Growing up my father constantly it seemed preached to me the importance of relationships.  Way back then I knew what he meant (for the most part) and got it (kind of) but today I have a real appreciation for the free lesson he was throwing my way.

In business as in life making contact with people and nurturing those interactions is key.  Nothing new here; and certainly nothing any of us hasn’t heard before.  But when I think about where I’ve been, where I am, and where I want to go personally, professionally (and yes even spiritually ) relationships are absolutely critical.

My career is the result of jobs I’ve held, places I’ve worked, people I’ve met and relationships I’ve forged – and yes a lot of help and a little luck along the way.   I think people sometimes complicate things. I don’t pretend to have unlocked any of life’s secrets.  After years of lessons learned and good and bad experiences I’ve learned to keep it simple, be upfront with people, keep learning and develop lasting relationships.

Since venturing out on my own in 2015 I’ve been asked a few times what I enjoy most about being an independent MarCom (choose one: consultant, freelancer, specialist, service provider, business owner, guy).   My knee-jerk reaction to expand on the wide variety of industries I’ve been introduced to; from manufacturing and engineering to warehousing/distribution, simulation, testing, industrial equipment, service and software providers alike. Heck I even do a little work with a foster care recruiter.

The experience is educational to say the least. What a great feeling when something really clicks and you have an a-ha moment and see things in a new light.   Still while I’ve learned so much in the past five years or so – I’m only scratching the surface.

But what I’ve enjoyed most is the people I’ve met.  I cannot separate these relationships from the learning aspect.  These professionals exude such levels of energy, confidence, and  expertise; that one cannot help but be impressed.  They radiate a passion that’s nothing short of contagious.  Perhaps the most inspiring thing about these people is their thirst for learning.  To a man/woman each has demonstrated a desire to advance their expertise even further.  Simply put they never stop learning.  I know, you hear that a lot – I heard that so many times that I became numb to it.  But when you witness this first hand it becomes obvious that learning the key.  Its a trait that successful people share.

I think I’ll take a page out of their playbook and try a little harder to do the same.

Far removed from the days of 2D drawings and countless physical prototypes, today’s product development environment is largely driven by intelligent 3D Computer-Aided Design (CAD) models. In the 1970s the engineering community began to investigate ways to analyze product designs in order to better investigate failures in the field. By the 1980s, simulation was being used to validate designs more quickly during upstream design process. The intention was to enhance reliability while significantly reducing the number of physical prototypes that are built and tested. Moreover, validating a product early upstream in the product development process reduces or eliminates excessive warranty claims, lost contracts, and lost market share.

Sounds great in theory; and to be fair, the majority of larger organizations are achieving just this; and have been for some time. But some companies may struggle with the validation process because they may not have the experience base or formalized processes needed to reap the benefits others are achieving.

Read the entire article here.

I’m going a little off topic in today’s bolg.  When I was young (like 50 years ago) I used to like winter – I think.  I can even tolerate the cold and snow through February and early March. But when April arrives I’m ready for some warm, dry weather.  Time to play some golf, get the garden planted; and start mowing… which I’m sure I’ll regret in a few weeks.  When baseball season starts its time to break out the short pants and sun glasses right?

So I got to thinking about a few other ways that time has tainted me.  Not to sound too much like a cranky old man. Here are some other things that seemed like they were a lot bigger deal when I was growing up in small town, USA:

• Major league Baseball: Its increasingly hard for me to watch it these days.  The game is so slooooooow.
• The Indy 500: I used to be glued to the television set along with my dad watching this yearly spectacle.   I couldn’t even tell you when its run any more.
• The Kentucky Derby: (see above).
• Having a soda (or “pop” as we call it in these parts): Used to be a big deal to have popcorn and a soft drink on a Sunday night while watching The Wonderful World of Disney with my parents and siblings.  I couldn’t tell you the last time I sipped a coke/pop/soda.
• Saturday mornings: What the hell happened to Saturday morning cartoons??!
• Birthdays:  Nuff said.

And a couple of things I would love to do just one more time:

• Spend a day on my grandparents farm: Great adventures.
• Play golf with my dad: I really miss that.

I was feeling a little more nostalgic than usual today for some reason and got off topic a little.  (Maybe its because a Golden Buckeye Card materialized in today’s mail with my name on it.)  Anyway, thanks for allowing me this.