Fridays With Fred

I started my first “real” job as a programmer on my 31st birthday. They gave me a quick tour and two thick technical manuals to study and that was it.

I started my first “real” job as a programmer on my 31st birthday. They gave me a quick tour and two thick technical manuals to study and that was it.

I started my first “real” job as a programmer on my 31st birthday. They gave me a quick tour and two thick technical manuals to study and that was it.

I started my first “real” job as a programmer on my 31st birthday. They gave me a quick tour and two thick technical manuals to study and that was it.

I started my first “real” job as a programmer on my 31st birthday. They gave me a quick tour and two thick technical manuals to study and that was it.

It was at a networking event when I ventured across the room to greet someone I didn’t know. “I’m Joe,” they said. I blanked.

Next year is a big year for me — 35th year in business, new building, first grandchild. It’s made me reflective, and, if I’m honest, a little nostalgic. We’ve come a long way since that night in 1984 when it all began.

This year I had one of the most difficult hikes of my life. I returned to the Appalachian Trail for a six-day trip with our backpacking club. The first four days were excruciating and many times I thought I’d have to turn back.

Some people invest in the stock market; I prefer to invest in people. Employees are one of the greatest assets a company has, and, ultimately, they’re the ones that are going to drive your business forward.

After 38 years in the business world, I’ve realized that only one thing is as certain as taxes — life. Life happens, and unlike taxes, it doesn’t follow a nice schedule we can plan around every April. In fact, life is probably happening to someone around you right at this moment.