This month's guest author is Barbara Bry. Currently, she is COO of Blackbird Ventures, www.blackbirdv.com, in La Jolla, California and the producer and co-host of "I'm There for You Baby: The Entrepreneur's Guide to the Galaxy," www.imthereforyoubaby.com, a weekly radio show and podcast for entrepreneurs. She has been on the founding team of two companies and three nonprofit organizations. Barbara was a co-founder of Atcom, the leader in developing internet kiosks and high speed internet access in hotel rooms and was also on the founding management team of Proflowers.com, which completed a successful initial public offering in December 2003 as Provide Commerce. (PRVD) Barbara is also the founder of UCSD Athena, San Diego's premier organization for women technology executives and entrepreneurs. She spent 10 years at the University of California, San Diego where she was the first associate director of CONNECT, which has received international recognition for its efforts in linking technology entrepreneurs with the resources they need for success. Recently, she served as the founding editor and CEO of Voice of San Diego, an innovative news and information Web site which has been featured nationally for its leadership in community based journalism.
Lessons Learned & Other Stories - How Do You Measure Success?
--By Barbara Bry
In 1976, I graduated from Harvard Business School (HBS). My class had about 100 women, (out of 800 graduate students total), almost double the number that had graduated the year before.
I had been in Section G, a group of about 80 students who stayed together while the professors rotated in and out. It was a tough two years in more ways than I can count, but the degree has been an extremely important part of my life, opening doors and giving me a way to approach and analyze problems.
Last September, I returned to HBS for my 30th reunion. A few days before, a small group of Section G'sters, (your section stays with you for your lifetime), and some spouses gathered in Cape Cod for a pre-union.
Thirty years ago, we were very competitive both in and out of class. We were concerned with who would get the highest paying job, or who would get hired by McKinsey, Boston Consulting Group, or Goldman Sachs. I often say that I brought down the class average by taking my first job out of HBS as a journalist at the Sacramento Bee.
In Cape Cod we spent one morning, without spouses, in a confidential Vistage-like meeting at which we shared our ups and downs, turning points, and fears and insecurities in a way that we never could have 30 years before. These were the same cutthroat, Type A, competitive classmates back then who now were willing to reveal the hurts and losses and failures in their lives today. It was powerful, empathic and deeply moving.
In my case, I've had two major turning points in my life. The death of my mother in 1983 caused me to re-evaluate my priorities and to decide to leave the Los Angeles Times where I was working long hours so that I could spend more time with my husband and our two-year-old daughter. My next turning point was 10 years later when I got divorced and found myself with two daughters, then 12 and 9, living in a house I couldn't afford, and with more liabilities than assets. This caused me to again re-evaluate my life and to decide to become an entrepreneur.
After we reflected on the past -- our time at HBS, our families, our careers, travel, and community involvement -- we turned to the question: "What's next?" A few of us were already retired -- "actively" retired -- and now applying our business skills and energy to non-profit organizations. We no longer used money and career to measure success or status, but instead we discussed philanthropy and legacy and what creates a satisfying life. We had a heightened awareness of the fragility of life.
The most successful people were those who felt that they would leave a piece of themselves behind.
A balanced life is the true key to success. It's important to spend time outside of your business and to become involved in your community, spend time with your family, make time for your friends. It doesn't take much: spend one Sunday morning a month feeding the homeless, teach the Junior Achievement curriculum to fifth graders or mentor through Big Brothers or Big Sisters.
You will get back more than you give.
