It is not bizarre or ironic that Tom is the CEO of a pinky. He is because he has chosen to be. It's becoming clearer and clearer, that his choice to drive this once very squeaky old jalopy was predicated at least in part, on his personal desire (and of course i'm speculating) to build something out of nothing.
People like Tom are type A characters, individuals who rarely stops (hence the 2 hour sleeps) and always has a project on the run. I am type B and within that realm I crave sleep and often want nothing more than to do nothing. Not Tom.
My guess is, this mid to late fifties very accomplished guy, with a wonderful family and friends and lots and lots of connections, looked around and wondered 'what can I do to make my life really meaningful; what can I do to take this old junky Chevy sitting in the back of the barn and turn it into a pristine, shining roadster?"
That's what type A guys do.
They are always chewing on that bit, asking themselves what it is that will set them apart from the other brilliant folk out there and ensure a cherished place on this earth. Tom figured it out.
He began by leaping into a company that could barely stay together. One which gave off splinters when you walked through its doors. And like most inventive people, like the inventor of the light bulb and the x-ray, he accepted the pokes and the bashing from those who thought he was bananas, and was willing to make some very hard and seemingly harsh decisions to make this car run. Over time, the rust started to fall off through his trips to Korea and India. The car began looking like it might actually move one day, and so it did.
None of what we are seeing today was a mistake on his part or by chance. People like Tom, those who are thoroughly driven to accomplish things in life and reach their goals, think and think more. They have a plan and even when they seem like they don't, they know how to get there.
Watching Tom and BVTK is like reading a book (one will likely be written about this journey one day; I've thought how interesting it would be to write one on this hub). There are pages and footnotes. Every chapter includes something new and delightful with characters and dynamics. Every line and paragraph can be gripping.
And the fact that we are all here is not by chance either. For some reason our life's-journey has intersected with one another, and with Tom. The car is roaring now, or almost roaring. The engine is turning over and all of us are driving that old jalopy.
At 200 miles an hour it is quite a vehicle. Go BVTK go. It's really something watching you Tom. You are an impressive mechanic and driver and I'm enjoying the ride.
Go BVTK go. Go Tom Go!!!!
