I had just moved my wife and our 2 year old son to our new home in Minnesota. My new job was as a Project Engineer. We were excited to be back in my home state with a great small company and nearer to family and friends. I'd only been at my new job about 6 months when I got a call from the president of the equipment manufacturer where I had worked as a Manufacturing Engineer for 5 years. My big break, so I excitedly thought, was an offer to become a Regional Sales Manager. The territory was 14 states and 5 provinces in Canada, a generous car allowance, and expense account. It was also double my current salary plus commission. An offer I couldn't refuse.
This was the late 80's early 90's, the low tech mobile travel era. An atlas for navigation, cassettes, motel hotel books and 50,000 miles a year behind the wheel. Life before blue tooth was my 1986 Oldsmobile Toronado and it became my class room. Talk radio, my cassette collection of music, books, and training tapes were my teachers and entertainers. Home away from home was exciting for about 5 years. I did get home enough that we added two more boys to our family during the "Road Warrior Phase."
Talk radio was just emerging as a genre but listening to the issues of the day and following a few of the national hosts were my introduction to learning to ask better questions of myself, business associates, and my leaders. I had a few mentors and developed some great relationships. The best advice I received was, "Don't make life on the road sound to exciting when you check in with the home front at the end of the day." Mobile phones were too expensive back then and national coverage wasn't very good.
The re-programming of my thinking during those hours behind the wheel were invaluable. Looking back I wish I would have had a little better mentors. When life is going good you can miss learning opportunities. Now I know intense travel is for the young, being connected all the time is exhausting, and silence is probably the best teacher. My dad's advice was, "Don't let your crocodile mouth get your tadpole ass in a jam." I think "follow the money" is now my go to.
