Book Foreword: The 24-Hour Turnaround
Many thanks to Jeffrey Davis for not only giving me the honor of writing a Foreword for his 2nd edition of his book, but for also featuring my name (and BU’s) on the cover. Truly amazing opportunity. A portion of the Foreword is below and please support Jeffrey by buying a copy of his book.
The pundits will say that successful entrepreneurship is being in the right place at the right time, or at the very least, as the beneficiary of good luck from a rising market. I disagree. In my opinion, success is a function of reading trends correctly, incorporating strong analysis and knowing how to instinctively deal with people. For over 15 years, I’ve been fortunate to be living, eating and breathing the “entrepreneurial dream.” One portion of this odyssey has been spent in the trenches, running and building my own business. I’ve experienced up markets, down markets, and interacted with clients from all walks of life. Most were a pleasure to deal with. A few I could genuinely call friends, and in some rare cases, I would even consider others for a partnership. On the other end of the spectrum, and as the old adage goes, you would have to count your fingers after shaking their hand.
The second portion of my journey involved being in the classroom, interacting day in and day out with business students. On my way to school, my standard joke with friends is that I’m headed off to teach “tomorrow’s leaders today.” Levity aside, it’s actually true! Interacting with the younger generation forces you to keep your skills sharp. Whether this involves learning the latest catch phrases, struggling to grasp the Top-40 musical artists and their lyrics, or simply wrapping one’s head around the “new age thinking,” my academic interactions cause the calendar to stand still. Because each year I clearly have less hair, I know time must be marching on. Yet while on campus, I feel more connected, innovative and inspired, being involved with such young, energetic minds.
