In Other Words With Dave – February 2020

Remember when Amazon’s goal was to be the “Earth’s Biggest Bookstore?” How about when Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston tied the knot? Or when a volleyball named Wilson was Tom Hanks’ best friend in the movie Castaway. That all happened in the year 2000. That was also the year I started Back40.

Here we are 20 years later and Amazon overshot their goal – in a big way. Things didn’t turn out so well for Brad and Jennifer – or for Wilson either, but Back40 has done well. We’ve endured, grown and prospered. We’re still helping clients with their web and digital marketing.

I can’t take much credit for it. Well, maybe for hiring some really smart people. And for doing my best to run an honest and fair business. I feel blessed to use my talents in a creative field everyday.

Sure there have been struggles, worrying, going without, hard conversations, and days I’d rather be stocking an aisle somewhere – anywhere, but really for the vast majority of my days – I love what I do and I love what Back40 does.

And it’s still fun. When I was a little guy, I enjoyed drawing. It’s pretty much all I did. I’d create worlds in my imagination that would flow off the end of my pen onto the paper. These worlds told stories and came alive – at least to me. I guess that’s one reason I keep inflicting this column on you, the reader. Selfishly, I get to do what I have always done – tell a story and draw a
picture.

I hope you can take a few moments at work or at home and do what you love to do. It feels great.