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| Tim, me, champagne, and Busch. Nice. |
In at least a couple ways, I admire and relate to Tim as much as any friend I have. Here’s why: He’s self-made. Like me, he had a great mother and all-around support system, but we both earned, achieved, and accomplished our respective things mostly through hard work, day in and out. Tim is now in a director's position at Fiserv, and some people call him “boss.” To me, he’ll always be “G-Money,” or “G$” for short. (It's a "New Jack City" thing.) When I met Tim early on in our hometown of Ashland, Nebraska, we made our spending money walking bean fields cutting out the weeds for farmers out with corn knives. From there, we have played sports, plotted parties, road-tripped to concerts (and nearly legitimately died), served in each other’s wedding, and much more. Here’s my conversation with Tim, the only man I know who can do both a convincing George W. Bush and Fire Marshal Bill impersonation.
Q: We’ve known each other since sixth grade or maybe even a little before that. How do you remember us meeting or starting to be in the same space and hanging out?
I moved into town [Ashland, Nebraska] from Memphis [Nebraska] the summer before sixth-grade. I didn’t know anyone, but signed up for baseball that summer. I remember I was terrible, and if I got to play it was in right field toward the end of a game. I remember you, Tom Anderson, Randy McWilliams, and others being so much better than me, and I just hoped to not make a mistake. I was definitely an outsider just trying to fit in. I think we also spent some time at the pool that first summer and running around Wiggenhorn Park. Once school started, I think our friendship really began, as we were in class together, and you were one of the few kids I knew.
Q: When I first met you, it was you, your mom, and your younger brother, Ryon. Something that struck me early on was the love you all had for each other, but also the responsibility you displayed for Ryon and your mom. You never stated anything out loud, but it was evident the accountability you had even at just 13 or 14 years old. You remind me of my dad in that way. Tell me about how you viewed your role in your family then, and how did your upbringing in a single-parent household impact you and carry over into your own family now with your wife and two boys?
Yeah, so I would describe my childhood up to that point as pretty “nontraditional.” My parents split when I was 12 and my brother was six. My mom worked most of the time in Lincoln, so she had to commute. I was tasked with doing what I could, from getting us out the door for school to making sure my brother had care after school. It was tough because there were a lot of things I would have rather been doing but didn’t really have a choice. I was very protective of my brother and my mom. My relationship with my dad was really strained when I was that age. I told myself that no matter what my life looked like 20 years from then, I would never put my kids through anything like that. I guess I have always viewed myself as a protector in that way.
Q: People used to often tell us how much we looked alike, and it was common for people to mistake us for brothers. We share a lot of traits in common, and our backgrounds include a lot many similar experiences, people, places, and other things. A major difference, though, is you are very outgoing and comfortable in just about any situation, and I’m introverted and comfortable mostly only in situations I’m familiar with. Where does your outgoing nature come from, and tell me about the importance that people and friendships play in your life in general. You have a lot.
You, Chris, and Daryl have been the core to my life. Even though we entered at different stages, it amazes me how we can pick up right where we left off every time. I am very blessed to also have a very extensive friend group, many from different walks of life, different points in time, different jobs, parents of my kids’ friends, and the many people I met through years of officiating [basketball and football]. I am drawn to people; I love meeting someone new and finding out more about him. Growing up, I rarely lived anywhere for more than a couple years before we had to move. I got very used to having to make new friends. Honestly, the most difficult part of all of that probably made me into who I am today.
I do remember a very specific day in ninth-grade Speech class with Ms. Backus. I gave an impromptu speech on toilet paper, and it was the first time I found out that humor would play a big part in my personality and helping me meet people. I love public speaking and drawing energy from the crowd. I used to be terrified, but now, I am sometimes more comfortable in front of a large group than I am being in a one-on-one conversation.
Bonus question: Tell me three ways you feel you and I are most alike and most different.
