June 2nd, 2010 8

The Opportunity Donkey

Some people are graced with the ability to predict technology and market shifts. Do I posses this inner “genie-in-a-bottle” where every wish I touch comes true? <cough>Steve Jobs</cough>

NO.

My superhuman abilities come by way of being able to withstand continual, hard knocks (or kicks in this case) from opportunity… Pretty impressive eh?

It was thru this series of blows to the head that the idea of “my opportunity” (FireHost) manged to break through my thick skull and become the up and coming secure hosting company it is today.

After several years at an absolutely fun job with a fast-growing agency (where I was building large websites for large clients during the dot-com hay day), I set sail and started my own interactive marketing agency. Soon after, the dot-come bubble burst <pop>, and all the large clients with large agencies pulled back on spending. Good thing for me because I was now an agency of one and could undercut any Gucci wearing group that had monstrous overhead to feed.

(more…)

• Pull-Quote: Catching lightning is tough. Stop for a second and look up, the lightning just might catch you.

May 14th, 2010 4

Trust Your Gut - An Important Lesson

One lesson I didn’t understand growing up was the concept of trusting your gut. It wasn’t until my senior year in high school while playing baseball did I get the ultimate lesson. Towards the end of the season, I was in a terrible slump and was benched as the designated hitter.

It was the final game of the regular season and we were playing for the district championship and of course it was the final inning, bases loaded, two outs and a home game so was packed with friends and family. Kenny Black (head coach’s son) was next up to bat and I was on my feet ready to watch. Coach Bobby Black yelled “UMP! Batter Change!” and then Coach Black looked at me and said “Win the game Chris.” Before I knew it I had my helmet on, bat in hand and took two strikes swinging in two pitches. If you know anything about baseball, that’s not a good start.

I called timeout and jogged over to Coach Black. I really didn’t have anything to say to him to be honest – I just wanted to get as far from the batter’s box as possible. When I got to Coach Black, he looked at me dead in the eyes and said “Chris – just go up there and hit the ball.” You have to know Coach Black to appreciate that simple statement but the impact was in his delivery. There was not a doubt in his mind that I could do it. There wasn’t a spec of nervousness in his eyes. He had 100% trust in me even when I did not.

It would be fun to write that on the next pitch I ripped a 375 yard home run and have my own The Natural moment but I didn’t. Not that it matters but after a long at bat comprised of nine pitches of fouling and taking balls, I walked in the winning run on an inside curve ball that missed the plate by an inch.

A week later I asked Coach Black, “Why did you take Kenny (his son) out of the game and put me in?” His response, “I trusted my gut.” Another classic simple Coach Black response.

Would you have the conviction to “trust your gut” to pull your own son out of the game to put someone else (especially in a slump) in?

How many times have you said “&$!@ I should have listened to myself” after you were wrong?

Thank you Coach Black for trusting your gut and trusting me. This experience changed my life.

• Pull-Quote: Our instinct is the only thing that keeps us from using mathematical formulas to solve our problems. Stay Human and Trust Your Gut.