Learn my business Dammit!
So, in the last few weeks as my own company looked to move into some new spaces, we had a team we had talked to about coming in to be a CEO/CFO combination for us, so that me and the rest of our executive team could get back to focusing on actually making movies again.
Two weeks later, I end up being placed in the CEO position (at least for now) officially and we've got 90 days to find, and close on, $5,000,000. Sure. No Sweat.
Now, that's not the point of this post though. The interesting part of the story is in what happened with the CEO/CFO team we were talking to - and what was revealed to be a very stark contrast of attitude and character.
The CEO candidate, came and met with my partners, and walked around a $2m facility that they developed, and executed the creation of from the ground up, and then proceeded to tell us how many employees he'd managed, and how much IT he had deployed, and how large a budget he had overseen.
We're a movie company.
Now, we knew this guy didn't have film industry experience, so we didn't expect him to know anything about it.
We DID expect him to ask questions about it, and show a passion or at least a passing interest in learning it.
He did neither.
In contrast, the CFO candidate, took a good "virtual" look at the company and the business and the financials and said, "You know, I'm tickled you guys are asking me to be a part of this, but I don't know enough about your business to feel like I've earned this position."
HUH??? Now, this guy has an impeccable resume and experience in some areas that we feel ARE very pertinent to our business, even if he hasn't been IN the business. But his attitude was so vastly different from the other part of the "team." it was remarkable.
So, another two weeks goes by, and the CEO candidate has been kicked to the curb in no uncertain terms, and the CFO candidate has accepted a board position and has already proven invaluable AND humble. We're enjoying working with him a lot.
Sometimes there's just those circumstances that contrast two personalities so much that ya just gotta comment on them.
That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
Two weeks later, I end up being placed in the CEO position (at least for now) officially and we've got 90 days to find, and close on, $5,000,000. Sure. No Sweat.
Now, that's not the point of this post though. The interesting part of the story is in what happened with the CEO/CFO team we were talking to - and what was revealed to be a very stark contrast of attitude and character.
The CEO candidate, came and met with my partners, and walked around a $2m facility that they developed, and executed the creation of from the ground up, and then proceeded to tell us how many employees he'd managed, and how much IT he had deployed, and how large a budget he had overseen.
We're a movie company.
Now, we knew this guy didn't have film industry experience, so we didn't expect him to know anything about it.
We DID expect him to ask questions about it, and show a passion or at least a passing interest in learning it.
He did neither.
In contrast, the CFO candidate, took a good "virtual" look at the company and the business and the financials and said, "You know, I'm tickled you guys are asking me to be a part of this, but I don't know enough about your business to feel like I've earned this position."
HUH??? Now, this guy has an impeccable resume and experience in some areas that we feel ARE very pertinent to our business, even if he hasn't been IN the business. But his attitude was so vastly different from the other part of the "team." it was remarkable.
So, another two weeks goes by, and the CEO candidate has been kicked to the curb in no uncertain terms, and the CFO candidate has accepted a board position and has already proven invaluable AND humble. We're enjoying working with him a lot.
Sometimes there's just those circumstances that contrast two personalities so much that ya just gotta comment on them.
That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
posted by Jon Lawrence at 10:34 PM
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