Steven's Thoughts

What Recession?

One of my favorite local restaurants is David Chang's Momofuku.

I have been trying to get a reservation at his 12 seat chef's table 

restaurant, Ko, since it opened about 2 years ago and it is always 

booked.

Are we really in a recession? Or maybe it doesn't apply to foodies.

Recession music

Just like everyone else out there the economy has gotten to me - but what's strange is how a financial crisis can affect almost everything in my life - even the music that I enjoy the most now - 80s influenced indie pop. 

Last night, Sienna and I went to see The Ting Tings at the Music Hall of Williamsburg and we felt transported back to an early 80s night club. What was so great about the concert? Was is it the lead singer's awesome, shiny leotards and her puffy dress, that only a skinny 26 year old bleached-blonde can pull off, or was it the playback of the plasticky sounding keyboard that was not even on stage?  I think it was much more simple. It was my craving for comfort music. 

A few weeks ago I posted on my Facebook status that I couldn't believe that I had started becoming a lover of pop music and listed acts such as: MGMT, Santigold (formally known as Santagold) and CSS. Many of my friends strongly disagreed with classification of these bands being pop. 

I guess they are right. It is not pop as in what today's popular music is (billboard's top 100). It is not pop in 2009, but it was considered pop in the early 80s. Now people consider this music scrappy, dance-oriented indie pop. Anyway the point is, I am reverting to comfort music. Music of my childhood. The electro overtone of a cheap sounding synthesizer, is giving me the warm and fuzzy. 

When we left the venue we ran into a friend who was with a cute young chick who was excited to keep the night going with some drinks. And that's when I realized that if my music taste was stuck in the 80s, my responsibilities are right here in 2009, and we politely said no thanks and good night and went home to relieve the babysitter. 

I guess if 80s pop is all that I need to help me through this rescission I'm doing OK.

In loving memory of Robert Hughes

I got very sad new last week, my friend and mentor Robert Hughes passed way. Robert had taken his life, as Ann, his wife, called it, at a "sacred spot along the Appalachian trail in the White Mountains of New Hampshire".

To me Robert was one of my greatest mentors, both personally and professionally. Robert came to McGladrey to take over the e-business practice when he kindly took me under his wing and taught me the craft of consulting. Even today Lee and I use little "silly" idiomatic expressions that he used: when a person asks a question during a presentation and we have a slide for the question - "there are good questions and there are great questions. Great questions have a slide." 

Robert was there when I did our first Roundtable for the Top 20 Mutual Fund Web sites. He helped structure and guide me through the process. At the day of the session he was very sick, but still came to the sessions. He could not run or participate, but his prep and presence gave me the confidence to successfully run the roundtable.

When I left McGladrey, in 1999 to start kasina Robert was very upset and I couldn't understand why. At the time I was thinking about my future and what lay before me. Now I understand that he was sad to see me go and that he could not mentor me in the same way as he had done for the previous two years.

Robert was an unconventional man. His daughter was struggling in school and he decided to buy a farm in Main and to home school her for one year. After that year she went back to Minneapolis and graduated from her school with honors. He seemed to always do things on his terms as he did with his daughter's schooling, with much success.

He influenced me greatly. The main thing he impressed on me was the thirst for knowledge. He was a furious reader of all kinds of literature. He introduced me to the value of reading as much business writing as possible to always be in touch with the latest thinking. This still sticks with me today.

He never lost his curiosity and drive for challenges. After teaching his daughter in Main, he wanted to move to NYC to be with his new love, Ann and her three girls. He again became my day to day mentor by joining kasina and becoming a principal in my firm. He decided to join a young entrepreneurial firm for much less money then he could have made anywhere else. Why? Because he wanted the intellectual challenge of being surrounded by young minds.

In the short time he was at kasina he had a huge impact on us. He taught us the importance of process and he helped us solidify our consulting process. But the most physically lasting impressions on kasina has been his guidance and management of our physical office space. He wanted to make sure that it served our specific needs and was an expression of our culture. Our clients always seem to express how much the office speaks to who we are. This is probably the best complement that Robert would like to hear for his accomplishment.

I am sad that I haven't thank him for the impact he had on my life. I am so sad about losing my friend and mentor and the world has lost a true "mensch".

 

Fighting Cancer

I met Dave McCalley about 8 years ago at one of our e-business roundtables. He is one of the most organized and thorough clients we have at kasina. His organization always uses the most cutting edge metrics and his colleagues always joke: "of course Dave is doing it already."

Dave is also one of the more interesting people you will meet. Among many things he is a lifelong athlete and a very accomplished trumpet player. 

Just last week Lee send me a link to Dave's blog. Dave turns out to have tongue cancer. After the initial shock and strong sadness his writing has turned out to be quite inspiring. Knowing Dave and his approach to life I am convinced that he is mastering this challenge no different then anything else he accomplished in his life. If you know Dave please visit his blog and show your support.