Yesterday, my brother and I butted chests again for a few seconds. He was leaving for a visit with folks and had a few orders for me. Well, they sounded like orders to me. As the older brother, I don't like orders – received too many of them growing up from "the colonel (dad)." It took about 15 seconds for me to say "whoa." It's amazing how fast the past can hijack your experience. It took another twenty seconds for me to get my head out of my past so I could hear what he was really saying. 

He has a sense of urgency for staying on top of a few things as we are making some major transitions in our marketing efforts and there are always client and transaction details. Throw all this into the last minute rush to get out the door and into rush hour traffic – well there you go – flash from the past.

54 minutes – San Ramon, California to San Francisco airport – Monday morning before Thanksgiving – not bad. Just enough time to square things between us, get the details, and leave us laughing. I really like that brother of mine. 

My brother, Craig (on the left), is quite a success story. In the late 70's he created a direct marketing department for a non-profit company in Menlo Park, CA. That resulted in him being hired by some early computer era guys to take over marketing efforts for three trade magazines. That led to him starting his own software company which he sold and then on to a series of VP Marketing and Director of Product Development for hi-tech startups. All of this had him making numerous trips to Asia and Europe.

Then he decided he should have a college education, so he got his business degree through the University of Phoenix. At that point he left the corporate world and started two direct marketing companies. Well, the story goes on… but the point is – the boy is driven, he is talented and he has so much business savvy I'm wondering if I look like the milkman.

So, here's what Craig brings to the team:

• Over 20 years of marketing experience
• Hi-tech oriented brain matter
• Professional business skills
• Strong negotiating skills
• Project management skills
• Black-belt in Karate (as needed)
• Love of golf (did I mention that he plays guitar, flute, clarinet, saxophone and piano?)
• A dedication to fairness and win-win for everyone  

And me – I'm just a poor retired guy trying to make ends meet.

But I did have an Internet marketing and promotion company from about 1996 to 2001. I was surfing the net back when a gopher was more than a yard pest. So, I am involved in creating the eight websites that will support our team's efforts. It's not much, but hey, I am retired.  

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Anatomy of a Team – Part 1