few games on a severely sprained ankle.
Taking off from the Phoenix conference with a colleague (Mike Suto) in a van, not knowing where we were going, and finding the most amazing still quiet desert spaces where we stood still and silent for minutes just to hear nothing, and then continuing on to find a deep, cold desert lake.
Climbing the foothills of the mountains surrounding Salt Lake City during a visit to FranklinCovey.
Setting up a ping-pong net on my Technology Solutions department “boardroom” table to knock away the tensions of long, busy days.
And far more than I can list …
I have been very blessed, and very happy to have been a part of Premier from December of 1994 to November of 2008. And while I’m eagerly looking forward to new challenges, I’ll remember these times and people with fondness and some nostalgia.
Witnesses of War, by Nicholas StarGardt
About children’s lives under the Nazis before, during, and slightly after WWII. Appalling, moving, engrossing.
In Search of Stones, by M. Scott Peck
Peck’s tale of a trip he and his wife took to the UK in search of dolmen and menhirs … which he intertwines with frank discussion of himself, his life, what he’s learned, and his mistakes. One important thing to remember from this book: the concept of “overdetermination,” the idea that most things have more than one cause … they are “overdetermined.” We like to have one cause, and one effect, but that’s simplistic.
Ashes of Glory, by Ernest B Furgurson
The story of Richmond, Virginia, the “other capital” of the US … at least during the civil war. A little tedious and narrowly-focused, but interesting. Most memorable anecdote: Abraham Lincoln comes to Richmond shortly after the city is taken. Black men and women surround him. One aged black man doffs his cap and offers a short bow. Lincoln doffs his cap and bows in return. That must have been a big deal to those just-recently-slaves. Wonderful!
A Perfect Hell, by John Nadler
The story of the Canadian-American commando unit “First Special Service Force,” composed somewhat of misfits, which fought like heroes and died by the hundreds in multiple campaigns throughout WWII. All that you need to know about them to know something of them is that the Germans called them “Schwartzer Teurel,” or Black Devils.
Somehow I’ve missed reading Corrie ten Boom’sIn My Father’s House until just this past week.
Corrie ten Boom was a Dutch woman who, with her father and sister, hid Jews from the Gestapo during the German occupation of Holland in the second world war. For this crime, many members of her family died, and Corrie only barely escaped death.
The book is a sort of a follow-up to The Hiding Place, which tells the story of those war years. In My Father’s House is more a story of Corrie’s young years.
I’m continually amazed as I read through the book: at the joy and love in her poor, poor family. At the faith and love Corrie had from a very young age. And mostly at the amazing way that God crafted her life: from miracle to miracle.
Well worth a read!
. . .
. . .
If you’ve never heard of Corrie ten Boom, take a look at her website. She died in 1983, but the museum foundation that now owns her home maintains the site. Also, you can get a list of her books at Amazon.
Here’s a paragraph from her website:
For their crime of helping Jews, the Ten Boom family was sent to prison. Papa died within ten days of his arrest. He had said it would be a privilege to give his life for the Jews. Willem and his son Christiaan also died due to their imprisonments. Corrie and Betsie spent a total of ten months in three different prisons. The last was Ravensbruck Concentration Camp, located near Berlin, Germany. Betsie died there, but through a clerical error (God’s miracle), Corrie was released. Starting at age 53, she spent the next 33 years sharing what she and Betsie had learned in Ravensbruck. “There is no pit so deep that God’s love is not deeper still” and “God will enable you to forgive your enemies.â€?
I’ve always loved reading about General George S. Patton, a passionate, brave, smart commander – who had his flaws just like the rest of us.
My favorite Patton quotes:
Lead me, follow me, or get out of my way.
Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity.
Watch what people are cynical about, and one can often discover what they lack.
Do your damnedest in an ostentatious manner all the time.
If I win I can’t be stopped! If I lose I shall be dead.
Just drive down that road, until you get blown up.
Patton’s favorite saying was a French saying of Frederick the Great: “L’audace, l’audace, toujours l’audace.” En anglais … “Audacity, audacity, always audacity.”
Somehow I’ve missed reading