Episode 14: Hugh Huffaker

We start early with programming children to define themselves and who they will be. How many times have you asked a six-year-old, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Indeed, this is a harmless question, but can’t the six-year-old just play with her Legos and Match Box cars, and not respond to a question that most 56-year-olds have difficulty answering? I think a more insightful question could be to ask her, “What makes you happy or what makes you excited to go to school in the morning?” There will be enough time for firm definitions and commitments. 

Talking with Hugh Huffaker reminded me of what life looks like when a person can embrace the notion of being open and not feel bound by an idea of who they are supposed to be. The life becomes rich and expansive. Hugh is a modern-day renaissance man. Defying labels and categories, he is at the same time a jazz guitarist, thrice a business owner and serial entrepreneur, and of course a CPA. Underpinning his openness to life, is his ability not to allow failure – or rather the fear of failure – to guide his choices. As he so aptly describes, if you fail, you just get up again. A simple statement that is so hard to execute when the real demands of life are knocking at the door. 

Make no mistake about it, Hugh is a highly successful businessman. He is also a person who has built his success on the principle of test it and see. He hasn’t only asked the question what do you want to be when you grow up, he has asked, what happens when you say yes and keep an open heart?