I cried a lot of tears today at the funeral for Bob Emmons. He was a mentor to me during some vulnerable and pivotal years of my life and career. He was so skilled in the art of taking an interest in a person and coming alongside to support them. As people shared their stories at the funeral today, I think we all were surprised to find out that Bob shared his special sort of relationship not just with us, but with maybe fifty others at the same time, and hundreds over his lifetime.

I learned a lot of things from Bob. Here are a few of them:

• He taught me the power of believing in someone. Before I was an entrepreneur he took me and my ideas seriously. He believed I would succeed when I didn’t think I would. That has life-changing power.
• He taught me about asking questions and listening. He was excellent at both. I’m not, but his example is an inspiration to try.
• He taught me about patience. I had some crazy and critical thoughts in my head when I first met Bob. He must have had to swallow hard a few times, but he never, ever criticized me. I am so grateful for that. He invited me to some growth opportunities that I turned down. Looking back I just wasn’t ready. He always nudged and sometimes even pushed, but he never made me feel bad for where I was.
• He taught me about acceptance. One day years later after I had become a successful entrepreneur he visited my business. I remember his words as he left that day “It was everything I expected and more.” To a young man whose own father has never seen what he built, that meant an awful lot.
• He taught me about pursuing one’s individual genius. His genius was not in analyzing, strategizing, or leading organizations. His genius was his ability to encourage and support people to become more than they thought they could be. I couldn’t do what he did, and I don’t think he could do what I do. He seemed to embrace that. He used his genius every day to make a difference in lives like mine.

Good-bye, Bob. Thank you for everything.