Dear Friends, Colleagues, and Visitors,
Thank
you for taking a few minutes from your busy lives to drop by and explore
what we are up to at Parallax Ventures. It’s been at exciting time
since forming the company fiveyears ago. For those of you who
know me, it probably doesn’t surprise you that I have started another
venture. It’s taken me the past twenty years to truly accept that
I am much more an entrepreneur than an inside-organization guy. Having founded
and run Shaffer Consulting Group, a retained executive search firm, for
fifteen years, I have come to appreciate the ups and downs of
running a boutique business. I have learned much—much about myself,
much about my clients and a great deal about what is important to me.
I realized that, while the executive search profession had been good to me (and I believe me to it), it was time to take what I have learned and build on it in new directions. While I continue to conduct executive searches for the clients with whom I enjoy working and feel I can add value, I have “morphed” Shaffer Consulting Group into what is now Parallax Ventures. I am very excited about the services offered by Parallax Ventures and, quite honestly, have found a renewed sense of purpose, passion and energy.
Coincident with founding Parallax Ventures, we as a family, moved to Asheville in the beautiful mountains of Western North Carolina. I know that some of our friends are still shaking their heads and wondering about our decision. How could this native Californian, living on the coast north of Los Angeles give that up and move to, where was that again?
Well, sometimes one must follow one’s heart and not one’s head. While we loved California and our friends, families and colleagues there, Asheville has been a tremendously rewarding experience and continues to surprise in terms of opportunity, synergies and personal enjoyment. If you haven’t visited here, please do. You might see why a company like Parallax Ventures, that offers developmental retreats and workshops, finds the beauty of these mountains as conducive and energizing for such activities.
As you will see in
surfing our web-site, we are offering a variety of services directed to
both individuals and organizations. There are a couple of reasons for
this. First, and foremost, we believe that our personal and professional
lives are inextricably interconnected and to attempt to separate them
would be as ludicrous (and maybe as fatal) as separating the head from
the heart. Second, we believe that there is a strong need to better integrate
individual values and needs with the values and needs of the organizations
for which we work. Third, we believe that many individuals are
asking themselves some challenging and substantive questions these days
and we hope to be in a position to provide guidance along their career
and life paths.
It occurs to us that many of us are searching for value and quality in
our lives, not just quantity and mindless activity.
When people ask what I am now doing and why the heck did I move to Asheville, I often think of this quote by Anais Nin as I describe to them Parallax Ventures:
“There came a time when the risk to remain in the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom”
I also like to remember what Frederic Hudson, one of my colleagues and mentors has said: “You always have the choice to be the champion of your hopes or the prisoner of your fears.”
I guess you know which path I have chosen.
I wish you well on your individual life journeys. If your journey should bring you to the Asheville area or to Parallax Ventures, we will, (as the old radio ad says), leave a light on for you. Actually, we might even help you turn one on.
On Purpose,
Brad