Most alike:
1. Our love of sports
2. Our love for our kids no matter what
3. We both married amazing women who molded us to what we are today
Most different:
1. Your very quiet; I am very outspoken
2. You are gifted musically; I can’t play a single instrument
3. You love to read; I would rather watch a movie
Q: Sports have played a huge role in your life. You were a decorated athlete in high school, going to state in multiple individual events. You attended college on a track and football scholarship. You officiated basketball and football for more than 25 years. You’ve coached, and much more. Overall, it’s safe to say you’re a fairly competitive person, not just where sports are concerned, but across your entire life. You wouldn’t be where you’re at if you weren’t. First, why was it, and maybe still is, important to you to have a more-than-healthy competitive nature, and second, where do you feel that competitiveness stems from and how has it helped you get to the position you’re now at?
I would say I am less competitive now than I was earlier in my life, but I guess I have just always felt I have had to fight for everything I have achieved. I wasn’t born into anything. I wasn’t given anything. Growing up, I guess I just always felt a little less than those around me. I think sports gave me the option to separate myself because it was something I had more control over. The harder I worked, the better my chances. Whether competing, coaching, or officiating, I just love the thrill of competition, not just winning and losing, but the environment, the rivalries, the smell of popcorn, and the sound of a band.
When it comes to my work and leading people, I expect a lot. I have no patience for those who think they are owed some thing or use some thing other than hard work to justify a stance. The world is full of excuses, but I will take hard work and desire over entitlement any day of the week. I think that approach has given me an opportunity to lead some amazing people over my career. Speaking of competitive, I remember a young man on our high school basketball team yelling at me for taking a shot (even though I made it) against Wahoo. We won that game, upset of the year, and you made the game-winning shot. I still have nightmares from that moment with you all up in my face, but yeah, I was competitive. 😊
Q: Talk about your love of baseball and football in particular, and why the Chicago White Sox and New Orleans Saints are your teams?
Baseball was the one sport I always wished I could have played more of early on. I think that is why I played so much softball during and after college. My love for the White Sox started with a random hat I probably got at some garage sale when I was a kid. I lived through the terrible years and followed most the of players. While walking the strip in Las Vegas one night, I may have actually signed a few autographs when a group mistook me for Jack McDowell, but don’t judge me. I loved Robin Ventura, Ozzie Guillen, and the Big Hurt. Now, I am just sad because they have been terrible for so long. I was lucky enough to attend Game 1 of the World Series when they swept the Astros in 2005. Roger Clemens was on the mound for Houston. I have never experienced another sporting event like that.
I became a Saints fan when so many of the ex-Husker players would get drafted and play down there, and I have a love for New Orleans in general. It’s such a cool, nostalgic city, and they love them Saints. I love Drew Brees as a player, as a dad, as a human. He just does it all right. Every fantasy team I have had for the last 20-plus years had been some flavor of the Saints. I haven’t been to a game in the Dome yet, but it is totally on my bucket list. I did go to Kansas City and got to see them play two years ago. The heartbreak season endings the last three years have been rough. Hoping Drew can give us one more year for a shot at the Super Bowl.
Q: In our early 20s, you and I lived in a mobile home in a trailer park in the middle of Lincoln, Nebraska. We were both fresh off our first jobs out of college, and we both ended up struggling trying to figure out the next move. Like, we really struggled—financially, in terms of pride, and more. At one point, we were climbing a pole out back to connect/disconnect the cable TV line because we couldn’t afford the bill. Your road back upward started with a temp job, and once you got through the door, you basically busted your ass, showed your worth, and kept advancing. We’ve talked before about the chips we’ve had on our shoulders at different points in our lives. Who and what do you credit your drive and motivation to, and do you feel it still exists in you now to the same degree as decades ago? Does success diminish the fire a bit, or is the desire to succeed just inherent and always burning?
I was hoping this question wasn’t going to make the list. 😊 I am not sure what bottom looked like, but that had to be close. I was glad you were there with me because at least we had our friendship and free cable until they cut the wire. I feel like from my perspective, I just hit a crossroad and needed to turn things the right way. I think I was always trying to find a career instead of a job, and my expectations weren’t realistic, so I took a temp job to figure it out, and it ended up putting me on the right path. Honestly, meeting Lynn was probably the biggest reason of all. She believed in me, and I didn’t want to mess that up, so I put my head down and tried to be the best version of me I could.
