I made this Life Weather Map for my stepdad following a conversation we had over the holidays (interview below). It’s my take on the patterns, highs, and “pressure systems” that shaped his life experiences.
If you made a Life Weather Map for yourself, what would you chart, and why? (I’ve been thinking about illustrative journaling and life maps. I’ll explore this more later 🔎 :).
“Luck sets the weather. Integrity sets the direction”
🧭
The Interview:
The following is a reflective interview, part of an ongoing project to record important family memories. Today’s spotlight: my stepdad, a very successful businessman-entrepreneur who loves family, art, music, and offering strong opinions, whether you solicit them or not 😉
On Business
What’s a lesson about work, money, or success that either surprised you or became important to you over the years?
Success requires a great deal of luck and good timing. In my case, I was in the right place at the right time, and that was partly luck. You should never take success for granted, because timing plays a much larger role than people like to admit.
What matters more than intelligence in business?
Self-esteem. That is an easy one. It is the most important trait a person can have. It has to be part of who you are. That does not mean it cannot be built over time, but it is difficult. Without it, intelligence alone will not carry you very far.
On Life
What did you overestimate in your 30s?
Not very much. I became a CEO at age 31, running a company with about 600 employees. I was young and willing to take calculated risks. I was trained in finance and analytics and at the time knew very little about running a company at that scale.
I put myself in a position where I was visible, and I asked for the promotion. I went to the senior executives; they did not come to me.
If you could invite three people to dinner, living or dead, who would you invite?
First would be Winston Churchill. I consider him the most important world leader of our lifetime. I have read a great deal about him and admire his bravery and willingness to take enormous risks for the good of the free world.
Second would be Beethoven. He is the greatest producer of music of all time. I am listening to him right now. I would be fascinated to talk to him about how he saw the world.
The third would be someone from much further back in history, like Julius Caesar or Plato. I would want to understand how they thought and what their presence was like. Would you feel awe in the room? Would they dominate the conversation?
Artists we discussed over the holidays
Giorgio Morandi. “Still Life” (1931)
His good friend Takesada Matsutani studio + work, photos from NYT
“Circle Yellow-19” (2019)
Louise Bourgeois, three images from The Puritan Suite 1997-2003
He and my mom, out and about in California
