The arrow shows my takeoff point.
I landed in the parking lot at Old Tucson, where this photo was taken.
At the time, it didn’t feel risky.
Being able to fly off this cliff didn’t just happen overnight.
My buddy, Tom Martin, and I were expert Hang 4 pilots and knew what we were doing.
We started about a year earlier with ground school classes at the Summit Hut in Tucson, Arizona.
That was followed by several weekends of running and eventually gliding down grass slopes in Sonoita, learning how to balance the glider and fly while skimming just above the ground.
Hundreds of more flights off A Mountain, Helvetia, Merriam Crater, and other amazing sites gave us both significant air time and experience.
When a road was built up the backside of Gates Pass, giving us access to fly, it was a no-brainer.
We flipped a coin. I won and got to go first.
Tom was next, and together we had several memorable flights off the cliffs.
It was the perfect example of preparation and opportunity meeting in time.
Business is the same way.
When you put in the time and learn your craft, you’re putting yourself in position to succeed.
Sometimes it takes a few years or, as some might say, 10,000 hours.
But regardless of the time and effort, when you build a strong foundation in whatever you do, you put yourself in a position to seize opportunities others might not ever be ready for—or even think about.
Fast forward to today, and the last person you’d see flying off these cliffs is yours truly.
Been there and done that.
But I will tell you that my years of flying hang gliders taught me the satisfaction and importance of learning something new and consistently working to improve each day and week.
Flying hang gliders made me a better trial lawyer.
Each case is a different cliff with unique challenges.
Safe landings and good outcomes for my clients are directly related to the time and effort I’ve put into my craft—and how I’ve been able to navigate the unexpected wind shifts and downdrafts of each trial.
I didn’t know it back then when I was young and crazy, but I want to share with all the young lawyers, entrepreneurs, and business owners the following fact:
What you’re doing today matters and will help you in the future.
Don't try to connect the dots.
Just keep moving forward.
Life is a process.
Like the bumps and bruises we experienced learning how to fly, the pain you experience this year in business will make you better.
Enjoy learning.
Enjoy the process.
It’s all worth it in the end.