I was recently reunited with an old friend, a very good old friend in-fact, that I had lost touch with several years ago. I'll call him The Kid, and he was my college roommate. He stood at my wedding and I at his and we shared many terrific memories over many years. He was always a loyal friend and I know we both regret that we lost touch 5 years ago. In any case, water under the bridge.
I think that many people would say that I was good role model for the kid. I think that Kid's parents felt that way. Maybe I was. But I saw things differently. It was kid that was my role model.
Kid was our fraternity's social chairman, and he was the best one we had ever had. he approach the job with passion and zeal and a business plan. Yes that is correct: a business plan.
After graduation he went to work for his dad and then his dad sold the company and the kid found himself without a job. He moved home and into the bedroom of his youth, complete with twin bed and "Marc" on the door. Not a very glorified life for a college grad. But the kid was not phased. He got a separate phone line and he promptly started a business. It was called Marc Photo and Marc was the only employee. Kid would answer the phone that was next to his twin bed "studio." It was hysterical. When I drove with him in his car, he'd be playing audiobooks on business topics. While other friends of ours thought it was pathetic and would joke that Kid couldn't read, I thought it was terrific. I saw Kid as hungry, clever. He'd be on the road so much promoting his business, that he used the time as productively as possible, hence the audiobooks. It was brilliant,really. I never doubted that he'd be a success in business. Within 5 years Kid had transformed his bedroom company into a multimillion dollar commercial photography and design business.
Though far from Kid's multimillion dollar company, I have my own successful urology practice now and I've become very busy in my office and life. On top of work and an old house, I have 3 kids, i.e. children, of my own, and I have very little time or energy to read, whether it is for pleasure or business. What have a done? I have taken The Kid's lead and have turned to the audiobook. Phenomenal! I can download the books from the internet and listen to them on my desktop at work, on a iPod as I lay in bed with Emma and wait for her to fall asleep, and on CD while in my car. It has really been nice and in the past few weeks I have "read" 5 or 6 books and have learned some new things. Sure my wife makes fun of me because I'm not really reading, but I assure you I know how to read just fine.
Kiddo, it was great seeing this weekend and thanks for re-entering my life. I can learn a lot from a guy like you. You've been a huge success in business and many of the things I've done that have worked, I learned them from you.
Let's keep in touch buddy-boy.
