Dear Eriksen Family, Deer Valley Resort and Friends,

In February, you all invited me to participate in celebrating the historic life of Stein Eriksen. I did not have the opportunity to meet Stein in life, but I now have an intimate appreciation for his character and his legacy as a husband, father, grandfather, friend, mentor and icon.  Over the past two months, I’ve reflected often on the amazing gathering we hosted at Deer Valley on February 4. I’d like you to indulge this reflection as my way of saying “thank you” for extending me the privilege of participating in the Stein Eriksen Celebration of Life.

at the Stein Eriksen Lodge and resting at the foot of Stein’s magnificent trophy case; or simply seeing one of Raymie Eriksen’s elegant commemorative pins adorning Deer Valley staff and guests of the Celebration of Life as they ski at the resort or wander around Park City. Stein’s legacy to the sport and culture of skiing is pervasive.

On January 1, 2016, when Bob Wheaton and Lessing Stern asked me to lead the Stein Eriksen Celebration of Life event at Deer Valley, I answered with a bold “Absolutely!”, but honestly felt scared and quite humbled. Having grown up in Maine as an enthusiastic young racer and weekend warrior, ski raced at Dartmouth College, managed PR at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, clawed up the ranks from intern to publisher of SKI and Skiing Magazines, and now working with Royal Street Corporation, I have a keen understanding of what legacy means in our beloved snow sports industry. Those experiences weighed heavily as I thought about creating a public celebration for one of the industry’s most iconic influencers and personalities.

Like any good event organizer, I met with all of the stakeholders: Eriksen family members and close friends, Deer Valley Resort management, and the Freestyle World Cup organizers and Deer Valley event management group to see how these two events might neatly join. Objectively, my goal was to provide a valuable experience to the attendees within the parameters of the Resort, Stein Eriksen Lodge, the World Cup events and the Eriksen Family. While taking in all of these details, I tried to navigate the emotions around the recent passing of a father, husband and friend and the logistical mandates of perhaps the most stringent sport governing body in the world.

step in producing a video and photo montage for the event, personal reflection observation of Deer Valley’s guests, one thing started to percolate. It was Stein’s seemingly unbridled elation at the opportunity to lead the life he lived - his passion for competition, instruction and education, alpine culture, resort building and obviously the relationships with family and friends that the sport cultivates. (What is a chairlift if not a catalyst for serendipity?) 

the Stein Eriksen YSA Opportunity Endowment, the hundreds of Dale of Norway sweaters in the crowd and the literally thousands of friends, family and resort guests that participated in the event, I think we were able to share some of Stein’s joy on that day. Even better, we were able to guarantee his joy will persist for many generations of skiers to come.

I’ve received compliments and letters of appreciation for my part in the Stein Eriksen Celebration of Life and I’m grateful for that recognition. However, it’s me who is most thankful to all of you. Thank you for allowing a weekend warrior from Maine, a “reformed" ski racer, a fan of ski culture and history, and a husband, father and son help recognize the life and legacy of a great person and one of our sport’s most impactful figures. It was a  privilege to participate in the event and a pleasure to work with all of you. I will think of you, and him, often, especially as I fly as gracefully as possible down the slopes.

​Thank you.

Great post here from Entrepreneur.com. I'm taking advantage of #4 right now...
I'll add that if you are requesting a connection with someone you don't know well include a message in your connection request in order to provide some context on why connecting is meaningful for both sides. Think of it as shaking hands and making an introduction at a live event - you wouldn't just walk around passing out business cards without at least a brief conversation would you?
In summary:
1. Get Introductions: Effectively and thoughtfully grow your network by requesting (and providing) introduction to your existing contacts.
2. Start/Join A Conversation: Comment on existing posts and share those that you want to include as part of your personal brand.
3. Use "People You May Know" to find more connections.
4. Post: Use long form posts in addition to (or instead of) status updates.
5. Sponsor an update rather than using display ads.
You can read the full post here: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/251038.

