And then the Wind Changed - ACS Publications - American Chemical

Chapter 9

And then the Wind Changed

Downloaded by PURDUE UNIV on September 26, 2017 | http://pubs.acs.org Publication Date (Web): September 4, 2014 | doi: 10.1021/bk-2014-1169.ch009

John Fraser* Office of IP Development and Commercialization, Florida State University, 2020 Westcott Building North, 222 South Copeland Street, Tallahassee, Florida 32306-2743 *E-mail: [email protected]

I was newly married, living in Amherst, Massachusetts, after laying out for my wife a rosy future with me as a faculty member and then maybe university President. (And the wind changed.) We’re in Berkeley; I’m getting a Ph.D. in biochemistry. (And the wind changed.) We’re in Ottawa, Canada; in the Canadian counterpart to the NSF as Director of Programs. (And the wind changed.) We’re in Vancouver, Canada; I work as a venture capitalist. (And the wind changed.) Now we are in Tallahassee Florida at Florida State University, where I was elected President of our professional association, AUTM and travelling the globe “communicating the value” of university research to make a Better World. As a result, I have had a very eclectic a career - private sector to government to universities and back. Never underestimate the value of a good degree, but you need to always be on the lookout for interesting opportunities. Such an opportunistic approach does not make you fabulously wealthy, but it’s worthwhile.

It is a pleasure to be writing about about career advancement in a rapidly changing world. This chapter will be less about strategies for career advancement and much more about lessons I learned personally that I hope will be of use and a reassurance to you in the years ahead. The upshot is that by taking full advantage of every opportunity presented to me, both the large and small, the successful and the not-so, I have had a very

© 2014 American Chemical Society Cheng et al.; Careers, Entrepreneurship, and Diversity: Challenges and Opportunities in the Global Chemistry Enterprise ... ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 2014.


eclectic career moving from the private sector to government to universities and back. Never underestimate the value of a good degree, but you need to always have your personal radar set for interesting opportunities. Such an opportunistic approach may not make you wealthy, but it’s never dull, you’ll have stories to tell and you can make a difference.

Keep in mind that it is very possible that you will be doing something in 10 years that you never thought you’d consider or that doesn’t even exist yet. Keep your eyes and ears open always and enjoy the ride! This is not about being blown across the country by chance, but about Seizing Opportunities I’ve listed popular movies to give you a timeframe. I was attending UMass in Amherst as a grad student, newly married and living on almost nothing (you all remember how that goes!). Of course, I laid out for my new wife a rosy future for us in a linear manner after my Chemistry degree, as a bench scientist, as a faculty member and then maybe university President and living in an ivy covered house provided for by the university. And the wind changed and we moved to UC Berkeley to accept the grad school offer I had initially turned down. LESSON: Reach for the best opportunity as you have nothing to lose except a future wasted wondering “what if”.

108 Cheng et al.; Careers, Entrepreneurship, and Diversity: Challenges and Opportunities in the Global Chemistry Enterprise ... ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 2014.


We’re in Berkeley, California; living in married student housing with a new baby. Going out consists of McDonalds and a drive to the beach. I’m working on a Ph.D. in biochemistry and doing rather well, I might add. And the wind changed and I leave the PhD program with a Masters degree. LESSON: I wanted to be to see if I was as good as the best. Yes, I was. The very best places force you to confront things and make decisions. I decided that I did NOT want to be a scientist building a perfect brick of knowledge to contribute to the world’s general store of knowledge. I decided that I wanted to work with people who are using their science to take those bricks to build a Better World (whoops, a plug for AUTM’s annual publication). So we left academe and the PhD program and moved back to Ottawa, Canada, with the lofty ambition of giving something back to my native country.

