Thinking Back...
Fourteen years ago, I left my former company after ten solid years and significant professional growth. When that company was acquired about eight years in, many of my friends were let go. I was fortunate enough to have ‘made the cut’ and stayed on board. And the stars happened to align. The company embarked upon an aggressive acquisition strategy in the software industry, which happened to be exactly where my entire career up until that point had been spent. That, coupled with an incoming company president who thought I would be a valuable asset in pursuit of that strategy, led to my getting much more involved on the business end of things. During the ensuing year, I met a number of entrepreneurs and risk takers who, while I may not have realized it at the time, would have a profound impact on my future life choices. At the same time, I met someone on a poker table who became my best friend and who was a serial entrepreneur, from a family of similarly brilliant entrepreneurs. Hence, a spark was lit!