Lightning Strikes Twice...

Lightning does strike twice. A big week this week as I was lucky enough to join our executive team to ring the bell at NASDAQ. We went public after over a year of great work by many of my team members. It was an honor to represent our team on Day One.?It was also an honor to ring the bell for a second time in my career. Back in 2009, I joined my peers with a different company as we went public on the NYSE.?As a kid from upstate New York, I never dreamed of standing there … twice. Wow.?

As I look back and try to understand how I was able to achieve more than I expected - I attribute it to a few key things: great parents, great bosses, great teams, intrinsic motivation/a high need for achievement, and also an endlessly positive mindset… plus a bit of luck along the way.?

I will start with great parents.?My parents had high expectations, but also taught me kindness, generosity and caring.?Nobody is bigger than the team.?“Do it right the first time”, my dad always says.?And, I remember, when my career started to take off and I was getting a bit big for my britches - my mom pulled me aside and asked me why I would ever act like I was acting.?It was a rare moment, as my mother was always my biggest supporter - but at that moment I had disappointed her.?Wow. Wake up call. About five years later she passed.?I decided to double down on being a better human and that kindness mattered more than anything else. She was always kind.?Always. Be kind.?

Then I was fortunate enough to have wonderful bosses.?These bosses cared about me and my development.?From Dave to Mike to Bob to Jeff and Jeff to Lance to Pat to Michell to Don to Bob and to Vafa, every step at every company I have had bosses who pushed me, challenged me, believed in me and developed me.?We are not all always so lucky. I have had some bad bosses, but I have been blessed to have many more great bosses than bad bosses. Cheers to the great bosses.?

Third, I have had great teams. Sometimes I selected these teams and other times I inherited teams. Either way, I looked for what could make us successful. It always came back to working together as a team.?Everybody has something to add to the team - sometimes we just need to find it or even pull it out into the light.?I have said this before, my first boss told me that everyone is a flower, and as a leader, we need to pull them out into the sunlight and nourish them or they will not grow.?

And getting everyone to buy into the “we” first concept.?Teams accomplish more than individuals. Building great teams is not easy. It takes energy to build confidence in others.?It takes discipline to push their own expectations, it takes compassion to recognize and support their life events, and it takes the ability to not take myself to seriously and let go of my pride of ownership and just push for the best ideas - regardless of origin. Oh yeah, it also takes being able to work with (and support) people smarter than me, different from me, and better than me.?

Understanding myself.?It probably, realistically, did not occur until my mid-thirties.?Knowing I have this off the charts competitive drive and need to achieve. I did not become a better employee and leader until I learned when to pull back on my own DNA and when to keep pushing.?Being intrinsically motivated has helped me through change, through chaos and through the unknown.?I do not need anyone to push me. I drive myself.?It has also allowed me to not be driven by money. My father was never driven by money (in fact he will give you the shirt off his back) and this has carried down to how I carry myself. "You cannot take it with you" he always jokes. It has allowed me to make better career choices and find my happiness?and riches in things like my family, my friends, and in giving to others.

I am always a believer in looking at the good in life. We all get our fair share of lemons: my mom passed away way too early, my son struggled with heroin addiction, and cancer has affected too many people in my close circle of friends and family.?But guess what, when I look to my friends or coworkers they have struggles too - many bigger than mine.?I cannot control these things. I can only manage my mind and how I react to things.?

As an aside, I had a discussion with a awesome friend of mine I went to college with about the power of being positive.?He was given a few years to live after his brain cancer diagnosis right after college.?His brother passed from the same brain cancer in months.?My friend is still my role model, confidante and teacher thirty plus years later.?Thirty years.?We chat a few times a week. His brother “gave up” when he was diagnosed. My buddy doubled down and made goals - finished his PhD, got married, had kids. Check, check and check. He taught students for three decades. A blessing.?And he continues to be the most positive person I know.?And he is still living life to the fullest.

Lastly, I will leave you with some great tips I read from Financial Simplified this week:

Our time is finite.?Remember that you don't have forever and use the precious time you have.?Stop staying in the job you hate or being with people who do not care about you. Surround yourself with people who make you better.?Do what you love.

Change how you think about things. It all starts in your mind.?You can change how you react to what happens in your life.?Nobody MAKES us angry or upset.?We choose how we react.?

Develop an attitude of gratitude. If you're grateful daily, you'll notice more and more things you can be grateful for.?Great friends, my health, the way my boys treat others, my beautiful wife, the job I am blessed with, I can go on.?Make gratitude your default state of mind and it becomes contagious.?Every day is a gift my buddy from college always tells me.?

Applied knowledge is power. Knowledge alone doesn't give you power. You need to act on it and use what you learned.?Hard work and opportunity bring you to good luck.?Make a difference in every meeting you attend. Speak up for those being wronged.

Happiness doesn't come from material things.?Buying more things won't make you happier long-term.?Real happiness is love. I have watched too many peers chase the bigger house, the bigger boat, the better clothing yet not focusing on their families or friends or health to give them happiness.?Somebody always has a better something… but if your happiness is focused on being the best parent, spouse or friend - you can control that.?

Always remember your why.?If you lost your way or you're struggling right now, start finding your why.?Why.?Why are you here??What do you want your legacy to be??What do you want people to say about you??I want to be remembered as a husband who deeply loved his wife, who tirelessly pushed his kids to be great men, a friend who could always be counted on, and a leader who cared about his team.?Yes, I work hard.?No, I do not want to be remembered for the long hours I worked or the powerpoint presentations I did. Keeping this focus will guide you through the toughest times.?

Finally, failure is just a false belief. Failure is just feedback. You did something wrong but now you know better and you can try again.?Feedback is a gift.?Some has more truth than the other.?Most feedback generally has some bit of constructive improvement you can make.?Try not to rationalize why the feedback is wrong. Instead, ask yourself if there is some truth to the feedback. (Easier said than done. I still struggle here at times).?Use failure as a lesson. Failure often leads to innovation.?Failure often leads to improvement.?Have a long memory on lessons and a short memory on failures.

We have a limited number of days. Focus on being your best self - whatever that means for you. Remove the noise from your life, focus on your legacy.?And yes, lightning can strike twice.

Together. We.?Win.