Contacts: The Founding Principals

Mr. B. Helton Guiding Principal Peachtree City, Georgia USA b@open4definiton.org

What I wanted to accomplish seemed rather simple on the surface. That is, to shift the observance of Father's Day in America from an arbitrary third Sunday in June to a Saturday in early October (click here for more detail and my reasoning). After all, this is just a definition. How daunting or difficult could it be to change?

Coincidentally, I did a 2007 yearend inventory of everything significant that I had ever done. Two reoccurring threads emerged. Both successes and failures centered on improvement and definitions. Yes, definitions. This all started as a Georgia Tech Co-Op Industrial Engineer at Procter & Gamble and weaved its way through a decade overseas in Asia, several innovative business start-ups and too many published professional journal articles to list.

What was that about Father's Day, again? I confess. I am indeed passionate about fatherhood even to the point of creating an original 'Bonus Birthday' definition (click here for another story) for my two worthy and deeply loved children. Of course, I also have a few impressive business accomplishments. Isn't that what a traditional bio outlines? Maybe that explains why we usually don't read them and more importantly why no one ticks them off at a funeral. As a consequence, we are each writing a personal note to you instead.

Anyway, there was a 'eureka moment' when it dawned on me just how much definitions truly matter in everything that we do. Then, and after considerable research, we began discussing the idea of 'sapient definitions' and that has innumerably changed everything. Just ask and I will be glad to share more of the story.

Let's also emphasize that shifting Father's Day or adding 'Bonus Birthday' to the lexicon both pale in comparison to the real potential of definitions. These examples are used because of their ability to illustrate other concepts, much like widgets and the pizza delivery problem are used in a college classroom to make a larger point.

Again, and by definition, the best is yet to come. That for me explains why Open4Definition is our undeniable next step. Simply imagine the unimaginable and you will get a sense of what is possible.

With respect,