November 19, 1986: My boss called me to his office and said, "I don't know how to tell you this, but you're being laid off." I thought he said it just right. It was short, to the point and I knew exactly what he meant. He asked that I leave by 4:30, " If you're still here at five when everyone else leaves it will be depressing." By 4:30 I was  gone.

Depressed, I had breakfast with my best friend, who said, "Why not start a business? You'll never be fired or laid off." I did. Gordon Hill, Consultant. (Nobody can prove you're not a consultant). I got my first job which led to the next, then a third. Another friend suggested I teach technical seminars. I signed on with a seminar company and was soon developing and maintaining technical seminars, a field I had no idea existed; a perfect fit for my earlier years as a technical instructor combined with my indepth knowledge of voice and data communications technology.

When someone asks me how to start a business, I am tempted to say, "Being laid off worked for me.", but I don't. All I know about success is to keep doing what I am supposed to, the best I can, no matter what, unless the "no matter what" is a wrong.