My Journey of 10,000 Hours!

In his acclaimed book "Outliers," Malcolm Gladwell introduces us to the 10,000-hour rule, suggesting that true mastery in any skill requires not just practice but the right kind of deliberate and sustained effort—10,000 hours, to be precise.

Whether you agree to the premise, I wanted to reflect on my 10,000-hour journey and why this journey fuels my unwavering commitment to you and our shared mission.

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How We Got Here

Or, more accurately, how I got here. After a long and successful business career, my business at Microsoft was "blown up." Resources scatters. I had options to stay, but frankly, I needed more. So, I ventured out, armed with nothing but the winds of change at my back.

The Podcast Beginnings In the quiet of my office, with a humble Yeti microphone as my companion, I embarked on a mission. With decades of transformative business experience, I saw a clear need: to empower individuals, organizations, and partners to reach their greatest results through the art and science of successful partnering.

Celebrating Connections

Connecting people is more than a skill for me—I have discovered it to be my superpower. It has been foundational to my professional journey and a cornerstone of the Ultimate Guide to Partnering®. Perhaps it's why I've been so fortunate and privileged to have so many incredible voices on the podcast, well over 200 at this writing.

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These gifts, these humans, who have told their story, lifted their voices and often beared their soul on the podcast have taught me to be more human and to better understand how to help leaders like you achieve your greatest results.

Discovering Your Purpose

When Michael Gervais asked me to define my purpose in a workshop in Washington, DC, frankly, it was a struggle. Frankly, it only crystallized once I had left Microsoft and experienced more.

Leaving the ivory tower of my GM role gave me a fresh perspective. Seeing and feeling the struggles inside other large tech organizations to truly embrace partnership made it real. Some say having a chip on your shoulder is the best path to finding your passion. My chip is that the C-Suite pays lip service, but often doesn't fully embrace what it takes drive successful partnerships

It finally became real when Mike told me on our latest podcast interview that aligning my mission with Microsoft 's BIG BOLD Mission made sense. That isn't to say that Ultimate Partner is strictly a Microsoft community. It's simply to state that - Microsoft sparked the ecosystem that exists today when it licensed the operating system to IBM, spawning trillions of dollars in economic value annually.

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The next 10,000 Hours - Why You're a Part of This

We have come a long way in our mission over the last 10,000 hours to help you achieve your greatest results, but we have only just begun.

Expect nothing less than excellence from us, the ultimate in quality. This platform is destined to be the nexus for true industry leaders, and for you to experience and become the Ultimate Partner.

Expanding Our Reach

The podcast is evolving to cater to a wider audience, offering succinct, impactful learning experiences. We’re leveraging state-of-the-art production facilities like Microsoft Studios and our own setup in Boca with Media Zone , and occasionally, we're taking our show on the road to live events.

Building a Community

We are also creating a membership, some call a community of interest, where you can meet and work with other partner leaders and experts. Our plan is to do a soft launch and work with you to ensure what we are creating is truly extraordinary and what you would expect from Ultimate Partner. AND expect more LIVE and in-person.

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We're nurturing a community, or as some might say, a membership with your help. It's our intention to make this THE place for you to connect and foster collaboratio, to share learnings, to better build and innovate. I want this to be your place, not mine and I hope you help us refine it with your input, ensuring it's nothing short of remarkable.

My Commitment to You

I'm dedicating the next decade of my life to this cause. What does that mean exactly? It means that I plan to continue until we have achieve our mission of empowering every individual, organization and partner to achieve more through successful partnering. My hope is this movement far outlives me.

My approach is one of pure intention, unwavering conviction, and a sincere desire to serve you. I aim to honor those who have paved the way and those who walk alongside us. Let's ignite this ecosystem together, and unleash its full potential for economic growth in the years to come.

Vince Menzione

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