Remembering Jim Cecil

Angels walk among us.

There are people who God gifts with wisdom and the insatiable desire to share that wisdom with others. They must teach to remain alive and vibrant. And what they teach makes every student that much richer.

My dear friend, Jim Cecil, was such an angel. Jim passed away this week, an angel returning to a much- deserved rest in heaven.

Anyone who has worked in the Microsoft world for any length of time will remember Jim as the man who brought “nurture marketing” to us. He taught us that you don’t have to hit people over the head with sales messaging to be effective. Instead, inform them. Bring them real value. Teach them. Those who appreciate your teaching will become customers, real customers, lasting customers in a relationship that will endure.

Jim taught me, as he taught so many of us. He helped me to understand that it costs nothing to be kind. In fact, it is more likely that being kind will bring riches and rewards in many, many forms. Not just financial wealth, but a wealth of friendship and camaraderie that cannot be found elsewhere. I truly came to love Jim Cecil and it was very, very easy to simply love the man. He made it easy effortlessly.

Having had the opportunity to know Jim Cecil and to learn his simple wisdom has been one of the great blessings of my life. Thank you, Jim. May you be blessed with eternal peace and happiness.