WHY: As a seasoned person, I both do what others cannot do, or what they can do but either with less error, more clearly, faster, more on-time, calmer, or more profitable. This is a lot to say but I understand how it all goes together. Among the many intangibles in which I could perhaps be of service are: operating in special situations or providing personal and professional high level support.
Let me explain: My professional accomplishments span areas as different as organized knowledge, events/communications, personal assistance, capital markets, health, and facilities/architecture. The way in which I integrated all these very different domains has given me the capacity to connect endeavors which are not typically related, which allows me to meet challenges which others either cannot do or accomplish only with difficulty.
WHO: After embarking for the West Coast’s rich diversity twenty years ago, I instead found myself making the sort of lateral move uncharacteristic of most architects. To my great surprise, I suddenly joined the investment world where I quickly gathered sizable assets through prospecting and referral, generated gains using fundamental analysis and stock picking, and created my own trading tools, including intermarket and quantitative analysis. This was truly the experience of a lifetime. If only that were all, when there is much more:
HOW: Truth be told, while preparing myself for the likelihood of going to Japan on a Fulbright, along the way I instead found myself suddenly living in a Zen Temple in Korea, dived head first into tournament chess after a long hiatus, was a holistic life coach cum live-in home chef for a retired Doctor in Las Vegas, and even worked at a large building material retailer for six years. Believe me, being a power equipment operator after working for a Big Three Brokerage Firm does tend to open the mind : – ).
4,000 pounds after $40,000,000 is a good way to wake up. All these pursuits were carefully conceived and never without specific plans. The crux of the matter was that after trial and error, I evolved into the sort who could not only both create and operate a disciplined process, but in so doing, was also able to build relationships and enter markets by communicating convincingly.
Thus I worked with enterprises and clients from both the hard and soft side of the business equation. Please do not think this boastful where hopefully it is not. For the evidence rather suggests that I have gained not so much the ‘knowledge of what to always do’ as developed the expertise of ‘knowing what NOT to do’. I prepared by becoming sensitized to the expectation of things to falter. Maybe it’s like the investment adage about not losing: ‘First and foremost, don’t lose money’. Secondly ‘don’t lose money. Thirdly. . .”
WHAT: I cannot know what your current needs are but available on all on-call basis for intermediate projects, longer term special situations, or growing into trusted personal or professional roles:
• Ready: Currently I am light and mobile, able to quickly act on short notice.
• Adaptive: Able to take specific direction, performing independently (or in teams) with little support in situations which are either unclear, difficult, or complex.
• Responsible: In secure situations, can help do for you do the things you would do for yourself if you had the time, or help handle sensitive matters requiring tact. This might involve either organizing people, process, or results.
• Capability: Can tackle what others cannot do. Wide range of understanding including problem solving, travel, finance, staff, consultants, customers, and other providers. May involve either contact, tasks, computation, schedules, or budgets.
• Range: Resourceful palate of skills ranging from inner to outer, task oriented to interpersonal, to general or detailed. Brings the tenacity of a strong project manager with the subtle relational skills of a negotiator or sales performer.
David Korn Special Projects 