Good Morning!

Last night on twitter, I learned of the passing of Steve Jobs and my heart felt heavy. I have never met him but I have seen him many times on TV introducing whatever new gadget I would soon be buying and loving. He was always wearing a black long sleeve t-shirt and jeans, he was thin and wore glasses. He spoke like a leader and with deep conviction and passion about the products and his real belief that this new gadget was going to make your life better, was both inspiring and exciting. He would always say something towards the end of his presentation about how more inventions are coming and more advanced applications would be coming, so his cliffhangers were fun.

When I first moved to San Francisco, a friend of mine said would you like to go to a party with me, one of my friends is turning 40 and they have the most interesting friends. I said yes. We walked to a home in the Castro and walking up it looked nice, but when I walked in the door, the place was beautiful and the energy inside of the house was electric. I was introduced to the birthday boy and he was funny and as we stood there chatting I ask what is it that you do, and the room kinda went quiet and one guy said we all work for Apple. That started a whole conversation about who did what, how long they had been in each group, what products they worked on and all of them spoke so highly of the company, leadership and just their co-workers….This is all a bit odd to me, 6 years ago I was still recruiting and every single candidate I spoke with complained about their boss, their lazy co-works and the politics involved in their company. I had a great night, met great folks and was impressed with the attitudes of everyone I met from Apple.

Last night, I started thinking about the first iPod I bought for my step-son and the experience I had at the downtown San Francisco Apple store. There were many people there and the place was vibrant. I was ask a few questions and the “genius” who helped me explained everything and I took home the red tiny little gadget for the birthday boy. He was thrilled about the new toy and I could only remember the experience at the store being so…awesome! I wanted to buy more stuff, but I really did not understand any of it!

So when my cell phone was going down, I decided I had to get an iPhone and that started my love for Apple. This is my 3rd iPhone and I can not wait for the next version. Each phone does more for me, keeps me more organzied and I can communicate more easily with more information at my fingertips. Of course I can still watch my favorite bear cubs wrestling, access my bank and translate french wine labels with ease. I can remind myself to pick up a gift, drop off the cat and when my prescriptions are about to run out. It is all good.

Steve Jobs and his other biz partners started something really cool, did he know what it was going to turn out to be? I have no idea, I bet they hoped for the best and they way exceeded their wildest dreams. I have been reading quotes of Steve Jobs for the past few hours and all I can say is he understood his passion, his values and his need to create. He understood that there is always something better and any product could do more, be more and help more. He chose to live life on his terms, he did want he wanted, he dared to dream and think big and act bold. From what I have read he was a very attentive father and demanded the best from his employees and himself. He was not afraid to take time off to heal when he needed it. He was brave and showed courage at a time when some might just say enough.

I can not wait for all the biographies and made for TV movies to come out, I will read and watch them all. There are a handful of people that when you look back and can say they were the best at what they do, Michael Jordan, Oprah Winfrey, Randy Pausch, John Wooden, Henry Ford, Maya Angelou, Jack Welch, Frank Lloyd Wright, Babe Ruth just to name a few, Steve Jobs will be remembered with the best. He created something we did not even know we needed! He helped build a corporation that rivals none other out there in profits and employee and customer loyalty. He helped inspire millions of people to use technology to make everyday living and working easier.

I am glad I took the time to read more about this awesome human being, I am inspired by his drive, his creative spirit and his human spirit. I am excited that every time I buy an iPhone or iPad or whatever comes next that he had the vision for our lives, many of us never even considered.

Tomorrow, I will jump back on the wine train…today, I just needed to talk about Steve Jobs and his impact on my life.

Thanks Steve, I toast you and I pray you are at peace and your family feels all our collective love.

Much LOVE and wine,

Tammi