journalman's Diaryland Diary

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Personal Carpe Diem and Dadco Letter

Letter to father; quite possibly the best Engineer in the city if not country, and my boss.
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I'm going to take a page from Bill Ford, Jr (CEO of Ford Motor Company) and institute a company turnaround plan titled "Bold New Moves".

THE PROBLEM: The truth. Our CEO (you), for the past year, has effectively QUIT his job at FAMILYCO in exchange for working full-time for our client, Dr. Jillionaire. Before Dr. J, our CEO would also REGULARLY gamble the long-term health of our company in order to make a few short-term dollars. In that one church's case, we didn't even make the money you expected to.

We have been operating without a CEO for over three years. For the past three years, I agree that I've been too unmotivated to even show up on time half the time. What's the point? Our CEO hardly takes an interest when I AM there.

MY PROBLEM: I complain that you 1) Don't do the things that "SHOULD BE" done, and 2) It will be "TOO LATE" by the time you realize you've foolishly gambled FAMILYCO's long-term health for a hundred grand or two.

I refuse to either 1) work for or 2) invest my 20's and 30's into an organization that will crumble the moment you walk from it in five years.

THE SOLUTION

1) Your CFO (me) will fill in the place of CEO. Dr. Jillionaire may have his full-time Dad.

2) I will hold weekly meetings... project ones on Monday, finance ones on Tuesday AS IF YOU HAVE ALREADY RETIRED.

3) On the rare, rare chance that YOU do give me (uninterrupted) time, with cell phone OFF, you'll be there to provide answers to questions I have.

4) If you continue to be unavailable, I will seek answers elsewhere. By calling any number of people we already know. You quit FAMILYCO 3 years ago, and FAMILYCO refuses to die a passive death.

Not while I am still alive, at least.

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I've been taking a lot of self-inventory since my 32nd bday. Nat the neighbor, who only sees me once or twice a year now, asked me to do two things.

1) Tell her a lesson I learned this past year.
2) State a goal for the new year.

The lesson... let's not get into that right now. There are a few.

The goal, however, is what I want to talk about.

Quite simply, I'm the only member of my family who does not possess serious credentials in a chosen academic profession.

My choice in life has been to do it "my way". My choice has been to make rain as per my own design.

This year, my goal is to validate that choice.

Until I joined DadCo, I was a well-paid and deserving young executive. I make a modest living now, comparatively, yet with Dad's help, I've developed a burgeoning and stable enterprise.

It's my job to open the skies and make the rain fall. Steepen the growth curve. Create revenue. And do it this year.

I do have my set of fancy friends; leaders in industry. Finance, law, architecture.

Yet, out of ALL the people I know in this world... if I were to pick one person who is best qualified to take this million and turn it into a billion... do you know who that person would be?

It would be me.

And it is me. It's now or never. Sink or swim. Internal motivation is the only challenge.

Correction. Internal motivation WAS the only challenge. I'm going to sail this ship.

Keep your fingers crossed.

1:18 a.m. - 2006-12-01

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