HOPE + OPPORTUNITY

HEY, OZZIE, it’s me—ah, you, but older and a little wiser. There are some things I’d like to tell you about your future. Don’t worry! Everything works out. In fact, you’ll be amazed by what you accomplish. All does go according to plan, at first. You do find success in the tech industry. Then your life takes some unexpected turns, and you build a surprising second career. But you and me, we’ll end up in a good place—if you pay attention. So, listen up.

It’s 1973 and I know you’re worried this will be a rough year for our family. You’re right. Dad is gone and it’s all on Mom now. Unemployed and left to raise three kids all on her own, wondering how to put food on the table and make a home for us. Kid, you can’t fathom how badly the odds are stacked against her. But she’ll pull it off. She’s so strong and determined. You’ll learn a ton about perseverance from her. That’s an invaluable life lesson. You’ll also develop empathy for families in crisis as you see firsthand how hard it is to recover when life throws a curveball. That empathy will fuel your not-for-profit work one day.

But first comes your for-profit career in the tech industry. So don’t fret being a nerd now—it pays off! Embrace those punch cards. Try to get your hands on one of those SR-50 scientific calculators next year, too. Nerds will actually be cool in the future! And please learn Cobol. You’ll never be a programming whiz, but you’ll learn to value the people who are. Later, when you become the CEO of Ulticom, a telecom innovator, you’ll know how to find and keep tech talent—and those employees will help lead your company to a wildly successful IPO in 2000, even as the dotcom bubble bursts and financial markets plummet. Dotcom? Uh, that’s how everyone shops and communicates now. I don’t have time to explain it all, but I would appreciate it if you’d buy shares of Apple in 1980, Amazon in 1997 and Google in 2004. Here are a few other important life tips, but don’t forget the stocks.

Be Open to Opportunity: Adopt a growth mindset. There are opportunities everywhere and well beyond tech. After Ulticom, you’ll become CEO at TechAmerica, the high-tech industry’s leading trade association. A few years later, you become CEO at Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship, an educational nonprofit that builds entrepreneurial skills in youth from under-resourced communities. Yeah, that’s an unexpected twist, but you’ll see something of yourself in the those young entrepreneurs—and you’ll come to understand and embrace the hope + opportunity equation. You can’t have one without the other.

Your next career opportunity is as CEO of Two Ten Footwear Foundation, a nonprofit with a singular mission to bring hope + opportunity to people who work in the U.S. footwear industry. You’ll arrive in 2020, just weeks before the onset of a global pandemic. Your first challenge will be a doozy: steering this organization, born in the ’30s, through the biggest crisis since the Great Depression. Factories, warehouses and stores will shutter abruptly and Two Ten will face an unprecedented cry for assistance. Your leadership skills will help you rally the Two Ten team. They’ll respond to thousands of hardship and crisis cases and, over the next 18 months, will award nearly $5 million in emergency assistance to footwear families in need. Be proud of how your new team rose to the challenge.

Be bold: Some risks are worth taking. I know you always carefully weigh the pros and cons before you act—a habit you’ll never outgrow— but sometimes you have to swing for the fences. Otherwise, years later, you’ll regret not taking a chance on that big idea.

Build Strong Relationships: Building enduring friendships and family bonds is the most rewarding aspect in life. Be there when your family and friends need you. Really get to know your colleagues and clients. And when someone asks you to be a mentor, say yes.

Listen to the People you Love : Your wife (someone you’ll meet soon in high school) will encourage you to find a meaningful second act in the nonprofit sector. Sure, you could have kicked back and retired early, but she knows you always need a mountain to climb.

Get Plenty of Fresh Air: Hit the slopes with your kids, Kathleen and Conor, and go to the beach with your wife, Patti Ann. That will recharge your batteries and you’ll treasure the memories.

Give Mom her ROI: She invested heavily in your future. She worked hard so you would have an opportunity to succeed. Did she believe you could become anything you wanted and do anything you set your mind to? You bet! She was your biggest cheerleader. She knew the best gift she could give you, your sister and brother was building your self-confidence, resilience and persistence. Don’t let her down. Make Mom proud!

Best, Shawn

Steve

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