In my life I’ve been lucky. Friends, family members, and unofficial fortune tellers have informed me from an early age that I was lucky. As a professor for more than a decade I was flattered when students would indicate they wanted to have a life and career like my own (Life lesson – never judge someone’s life by what you see of them on a stage or at work) as if I had some lucky lottery ticket. I would always tell them I wished more for them than that, while also informing them to think about who they hang out with. Without question, my life has been most positively impacted by the people close to me. Whenever you are facing curveballs or navigating opportunities it is essential to sanity and success to be a part of a team that is bigger than yourself. These teammates should be smarter, grittier, and just as insanely determined as yourself. They are loyal, hard-working, and driven for success, not so easily measured with fleeting things such as money. These are the cowboys (non-gender identifying) in your corner. They are how you become…lucky.
The cowboys in my corner throughout my life have come from organic relationships, sought after mentors, students, professors, bosses, bosses bosses, and the occasional author. In the deepest recesses of my corner you will find my wife, my Lord, my parents, my sister, and my Tasmanian devils (aka – my four boys). In my work I have always pursued people and character before money and opportunity. Guess what, it has always paid off! Every job I have taken or move I have made (25+ years in hospitality has included four states, 8 moves, and 8 homes) was first about who was offering, who was there, and what kind of people they were. I suppose it is safe to say my luck is derived from the ability to stay true to this strategy of navigating life. Another way to say it would be that my life is an example of the recipe to create luck, friends and an active network.
I could list hundreds of these cowboys in my corner, but I don’t want an individual name present or not present on a list to distract from the point. Safe to say if you are reading this you are probably on the list. If you think you might be on the list, you are on the list. The list includes priests, sinners, saints, old, young, and is ethnically and socially diverse. The list speaks a dozen languages, spans the globe, and is generous with their time. If you are seeking to develop your own cowboys in your corner don’t delay and be discerning but not discriminating. In my experience the best corner doesn’t look like, act like, or have the exact same convictions I do. Nevertheless, we have a lot in common. Finally, the best way to have cowboys in your corner is to be a cowboy in others’ corners. The world only revolves around me for me.
In closing, I will mention a few cowboys without whom this new company would not exist. Jason Tabler, Danielle Wright and Rudi Schmiedeskamp are some of the smartest, driven, and most excellent humans I know. They are FUSED Topline Solutions and I am but their excited and eager co-pilot. Together we will ensure the hospitality world is brighter and stronger because of the fusion of our sales and revenue services model. Moreover, the cowboy in all of us will help us serve our clients, serve causes greater than ourselves, and elevate hospitality careers to new levels. Never mistake luck for action and intention. Luck will always favor the ones with the drive and instincts to take action.