Colleagues

Colleague – that one single word is ultimately the reason why a company prospers, the way work becomes a career, and how a career becomes meaningful and ultimately morphs into memorable if you are fortunate. Throughout my career, I have been blessed with tremendous colleagues.  Marsh is no exception to that, much like at A&A and in my roles in the golf business.  For that, I thank each and every one of you.  There are way too many exemplary colleagues to call out in a paragraph or two and I certainly do not want to leave anyone out who was instrumental, as slighting any of them would not be fair.  Since retiring, I now have the time so I am publishing posts on my blog acknowledging those who have made a difference in my career and life.  Some posts will be serious, some humorous but the individuals involved or stories were hugely influential and I have waited far too long to acknowledge or share.  As I have been reflecting about my time in the business world I thought this would be a good way to close the loop for me, and maybe even help a person or two as they contemplate their business life.

Many of you have heard me say that I could remember being the youngest in the room, but being the oldest in the room snuck up on me quicker than I would have liked.  As Kathy would say “this is how you know it is time to go” and I thank her for that wisdom and guidance.  Having left only one other company after a decade or so of active involvement I know how difficult it is (for me at least) to say good-bye, so I have opted for just saying “until next time”.  Many of you might find that strange coming from me, but I have formed and maintained many long term business relationships (e.g. you are not getting rid of me just because I am retiring).  This also has driven my conclusion that in any competitive sales situation, inertia is actually the most formidable competitor.  You need to know I have had the same accountant, lawyer, and dentist since 1980, and have known my dentist for over 45 years because of golf.

While retiring could be a tad scary for many, it is with great anticipation that I move through this phase (contemplating life) exciting from what has been a great career and life (my own view at least). I thank all of you who have played a huge part in those successes and those memories.

If you are interested in learning more, laughing some, and understanding what kind of people might have actually pitied me enough to help me. I hope all of you choose to follow my new blog as I believe there are nuggets for you as you navigate your career as well.  I can also be found on twitter @JimSpuller.

So, until next time…