There can never be enough written or said about Steve Jobs. Millions of words far more eloquent than mine extol the maverick, visionary, pioneer, genius, and mentor loved and admired the world over.
Yet, there is one word that all the others allude to, but one which I have yet to specifically read or hear, and one that I think fully epitomizes Steve Jobs, and particularly how his persona affected me, my entrepreneurial pursuits, and ultimately my businesses. That word is “Inspiring.”
Steve Jobs reached the highest echelons without any formal education in business or engineering, nor in graphic arts and design. His genius was his instinct, intuitively feeling the pulse of humanity by not necessarily knowing what it wanted, but in taking what was already accepted and putting it into a different package, giving a different presentation that changed the “accepting” mindset, to a wanting, needing, and demanding one. There were other electronic music devices on the market before the iPod came along. Jobs’ genius was ignoring the adage “form follows function” and putting function into form. In November, 2003 The Guts of a New Machine quoted him saying, “The [designers aren’t] handed this box and told, 'Make it look good!' That's not what we think design is. It's not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.”
In February 1982, Jobs made the cover of Time magazine for the first time. I was 15 years old, and the man and his story had such an impact on me I remember it as though it were yesterday. I was reading about a guy who, at only 26 years old, was already a successful businessman worth millions. I read it over and over, reading his words and getting ideas about how he did it. What was his secret? I decided then and there to follow his example, and from that day on watched his career as closely as any rock band.
I looked forward with my own vision, and used his example by taking my vision and expanding it to create the same for my teams. He inspired me to build out resources to support the vision, then lead the team to attain the goal. To build maximum value, create strong company cultures and expand growth, reward employees and earn loyalties. I took it a step further by believing in my heart of hearts that to give back to the communities that supported and helped me achieve my success is one of a successful person’s greatest responsibilities. My wife, Jeanne, and I are involved with many charitable causes, and are proud to have earned the accolades and awards for the charitable work we’ve done. We’re especially proud of our contributions to Toys For Tots, and of our association with the Education & Assistance Corporation and its Meals-on-Wheels program.
Yet, there is one word that all the others allude to, but one which I have yet to specifically read or hear, and one that I think fully epitomizes Steve Jobs, and particularly how his persona affected me, my entrepreneurial pursuits, and ultimately my businesses. That word is “Inspiring.”
Steve Jobs reached the highest echelons without any formal education in business or engineering, nor in graphic arts and design. His genius was his instinct, intuitively feeling the pulse of humanity by not necessarily knowing what it wanted, but in taking what was already accepted and putting it into a different package, giving a different presentation that changed the “accepting” mindset, to a wanting, needing, and demanding one. There were other electronic music devices on the market before the iPod came along. Jobs’ genius was ignoring the adage “form follows function” and putting function into form. In November, 2003 The Guts of a New Machine quoted him saying, “The [designers aren’t] handed this box and told, 'Make it look good!' That's not what we think design is. It's not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.”
In February 1982, Jobs made the cover of Time magazine for the first time. I was 15 years old, and the man and his story had such an impact on me I remember it as though it were yesterday. I was reading about a guy who, at only 26 years old, was already a successful businessman worth millions. I read it over and over, reading his words and getting ideas about how he did it. What was his secret? I decided then and there to follow his example, and from that day on watched his career as closely as any rock band.
I looked forward with my own vision, and used his example by taking my vision and expanding it to create the same for my teams. He inspired me to build out resources to support the vision, then lead the team to attain the goal. To build maximum value, create strong company cultures and expand growth, reward employees and earn loyalties. I took it a step further by believing in my heart of hearts that to give back to the communities that supported and helped me achieve my success is one of a successful person’s greatest responsibilities. My wife, Jeanne, and I are involved with many charitable causes, and are proud to have earned the accolades and awards for the charitable work we’ve done. We’re especially proud of our contributions to Toys For Tots, and of our association with the Education & Assistance Corporation and its Meals-on-Wheels program.
In 2005, Steve Jobs gave the commencement speech at Stanford University in which he said,
“Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.”
Thank you, Steve, for inspiring my success.
