"Always remember that the most unlikely circumstances can always lead to the most unlikely results!" - Futurist Jim Carroll
Back in 1983, I seemed to be one of the few people in my company, east of Toronto, who knew how to use Visicalc.
And with that, a career was born.
The image for today's quote comes from this weekend. We were in my original home province of Nova Scotia, Canada, for an extended family reunion - over 90 of us from my mom's ancestry got together to share stories, reminisce, and catch up. After the event, my family and I spent some time touring around Halifax and the region and briefly found ourselves in the wonderful town of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia - originally a fishing village established in 1753, and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Off in the distance in the image, by the arrow, is one of the fish processing plants for Highlighter Sea Foods, one of many in this particular region of the world. This was, back in the early 80s, one of my clients, then known as National Sea Products. (You might remember that my actual professional background is that of a Chartered Accountant, and now a CPA. I still carry the professional designation, but rarely use it.) Seeing the plant in the distance, I was reminded of how a unique set of circumstances involving that company helped to light the fuse that led me on the path to where I find myself today.
Way back in late 1982, as I was very early into my career, I found myself immersed in the then fast-moving world of personal computer technology, diving into online systems that were the then precursor to the Internet; database programs such as dBase II, and spreadsheet software such as VisiCalc and later, Lotus-1-2-3. Most of this was occurring at the end of the work day, late into the night, as I developed a compelling need to understand what was happening with this new and at the time, very revolutionary technology - and trying to figure out how it might apply to my professional accountancy designation.
At the same time, there was a very complex situation unfolding in eastern Canada, as several major fish processing companies were brought together in a bit of a forced merger due to market conditions. The 'bigwig' investment banker types were coming down from Toronto to our Halifax office to work through the deal, and since I was the only guy within thousands of miles who knew his way around a spreadsheet, I was brought onto the team to crunch the numbers for multiple different merger/takeover scenarios. Working through the day and late into many evenings for well over a month, I began to discover that there might be career opportunities unfolding in this nascent technology world! A newspaper article from the time provides a bit of context to what was happening out in public, with my skills playing a role behind the scenes.
With that, my career transition from a CA/CPA to a technology-focused consultant and eventually, a speaker and a futurist, was well underway. I didn't know at the time that the circumstances that I found myself in at that very moment would be life-defining - you never do! But I do vividly remember that I found this world of technology to be tremendously exciting, compared to the vibrancy of the accountancy profession of which I was a member. (LOL!)
After I took the Lunenburg picture Sunday night, I met yesterday with my good friend Bill Cowper - he's a retired Halifax police officer, who befriended me many years ago on Facebook as my speaking and writing career unfolded. It turns out that he lives just below the Airbnb property we had rented over the weekend - he recognized one of the pictures I posted of our glorious view of St. Margaret's Bay. (Bill and I believe we might have briefly met in rather 'interesting' circumstances around 1980 when I was working on the stage crew for KISS (true story!) and he was a Halifax cop. That's a whole other story)
And to the point of today's post - you never know how the most unlikely of circumstances might lead to the most unlikely of results!
Yesterday, Bill shared with me the profound impact that my early Internet books, media appearances, newspaper columns, and keynotes had on his career. At the time my first book came out, he was on medical leave with the Halifax Police Department. Intrigued by what my book covered, and fascinated in the same way by the world of technology, he transitioned from being a cop on the beat and a drug detective, into someone who was also focused on a career with technology. He served 31 years with the Halifax Regional Police (HRP), working as a narcotics detective on high-profile drug trafficking cases.
But he too was convinced something big was happening in the 90s, and fully immersed himself in the technology world. Over time, he earned the nickname "Sergeant Internet" for his cybersecurity efforts, as well as his pioneering efforts involving in-patrol car computers and GPS and other technologies. Later on, he developed the first computer crime course for police officers, spoke within the industry about the marriage of technology and policing, and developed an entire career path that followed the trajectory of connectivity. (Later on, in an even more fascinating career transition, he led the corporate security team at the Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation (NSLC) for 15 years, managing their transition into legal cannabis sales!)
In a very touching note that he sent to me last night after, he commented:
"As I mentioned during our brief encounter, I've long considered you a mentor and hero, even though you may not have been aware of it. Your work, particularly your first Canadian Internet Handbook, subsequent books, posts and articles was nothing short of transformative for me during a pivotal moment in my life."
I am so deeply touched. But what he writes here is instructive guidance for all of us when fast-moving circumstances might provide us with a path that we need to chase.
"Back in 1994, I found myself at a crossroads. A broken leg and ankle threatened to derail my career as a patrol Sergeant. Little did I know that this setback would lead me down an exciting new path, guided in part by your visionary work.
While convalescing, I immersed myself in the world of technology, exploring bulletin boards and watching in awe as the internet began to take shape. Your book was among the first I purchased during this time, and it became a beacon, illuminating the possibilities that lay ahead in the digital realm.
What is the common story that is to be found here? Both Bill and I found ourselves at unique inflection points in our lives - a moment at the crossroads of one potential pathway that might lead to another. Both of us took the leap, plunged right in, and chased an opportunity. In my case, it was to be found in the brand-new world of connectivity and personal computer software; in Bill's case, it was the Internet and tech.
That's why you should always remember that the most unlikely circumstances can always lead to the most unlikely results! That little inconsequential project that you might be working on at this very moment might seem small and irrelevant, but maybe what you are doing is the stepping stone to something bigger. It might be the case that some personal project that captures your interest in a way that your corporate or professional career does not is the thing you are meant to do. It could very well be the situation that the buzz of excitement that you found with some new emerging trend is the catalyst that should spur you on to chase great change.
Never for a moment doubt the potential opportunities that might be directly in front of you.
After all, the decision to chase the future became the key decision that redefined my life, and that of my friend Bill Cowper.
Always, onwards!
Futurist Jim Carroll believes that the career transition from accounting to that of being a futurist is pretty unique