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Talkin' Teal Organisations with Tom

Had a quick catch-up call with Tom who was the first person to reach out to reelyActive on AngelList way back in 2012.  Over the years we've kept in touch and I consider him to be an outstanding mentor even if we only find the time to speak once or twice a year.

It was Tom who suggested to me that I read Frédéric Laloux's Reinventing Organizations on a previous call after I explained to him my ambitious plans to avoid hierarchy and embrace emergence within our startup.  That's the same text I discussed with Cynthia and the same author I presented to Will.

Tom was supportive of my Startical, reminding me how much he enjoyed and learned from his own three-month sabbatical not long ago.  Did his business fall apart during that time?  No.  Did he stress about that the whole time?  No.  Did he return to work motivated and refreshed?  Yes!

I often feel quite alone and isolated in my thoughts and eccentricities, and it doesn't take much to begin to self-doubt: "am I too far from normal?"  The short call with Tom made me realise how important it is to maintain regular contact with anyone who helps you feel that you are in fact not alone in your passions and ambitions.

In terms of value vs. time invested, I honestly can't think of anything that beats this, which amounts to no more than 30-60 mins per year!

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