The First 80

My life as an entrepreneur began in Minnesota trapping muskrats and selling their hides, then evolved to serving in board rooms across the country. More than once as I recalled my life experiences, I found myself saying, "Oh my gosh, what was I thinking?" How does a young man go from rabble rouser and high school drop-out to world traveler riding the wave of the new computer industry and running one of the most successful specialized IT companies in the country? Hard work? Yep. A sense of adventure? Yep. Impulsive and a little crazy? Affirmative. And lucky! In the process of compiling this book, I was able to look back on a life well lived and ended up with a much better understanding of who I am and what makes me tick.

The adventures recounted here follow the twists and turns that took me from being a kid in the wilds of Minnesota to hiking El Camino in Northern Spain at the age of 80. Along the way, I became a sailor in Uncle Sam's Navy where I learned to program computers, went to Vietnam to see a war, worked for an international consulting firm, lived overseas in Puerto Rico and Venezuela, learned Spanish, founded two companies, married some wonderful women, and became the proud father of my daughter Kimberly and son Bruce.

My latest calling is serving as a mentor with SCORE and coaching other muskrat trappers as they begin their journeys. It is one of the most gratifying things I've done. I've also begun writing the sequel to The First 80: The First 80 - the Next Decade.