Steve Jobs Journey Made Me Feel OK to be…one of the Crazy Ones

Here's to the Crazy Ones

…When I saw the breaking news ticker online yesterday that Steve Jobs, Co-founder and CEO of Apple, had resigned as CEO, my heart sank. Alot of questions came and like many I hope this doesn’t mean that his health is deteriorating but instead,  all he’s done is activated the succession plan for a company he and Steve Wozniak started in a garage and grew into a global force that has changed the world.

As Seth Godin said in his article this morning on Jobs resignation “Business didn’t used to be personal. Now it is.”. Fact:  The Jobs led Apple Inc, has irrevocably changed the way we communicate, do business and live our daily lives. I have no doubt it will continue to do so.

Steve Jobs has been an entrepreneur with a focus and a purpose. In him being a rebel, a visionary,a product development and marketing genius and in me reading the stories of of his booms and busts, the beliefs that guides his drive and actions- gave me permission to embrace myself as a “Crazy One” who believes she can change things. I’m sure this is the case for millions more people worldwide. I accepted myself as a Crazy One over a decade ago and have as a poster in my home office those killer words from that Apple ad I’ve used as a photo for this post- Here’s to the Crazy Ones.

As an entrepreneur working to make her own mark on Jamaica, the Caribbean and the world…always asking how can I use my skills and my ideas which includes this blog, events I’ve pioneered like Kingston BETA, Caribbean BETA and Startup Weekend Jamaica that seeks to educate, expose and connect people within the community to information and opportunities in service for the greater good even more…there are Two Steve Jobs things I always refer to in moments of self doubt or after a bout with with a couple of non-believers who don’t get me or my vision. I believe every single entrepreneur – tech and other, ought to watch this video Steve Jobs’ 2005 Stanford Commencement Address and read those words in the graphic above on a regular basis.  As he said “Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle.”

As a Mac Fan and user since 1993…I say Cheers Steve Jobs, brilliantly played….Cheers to you the most influential innovator of our time.