Training Log Archive: PG

Life is good right now, in many ways.

Life is good right now, in many ways.

Time for an example. Or two.

In the past few days I have received a couple of e-mails that have put huge smiles on my face. There is a story behind each, different circumstances but similar situations.

The first story goes back maybe 15 years, around 2000. Time of the dot-com boom, followed shortly by the dot-com bust. I've always been one for investing rather than spending, and the boom was a great time, made lots of money, whereas the bust was not so great, lost a good bit of it back. The market fluctuates, nothing new there, though this was rather severe.

At the same time I got to be friends with a young man who had had a tough life, lots of problems, but was trying to turn things around. My sense was that there was a very good person inside.

His plan, or his hope, was to go to law school, but he had no funds. And right at the top of the boom I was flush, so I proposed that if he could get in a good school, I would fund it. I put the money aside. The timing was good, had it stayed invested I would have lost 2/3 of it in the next year or two. In years that followed I considered it one the best investments I had ever made.

He went to law school. Got a succession of good jobs, all in public interest law, working for the disenfranchised, doing good things. We were seldom in touch, he'd moved away, but every once in a while an e-mail would arrive letting me what he was doing.

The latest came this week. He is now director of all operations in his state for a large national non-profit. He wrote, in part:

"It has been challenging and rewarding. I’m extremely fortunate to be in this position, and expect to make big things happen. Of course, I would never be here without your confidence, encouragement, and support. I believe I am doing important, good work to honor your faith in me, and on good days I think even Thumper would approve."

How can this not make you feel good? We have no kids, so no college expenses, nor all the other expense of raising them, nor just the challenge of trying to raise them properly. So you look where else you can to make a difference.

I was listening to a podcast sometime not long ago, and there was an interview with a venture capitalist about how he decides whether or not to put money in a venture. And he said he looks much less at the business plan, and much more at the character of the person in charge -- not do I want to invest in the product or the idea, but do I want to invest in the person.

I think it's good to keep that in mind.

The story behind the other e-mail also goes back quite a few years, starting with a local non-profit dealing with teens and homelessness, where I was on the board and treasurer for a few years. But at some point I quit, having lost my trust in the executive director. Fast forward a few years, the ED had resigned in disgrace, also unfortunately leaving the agency rather badly in debt, including to the IRS and the state.

The new ED was a young fellow, he'd been second in command when I was on the board, so I'd known him for a long time and seen him under stress, and he was smart, very competent, and wise beyond his years. I asked around a bit over the summer as to the situation, then stopped in to see him early in the fall.

We spent quite a while going over everything -- operations, debt, personnel, and especially his own situation. Because mostly I was evaluating him, though he may not have realized it. And he passed with flying colors. Again, if I had ever had a son....

So time to step up, and this time the source of funds was some money of my mom's that had to go to charity when she died, and could go earlier if it made sense. And this made sense. We went back and forth with ideas -- not just how much to help, but how to structure things to get the most benefit to the organization, how to measure progress, what the long-term goals were, both for him and the organization. And made a deal.

A few months have passed. Yesterday's e-mail said, in part:

"I hope the new year is treating you well. I thought I would forward the attached board report to give a you a quick snapshot of how the year is going. It feels amazing, and somewhat surreal, to be in the financial and program position we are in right now. I often have to pinch myself to make sure that I’m not dreaming. Now the trick is to keep the forward momentum going. Bold, responsible and responsive steps for the future.

"Thanks for making this possible."

Maybe my 70s will not be all bad....

C • I love inspiring stories like this 3

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