Wednesday, May 29, 2013

How I Work with Leo Laporte

I was inspired to write about my business perspective as I am today, and how I work with Leo Laporte.  If you work with me then you already know that I am a leader who is type A, blunt, precise, passionate, loud, fearless, positive, aggressive, and I tend to be a top-down person.  I like to see the big picture, understand the goal/vision and then work down through the details.  I also operate in one of two speeds, fast or faster.  When I wake up in the morning I make a cup of coffee, grab my laptop, iPad, cell phone and TV remove and sit on my stationary bike and go to work.  My goal is to bike ten miles while I answer my emails, finalize my project list, reflect, read the paper, catch up on social media, watch TV, and play a few games with friends online.  This is my only private and uninterrupted time that I get and it's my time to think and focus.

How do I work with Leo Laporte?  With passion, commitment and respect for his vision.  I am a force, I drive, I produce and I like to move quickly.  Leo operates differently than me and he moves at a slower pace, reflects, considers and looks for organic solutions which is completely opposite of how I work.  It frustrates me yet intrigues me.  I still marvel at Leo's wisdom and brilliance and he has opened my eyes to new perspectives and approaches that were missing in my arsenal of experience.  However I opened Leo's eyes to the realm of running and growing a vital business, specifically a start-up in uncharted territory.  We quickly realized that we complement each other and that we are a powerful team.

Do we debate, argue, disagree, battle?  Of course we do!  When I met Leo he was surrounded by "yes" people who either worshipped him or who did not speak up to him.  When I joined the team I challenged Leo.  It was his job to present his vision about TWiT and it was my job to paint it.  We don't always have the same opinion and there have been heated debates but we always maintain respect for each other and for the business.  We want quality shows and the best technology news we can provide our audience with while working towards our goal to be the next CNN in Tech!