LESSON: While in Ottawa, one day, my boss asked me: Do you know why I hired you? My answer: Good degree? No, because in your resume you explained how you organized a beauty contest while an undergrad as a fundraiser and I realized that you had the ability to deal with skittish, egos running around trying to best each other. Just what I need dealing with the academic community. Do things that distinguish you from the next person! LESSON: As Agency Program Manager I signed 400 Letters with Reviewers Comments to grantees per year. I signed a lot of Letters but for each recipient there was only one Letter received, talking about the quality of their research. For Me – High Volume, Low Impact. For the PI, Low Volume, but very High Impact. LESSON – try to understand the viewpoint of others at all times. I loved this government job. I was respected as the Messenger with Money. Eventually, I wanted more hands-on involvement in projects. So I saw an advert where I could use my education and network in a venture capital fund being started. I called people I knew in the city of the Job and found that they were involved in the Fund. LESSON: It really is a small world. Use your networks. Always be up for a coffee, lunch, dinner with colleagues or new acquaintances at conferences or seminars. It will surprise you how people will offer help, if you ask. Remember to thank people - I took time to figure out how to send my 2 references bottles of Champagne before FEDEX existed in Canada. A simple hand written thank you note stamped and mailed pays dividends in this computer age. 109

Cheng et al.; Careers, Entrepreneurship, and Diversity: Challenges and Opportunities in the Global Chemistry Enterprise ... ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 2014.


Next we’re in Vancouver, Canada – lovely neighborhood right near UBC; I work as a venture capital professional. Kids are all growing like weeds which may have been due to the 300 days straight of rain, but…And the wind changed and the company folded. LESSON: We started and grew a company, but recession hit in Canada and the two corporate shareholders were unhappy with the lack of financial return due to the often not recognized long product development timeframes involved. We were all let go, nice severance and the shareholders moved on. LESSON: Sometimes you try with everything in you, do a great job and circumstances conspire against you. Not your fault – pick yourself up and move on.

And the wind changed and I became a consultant in Toronto. Several times in my career, I have been a consultant between formal employments. It pays the bills and that keeps my wife happy. LESSON: As a consultant you will surprise yourself by how much you actually know and that there are people willing to pay for that knowledge. Always accept a job if you think you can do 50% of it; you’ll learn to do the rest. Your skills will never match the requirements exactly, but if your interest is piqued and you “think you can”, go for it. As my wife says, “They hardly ever throw real rock or tomatoes”; so, what do you have to lose? LESSON: Always deliver a bit more than what you promised or earlier than promised and be willing to consider doing a small demo / ‘freebie’ to earn the business. Often that gesture is the leg up on securing that job. I’ve learned that 110 Cheng et al.; Careers, Entrepreneurship, and Diversity: Challenges and Opportunities in the Global Chemistry Enterprise ... ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 2014.


there is rarely a front runner who is light years ahead of the pack – hiring often comes down to a coin toss and anything you can do to put your strengths in front of the decision makers is fair game. LESSON: Being a sole consultant working at home is very lonely. And as my Wife told me one day: I married you for better or worse, but not for lunch. This is another example of how your contacts and networks will keep you sane. We were ensconced in Toronto, owners of a house and three kids (one in a private school) and the Wind Changed.

We moved to the Research Triangle Park in North Carolina to start a venture capital backed company to provide tech transfer services to universities. This was six years after the technology transfer law known as the Bayh Dole Act was signed. LESSON: We were running a service business transferring university technology to companies to develop products. I learned that in the US, you can sell anything once and someone will buy it. The real art is in growing that first sale into a sustainable business. I’m glad to say that we were successful and the business grew. After 4 years we sold it and money was made by all (just not enough to retire on). I restarted consulting and … the Wind Changed … we moved to Calgary, Canada, to replicate the service business to serve the University of Calgary.



