Life 2.0

Last Monday, I was able to virtually attend a service for my friend, the late Hal Thau, in Aspen, a man who made a difference in my life on many levels. Just two days later, the iconic Dr. Jane Goodall passed away, and I went on a search to find all of the audio I had from our conversations over the years. Hearing Dr. Jane's voice now reminded me that the lessons learned from both of these two life influencers came down to character, integrity, and singleness of purpose. I was fortunate to be in their orbit. A little help from Mr. Denver to close this one out.

Cynthia Jamison had an executive career as a crisis CFO before ascending to become a member of, and eventually Chair, of several public company Boards of Directors. She is a frequent keynote speaker on CFO and boardroom topics. She has been quoted as a financial/economic expert in Forbes, the Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, CFO.com, Agenda, Corporate Board Member, and the Economist.

She was also a single mother to four boys - leading her to become somewhat of an expert on work-life balance.

All that and more has led her to write "Shards in My Hair-Tales From Breaking the Glass Ceiling" which is part a Devil Wears Prada coming-of-age story, part career advice, and part memoir - a story of the chaos and the sometimes unfair and challenging aspects of business.

There's a lotta turmoil in the land of the free these days.

Talk show hosts getting suspended, millions of Disney subscribers dumping Dumbo, protesters battling ICE, the Tylenol debate, The Rapture (it was either yesterday or later today), and now comes the Windy City shattering news that the CEO of Portillo's has made an abrupt exit, amid "sluggish sales."

Wait, what? Sluggish sales? Portillos? 

 

Holy celery salt Batman!

 

How is it possible that the iconic Chicago restaurant is in hot dog retreat? What's next for the weiners and beefs and what does Jurassic Park have to do with it all?

 

Early this morning, I was checking out the last vestiges of veggies, and came across the last tomato of the season. It's that time of the year again, as the garden has gone through its life cycle. Bittersweet, for sure, as I'll have to wait until next season to watch the miracle of growth, with the elements of sun, dirt, and water doing their thing.

Impossible for me not to draw parallels to my own life cycle and how important it is to squeeze as much juice out of life as possible, because tomorrow is promised to no one, and one day, I'll be the last tomato.

Millions of viewers know Bill Kurtis from his work on A&E, CBS News, and his many documentaries. In his recently released memoir, Kurtis brings us into some of the most iconic moments of the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. He was in the streets during the riots at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago; he uncovered the truth about the deadly effects of Agent Orange during the Vietnam War; he was the first US television journalist to return to Chernobyl after the infamous nuclear disaster; and much more. Kurtis also offers an insider look at how television evolved from an emerging news source to the dominating force in American media.

 

We take a deep dive into his career with honesty and insight and he gives a rare picture of American history and broadcast journalism. 

Joe "Animal" Laurinaitis, along with the late Mike "Hawk" Hegstrand, were known as "The Road Warriors," the greatest tag team in the history of pro wrestling. Joe passed away in 2020, and on September 12th, he would have celebrated his 65th birthday. I reached out to his daughter, Jessica, to celebrate his life, not just as one half of the best tag-team in the history of the sport, but more importantly as her dad, and to share memories and moments from the 11,368 days she had with him. 

Yeah, I know, it seems like a year (or a week) ago CCC (Cracker Barrel Chaos) was all over the headlines. The news cycle has gone on to chew on other fodder, like the looming threat of Chagas Disease caused by kissing bugs, but a recent road trip put me smack dab in CBC (Cracker Barrel Country), and I had to stop, not once but twice (within an hour) to feast on chicken covered with sawmill gravy and get the inside scoop on logos, roast beef and good ole Uncle Herschel.

Since 1979, John Berry has recorded more than 20 studio albums, including one platinum album and two gold albums. In his career, Berry has also charted 19 songs on Billboard Hot Country Songs, including the Number One single "Your Love Amazes Me" in 1994. A Country Weekly article said of Berry, "John's greatest strength is his pure, soulful tenor," and The Entertainment Nexus described him as "one of the most remarkable voices in music."

His musical journey is hard-won, overcoming a brain tumor and throat cancer along with a list of other challenges that would have stopped most people in their tracks.

It's a great convo about his influences like James Taylor, Neil Young, and John Denver. Time spent with Charlie Daniels, how his version of "O Holy Night" has become one of the most requested renditions on the radio every Christmas, and what it was like to record a duet with the great Patsy Cline.

Any chance I get to support JB's music, I'm all in.

31 years ago this very weekend, I stood on the stage of the Aspen Music Tent for my first "public" speaking event at the Windstar Ninth Annual "Choices for the Future" Symposium by John Denver's invitation. From that point on, my life took a serious turn in ways I could never have predicted, and while discussing the "ripple effect" concept last night at dinner with two of my guys, I was transported back over the decades to the sunny Saturday morning in the Rocky Mountains. Amazing things can happen when you answer the call. 

The only hero I've ever known, my cousin Richard C. Hoffman, passed away last week. My life is filled with countless memories of Rich and his pivotal role in our family on so many levels. A highly decorated Marine Corps Sergeant, he served two tours in Vietnam, and eventually Agent Orange would wreak havoc on his body. While he wasn't KIA like so many of his friends in 'Nam, he is very much a casualty of that war, decades after he returned home. I have captured some audio of my conversation with "The Sarge" from Veteran's Day 2023, which now provides invaluable insights and recollections from his life.

 

I'm heartbroken that he is gone, but in the same breath, so very glad he was here. I wouldn't be the man I am today without him.