Just about everyone in education talks about “lifelong learning.” Don’t be intimidated or discouraged by that, thinking it means sitting in a traditional classroom much longer than we would want to. After finishing my masters back in—well, some years ago—I decided I wouldn’t darken the door of a college classroom ever again! I learned later in the game, though, that lifelong learning could mean learning something from the people around you—in my case, nearly every day!
Working through the alphabet for topical blog inspiration has brought me to the letter “J” and not one, but three, amazing men all named “John” from whom I have learned more than will fit in the 1000 or so word limit here. So I will introduce them and how I met them, with links and some suggestions for how you can learn from them as I did. Truth be told, many of you reading this will already know—or know of—one or more of them. In that case, I encourage you to introduce them to others who will benefit from their collective wisdom. Since I’m not sure in what order I met these three gentlemen, I will introduce them to you alphabetically by last name.
John McDonald is co-founder, CEO and President of ClearObject (https://www.clearobject.com/). Seems like Venture Club (https://www.ventureclub.org/) is where I first became acquainted with him, since I am a member of that organization. However, it could have been at any number of his speaking engagements in and around the greater Indy area, helping us to understand the importance of IoT to our everyday lives even before it became a buzzword. He is one of those rare tech experts who can speak to a mixed audience (all ages, levels of experience, techies or not, business people, and laypeople) and all of us walk away understanding the very complex concepts he is sharing. If you want to see what McDonald is saying in the @IBJTech, on @IIB with @GerryDick, or sharing news about his company and other things of importance to him, follow him on Twitter @jpmcdon. He is a true thought leader, not only in Indiana (where we make things, grow things and move things), but also on a much broader global stage. If you want to connect with him on LinkedIn, send a more personal message like I just did when I looked at his profile on that platform and discovered we were only 2nd degree connections. Need tips on how to connect? Go back and read my blog entitled “Connections” for advice. On a final note, I would be remiss if I failed to mention that McDonald is a Boilermaker, supporter of Purdue Foundry—and we are proud of him and appreciate him for that! Honored as a Distinguished Alumnus in 2007, much has happened since his bio appeared at https://polytechnic.purdue.edu/alumni-profiles/john-p-mcdonald.
John Qualls, among many other things, is a former Marine and President of Eleven Fifty Academy (https://www.elevenfifty.org/). Eleven Fifty Academy teaches coding with both offices and classes at Launch Fishers, where I have my office, although I was familiar with their programs well before moving my office there a couple of years ago. With a vision to skill up unemployed and underemployed prospective students of all ages, Qualls and his team are dedicated to feeding the pipeline of tech talent in the most efficient, effective way possible. By constantly working to match the needs of employers with skills imparted in the classroom, moving graduates through as quickly as possible, and then matching those new graduates with the employers that need their skills, Qualls and Eleven Fifty Academy’s programs are a very important piece of the workforce development puzzle. Proud to say that Qualls and I are already connected on LinkedIn and follow each other on Twitter @jqualls. His frequent, pithy tweets are a combination of original and curated content, always wise and thought provoking. Bonus something I learned from Qualls but have been too fiscally conservative to apply—he has talked to me now and then about the cyber-currency market, but since I don’t (yet?) understand the underlying technology, probably won’t jump into this one any time soon!
Last, but certainly not least, is my friend and now (sort of) landlord at Launch Fishers (https://launchfishers.com/), John Wechsler. Often described as a serial entrepreneur, Wechsler and I first met at a luncheon (probably Fishers Chamber) several years ago when he was there to introduce the concept of co-working and his plan to open a space to serve that purpose in the basement of the Fishers Public Library. Intrigued, but not quite getting it, I asked Wechsler for a meeting and tour of the space then under construction. He agreed, and we held our meeting on concrete floors with no walls yet framed and the de rigueur coffee bar not yet in place. I didn’t get it yet, but turns out he was on to something. That’s what visionaries do. They get it before the rest of us do and they forge ahead. Spaces and memberships were sold out before the doors opened. What I learned from this experience is to listen to him and ask how I can help, no matter whether I get it or not. Flash forward to today, and here’s where we stand. I say “we” because I not only “get it” now, I am a tenant at the new and much larger Launch Fishers. Thanks to Wechsler’s vision, influence and hard work, we also have:
- Dozens of other co-working spaces around the state helping to launch and scale up companies
- A co-working passport program where Launch members like me can find other locations to work on a daily basis
- An affiliated IoT lab just across the parking lot in Fishers
Don’t forget those LinkedIn connection tips if you go after a Wechsler connection (for me, two outta three ain’t bad, as the saying goes). Following @wechsler on Twitter serves up a great variety of things going on at Launch, Iot Labs, and in Wechsler’s world. It’s an amazing one!
In closing, I would summarize what I have learned from these three amazing friends as this:
- Even if I don’t get it at first, listen and go along for the ride—could turn out to be great fun!
- Get out ahead of the naysayers and take risks that nobody else is willing to take (even if you fail)
- Be gracious in your wins, share your wisdom, reach out to others to make a difference
Thank you to McDonald, Qualls and Wechsler for all you have done and will continue to do to make a difference in so many lives—mine included! Sure am thankful that our paths crossed
Looking forward to your comments and connections, both in person and virtual.
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