Agathon Group - "The Good Stuff"

Small Giants Illumination

by Alan Ritari on April 9, 2009 10:57 PM.

When I quoted yesterday from Small Giants, I had no ideas the waves I would create. Several close friends, all solid thinkers, expressed varying degrees of… angst over the quote. For reference, here’s the citation:

“I guess some people don’t feel [fabulous] about their business, but I don’t know how they manage. I think you need to feel in your gut that whatever you do is the most interesting, exciting, worthwhile thing you could be doing at that moment.” ~ Norm Brodsky, Records Storage

When Norm Brodsky talked about how he feels when working, he was juxtaposing it against the mindset of people for whom work is merely a means to an end; the motions you have to go through for a paycheck. For him, and us here at Agathon Group, the path from start to finish is often just as gratifying as crossing that finish line.

The quote resonates with me because it speaks to the heart of everything Agathon Group does. We’re not just in the business of turning a quick project buck, or reselling the same hosting packages as everyone else. We pursue things that make a difference in the world. Our unofficial motto is to Do Good, both in the value we create and the way we create it. It’s interesting, exciting, and worthwhile work.[1]

Please also note Mr. Brodsky’s essential qualifier, “at that moment.” He’s not trying to claim that today’s work is your life’s calling, everything you were made to be. Heck, he’s not even talking about six months from now. Is what you’re doing at this moment worthwhile? You’re allowed to change your mind next week, or even tomorrow. But today’s work is great, and that’s what gets me up each morning, ready to go.

[1] Not everything we do is flowers and rainbows, but a large enough percentage has that potential that I can make sweeping generalizations. Feel free to take it with a grain of salt.