How often can a person say that they started work at a company along with its future CEO?  “Starting Gates” is the official training program for the Gates Foundation.  It is a polished introduction to everything the Foundation works on and what its employees need to be aware of.  Its a lot of material for three days, and it’s admirable that it lives up to its mission.  Our group of 20 people also made pasta together at the Blue Ribbon Cooking School nearby, which was delicious and the event was a great team-building experience.  Highlights of the training were:

• Bill Gates Snr. spoke to us about how the foundation was formed.  He was so casual about it… I was struck by how vibrant, pragmatic, and friendly he was.
• Patty Stonesifier, the departing CEO, discussed her background with the Foundation and how she moved it from a focus on libraries to the biggest non-profit organization in the world.  I was moved by her tears during the presentation.  It was obvious that she has given her heart and soul to these efforts and that she fully expected us to continue her legacy.
• Raj Shah talked about Global Development and I was stunned at both his presentation skills, his passion, and the depth of knowledge that he shared.  It’s the newest program in the Foundation and it has incredible potential. .  I’ve known that I wanted to be part of Global Development since I joined the foundation and I am more convinced than ever that I need to figure out how to get there as a program officer.
• We had the pleasure of attending the three day training with Jeff Raikes, who is the future CEO, and his executive assistant.  They were asking so many of the questions we hear from our Subject Matter Experts at the foundation.  I’m certain that they will do an amazing job at the Foundation. 
• Our start group was made up of some of the most remarkable people I have ever met.  They had such diverse backgrounds.  It’s likely I won’t see many of them again because of the broad spectrum of work here, but it’s good to know the Foundation is in good hands.
• Finally, I learned about the “Boss”.  The Boss is all the disadvantaged people in the world who lack access to the basic building blocks of a good life.  At the Foundation, our mission is to do whatever it takes to ensure that all lives have equal value. It’s am ambitious challenge, but as long as we keep the Boss at the center of our decisions, we’ll move closer to our goals.

I was struck by how different this was from all the other orientations I’ve ever had in my life.  It wasn’t a socially driven experience.  There were no cheesy icebreakers or late-night binge drinking sessions.   You felt that the material was a snapshot of the company at a particular moment in time… that in a few months, the orientation would have different presentation all together as the game changed.   I had a great time!  It wasn’t the high I get from drinking company “kool-aid”, but the feeling that I was part of an amazing mission.

The week began and ended with hikes.  I took a trip to Twin Falls with a few friends to reconnect.  I was surprised how much the event tired me out… it was great for socializing but my conditioning was off.  I should have realized it was an omen.  At the end of the sleepless tiring week, I went to Camp Muir with some champion hikers.  I’ve done this hike twice before.  The first time was challenging, but I made it up and down fairly well.  The second time was during my training for the Samsung Melbourne Marathon, and it felt easy.  This time, I hit a brick wall by the time we hit Pebble Creek about a third of the way in.  I was struggling and eventually I had to stop.  It was both painful and embarrassing.  The others were forced to cut the hike short.  I don’t know if the additional snow on the mountain was partially responsible for my breakdown, but its becoming clear that I can’t take my fitness level for granted anymore.

This makes the launch of Workoutrageous this week even more important for me.  I’m going to need a push to get back into shape.  I don’t know if many people will join in, but it’ll be a building block for everyone to build a good habit and support a great cause.