How a life with range builds perspective

I first met Jordan Berry at the MODEX tradeshow in Atlanta. A brief conversation led to coffee near his office and, eventually, a walk through downtown Franklin, TN.

A couple of miles gave us enough time to move well beyond work.

We talked about careers, family, upbringing, interests, and the experiences that have influenced how we each see the world.  Jordan has a wide range of interests that he brings to life through his diligent work ethic and learner approach toward life.

One idea kept returning to the conversation: the value of building a diverse personal portfolio.
Careers have a way of consuming attention. Responsibility grows. Calendars fill. Over time, it becomes easy for one part of life to become the primary lens through which we define ourselves.

Jordan and I talked about the value of investing across a wider range of experiences and relationships.

Family offers one perspective. Travel can offer another. Hobbies, friendships, community, and learning introduce experiences that influence how we think.

That range has professional value too.

Often, the people I find most interesting to work with often draw from far more than their professional experience. Their judgment has been informed by different environments, relationships, interests, and decisions. They can connect ideas across parts of life that rarely appear together on an organizational chart.

Our conversation made me think about the idea of a portfolio in a very different way.
We pay close attention to diversification when we invest money. The same principle can be useful when we think about where we invest our time and attention.

A career can be an important part of that portfolio. So can the experiences and people that expand how we understand the world.

A few miles through Franklin reminded me how much perspective can come from building a life with range.  A few personal takeaways:

Invest in relationships - long term relationships often start simply but build.

Depth and capability - people often share only a sampling of who they are at the first interaction so the follow-up can be magic.