Sample answers from the H-Journal comp
Chris Golec, Founder & CEO, Demandbase
What does your Monday to Friday look like?
Typical week includes a breakfast or dinner meeting, coaching my son’s team after work, commuting on the ferry, and on a plane somewhere.
Which groups or organizations are you involved with that are making their mark on the world for the better?
I’m on the Board of The Olympic Club Foundation. We grant money to organizations that support disadvantaged kids based on our mission to support programs that share the belief that participation in organized athletics enriches young lives and develops future community leaders.
What are some of the things/moments of which you are the most proud?
My kids being born, of course. Other than that, the chance for my partners and I to celebrate the accomplishments of the employees of our former company at a holiday dinner. Making the rounds, letting them tell us their ambitions in work and in life and trying to help them. You could just tell, even in the moment, this was a night to remember.
What challenges have you had to overcome that have made you stronger/wiser/built character?
After playing and competing for nearly 10 years with the goal of turning pro, I realized that I was not good enough to make it as a pro tennis player. I learned sometimes things don’t work out, but don’t look back, just keep moving forward, there are bigger and better times ahead. As one of my friends told me, “onward and upward.”
How do you define purpose?
Purpose is knowing where I want to go and having a plan to get there. It’s one of those things that’s not always present in my mind and sometimes pops up in unexpected places and ways, but keeps me on track.