About
SuperThought
Failure Does Not Need to Be Final!
On August 9th 1999, I left a well-paying job as district sales manager for Sun Microsystems to start my own business. The original idea behind SuperThought was to build a business that would allow me focus more time on my family, as well as to reduce the risk of finding myself in my dad’s situation as I get closer to retirement. I needed to pursue a different path.
I was Involved in the local tech community and there was a lot of talk about how the internet was going to change every business and every life.
I invested 18 months researching the internet industry and trying to develop a plan based on facts, but at that time, facts were few and speculation as plentiful.
So, I walked out the door with only a high-level plan to find ways to use the internet to improve the way people learn.
Why Is Failure Such An Important Part of Life?
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.
The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming;
but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause;
who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly,
so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”
— Theodore Roosevelt
Dad’s Influence on SuperThought
As a young man, I watched my dad struggle in his later years to keep his job as an insurance salesman. After thirty years at the the same company he was pushed out at the age of 60 by a manager who was 28 years his junior. From that moment on, he worked for multiple other insurance companies trying to keep his job.
He died on Christmas Eve, at the age of 67 years, on his way to work.
I did not want to repeat the same life as my dad.
I vividly remember telling my Area Sales VP that I decided to leave to start a business in the web design space. As I hung up the phone a cold chill quickly set in. Did I make a good decision? Is this the right time to start a business? The second guessing became a real problem. Deep down, I felt that my decision was selfish. My two boys were just eleven and nine. My wife was home full time. What was I thinking?
SuperThought 1.0
Although there were many successes and a tremendous amount of business and technical learning, the success of SuperThought was short-lived. A lot of time was required to lay out a strategy, build the operational aspects of the business, and relearn how to sell to a completely different set of customers. Needless to say, I wasted a lot of time going down dead-end routes.
The deep feeling that I was placing my needs over those of my family simply would not go away.
Then on September 11, 2001, everyone’s life changed in an instant. By 3pm that day, I was in a line at the gas station. People were going nuts!
Within 9 weeks of the attack, I informed my wife of my plans to close the business early the following year.
My Return to Employment
Going back to a large vendor was challenging. Like leaving a big organization and being on my own, once again, I felt entirely out of my element.
In some ways, my stress became less of an issue. But the need for creativity and control over my future did not go away—just the opposite occurred.
A Love for Technology
My fascination with technology began early in my Junior year of college. Taking a programming class as part of the Business Degree at Indiana University, I realized its potential from a career standpoint and that it was something I thoroughly enjoyed doing. Within six months, I transferred from IU to Purdue’s Engineering Technology Department to focus on Computer and information systems.
Within just a few years of graduating, I was working for Wang Laboratories as a Systems Engineer working closely with large customers. Although I moved into sales just a few years later, my passion for technology continued to grow.
When the internet took off in the late 1990s, I was all in!
Two layoffs in twenty years – why? Were either, or both my fault? Or was there something else? Even when the 2nd layoff came and I had been prepared for over six months, it still hit me like a ton of bricks. It still hurts almost two years later.
But I do have a choice – I can let it destroy me or define me.
I chose the latter! And there in lies God’s call on my life – to help others either step out of the corporate environment and maximize their potential as an entrepreneur, or to proactively fight the self-doubt and depression related to being laid off and build a new life.
Now you understand why I specialize in creating web solutions for the tech industry. By focusing on small tech businesses, from solopreneurs to mid-sized companies. I can make a meaningful impact in the industry I am so passionate about. I help these organizations attract new customers, increase industry visibility, and improve customer experience.
Turning Pain Into Purpose!
My original idea with SuperThought was to use the Internet to help people learn.
But my purpose has evolved after roughly 40 years working for large technology manufacturers and two layoffs.
Today, I aim to help small tech business owners compete more effectively against larger rivals. By leveraging innovative technologies, I help them increase their market visibility, enhance customer experiences, and attract top talent.
SuperThought 2.0 – Life Today
I no longer have room for full-time employment. Although I typically work about 40 hours a week, I completely control my schedule. And with soon-to-be seven grandchildren within a few miles, I no longer have time for a large corporate environment.
Since my mid-thirties, I have dreamed of being self-employed, doing something that would provide more autonomy, flexibility, and control. Although there are many positives about working in Big Tech, I need something different.