March, 2006
It was 1999. I hadn’t been to Mexico since 1997 and hadn’t worked with my business partners down there since 1996. We have warm feelings and great memories, but have lost touch as other priorities intrude. It’s been thousands of miles and several years since those days.
I’m sitting in the capstone course of a graduate management class at Harvard.
There are 30 people in the class.
One of them looks very familiar. She turns around and points to her eye, which means “I recognize you.” This is a friendly gesture. I wave.
Ok. She’s clearly from Mexico. Looks very familiar. Early 20’s. Has to be someone I know pretty well from down there.
I had three major business partners down there.
1) Wendy – who was the original joint venture partner. We used to have great dinners at her house, which was in a beautiful part of the city and built into a giant natural rock. Wendy and her husband Mario have two children, Jessica and Marcos. This was not one of Wendy’s family.
It is the first day of class and everyone is going around the room introducing themselves and saying a few words about their background. I hate these things. What does one say about one’s self to a group of strangers?
2) Raul – who became a full partner and headed up the in-country office in Mexico. Raul and I became very good friends and traveled all over Mexico together. He has a wife, Claudia and a two year old, Maria. I know his entire family, and this person was not one of them.
I’m in the second row of the classroom and it’s going to be my turn soon. I figure I’ll just give my name and say I grew up in South Carolina. Maybe mention the company where I work.
3) Qina – who ran a magazine company and was the content partner in our business. She was one of the first people I met in Mexico and opened many doors for me. She has a husband, Neal and a daughter- also named Qina. We called her “Qinita” (which means little Qina).
AHA! My turn to introduce myself.
“I’m Bob, I grew up in South Carolina and work at Softbank Comdex.”
Pointing at the person in the row behind me — “And by the way – Her mother was my business partner … and I was at Qinita’s wedding in Cuernevaca in 1994.”