We are in Calgary, bought an acreage on the side of a mountain, new mortgage, one kid in college, two in junior high, foster parents to 4 additional kids. The company where I was President, was a public private partnership and there were constant discussions as to whether this was a service company, or one that paid profits to shareholders. Team building was critical and teamwork paramount. After four years and having successfully developed a smoothly running team, I threw myself on the sword and voluntarily left mostly due to fatigue (the backbiting here was off the charts) and a Canadian recession that led to seemingly endless Board “do good or make money” arguments. LESSON: Kenny Rogers said it best, “know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em and know when to walk away.”

And the Wind changed. We moved to Blind River Ontario to head up a wellfinanced Economic development bank in a distressed uranium mining community. The business idea was to financially back small businesses built up by the local Indian Band, and the small business community. Raise your hand if you know where Blind River Ontario is. North Shore of Lake Huron. And we hit a major bump in the road in a very small town. On our son’s first day in school, I escorted him to the principal’s office to get signed up. I was in a suit and tie and trench coat. The student body assumed I was a narc and our son was a plant, and you can guess where that went. My wife says no one spoke to her the entire two years we were there unless they were giving her change. The scenery however was magnificent and if you like snowmobiling, it’s heaven! LESSON: Small town living is not big city Living. We tried it for two years and finally gave up. We had not done our homework on the community, nor the Job. The Job sounded good on paper, but the reality was light years removed. So you cut your losses and move on.



And the Wind Changed again and we moved to Tallahassee Florida. Now we are in Tallahassee at Florida State University where I have been for the longest period in my career. LESSON: Because of my background in starting things, I was brought in open and grow FSU’s tech transfer office. I did so and because the faculty and university recognized it was needed, the office was straightforward to grow. At this same time, I became active in our professional association, AUTM, in an effort to bolster my contact network to help find corporations and the latest deal terms. LESSON: This outreach has cemented by faith in networks. Some of my best friends are from AUTM. Due to professional schedules and distance, I may only see them once a year and we may not talk routinely, but there is great security and satisfaction in maintaining an active peer network. Some of your Peers are down the hall, many are not. Networking pays off every time. I was elected volunteer President of AUTM in 2006 and as a result travelled the globe ‘communicating the value’ of university research to make a “Better World” (just a small plug for our annual publication). I think I’m on my fourth passport and it has definitely made me more of a global thinker. And the wind changed as I realized there is whole world out there of people just like me -- raising a family and working to make things better. They may speak different languages, but they are just like me. You learn that if you can improve the economy is developing countries, the Mothers in the country see a Better World for their kids and the family is less drawn to radicalism and the security of their country and our country is more secure. What does all this have to do with Career Advancement – EVERYTHING. Your own future is in your own hands. The future is yours – Go out and Seize it !



And the Wind is changing again now as I begin to consider retirement. We are now empty nesters. Our kids are well disbursed across North America and we are fortunate to be included in their family life as they raise our grand kids, of which we have three. It is very satisfying to realize that we have raised three independent “kids” and to now see them respected in their own careers in Hollywood, DC and Vancouver with families of their own. LESSON: Raising a family is time consuming, but they all leave home and if you don’t acquire a hobby where you are passionately involved, you hesitate about retiring. I have no hobbies, so I am expanding my part time consulting activities in place of a hobby. I have a National and International reputation for expertise in university start-up companies, building a workable innovation ecosystem and in getting results. I consult in the US, Canada, Chile and Tunisia. I am always looking for new opportunities. If you know of any, let me know. LESSON on Career Advancement: By taking full advantage of every opportunity presented to me, both the large and small, the successful and the not-so, I have had a very eclectic career moving from the private sector to government to universities and back. Never underestimate the value of a good degree, but you need to always have your personal radar set for interesting opportunities. Such an opportunistic approach may not make you wealthy, but it’s never dull, you’ll have stories to tell and you can make a difference. In closing, for Career Advancement Opportunities, keep in mind that it is very possible that you will be doing something in 10 years that you never thought you’d consider or that doesn’t even exist yet. Keep your eyes and ears open always and enjoy the ride!


And then the Wind Changed - ACS Publications - American Chemical

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