How My Next Chapter Helps Write ALL4’s Book

I’m sitting in the Charlotte airport.  My flight from Philly was delayed and I missed my connection to Columbus, OH.  Now I have more than three hours to spare before the last scheduled flight out of here.  I’m still panting from my sprint across the B and C Terminals as I sit down at the first airport bar I see.  The work I could accomplish while I’m waiting crosses my mind…. but I think I’ll order a beer.  As a baby screams behind me, I watch the lightning storm outside (which will almost definitely result in me being stranded in Charlotte tonight) and I recall how I used to think traveling for work sounded so exciting! So adventurous! So glamorous!  News flash – it’s not.  It usually means less sleep, more stress, less exercise, more eating out, less routine… you get the picture.

Before you start thinking I’m a pessimistic complainer (I swear I’m not), let me finish.

All of these thoughts about my current (less than ideal) situation make me take a step back and start to wonder: “Why am I here? Why am I doing this? What is the point?”  And I’m not talking about the profound, existential sense of those questions; I mean literally, why am I doing this?

The answer is simple.  Growth.

For most of you reading this, it won’t come as a surprise when I say that ALL4 is growing.  We are a 60-person company that has doubled in both number of employees and revenue over the past 6 years.  John Egan’s blog about “Who We Are” reminded our readers of our “intentional commitment to growing our business”.  We are actively recruiting and hiring in each of our four offices.  Recently, Tina Mathis joined ALL4 as a full-time business development professional.  [Side note – that’s new for us!  ALL4, being a small company where everyone “wears multiple hats”, has never had a dedicated sales team before.  This doesn’t mean we are changing our consulting philosophy or our process for enrolling new clients.  However, it does mean that ALL4 is dedicating significant resources for our growth intention.  To me, this change is evidence that the ALL4 Principals are seriously invested in creating opportunity for our clients, employees, and partners.]

You might already know where I am going with this, but…

I am growing, too. Within the past few months, I relocated from our Atlanta office (back) to the Philadelphia office.  Almost in tandem, I decided to transition from a technical role into – you guessed it – business development.  This might not sound like growth (in fact, it sounds a lot more like transition), but for me, periods of change – while tough, uncomfortable, and occasionally terrifying – tend to coincide with the greatest periods of personal growth.  This notion makes me think of a quote by football coach Lou Holtz, which ALL4 Principal Bill Straub sometimes likes to borrow:

“In this world, you’re either growing or you’re dying so get in motion and grow.”

So that’s great and all, but I still haven’t really answered the question of WHY?

I believe in ALL4.  I believe in our clients.  I believe that together we can make an impact.  I believe that industrial facilities can grow, prosper, and create opportunity in their communities all while reducing their environmental impact.  I believe that, in my new role, I can combine my air quality consulting experience and engineering background with my ability to grow meaningful relationships to enroll ALL4’s next client.  I am energized by this opportunity and by the possibilities of the future.

Don’t get me wrong – I know this path I’ve chosen won’t always be unicorns and rainbows!  I can pretty much guarantee that in the coming months years, I will hit roadblocks, get frustrated, or feel rejected (but don’t we all have those days?).  However, here is my promise to my ALL4 colleagues, our clients, and our future clients.  In my new role alongside Tina, I will:

• Be intentional,
• Embrace uncomfortable,
• Stay fearless, and
• Live our CORE4 (ownership, accountability, authenticity, and culture).

So, please don’t be surprised if you hear from me!  I will be actively seeking input from our current and prospective clients on what we do well, what we could do better, and who may benefit from our service areas.  And if you’re considering hiring a consultant, changing consultants, or have any curiosity about ALL4, give me a call (610-422-1154).  Even if you just want to chat (I’m good at that), I’d love to hear from you.

And on that note, I think I’ll finish this beer…☺