I’m an odd duck, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. In an age of specialists, I’m an anti-specialist. These days most people function in tiny specialty boxes. Perhaps you’ve heard the saying, “Think outside the box?” We’ve become such specialists that we need to be reminded that the world is out there. We need to be encouraged to even think of it. Imagine that! That idea isn’t an issue for me: I LIVE outside the box. Centuries ago, traders made great fortunes doing something very simple. They would bring something cheap and common, say silks in China, to somewhere like Europe where those same silks were exotic treasures. I do something similar: I poke around in lots of specialty boxes, looking for problems and solutions. Often one box has a problem, and another box an easy solution, yet neither box knows about the other. I bridge the gap: problem solved! Specialization is powerful and much good has come of it, but it leaves a need for box-hoppers that I’m rather happy to fill. It’s fun, and the opportunities are endless! How does one come to such an unusual role? As you might expect, by an unusual path. My [...]![]()
