August 30

Hi Gang,

HOLY SMOKES! It’s been a living hell in Northern California over the past two weeks. An unexpected and bizarre lightning storm ignited massive fires north, east and south of San Francisco, forcing large areas to evacuate and compete for already lean resources. The cats and I high-tailed it out of West Sonoma and watched as the LNU Lightning Complex raged closer and closer to our home. (Like, 2 miles close. Winds shifted toward the coast just in the nick of time.) Firefighters from at least 9 states, Australia and Canada saved this community, along with many devoted citizens who bulldozed ditches, retrieved stranded pets, and delivered food to heroes on the front lines.

The operation was truly incredible. Imagine coordinating CAL Fire with all of the local and regional teams, in concert with significant protection by air (VLAT planes, Canadian Superscoopers, Black Hawk helicopters – I recommend you click these links). It’s mind-boggling and tremendously inspiring to witness this demonstration of leadership and operational excellence, along with sheer grit and bravery. When things calm down (they are nearly contained now!), perhaps I can tap into some of the brilliant minds behind this mission. So many questions. How did you triage? What worked well? When and why did things break down, and how did you get everyone back on track? How did you integrate so many different teams and capabilities in the middle of a crisis? The list is long. So much to learn.

For now, I’m just so grateful, so enamored, and so happy to be home.

News & Resources

Business, Leadership & Self

• Here Is Why Grit Is So Important For Entrepreneurs

• How to safeguard your business with COVID-19 risk management tactics

• The Business Impact Of Gratitude

• HBR: In Times of Crisis, a Little Thanks Goes a Long Way

News of Interest

• The Best Face Masks, According to Chefs in SF – especially helpful for long-haul flights and hot days

Diversity & Inclusion

• Why are there still so few Black executives in America?

From the Community

• Troy Wilson recruits AstraZeneca vet to steer Kura's late-stage pivot – congrats, Troy and team!!!

• Live Interview: Kilimanjaro - Lessons from 19,000 Feet. Rivervest Ventures interviews Dan Bradbury (CEO of Equillium) about his climb of Africa’s highest mountain. Lessons about leadership and entrepreneurism can be found anywhere. Register here.

Food Fight – Send me yours!

There are so many angels among us. A HUGE thank you to the BDS (‘Burrito Deployment Strike’ team) for feeding our heroes when they needed it the most. Local restaurant owners and teams worked around the clock to deliver hundreds of meals to firefighters day in and day out. Amazingly, someone watching the feed recognized his parents’ house in the photos and said it brought him to tears knowing their house is safe.

Facebook users can see more on Marcos J Suarez’s FB page.

Point of View – What are you seeing out there? (Share anonymously if you prefer.)

This shot reminds me of what fresh air looks like. Thank you, Dave Hering, Regional President North America - Vaccines at Pfizer. (And GOOD LUCK… we’re all rooting for you!)

Dave’s perspective: “Here is picture of a sunrise in Vermont. My family has been here all summer and is enjoying hiking, swimming in lakes and rivers, and biking. Plus the extra open space is sure a plus.”

OOO-hhh That’s a Good One!

NEW SEGMENT! I’m featuring awesome out-of-office (OOO) responses. Please send my way (will share anonymously)!

This week’s winner gets the Awesome Dad Award!

OOO message: “Our third baby (and first boy) is here! And I'm doing my best to hide from electronics for a few weeks to sharpen my nighttime feeding skills and to teach my daughters to put themselves to bed. I'll be back in full swing after Labor Day.”

A Little Levity

• Congress Sends Unemployed Americans 40 Million Boxes Of Saltwater Taffy From Vacation

Be safe. Be well.

Jackie