Brain: Mark Lacek

[Based] on pure intellect, the way one thinks, and someone I actually know, Peter Brennan, my longtime business partner; Susan Lacek, my wife—she constantly amazes me with her insight, great judgment, and ability to synthesize things; and no one has a grasp on the issues of this world and how to navigate to greatness like Bill Clinton (I shook his hand).

Steven Jobs—I’ve never seen anyone who can not only predict the future but actually invent it.

The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale and Oh, The Places You’ll Go by Dr. Seuss.

“Dream like you are going to live forever and live like you are going to die tomorrow.” —James Dean.

In my youth it was my basketball coach, Glen Leverson. In business, Sky Magary, former EVP of marketing at Northwest Airlines; Dave Kolesar, who was the agency head of Kolesar and Hartwell; and Jean Caselli, my “boss” at Northwest who supported me 110 percent all the time. Today, my two children, Emmy and Ally, who teach me the real meaning of life every day.

Obama.

Not telling someone I should have that I loved them.

Anything that includes my wife and girls is the most attractive option to me—traveling or adventures. Personally, I hunt big game, something I’ve been involved in with my father since I was three years old.

As long as I was the only one! What is there to lose?

Street smart. It is the foundation for being business and people smart. I’ve seen way too many book smart people who can’t survive or thrive in a gray world.

Paul McCartney, Rod Stewart, Frank Sinatra.

How we handle the energy crisis that we now find ourselves deeper in than we had ever imagined.

I’d like to think so, but am not sure. Some people have wisdom at a very young age and some never do. I’m probably somewhere in the middle.

The sooner we realize we are just passing through this thing called life the better. We will treat people better, do more for the greater good and less for self, and create a legacy based on doing the best we could in our short journey.