Over the past six months, things have been changing in my life. Professionally, I made the decision to transition from corporate HR executive to full time consultant and speaker for hire. Personally, my family and I have moved to a new house in a new small community. Both pretty big changes in their own right. Together, they have made for a pretty wild ride.
Through this change, I’ve had a lot of time for learning and growth. One of the things that’s I’ve learned is that I am best when I’m half of a great partnership. For me, there’s something really powerful about having the right partner. A partner works with you, supports you, challenges you, and makes you better. A great partner is that person who’s always reminding you that you can and will do it. I’m blessed to have several great partnerships in my life.
Professionally, I get to do work with my best friend, Joe Gerstandt, as we create havoc together speaking and writing as our super hero alter ego, Talent Anarchy. This partnership has been growing for a decade now and it’s great fun. Joe makes me better and he’s the one who’s been the constant voice in my ear when I was wearing down from the fight against the status quo, reminding me that “it’s not you who’s crazy, it’s them.”
As I’ve mentioned here before, I’m launching a new consulting business called Bulletproof Talent (more on this soon) with my long time friend, mentor and now partner, Cy Wakeman. Cy has reminded me what it means to work with someone who believes in you and wants you to be exceptional on your own terms. We push each other to be constantly better and think constantly bigger. I’m incredibly excited to discover what kind of exciting places our partnership will take our new business.
But the thing that has become more clear than ever over the past year is that I have the greatest partner in the universe in my wife, Angie. It has been her unshakable belief in me and my abilities that has kept me focused and positive throughout all of this change. Despite the fact that I’m not sure she always understands exactly what I’m up to, she always supports me. She knows me better than I know myself and she recognized that this was the path I should chose long before I did. Unquestionably, the greatest stroke of luck in my life was finding my wife and somehow convincing her to be my partner to travel this journey of life together. I am not who I am without her. She inspires and grounds me at the same time. She is a remarkable partner.
Great partnerships are remarkably powerful. So, I write this post both selfishly to pay tribute and give thanks to my partners, but also to illustrate the power of a great partner. If you want to change the world, change your life, or just change your immediate situation, find a great partner. And know that great partners aren’t always easy to find. It took me years and many failed partnerships to find the great one’s I have today. The key is to invest in relationships and put yourself out there. When you find someone who might be a great partner, be willing to explore where it can go and formalize the relationship. And, on the other side, when you are in a partnership that isn’t working, move on. Because, as powerful as a great partnership can be in lifting you up, a toxic partnership is equally powerful to drag you down.
Today, I give thanks to my amazing partners and I wish for you to have or find the same great support in your life.
Jason, It's always exciting to connect with others who understand the power of a great marriage partnership. There is no better muse than a person who knows what you are capable and can identify your faults in a productive manner.
I must disagree with you on one point, however. When someone is in a partnership that isn't working… don't give up. Reconnect with what brought you together in the first place, and be willing to uncover and fix what went wrong. There is nothing more powerful than knowing a partner believes you are worth the effort. Those broken relationships can become the most valued treasures later on.
Kathi,
You make a good point and I agree that you need to work to make partnerships work, marriage or otherwise. I've just seen too many people cling on to destructive relationships for far too long at their own detriment. And they do it over fear of change or just a lack of courage to stand up and claim their own happiness. It's a hard call to make and one that shouldn't be taken lightly, but there are many times where quitting a partnership, personal or professional, is the absolute right thing to do for both parties. In fact, it's often the case that you have to move dysfunction out of the way to make room for the right kind of partnership to bloom.