This weekend I took time to catch up with an old and dear friend.

He passes the "old and dear" test on several levels.

Don and I worked together for over thirty years, his contribution to Pinicon Farm’s success would put him in the top five of valued associates, and at ninety five years young, he has the exuberance, mental acuity, and vitality of a newly minted eighty year old.

Our long term collaboration was one of those exceptionally rewarding yet unanticipated chance encounters that change everything.  

Reflecting on the drive home, I decided to create a list of all the people that played a role in elevating Pinicon Farm to its current state.

The list included eight dedicated employees, seven supportive lenders, twelve inspiring mentors, and over twenty trusted business partners. 

One of my favorite books is "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People."

In it, author Stephen Covey articulates the power of interdependence and how optimal results arise from our coordinated efforts.

The term "self-made man" is often used to describe a person who achieves elite status without the help of inherited wealth or other endowments that virtually guarantees success.

In my opinion, the self-made man is a myth and literal impossibility. 

Whatever elements conspire to create an individual's exceptionalism, be it gifted genetics, macro-economic forces, favored race, or an endless number of randomly awarded attributes, supremacy can only be achieved through a coalition of human and environmental alliances greater and more influential than the outstanding individual them self. 

Failure on the other hand, can be achieved single handedly. 

Jim