As we come to the end of the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the founding of netlogx, I have naturally been contemplating the journey.
Over the last 25 years, and especially as we have grown and been honored with more interviews, I am frequently asked about being a woman in business, and a woman in male-dominated fields, and then I am usually asked to share my female role models. I have great examples to share in answering these questions, but 25 years after starting netlogx at the kitchen table, as I look back, it has been my nuclear family who have had the front-row seat on the roller coaster that is netlogx.
All small businesses are family businesses because they are inextricably linked. Let me share what we have given as a family to reach this milestone.
My oldest son started attending business development dinners from restaurant highchairs. This has led to him having an amazing skill at finding something to enjoy on any menu. As a child, this was wonderful as “nuggets and fries” were not required to be on the menu, then later, as a vegetarian, he still works it out quietly! Thanks for all the time you gave Tom shaking hands, saying hi, and then settling down with your books, your crayons, and eventually your Gameboy!
My younger child arrived when the company was in its own infancy, and he too quickly learned to roll with it. He also slept far more than big bro, which better supported post-bedtime proposal development. While initially, we were blessed to have a nanny when she wanted to make a career transition, Harry took to school without a backward glance, for which I am grateful. Harry, when I stepped up to the Women & Hi Tech Board, especially as President, you were my go-to last-minute volunteer resource, and as a result, your binary code bracelet skills are second to none!
Harry and Tom, thank you for understanding the “mum’s on a work call” signal both at home and on the rare carpool pickups I did. I have learned so much from both of you and love the way you have always been willing to chime in, and for that, I am grateful. I know we have raised men who will always support and champion women and diverse participation in all they do. I only say this because they like to test people by saying “Mum’s Dad’s boss” and then gauging those who get it and those who don’t!
Then there’s Nick – the man who truly has never doubted I can do it – whatever it is! Thanks for all the under-acknowledged and overlooked work you have done from day 1 to get us to day 9,130 plus! Starting with finding an online company in Delaware to register the company – while that might sound so obvious today – remember this was 1998, and dial-up was revolutionary.
Then there was logo design – this is my favorite because we then naively looked to change it by paying someone to produce the same thing! Lesson learned when pronunciation became a challenge, you had the idea to imply the “i” in netlogx by putting the blue box over the g – genius!
You are always there to be the parent for our boys, from when work called on me to attend events, stay late, or adjust to client needs! You dropped off, picked up, covered illnesses, fed us all, and then helped with homework, and you always answer texts and phone calls – they are who they are because of you! For the first 4 years, this was all while holding down a full-time job that covered our family’s health insurance.
Then we had the family meeting and looked at what we had – and what we could lose – and agreed we’d go all in, and you, too, would work only for netlogx! From that day, leveraging our combined drive, the business development grew exponentially, allowing us to deliver on your mantra that we aren’t here to make the most money for us but instead to “create good tax-paying jobs and invest in the communities where we live and work”.
As we have grown in our leadership roles alongside the expanding netlogx team, I think your willingness to challenge us all to exceed expectations is critical to where we go next.
As we move into the rest of the year and beyond, I am proud of the three children we have raised together – Tom, netlogx, and Harry – and look forward to seeing where the future takes each one of them.
Phil Knight says, “Play by the rules, but be ferocious” I prefer Nick Taylor’s “I am the keeper of unrealistic expectations”