It’s very different for me now, though. I don’t focus on my success. I focus on the people I am responsible for, whether family or co-workers. I love watching my wife be successful in her career, or my kids doing amazing things with their lives. I take a lot of pride in getting a phone call from someone who used to work for me asking for advice about the next career move, or mentoring someone who is just starting out. I think the desire will always be there for me, but it’s how I measure that success now that is different.
Q: You’ve based your career on finances, acquisitions, mergers, monetary projections, and everything else financially related. What is it about finances that geeks you so much? What about the financial and business worlds gets your blood going?
I guess the old saying, “I didn’t choose this, it chose me” applies. I have always liked working with money and finances, and let’s be honest, once we all watched the movie “Wall Street,” there was no looking back. Money moves the world, and I have always liked working with numbers, patterns, predictability, and seeing things others don’t see. Funny thing about it, Lynn handles all of our personal finances; I just stay out of the way. If I would have had a choice, I would have gone the medical route, and there has always been a part of me that wishes I would have when the potential option was in front of me back in college, but I don’t think I would have had the drive to do something like that at that age.
Q: Politically, you and I are on very opposite ends of the spectrum, but it never really stands in the way. We’re both competitive people and staunch in our ideals and practices, but we truly are like brothers in that we are able to look past that and get back to the foundation we share at the end of the day. Do you think that has anything to do with us growing up in a small town where a person is basically forced to live and intermix with others in close quarters?
Side question: Tell me three aspects of living in a small town you liked and really miss and three aspects that you didn’t like at all and that people maybe over-romanticize and tend to get wrong.
I think politics have polarized everything today. I blame the ease of information, the lack of facts, and social media/media for fueling the divide. I don’t think we are as far apart as we think because we tend to talk more about the individuals than the policies, beliefs, and views. I think that is what makes it easier for me to deal with these days, as I know who you are, and you know who I am. We will always want what’s best for each other, as well as our surrounding family and friends. I know you are a good person, and I know you believe I am, as well.
So yes, your example of small-town weighs heavily on that. You can’t be anonymous in Ashland, but you sure can be in a big city. I loved the opportunities of a small town, the humble nature of it, the simplicity, and the loyalty. What I didn’t care for was the lack of true opportunity, the politics, and visibility into your individual struggles.
So yes, your example of small-town weighs heavily on that. You can’t be anonymous in Ashland, but you sure can be in a big city. I loved the opportunities of a small town, the humble nature of it, the simplicity, and the loyalty. What I didn’t care for was the lack of true opportunity, the politics, and visibility into your individual struggles.
Q: For city folks who don’t know, talk about the beauty of a corn field party and why everyone should attend one at least once. Then, give me your Top 5 List of Best High School or College Parties of all time and why they make the list.
I don’t think I could actually describe a cornfield party in a way that would be appealing. I think you have to experience it--kegs, music, and hay racks. You’ll never see as many stars in your life.
- High school graduation night: Yukon Jack with your dad, and I lost my shoes
- Any party at Daryl’s house: Pulling Brett Linder off our teacher/coach's lawn while screaming at the top of his lungs; confessing in the bath tub; scrambled Cinemax; MTV
- Daryl and Julie’s wedding: The car ride there, and every point after
- Hootie and the Blowfish #1: Kansas City with my fraternity brothers and our wives
- Greek Week final initiation night: Campus-wide epic event
Q: What is the best and worst parts about knowing me?
At first, I thought this question would be easy, but I have sat here for 20 minutes figuring out my answer. Honestly, outside of my brother Ryon, you, Chris and Daryl are the closest thing to brothers that I have. For you specifically, I think I’ve always known you to be fair, honest, and you have always had my back. Always. You showed me tough love when I needed it, and shared in success when achieved. I admire your dedication to your family, your work ethic, your passion for music, your snow-white beard, and eclectic style.
Worst part is that much about you today is a mystery. I don’t see you as often, and we don’t talk as much as I would like. The fact that you are a grandpa first is not surprising. You were born for that role. No matter what the next few years bring, I know you will always be there.
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