Cocktails with Carl
Written by Carl Monty, Director and Partner at June Co.
The Challenges of Reinvention
I just finished Matthew McConaughey’s book Greenlights. It was a quick read filled with a number of entertaining stories from the authors first 51 years on this earth. McConaughhey is a larger than life character and those stories were fun to read, but in my opinion the main theme of the book is all about reinvention.
To date, McConaughey’s life can be broken down into phases, each defined by an event that forces him to reevaluate the path he is on. He not only has the wherewithal to recognize these disruptions, but the discipline to take action and set a plan for a new course. A course that allows transformation to take place, securing his relevancy and adding another chapter of success to his story. It helps that McConaughey is a naturally competitive person, constantly challenging himself to learn something new and improve.
Here is a good example.
You may remember the Oscar that McConaughey won for Dallas Buyers Club, a great performance capped with a graceful speech at the Academy Awards (give the speech another watch when you have a moment). What you may not know is the very difficult road McConaughey took to that achievement. He was already firmly cemented as the king of the romantic comedies, earning tens of millions of dollars for roles in movies like Failure to Launch and Fool’s Gold. Life was good and very comfortable. He didn’t have to do anything different. The problem was that it was all too comfortable for McConaughey and he recognized how fleeting his reign as the “rom com king” would be. What would happen when he became too old and the calls went to a younger, better looking actor? He couldn’t bear to hear the honest answer. It was time to completely change his approach. So, although in his prime, he began turning down those roles along with the fame and fortune that came with them. People thought he was crazy. He remained steadfast, sitting on the sidelines for up to 2 years while waiting for the right role to materialize.
When the opportunity to play Ron Woodroof (the lead character in Dallas Buyers Club) finally surfaced, he recognized its importance. He went all in, immersing himself into Ron’s past. He watched hours of old VHS tapes, perfecting his mannerisms and speech patterns. He memorized diary and journal entries so he could sprinkle them into certain scenes. He lost enough weight to get below 140 pounds, demonstrating just how sick and frail Ron was. His dedication to his craft was unwavering.
This unbelievable transformation took a combination of patience, risk tolerance, and grit. Yes, this was a true reinvention. And it paid off in spades. Not only with a gold statue but with respect from his peers and titans of industry. This role single handedly changed the trajectory of McConaughey’s career. Goal achieved!
We’ve been challenged in a similar way in our business. Our industry has drastically changed over the past few years and 2020 only made it more competitive. We’ve had the decision to either significantly alter how we go after opportunities or watch our revenue slowly decline until we become irrelevant. Not much of a choice. Because of that, our company has been going through a reinvention of its own for a while now-probably the better part of 3 years. It may not be as dramatic as Matthew McConaughey’s, but it has all the same characteristics: disruption, change, risk, patience, loss, pain, education, and hard work. These are tough words to read and too daunting for some to experience for extended periods of time. Mistakes have been made and lessons learned. Frustration sets in and sometimes you want to quit. But we won’t quit!
Through all this hardship, the team continues to rise to the occasion, performing at a high level, producing incredible work, and achieving a number of the goals we set in the beginning of this transformation. Their resiliency amazes me. We’re definitely on our way, we just haven’t won “the gold statue”. But that’s coming, I know it is.
Until then, I cannot wait to continue working with this crew, grinding away at our strategic plan, demonstrating the mental toughness, patience, and discipline it takes to win. It’s been so gratifying to witness the personal growth that comes from building. As I have said before, the joy is in the journey. This is the good stuff. And we’ll realize victory soon, together.
Tequila Paloma
As we endure the final wrath of winter and make plans for spring travel, let’s enjoy something that transports us to a warm, sunny spot.
2 ozs Blanco Tequila
½ oz of fresh lime juice
4 ozs Grapefruit Soda (Jarritos if possible-otherwise Fresca works fine)
Rock Salt
Rub the rim of a Collins glass with a lime wedge and dip it in the rock salt.
Fill the glass with ice, pour the tequila and lime juice in, then top off with the grapefruit soda.
Stir together with a spoon.