ABSILVER's World

“ Brian is only happy with 97%, of the results at work " said Frank in conversation with a former colleague at IBM, Sid, and his lovely wife, Mafel. We were meeting for an early dinner at Jack Allen’s on Anderson Lane.  Sid is great, and Mafel, charming, and we all got along well, especially Mafel and Frank as they both have similar charm and energy. They provided a great contrast as Sid and I discussed IBM and work.  With the help of Mafel and Frank, as the evening progressed and after a glass of wine, the topic of discussion transitioned from work to Austin and favorite places to eat and be entertained. Later at home I couldn’t shake what Frank said, "Brian is only happy at work when projects and the job achieve 97% of his expectations and results." He went on to suggest, and rightfully so, that any time my expectations are not met or exceeded translates into professional misery. This struck me as very insightful. It also made me reali

Everybody deserves healthcare, and medicines that cure diseases, eliminate allergies.   Today’s innovation in medicine and care help reduce pain, anxiety and depression, improve nutrition and provide hope and well-being for those with diseases such as cancer and AIDs live long and healthier lives. In a world where most countries provide healthcare as part of their society where does that leave the US?    Since I left the safety of a larger employer such as IBM, every career move has had the underlying worry will I have health insurance.   It isn’t just a discussion of costs; it is a discussion as a middle-age male it gets harder to get coverage that is also affordable.    Obamacare helped stabilize the costs, and made it easy to sign up, but with the attacks from the political right the concern that leaving employment, to say be an independent contractor can come with its own set of challenges. Why should a citizen of this country not have access to basic healthcare, a

I have been on an adventure these past few weeks, and led me to write a poem. I fight for us I fight for love  I fight to be content I fight to see my family smile.  I cry, life is changing.  I cry, life is freedom I cry, life is my own I cry, life is our family  I smile, for happiness  I smile, for my own path I smile, for my own uniqueness  I smile, for independence  I shout to live I shout to make my own mistakes  I shout for love I shout for the road not taken I strive to be who my dog loves I strive to understand the love of a cat I strive to understand who I am. I strive to survive 

So.. I sit on another flight.  Headed to Los Angeles for meetings.  I have probably boarded at lest a few hundred flights in my career.   Flown from short hops such as NY to Boston or around the globe from recent flights to Rome and San Francisco, to flights around the world including Dubai and Tokyo.  I even flew a few weeks after 9/11 to meet my mother in California for vacation.  I take a rather simplistic view of flight safety. Pilots don’t want to die, and they are very well trained.  So as I am one to stay on the ground instead of riding a roller coaster or climbing a steep hill, flying is generally a non-issue.  Put it more simply, I could not be happier if a flight has power at the seat and good WiFi. The occasional upgrade also doesn’t hurt my mood but honest flying is a means to get where I need to be, and not some grand adventure but definitely appreciated.  I remember my first flight.  Was a Co -Op in Atlanta with IBM.  Was headed to CT for a meeting and I w

I am trying to remember the last time I have been able to disconnect from work and breathe, exhale, and to take a few moments from the production of work and income, to focus on me, home, Frank and our four-legged kids.   Truth be told, I left IBM full time more than eight years ago to work for iSOA Group. The goal was to do great work and achieve greater balance between my work and personal life. That worked for a while, but it still was challenging un the scheduled 30 hours a week to not find additional time where work was not on my mind, to not think about ideas to promote the business, find new clients, or for marketing to help the business grow.   When I left iSOA Group, to become a consultant / marketing strategist for other companies, it became easier and harder to disengage.   When you are on your "own" you tend to worry about the next gig even if you have your toes in the ocean or are watching sunset at Mallory Square in Key West. Th

It was a week ago, the morning of Saturday February 9th, and I was on a flight at the beginning of the year. What are the odds that I am not on the way to some holiday but rather headed to a conference? If you have happened to follow my blog for more than a year, you are probably not surprised that I ended up at an IBM conference.    This year was “Think 2019” in San Francisco.   After years too many to count of conferences in Vegas, it was nice for a change of scenery even if it came with its own set of challenges.    While Vegas swallows up conventions easily, most cities don't have the abundance of hotels with thousands of rooms jammed next to one another nor the short distances between venues.   It also didn’t help the cause that the weather was rainy and cold most of the week.   San Francisco is a great city, but its ability to handle the crowd of over 26000 IBM employees, customers and fans was a challenge. Interestingly enough, at this confer

Brian's Top Ten Lessons of 2018 & 2019 New Year's Resolution I have not written often in my personal blog in 2018, as I have been busy, and writing has been more on the professional side for the agency and clients, so the creative spark was not as easy.   Here we are at the end of 2018, and I wanted to share some thoughts, and my New Year's Resolution for 2019. 2018 was a good year for us in Austin.  We settled into a new home, have good careers, and are learning to appreciate all that Austin has to offer.  There are challenges as well, but as we start the New Year and another birthday has passed, I hope you enjoy my top ten thoughts and resolutions for 2019. Brian's Top Ten Lessons Learned in 2018: 1) Cats can be sweet and loving:   As many of you know, I have not been a cat person.  I usually sneeze up a hairball around them, and truthfully am still more of a dog person.  With Daisybelle by my side, it has been even more easy to be a d