Dear Instrument
I have 4 things I want to share with you all today. 4 reflections on this journey. 4 truths that I’m clear about in this retrospective moment.
1. The Power of a Dream
I dreamt about Instrument for so long. About what we would do, how we would do it, how I would lead it.
That dream consumed me, in a good way. That dream, built with friends and extended by hundreds of teammates, created what you see today. Along the way, I worried that I dreamt too big, that I was undeserving, that I wasn’t smart enough to achieve what I saw in my mind and felt in my heart. But meeting every new person that came through Instrument made me realize that the power of a dream was in my ability to share it, to let it be shaped and co-created by the people who wanted to participate in it. You are the realization of that dream, your creativity, your desire for change, your ambition for good made Instrument the fulfillment of my dream and made it the business it is today.
2. Promises Fulfilled
I have been able to fulfill the promises I made to my 30 year old self. Ive been able to fulfill the promises I’ve made to you. I never shared these. I wasn’t sure I ever would. But here they are…
I promised to train and empower as many women into leadership roles as possible. To find and train a female CEO.
I promised to never get so aggressive on growth that we had to lay folks off.
I promised to create a business that cared about its people more than it did its profits.
I promised to deliver world class work.
I promised to share in the financial results.
I promised to lift up the irregular ones, the misfits, the uneducated and give them a place to create, too flourish.
I promised to make all of this feel rewarding, but never easy.
I promised to do it all with love, energy and vision. Everyday.
I’m proud of these accomplishments to say the least. En-route, I learned the value of a promise fulfilled and I learned how badly the world wants to take that away from you. But we never stopped pushing and we never settled for anything less than what our values demanded.
3. Maximum Effort
I gave you all I had.
I can say that with a clear mind and an honest heart. I can also say that WE did this the right way. For 17 years we’ve been able to produce tremendous work while keeping our people at the center. We built a world class business, sold that business and continue to control our own destiny. We compromised nothing. We achieved everything. We have done what no one thought was possible. But more importantly, we did it in a way no one believes you can.
4. A Grateful Heart
As I sit here today, reflecting on everything we have done, I am filled with a grateful heart. This business gave me a place to lead. It gave me a place to share my vision. It gave me hustle, comfort, joy, friendship, relevancy, gray hair, challenges and even a little pain. It gave me a place to fail and it gave me a place to succeed. I will always cherish everything it has given me. I will always feel like the lucky one in this relationship and I will continue to root you all on from my new role running Constellation.
So before I say goodbye, let me leave you with one piece of advice…
Find something worth doing. Do it with people you love. Leave nothing left to give.
With tremendous respect, appreciation and gratitude,
Justin