By Brian Wolff
Nearly everyone you meet in parking didn’t declare as a 10-year-old that parking was going to be their life’s work. Yes, there are a few legacy parking companies with three and four generations of parking professionals, but most of us came to parking expecting to be here for a short time. And then, it became our life’s work!
How did that happen? With 30+ podcasts under my belt, the answer I typically get when I ask my guests is that parking started as a job and became an opportunity to work with great people, feed our families, and leave a legacy for the next generation of parking professionals. In other words, it became our life’s work.
I’ve been thinking about my life’s work a lot lately and how 35 years in four different industries could have come and gone so quickly. Some of my conclusions might be inspirational as I connect the common threads weaving through my jobs.
Thread #1: I always worked for companies with big hearts. Every company told me and then demonstrated that people came first. In contrast, I remember turning down several opportunities because they didn’t feel right. Looking back, I realize those companies that weren’t a match for me were more transactional or more “results-at-any-cost” places. I’m not saying those places were wrong; I’m saying they didn’t match my core value of having a servant’s heart and placing people or culture on par or ahead of results. The lesson here is to find or define your core values and then find a company that matches those values.
A great example was shared with me during Episode 27 of my podcast "Harder Than It Looks" with industry veteran Rick Serra. The first parking company he worked for was sold to another. They were both private parking operators, but they had completely different cultures. Rick didn’t stay long after the acquisition. He struck out on his own, taking a few of his former colleagues to re-create the previous culture he enjoyed more. Both companies have been wildly successful — they just got their results differently.
Thread #2: My work always felt important to me. Earlier in my career, I may have played more of a supporting role, but the work we did was powering the industry. Similarly, I’m pretty sure when we all got into parking, we didn’t think too much about the importance of our work. But as we gained perspective, we realized quickly that the world would end if there was no parking. Don’t believe me? Go watch drivers lose their minds when they pull up to a parking garage displaying a “full” sign or answer their help call when they can’t enter because there are no more spaces.
Deep down, we parking professionals know our work matters, even if the public doesn’t appreciate it. We rest our heads on our pillows at night knowing that the cars coming tomorrow depend on us being there for them to start or end their day well.
Thread #3: As we progress in our careers, we begin to appreciate the coaching tree our life’s work creates. I’m fortunate to stay in touch with numerous people who I’ve worked with over the years, both in and outside of parking. When we reconnect, we relive the lessons we learned from each other about how showing up and taking good care of our customers led to life-long friendships and professional connections.
Good leaders naturally influence those who work for them in big and small ways. I'm often surprised by stories from some of my former employees about how I touched them with my words or actions. Sometimes, I won’t even recall the incident, but it’s a testament to the ripples your life’s work creates when you’re doing something you enjoy.
Someone important to me recently announced his retirement. I guess that led me to wax philosophical about my life’s work, too. I’ll always be grateful to Scott Gould, aka Super G, for taking me under his wing here at Parker Technology and sharing his 20+ years of parking experience with me (see related story).
Early on, we were the Cheetah Brothers running hard, trying to catch our next “meal.” Over time, we became close friends. I will miss Scott, but I’ll never forget the times we shared building this company and making it a little easier for John Q. Public to pay and be on his way.
Thank you, Super G, for all your contributions to the parking industry, including your coaching tree that includes me. Parker, and parking, are better places because you were in them. Enjoy your retirement and know your life’s work touched us all profoundly!
BRIAN WOLFF is the president & CEO of Parker Technology. He can be reached at brian.wolff@parkertechnology.com or visit www.parkertechnology.com.
