A Perspective of Ownership

Recently I have come to realize that the owner of Newfangled isn’t who I thought it was.

When I started at Newfangled, I thought Eric Holter was the owner, although for some reason I approached my job as if the company were my own. This wasn’t due to my being a particularly forward-thinking or ambitious person, though–it was just how it was. When I decided to buy Newfangled, well, then I really thought of the company as mine.

These are pics of Steve, Sarah, George, and Jason (clockwise from the top left) I took at our 2009 Fall retreat in Asheville, NC.

What I have recently come to understand, though, is that Newfangled’s real owner isn’t me, and it wasn’t Eric. Newfangled is a palpable life form that exists outside of and because of all of us–the employees, the clients, the general public’s understanding of who we are. Newfangled is a living, breathing entity that needs to be properly nourished and minded. Newfangled has its own rules, and its own needs–both of which may or may not be in accord with my own rules and needs.

My job can be most accurately summarized as “The Steward of Newfangled.” But then again, seeing how a lot of our employees act, that seems to be their job title, too. It is Newfangled’s job to serve our clients well, but it is my job to serve Newfangled well. 

I understand this all may sound obvious, but I consider this realization to be one of the more significant developments in my career. With this new perspective, every decision I make comes from a different and more effective place.