Welcome to the October 2013 issue of America’s largest industrial, environmental and construction magazine — BIC Magazine.
Recently, a friend I hadn’t heard from in some time called and asked me to lunch. Knowing BIC Magazine has a sister company, BIC Recruiting, he wanted me to help him find a job. Less than a year earlier, he had quit a job in sales management where he was well thought of and where he had just begun to reap some of the cumulative effects of repeat business and flattening his on-the-job learning curve. When he left the first job voluntarily, I remember thinking he was leaving his job at the wrong time, but he had already quit by the time I learned he was even considering it.
He had left the sales management position to start this other job that promised to grow his income at an astounding rate over a year or two. Like many home run swings, only a few connect. His new job hadn’t worked out a fraction as well as he had hoped.
A review of his résumé laid evidence to a clear pattern of moving from one job to another not for a better job, or even a higher salary, but to seek a home run hit. This guy, like most of us, wanted to get rich fast.
My friend made a bad decision to leave a steady job in pursuit of a personal idol of wealth. He was running the Rat Race. When we make the pursuit of perfect financial status the goal for ourselves, or consumerism or the acquisition of things one of our highest priorities, we are running the Rat Race. And who has won the Rat Race? Nobody. It is a meaningless pursuit. Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income.
Fortunately there are other races to run, other goals worthy of achievement (and achievable with effort). Think about your own goals and dreams. What race are you running? Would you like to get out of the Rat Race and into another? Should you?
I recognize this is a deep question. Please hear me that I don’t think most folks should be working less. Rather, when our quintessential goals are deeper than the accumulation of wealth, we can and will view life (including our workday) much differently.
Consider goals that are centered outside of you. If you have them already, reconsider the priority you are giving them. I personally find focusing on goals of making someone else’s life better or easier, even at work — it can be your customer, a coworker or a vendor — is so more internally rewarding than focusing on making your salary or a sale. Away from work, we can focus on making our children’s, spouse’s and/or neighbors’ lives better or easier. The trap is being lured into the wrong focus. When I am intentional about focusing on what I have designated as more worthy goals — the goals outside myself — there is an almost palpable difference. Try it and see what you think.
I’d also like for you to consider a principle about the style in which we go about earning a living to support the pursuit of the goals more worthy than the Rat Race. I’ve always thought it interesting the Bible teaches “if a man shall not work, he shall not eat.” Ancient wisdom also instructs “he who gathers money little by little makes it grow.” There are no ancient pearls of wisdom about getting rich quick. There are many modern day studies in fact regarding the lasting or long-term joy experienced by lottery winners. We are called to work. Personal industry is a virtue. It is how we exercise that virtue that gives us a framework for meaning and success.
BIC Magazine has been blessed with steady growth for 29 years, particularly the last 15. I say “steady” in that we have enjoyed many consecutive years of growth, but in none of those years have we had exponential growth.
Over my career, I have seen many companies grow at an astounding rate over a year or two. Visiting with these business owners, sometimes I become envious, wishing somehow I could enjoy such wild gains. I think it is a very human response.
That said, BIC has been blessed with slow and steady growth. Our goal has been to provide the best communication service to the process industries. Our mission has been to connect people in business and industry with one another for the betterment of all, not to simply make a profit, and it has served us well. We have grown into the largest multi-industry, multi-job title publication in the United States.
Over the years, we have worked, tweaked and reworked a proven formula, providing a niche service in a niche market, under an unrelenting monthly production schedule. Our business model includes a broad scope of useful and industry-friendly editorial, which sets us apart from other publications.
I hope the articles and content in this magazine help in your workdays ahead, making life better and easier for you, and that you will pay it forward.
In this issue of BIC, we have interviews with Mark Dearman, general manager of Huntsman Geismar Site — Rubicon LLC; Timothy Egan, president and CEO of the Canadian Gas Association; John Austin, president of Bengal; and Scott Domingue, president of Safety Management Systems LLC.
We also feature the latest on Houston area petrochemical plant expansions, Louisiana industrial expansions, carbon regulations, maritime safety and more.
Please share this issue with your friends and colleagues by passing along this copy of BIC Magazine or refer them to www.bicalliance.com to read BIC online. We welcome your comments and suggestions, and we would love to hear from you!
Thomas Brinsko
tbrinsko@bicalliance.com
