Reunions & Relationships

1/ This past weekend, I attended my 10-year law school reunion. I went to law school partially out of desperation. When I transitioned out of the military in 2009-2010 I couldn’t get a job, so my parents encouraged me to apply to graduate schools. On the first day of law school, I remember Dean Larry Kramer telling the highly ambitious class to relax and that we would all do alright. He told us to stop grasping for gold stars and instead focus on learning from professors and our classmates and reminded us that Stanford Law School had a grade non-disclosure program.

2/ I’m thankful for the grade non-disclosure program because even when I applied myself in classes, I was not as sharp of a legal mind as many of my classmates. Going back to school this past weekend was probably the first time I ever felt semi-comfortable on the campus.

3/ At Stanford University, there’s a common saying that every student is a duck. They are calm above the water, and below the water, they are paddling furiously. I could identify with that statement the entire time I studied there, but I’m not sure I was even calm above the water. Despite the Dean’s advice, I stressed all throughout graduate school as to whether I would be able to support my young family after school.

4/ I talk to many transitioning veterans through Service to School, The Military Veteran, Context VC. The advice I give them about graduate school is; that school should help them learn, earn, and grow their network.  People often talk about networking and building relationships, but never how. In order to build relationships, first, you need to be in the right rooms. A good school helps them get into these rooms where it (learning and networking) happens, resulting in relationships that can be helpful personally and professionally. Relationships take time. In fact, they take decades to forge. Character and competence become more apparent in relationships that span years if not decades. You can’t rush valuable relationships.

5/ Most people in business are focused on revenue. The top of the iceberg in business and what most people see, fixate, and discuss is revenue. Investors want to know the gross revenue of the business, the annual recurring revenue, net revenue retention, etc…

6/ I believe revenue is a short term manifestation of relationships, reputation, & respect. Focusing on the other Rs will in the long run drive revenue. Driving revenue is easier when the foundation is built on the other Rs. Revenue comes and goes, but relationships are much more enduring.

7/ I’m looking forward to seeing my Stanford University Graduate School of Business classmates next weekend and my United States Military Academy at West Point classmates next year during our 20-year reunion. Time flies!

#veterans #military #veteran #job #networking #learning #people #network #business