Joe Gerstandt | keynote speaker, freedom fighter, freak-flag flier

This is a time of year that always brings reflection for me.

Packed within a few short weeks in the fall are the wedding anniversary of my wife and I, the birthday of our youngest daughter and the anniversary of me starting my business.  We have now been married 5 years, Gillian Mae turned four recently (and started pre-K) and I have now been in business for four years.

I did not plan to start my business four years ago…it was certainly the direction that I wanted to go in, but I was not quite ready.  I did not have enough money or experience or expertise or office supplies or something.

The universe knew better.

I came home one day (I believe it was a Monday) without a job.

I should have been stressed.  It was a pretty good job that I had just unexpectedly lost.  I had a brand new baby girl at home.  I should have been stressed and panicked and manic and angry, but I was not.  I knew.  Even before I got home, I knew that my time had come.

So I started.  I didn’t have a business plan (still don’t) or business cards or an office, I was just making it all up.  And I still am.  But, it is working.  In those early days, I spent most of my time at home (because I did not have any business yet) at my desk and our brand new baby girl slept right next to me in her car seat.  And we pulled it off.

And I will never go back inside.

My work has continued to evolve and grow and I am rarely aware of how incredibly fortunate I am.  I made the SxSW agenda this year and also spoke at The Great Ideas Conference, the Catalyst Awards Luncheon, the SHRM Annual Conference, the ASAE Annual Conference and some other very cool gigs. I am excited about providing the closing keynote at the upcoming Power of Inclusion conference…I have taken on a variety of new consulting / facilitating projects and am writing a book.  The work that I do with Jason Lauritsen under the Talent Anarchy banner continues to grow as well, we recently keynoted the Illinois SHRM Conference, have a very cool gig coming up in Las Vegas and will be keynoting some more state SHRM conferences in 2012…we have a book written and are moving forward with self publishing.

Good things, by the dozens.

I am thankful and I have a lot of people to be thankful to.  My parents set the example for me.  My wife has been patient and supportive and kind and patient and patient and patient and everything else. Our children. My friends. And lots more.

I have accomplished a fraction of what I hope to do professionally, but after four years and a cloud of dust, I feel like I am picking up steam and I am very much looking forward to what the future holds.

Thank you.

Be good to each other.