Life Lessons From 2016

As I sit at home, recovering from back surgery, I've had time to reflect on all the events I've experienced this year. 2016 has been, by far, both the hardest and most rewarding year of my life. I'd like to share a few life lessons I've learned in 2016 and how they've made me a better husband, father, and leader for my team.

Lesson #1 - Find your WHY

March 4th 2016 - after 9 months of anticipation and seeing my wife endure 17 hours of labor, he was here. Until that moment, I had no idea how much becoming a parent would change me. I felt so many emotions hit me all at once; my life was given purpose and meaning the second he arrived. Seeing my wife hold our son for the first time, it was and forever will be the happiest day of my life. Words cannot explain the love and joy this little boy has given us. Along with that, Henry gave me perspective that has been invaluable as I continue to grow my business.

Perspective. What does that mean? To me, it's not sweating the small stuff like I used to. It means remembering WHY we hustle every single day. Why we put in the late nights, the weekends, why we push ourselves so hard.

Before I became a father, I was starting to experience a little burnout from pushing myself too hard. Now, regardless of how my day was, or whether I closed my latest deal, I come home with a smile on my face. Because inside that home is my own little family - a beautiful loving wife, my little boy, and our hound dog Dixie. As soon as Henry hears that door open, he starts smiling and can't wait to see me.

Becoming a parent has made me less selfish and more patient. Now, there is someone who depends on my wife and I for everything; regardless of what I have going on in my business, his needs will always come first. My family will love me regardless of whether I land that big client.

It's all about the bigger picture now. Knowing this has actually emboldened my sales efforts, allowing me to push limits without fear of rejection. I've gained confidence, motivation, and perspective in my career by becoming a father. I have found my WHY. I've learned how to ask for more out of life - out of my business, out of my team, and even out of my clients.

Lesson #2 - Embrace Change

2016 has been THE year of change for me in all aspects of life - becoming a father being the biggest of all.

Coming in a close second was the evolution of my business. Over the past few years, I decided to make some major investments into Geek on Wheels. I envisioned transforming it from the computer repair shop of yesteryear to a premier technology and consulting firm. That evolution culminated with our rebrand as we officially became Techvera in May 2016. This change was long overdue and brought so many challenges, expenses, and unknowns for my team. We learned, we adapted, we became agile. Not every team member made it through this transition. In fact, over the past year, our head count has dropped by over 25%. The team that made it through the evolution was stronger, faster, and better than ever before. Rebranding the business, changing our service offerings, and breaking up with both employees and clients that didn't fit our future was the hardest thing I've ever done in business.

Frankly, it was terrifying.

In the words of my business mentor Mark Smith, "Your business should move at a pace that scares you a little...and scares your team a lot". We're in the technology business. If you aren't moving as fast as possible in this industry you're getting left behind. Embracing change - and the challenges, fear, and excitement that accompany it - has been crucial to our success.

I can't tell you how exciting it is to be looking at the next level of success Techvera will see in 2017.

Lesson #3 – Don’t forget to enjoy the ride

Wow - all this change had my head spinning.

Growing pains. New clients. New staff. New vendors. New opportunities.

Lots of late nights, earlier mornings, bottles, and diaper changes.

The momentum is building at Techvera and people are taking notice. Our newly designated executive board is forming the next level of leadership for the company. Building leadership within the team has been vital to achieving some level of work/life balance for myself. I've had to learn to prioritize my time - delegating projects, offloading tasks, and from time to time just learning to say "no" when it's warranted. By being protective of that time, and as effective as possible at the workplace, I have allowed myself to become a better husband and father at home. I'm getting more quality time with the people I love and that in turn motivates me to perform at 100% when I am working. In a blink of an eye I am now the father of a teething, nearly walking, 10-month-old little boy. Where did that time go?

Make time for the people in your life that matter most – family, friends, and yourself. After all, remember WHY you work so hard in the first place. 

Here's to 2017. Wishing you and yours a year full of happiness and success!

-Reese Ormand