An ode to the NARPs (Non Athletic Regular People)

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I went on a hiatus from playing sports early in my youth. Not really what you wanted to read, right?

Back then, Black Flag’s ‘Fix Me’ and Slayer’s ‘South of Heaven’ took the place of running hockey plays in my head (thanks to my trusty Walkman), and that’s all the room I decided I had. So, music became my passion and it was in that moment I realized being any kind of super-star athlete started and finished with youth hockey.

At that time, playing music was my forte and so that’s just what I did; I played music. And come to find out I was actually pretty good at it, too. From my first tour a week after graduating high school, to playing in bands throughout college, music is what I wanted to do. Many years and countless gigs later, however, I sit here happy to report that although my passion still remains with writing fast riffs, I’ve found my way back on to the ice.

And I’m happier than ever.

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For The Love Of The Game

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love_drivn.jpgThat’s why we play right?

For the love of the game. Whether you’re a professional athlete playing in a stadium filled with thousands of fans, or you’re part of a Monday night pick-up league playing in front of your buddies; we play because we love it.

We love the feeling when the whistle blows. We love the feeling of competition and challenging ourselves. We love the feeling of being part of a team. 

No matter what age or what level you’re at, we can all find comfort in being part of something bigger than ourselves. And what better day to celebrate this constant in our life than good ol’ Valentine’s Day!

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Better Connection Leads to Better Chemistry

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“Hire for your company like it’s the most important company in the world.”
 
That’s what Russ Plantizer told me once. He is one of my first venture investors and was with Lazard Technology Partners at the time. It has always stuck with me. 
 
He went on to say; “Find people that have the capacity to do the job, and two jobs adjacent in either direction and the commitment to persevere when things inevitably get hard.” At the time, I briefly thought this was just VC opining. 
 

But over the years I have grown to realize that choosing who you work with is the most important thing you can do in building a successful company. 

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