One of the great things about a thru-hike is all the wonderful people that you meet along the way. During my hike, I met some truly inspirational fellow hikers. In the early part of my journey, several of these fellow hikers helped me to keep trudging along. One of the things that I quickly realized is that everyone had a very different reason for being out on the trail.
If you are still reading, you are probably wondering why I decided to hike 270 miles across the state of Vermont. My impetus for this hike was to unwind after many years in the high-tech corporate fast lane. What could be a better way to chill out than a walk in the woods?
I had the good fortune to enter the telecommunications industry immeadiately following graduation from Clarkson University when Judge Green forced the break-up of Ma Bell. This break-up spawned a decade and a half of unprecedented investment in competitive telecommunications companies and unleashed a torrent of technological advancement.
My first job in the competitive telecommunications industry was with MFS Communications. We dug up the streets of all the major cities in the country and laid fiber optic cabling. I started as the company’s first salesperson on the East Coast and was promoted several times ultimately to a regional vice president. This company was wildly successful including a strong IPO and was eventually acquired by Worldcom for $14B.
Next, I joined a start up named XCOM Technologies as the VP of Sales and Marketing. XCOM introduced the industry’s first managed modem offering and developed the first working softswitch. After just eighteen months, we were acquired in a transaction that I initiated, for $170M by industry powerhouse Level 3. This turned out to be a great acquisition for Level 3 as they went on to dominate in the managed modem business for many years.
After XCOM, I went on to become the CEO of a service provider focused on data services and web hosting. This company was an early player in the DSL space, a business sector that ultimately ended up being dominated by the very large phone companies like Verizon and AT&T. This company was acquired in a transaction that I initiated and led for $64M by Allegiance Telecom (now XO Communications). More recently, I have established a real estate business in Southwest Florida and have worked for a provider of wholesale telecommunications services to the wireless sector.
After all of these interesting work experiences, it just seemed like the right time for a walk in the woods. I consider myself truly blessed to have the resources and flexibility to be able spend a month in the woods. During my 270 mile hike, I decided that there are three goals that I want to achieve in my lifetime: (1) hike the entire 2175 mile Appalachian Trail; (2) ride my bike across the country and (3) sail across the Atlantic Ocean. Number three is going to be a reach as I don’t own a sailboat or know how to sail.
If you are interested in connecting in the Web 2.0 world you can find me on Linkedin, Facebook and Zoominfo.
