Pre Lives. The shoes that carried me 26.2 miles last weekend at Vancouver Marathon. First time I’ve worn a racing flat for a marathon and I don’t think I will ever run race in anything but from now on. I still lace up the Pegasus for training, but race day is another story.
Aside from falling in love with my day-to-day job here at Nike, I learned very quickly that there’s an entire community in and around the walls of this company that is our lifeblood. It’s the people of Nike that make this place special – almost supernatural. I’d bet that every executive here has been quoted saying that last sentence a dozen times over…I learned today the truth behind it.
Today, 1000 employees, friends and family of Geoff Hollister lined up and filled the seats of the Tiger Woods Center (Stanford Auditorium) to CELEBRATE the life of Employee #3.
While I had to skip a meeting to attend (apologies to my manager, now you know where I was), I’m forever better for it. Thanks to Geoff Hollister.
I first heard the name Geoff Hollister from a gentlemen in Vancouver, Canada – Doug Clement. Doug was the first person I had ever met that ran track for Coach Bill Bowerman. And you could tell. ‘It’ runs deep with these guys. Doug has been THE leader in Canadian Track & Field since his youth…he’s now in his 70′s, and I’m so grateful to continue to spend time someone who knew both Geoff and Bill so well…
Leaving the auditorium there were hundreds of wristbands in baskets – one for each of us. They had a quote from Geoff inscribed on them: “I HAD A DIME, A PHONE BOOTH, A FAST CAR AND I GOT SHIT DONE.”
Cheers to Geoff…THANK YOU.
Great session!
I had just hung up the phone with a dear friend that I trust like a brother (@KRNL)…we were concepting retail installs that’d make beaming holograms, kinetic phone prototypes and everything short of teleportation look like a half-assed effort…then got an incredible email. One that kicks you in the teeth. Reminds us why we do what we do. Grounds us. Inspires us to stay up all night. Be at the office by 5 am. Kick the shit out of the YEAR.
I don’t often post stories that are truly ‘inside the walls’ of Nike, Inc. for all sorts of reason(s). This one was really inspiring, concise, a heavy-hitting upper cut to the face – and came from a friend, Jason, who has been a bit of a ‘North Star’ for me during my first 1.5 years at the swoosh. Was a timely share… I needed this advice – Today. At this moment. Right now. – more than ever before.
Hope it inspires others.
