C3 is 5!
Five years ago today, C3 Advisors, LLC became a registered business with the office of the Secretary of State in Arkansas. It was “official”. I’ve described my work as a great adventure and at times, a grand experiment. In 2017, there was a lot of unknown and anticipation. There was also a lot of good and important work to be done. That’s also true on this day in 2022.
In the spirit of fives, here are five take-aways from the last five years…
I’m incredibly blessed. I’m not a prosperity-gospel guy - far from it. But it’s right and good to be thankful that God has given me a certain set of abilities, experiences, and relationships that have resulted in a mosaic far beyond anything I could ask or imagine.
Motive matters. One of my mantras to our team at Soderquist Leadership was about “doing the right work, with the right people, with the right hearts”. I’ve tried as best I know how to carry that with me into C3. I think I can say that I have no misgivings about being the hero in someone else’s story. That’s incredibly freeing on the front side and equally gratifying on the back end of a project, to see what the client has accomplished or learned, and knowing that in some way I played a contributing role.
The unthinkable happens. It just does. It would be easy to talk pandemic here. That was so hard in so many ways on so many businesses (mine included) and people (me included). But it also happens on a personal and every day level: in our marriages, with our children, our parents, in sickness and in death, the loss of job or having to make those decisions about others’ jobs, financial stress, and the list goes on. There’s a song on one of my playlists called “Come What May” to which I reply “that’s great until ‘what may’ comes”. I believe what carries us is our personal faith but also by being surrounded by great people who truly care.
Relationships add meaning. Strategic planning, org design, individual development plans, talent strategy, cash flows, supply chain, M&A, exit strategies, hiring/firing/promotions, ERP implementations, new business ventures, … It’s all incredibly fun and stimulating (at least on my end) because it provides context and “how do I get from here to there?” I get intrigued - a lot! But what gives it meaning is the people I’m sitting next to in the board room or the coffee shop or on the Zoom call. We talk, laugh, poke fun, think, hope, plan, and at times pray, cry, and pray some more. It’s my favorite part of what I do. In his infamous speech at the ESPYs, the late Jim Valvano said, “But think about it. If you laugh, you think and you cry, that’s a full day. That’s a heck of a day.” I get to do those three things daily with a long list of incredible people.
Each day is a new day. 5 x 365 (plus a leap year day) adds up to 1,826 days - and it’s been great. But today, I’ve got stuff to do. I have clients that are counting on me to deliver on a set of stated expectations. The pressure to perform, that accountability to deliver, and the opportunity to contribute - it’s all there. And, I can honestly say I’m looking forward to it.
I think it’s right and good to stop and reflect on this milestone of five years. I have so many people to thank. And so much good work to go do. I don’t know what the next five years holds, but it’s time to get to it.