From Work Relationship to Lasting Impact

Dialogue Miles

Mar 19

Chris Peacock and I met years ago when he was at Traction on Demand and I was at Standard Register. We were in the middle of a Salesforce.com deployment, and after evaluating several options we selected Traction as our partner to help execute the platform across the organization.

From the moment I met Chris, something stood out. He had a rare ability to simplify messaging and connect technology back to outcomes that actually mattered. He cared deeply about the value his team was delivering, but even more about the people involved in the work. His people-centric mindset aligned with many of the things I cared about then and still do now. Chris had a profound impact on me during that period.

Our Dialogue Miles™ experience was especially meaningful given this reconnection came after nearly seven years. Chris was taking a walk in Vancouver while I walked around my neighborhood in Nashville. This was the first Dialogue Miles™ walk I’ve taken by phone, which was pretty cool. We walked for almost an hour and a half, covering roughly 4.5 miles.

What struck me most was something simple. Chris hadn’t really changed. We’ve both had different experiences and different chapters since those Standard Register days, but at the core Chris is exactly the same, just with a bit more perspective and even more passion for helping people move forward.

Our conversation covered a lot of ground, with an emphasis on trust, purpose, and empathy. We spent time catching up and listening as the other shared what new things have come into each other’s lives.

In addition to building tech companies, Chris now owns a brewery in Canada. So I told him the next time I’m on the West Coast, I’ll come visit him.

I’m grateful I met someone like Chris when I did because the impact he had on me has lasted far longer than the work project that originally brought us together.

A Few Things That Stayed with Me

Trust is personal.
As Chris shared from a friend running a family business: “The hardest thing is finding someone I trust before I ask them to go earn someone else’s trust.”
Purpose is personal too.
Before meetings, Chris said he often asks himself: Who really cares? What would actually change as a result of this conversation?
Achieving empathy through perspective.
We shared stories about being a grandparent. I mentioned to Chris that I aim to see the world through my grandson’s eyes rather than living vicariously through him.
Consistency builds trust over time.
When someone shows up years later as the same person, just wiser, it tells you a lot.
Some relationships last longer than the chapter that created them.
Those are the ones worth continuing.
Technology should serve people.
Chris’s passion for human-centered technology feels especially relevant in a world anxious about AI. Tools matter only when they help people move forward with purpose.

Grateful for the conversation, Chris, and for the reminder that some relationships carry lasting value far beyond the work that first brought people together. I’m looking forward to the next time our paths cross and to continuing the conversation in person.