Strategic Affairs - Company Story

A company Story

"The essence of my life is to be ALWAYS ALIVE. In doing so I will always have the balance between my head and heart and harmony with nature, thus giving me the best chance to grow as a being with intelligence, heart and spirit."
-David Winford

A Junction

It's early spring 1998 and all is well on the surface. We (Alla, my wife and I) had just experienced for the second time the blessing of bringing a little person into our world. Now we had a son, Gabriel and a daughter, Simone, a cozy condo overlooking the San Francisco Bay and all of the comforts that accompany a middle class family. We were moving up the line on the growth chart of life.

Professionally, I was at the top of my game. I was doing what I love to do. Connecting with people and practicing the art of business design. The company I worked for had twenty plus years of experience helping small business owners transform how they looked at life and their business. On top of all that, I was surrounded by incredibly, bright, open-minded, huge hearted and selfless people who shared the passion to stretch mentally, physically and spiritually. As well as the conviction to exhibit to others, they too could reach, accomplish and achieve their expectations. During that period it was announced to the entire company that I would be part of a team, which would coach a group of top executives from a multi-national, multi-billion dollar organization. Just being in an environment like that was intoxicating.

So why was I laying in bed late at night staring at the ceiling? Was it the excitement of all the things combined that prohibited me from drifting off? Was it because the life energy force was humming loudly throughout my body? Was it because for some reason I needed to go to that place, which we all have, where we can take off the armor exposing the wounds of our soul. The place that allows us to rejuvenate our dreams. Had I sucked the marrow out of life? Am I going to get in line and wait my turn? For whatever the reason, I was "there" up to my eyeballs and hoping no one would jump in. I began to look back down the path that I had chosen, searching for the common denominator that existed for me, the individual.

My Path

The search started with the memory of a group of kids throwing a ball back and forth, when an older kid came over and took it and began teasing that he would not give it back. With undaunted persistence I got the ball back. The next major event on this path was the time when I had decided to join the naval branch of the military, a way to express my support for freedom and to honor those who had sacrificed the ultimate-life. And to feed my desire for adventure I volunteered for the Special Forces. The following image was one of me telling a young naval officer fresh out of officer candidate school to slow down as he barked out his first orders to the troops. The young officer so righteously pointed out that the gold bars on his collar gave him the right to give the orders anyway he saw fit and I better catch on quick to that truth. In that instant I decided I would forever be committed to learning and the ongoing quest to improve intellectually so that I could demonstrate a better way to lead. The last reflection was filled with unrestrained joy of starting a little business only to be quickly engulfed by issues beyond my control. At that moment I vowed to find a wiser way to approach the American Dream.

The new direction

It was one of those incredible moments when time stood still and the entire framework for understanding the greater implications of my destiny fell in place for me. I reached for the light so I could write down my vision and dreams, to document the turning point in my life. At that split second I knew I had to start my own business development firm. One that will allow me the freedom to weave my two greatest passions; the art of designing business and connecting with people. At the same time I want to construct a unique environment that supports personal freedom to earn a respectable living and gives people a chance to achieve their goals. I will create a place where people will be seen and heard, visible to the world. I will develop a place of unequivocal clarity where our clients and our people will feel safe and comfortable so they can expand their minds and embrace their visions.

"Look at every path closely and deliberately. Try it as many times, as you think necessary. Then ask yourself and yourself alone the question. …Does this path have a heart? If it does, the path is good. If it doesn't it is of no use."
A passage in Carlos Castaneda's "The Teachings of Don Juan".




					A company Story "The essence of my life is to be ALWAYS ALIVE. In doing so I will always have the balance between my head and heart and harmony with nature, thus giving me the best chance to grow as a being with intelligence, heart and spirit." -David Winford A Junction It's early spring 1998 and all is well on the surface. We (Alla, my wife and I) had just experienced for the second time the blessing of bringing a little person into our world. Now we had a son, Gabriel and a daughter, Simone, a cozy condo overlooking the San Francisco Bay and all of the comforts that accompany a middle class family. We were moving up the line on the growth chart of life. Professionally, I was at the top of my game. I was doing what I love to do. Connecting with people and practicing the art of business design. The company I worked for had twenty plus years of experience helping small business owners transform how they looked at life and their business. On top of all that, I was surrounded by incredibly, bright, open-minded, huge hearted and selfless people who shared the passion to stretch mentally, physically and spiritually. As well as the conviction to exhibit to others, they too could reach, accomplish and achieve their expectations. During that period it was announced to the entire company that I would be part of a team, which would coach a group of top executives from a multi-national, multi-billion dollar organization. Just being in an environment like that was intoxicating. So why was I laying in bed late at night staring at the ceiling? Was it the excitement of all the things combined that prohibited me from drifting off? Was it because the life energy force was humming loudly throughout my body? Was it because for some reason I needed to go to that place, which we all have, where we can take off the armor exposing the wounds of our soul. The place that allows us to rejuvenate our dreams. Had I sucked the marrow out of life? Am I going to get in line and wait my turn? For whatever the reason, I was "there" up to my eyeballs and hoping no one would jump in. I began to look back down the path that I had chosen, searching for the common denominator that existed for me, the individual. My Path The search started with the memory of a group of kids throwing a ball back and forth, when an older kid came over and took it and began teasing that he would not give it back. With undaunted persistence I got the ball back. The next major event on this path was the time when I had decided to join the naval branch of the military, a way to express my support for freedom and to honor those who had sacrificed the ultimate-life. And to feed my desire for adventure I volunteered for the Special Forces. The following image was one of me telling a young naval officer fresh out of officer candidate school to slow down as he barked out his first orders to the troops. The young officer so righteously pointed out that the gold bars on his collar gave him the right to give the orders anyway he saw fit and I better catch on quick to that truth. In that instant I decided I would forever be committed to learning and the ongoing quest to improve intellectually so that I could demonstrate a better way to lead. The last reflection was filled with unrestrained joy of starting a little business only to be quickly engulfed by issues beyond my control. At that moment I vowed to find a wiser way to approach the American Dream. The new direction It was one of those incredible moments when time stood still and the entire framework for understanding the greater implications of my destiny fell in place for me. I reached for the light so I could write down my vision and dreams, to document the turning point in my life. At that split second I knew I had to start my own business development firm. One that will allow me the freedom to weave my two greatest passions; the art of designing business and connecting with people. At the same time I want to construct a unique environment that supports personal freedom to earn a respectable living and gives people a chance to achieve their goals. I will create a place where people will be seen and heard, visible to the world. I will develop a place of unequivocal clarity where our clients and our people will feel safe and comfortable so they can expand their minds and embrace their visions. "Look at every path closely and deliberately. Try it as many times, as you think necessary. Then ask yourself and yourself alone the question. …Does this path have a heart? If it does, the path is good. If it doesn't it is of no use." A passage in Carlos Castaneda's "The Teachings of Don Juan". Legal Notice Copyright 1999, Strategic Affairs. All rights reserved. Please e-mail webmaster@xpanding.com with questions