Sitting with Steve DeAngelis, Jenn Posda, and Jedi Slide Master Bradd Hayes as we work up a slide deck--our advising investment bank (same as Google's) guides us--in the packaging.for the next-stage investing that will tap a host of eager players from the world of institutional investors (all sorts of famous firms). Their eagerness skyrockets with the contracts we're winning on ResilienceNet (we're starting with a major East Coast port), next generation civilian infrastructure security management (a fusion center for one of the biggest U.S. states), information assurance work (for the usual suspects in the USG), pre-configured business processes (major logistics players) and the Development-in-a-Box‚Ñ¢ stuff that's taking off like wildfire in Kurdistan (threatening to gobble up all our cycles if we let it, but run with it we must because the chance to template the concept big time there will allow us to start running with it as a repeatable solution in a host of emerging economies).
Put it all together and Steve and I are collectively stunned at how all the non-stop selling and thought leadership of the last two years is now exploding in a shower of contract negotiations and closings.
On DiB in particular, I had to remind Steve of a phonecon we shared a year ago where we both lamented how DiB seemed like it wasn't getting any traction beyond the usual head nodding from execs, government officials and mil officers. Now, it's gotten to the point where no meeting goes by without a good dozen interrupting calls that must be taken.
I am finding myself to be awfully glad I didn't try to pen the next book on a tight sked. As for Steve, his old favorite expression of "not having enough bandwidth" is now replaced by "coming up for air." As usual, Steve's stamina and work ethic stuns me, and I'm a decently hard-working guy myself!
In sum, a very energizing work session, reminding me that, despite my still heavy speaking sked (the fall starts to fill up), Enterra's going to be a whirlwind this fall and winter heading into 2008. And then there's the book I gotta write!
Thank God the summer was relatively slow, with most of my travel with my family. Those bonds, thus deepened, are going to be tested significantly in coming months.
We're hearing from our adoption agency that we may be as far as two years out from meeting our next beloved. I know this: the child comes when the child comes, and everything in our lives pivots on that moment.
My job is simply to cover the ground required in the time demanded.