I started this venture called Jarche Consulting five years ago today. I still feel the way I did two years ago:
Blogging has helped me connect to others who are passionate about learning, technology and new ways of work. I feel like I’m living the life of the knowledge worker that was described several years ago by Peter Drucker. My business model is still in beta (and I guess it always will be) but I’m feeling cautiously optimistic that I can continue to make a living doing this.
Last year I hoped to celebrate my fifth anniversary, and that wish has now come true. Perhaps I should have wished to win the lottery ;-)
My friend and colleague Jay Cross is celebrating his 10th year as a free-agent this year and I’d like to do the same in five years.
Today I would like to thank the hundreds of people who have taken the time to make the thousands of comments on this blog. Without this direct feedback, as well as other bloggers who have referred to my writing, I’m not sure I would have lasted this long. I do feel like I am part of many communities. One of my greatest pleasures is meeting people whom I’ve known through blogging. The conversations are always rich and interesting.
Photo of “The Figure 5 in Gold, 1928” by Maulleigh
I look forward your 10th anniversary :)
Best,
Ismael.
congratulei …chon…;-)
Congratulations, Harold .. and many more years of fruitful collaboration between, and thought leadership from, you and Jay.
And .. I sure hope to work with you two at some point in the future. What fun that would be !
Thanks for the good wishes and the e-mails from several others. I’ll lift a fine glass of red to my friends :-)
Jon; I’ve been thinking that I should change my tagline to “wirearchy in action” – whaddya think? Wirearchy pretty accurately describes what I’ve been trying to do in all of my work.
High Five! The painting you show, “I Dreamed I Saw the Figure Five in Gold,” by Charles Demuthe is one of my all-time favorites. I have gone to see it in the NY Metropolitan half a dozen times. What drew me to it was a painting of the numeral 5 by Robert Indiana; his was in homage to Demuthe’s. Indiana’s 5 grabbed my attention in a museum in Amsterdam in 1971. Well, more than “grabbed” me. I was mesmerized. A year later I realized the “5” was the same “5” that was printed on my childhood school tablets. Echo. Echo. Learning, always learning. Hoping I’ll be learning with you for another five.
Congratulations Harold! Hope to see you at Third Tuesday in a couple weeks.
Can’t believe it’s been five years already. Congratulations, Harold! It’s been a blast.
Congratulations Harold,
I know better than anyone what courage and vision has been required of you to persist on your chosen path these last 5 years. We have had many moments of insecurity. I recognize and appreciate the many times you have spared me sleepless nights. Through it all, I hope you have realized that I believe in you and what you stand for. I have never lost faith.
andrea
I’m sorry to be late to the party, but since you’ll be around for another five years, perhaps I can be forgiven.
Best wishes for continued success and continual learning.
Dave, you’re never late in an asynchronous environment ;-)
Congrats, Harold. Glad to be sharing part of the journey with you. With this post, you remind me that I am still a relative newbie. I am still working towards my 500th post (but I should achieve that soon).
What’s important (in Harold’s work, and that of others) is not the count of the posts, but how the posts count.
Ooh, well said, Dave F!
Congrats Harold, happy anniversary ! Wishing you much success in your next 5 years (or the lottery, whichever you end up wishing for)
Harold,
??????!
There is an old Chinese saying that the first 15 years of working for yourself are the hardest. (Mind you there’s an old Irish saying that you shouldn’t take old Chinese sayings too literally!) Anyway, this is my 15th year so I’m looking forward to the good life that is apparently just about to kick in. (I’ll let you know what happens.)
Best of luck to you, sir.
Thanks, Ken, guess I’m only 1/3 of the way there. Oh well, back to the grindstone … (congratulations on 15 years; well done).