Iron Sharpens Iron Series: Mike Winnick, Engineer
If you are new to the Iron Sharpens Iron Series, I urge you to check out the inaugural post to learn more about what the series is all about.
Iron sharpens iron, and the people in my life sharpen me. They make me better. They make me more than I can be alone. And this series is about interactions I’ve had that make me better, that change my perspective, and that challenge me to grow.
This is all about interactions that have left a lasting impression on me. No matter how small, or short the interaction, if it leaves an impression worth sharing, it will live in this series.
Mike Winnick
The Sharpening of Iron
Today’s entry in the series is courtesy of an interaction I had with one of our incredible clients. I promise you this will not be an uncommon occurrence as our clients regularly provide me with these cherished moments.
Mike, an engineer who works for one of our high tech companies, had all of two or three interactions with me up until the point where our story begins. We’d done a blog interview together where he dropped knowledge bombs on me until my brain exploded, one of my favorite activities.
The second time I reached out to him was via slack, for a quick conversation about what a certain search term my research had turned up meant. Rather than give me a quick or vague answer, or tell me he had no idea (which would have been totally appropriate in this instance), he did some research of his own.
He came back to me with, not only a well researched answer, but an incredible *marketing* idea of what to do with it. A marketing idea so good, I wish I had come up with it.
BAM! Not only did Mike just help me do my job (or in this case pretty much do it for me), he reminded me that silos are meant to be broken. Intelligence doesn’t live in a box. It transcends boundaries, and by simply having a little slack brainstorm, a beautiful baby idea was born.
Thanks Mike, for caring more than you needed to, and for reminding me that nobody’s brain is relegated to just one job. Smart people are smart across boundaries.
