As I sit watching football on New Year’s Day and thinking about 2011, I can’t help but reflect on the year we’ve had at Greystone.Net in 2010. It was a good year. Read more…
Yesterday, while eating a leisurely breakfast in San Diego before our Webmaster Workshop, with some fun and a little amazement, I watched crowds of people head toward the last day of the 2010 Comic-Con. Many of them – young, old and every age in between — were in ”extreme costumes” that were hard to believe. Who knew so many people actually dressed-up like the Green Hornet or Thor on any given day? Not me.
As hard as it is to believe, 14 years ago today — on July 14, 1996 — Greystone.Net was “born” as a new company dedicated to and focused upon helping healthcare organizations and hospitals understand this new-fangled thing that Al Gore had invented — called the Internet. There were more than a few people in the industry who thought John Eudes, Bob Noel and I (the original co-founders) were more than just a little crazy to move away from a general healthcare marketing practice to focus on Internet applications and solutions for hospitals … but we were confident the “Internet” had a big future. Little did we really know.
Today is one of my favorite days of the year: Opening day in baseball. I’ve been waiting since last October for this day to come, and it’s finally here. I like the freshly-manicured green grass fields untouched by runners and basemen; I like the look of the crisp, clean new uniforms untouched by dirt and sweat. Perfect games, although improbable, are possible and nobody yet has a losing season. Mostly, I like the idea that anything is possible starting with this day.
Recently, Greystone.Net was helping a client hospital with a business plan for its Web site. As part of the arrangement, we designed, launched and managed a web satisfaction study for them. This is something that we are doing more and more these days, as organizations seek to add customer input into their redesign efforts. My background is in research, so I am usually heavily involved with these engagements.
I’ve heard it at just about every stop in my career since focusing on the Internet: “We can’t do that because….” All too often the conversation stops there. And when it comes to some interactive or operational element on the Web, it often becomes the answer for a long time, even if the “because” is not longer valid.
I’m still fairly new to this consulting thing. One of the many facets that I’m getting used to is the sad feeling when an engagement with a bunch of people you really like ends.
As we head into the Thanksgiving holiday, those of us at Greystone.Net have run out of fingers and toes on which to count the things we are thankful for. The many clients and friends with whom we have thoroughly enjoyed working are more than we can count. We also have many things to be thankful for individually, not the least of which are the many loved ones we hope to surround ourselves with, or at least think a lot about, this holiday season.
The life of a consultant isn’t all glamour and hotels. Actually, I’m still looking for the glamour. We also get to enjoy the results of some very tough times in the airline industry.