I've seen a lot of seed round pitches in the last 11 months, since joining RSIIC and the Park City Angels - over 300. "Seed round" traditionally refers to the first institutional outside capital that a startup company takes on to help them grow. But, when a company takes that money, what it helps them achieve (milestones), how long it takes to achieve them, and how much capital it takes to get there are moving targets. 

You can read my post on the RSIIC blog here. 

The great thing about having built a career in sales is that I've seen a lot of pitch styles and templates, whether for internal or external use. Being involved with angel investing and venture capital now has given me a fresh perspective on pitching. The streamlined style of pitching for capital fits most every other application and I often wish I'd used this more efficient and structured style. You can read my full post on the Park City Angels website. 

I always love to hear feedback - I'm always interested in sharing other methods, templates or applications.

I've been busying settling into my new gig(s) and life in Park City over the last couple months and haven't had time to contribute to my own blog, but I have posted a couple for the Park City Angel Network (PCAN).  I love getting involved in Utah's startup and investment communities, not to mention the amazing access to hiking and biking (and skiing soon!).

Recently, I had the pleasure of interviewing Chargeback.com's CEO Tim Coltrell for PCAN about his growth strategies and new revenue opportunities since he's taken the reins of that company. Tim's experience crosses multiple industries and many different sized organizations. Very interesting and accomplished guy.

I've quickly immersed myself in the ecosystem of early stage investment, and as such, have probably seen close to 100 pitches and pitch decks in the 4 months I've been working with Royal Street Investment and Innovation Center, PCAN and PandoLabs. I've had lots of compelling people and business plans cross my desk, but, boy, are there some misguided investment pitches out there! ImprovePresentation.com put together a great infographic on the subject of pitch decks and I felt compelled to add my own two cents. You can read about those comments on the PCAN blog.

Who knows where my next whisper of wisdom and observation might land?

I'm packing my bags, along with my son's, for a quick trip back to Maine, where I'll be the keynote speaker for my high school alma mater at Hebron Academy's Career Connect Day, in which high school seniors learn about the opportunities available in today's economy.

It's interesting timing for me, given that I left the Denver Cutthroats as president and GM at the end of January and am currently conducting my own career search. Gives one perspective. I've learned a few things that I'll likely share with these college-bound teens.

1. You Are Your Network
Personal accomplishments look great on a resume, but their true worth comes in their validation from others in your network. At the Pro Challenge, we always used media endorsements to demonstrate growth and scale and affirm brand attributes - we'd never make those claims ourselves. On the personal relationship side, a good introduction from a trusted friend or colleague is worth its weight in gold when you are vying for new business, career changes or simply want to broaden your own network. Make time for expanding and deepening your relationship.

2. A Good Team Changes Everything
Accomplishments (and failures) are best when shared among a family, friends or team of coworkers.  When you surround yourself with great people and empower them to create and act on a shared vision, your team wins together. You will all lose together, too, and you'll get back up much more quickly than if you'd all been fragmented previously. What's the learning? Create an environment of trust and progress will come. As a younger employee, embrace the opportunity to participate and be part of the team. In business, there are no "waterboys."

3. Change Is Good, And Often
With technology now driving the pace of business, be prepared to pivot a lot. You may aspire for a stable mix of job responsibilities with inline promotions every 18 months. But, as your company's priorities change, yours must too. The more ready you are to embrace change and even seize the opportunity to change, the more successful you will be. I remember a meeting at Bonnier Corp. in the late 2000s and I could smell change in the air as soon as the meeting hit my Outlook calendar. I prepared myself for the meeting, knowing change would be coming and I could either help steer the new regime or get kicked off the bus. A few years later, I was publisher of SKI and Skiing Magazines.

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A wise business coach once told me you should never share more than three things in a public speaking engagement. Keep remarks concise and your audience may actually be able to remember more than your departure. I'm at my limit.