When I told my wife, she got it. Somehow, we could both sense that what seemed like the impulsive action of a teenager, would unfold to change things in ways we couldn’t yet understand.
In the spring of 2008, leaving an established career, and a great paycheque to take a job at a yet unopened retail store seemed crazy. But we’d both been to Apple Stores in other cities, and knew they were special places.
After 3 interviews and a series of meetings, I got a job offer by mail. A beautiful package of information and agreements needing signatures forecasted the attention to detail and care that would go into my induction and training.
Over the next couple of months, the training began. There were about 60 people in the class, held in a meeting room in a local high-end hotel under some degree of secrecy. We’d all made it through the selection process and were “the chosen”.
The training was unorthodox. The concepts, behaviours, and policies being instilled in us were different from anything any other employer had ever shared. This was an employer like no other.
Everything they did was different. They empowered us with the skills, authority, and desire necessary to surprise and delight our customers. None of this was to the exclusion of good business sense– we were taught how to judiciously go beyond where average companies would go.
Having worked as a Business Analyst and Software Architect for years, I’d read a lot about Steve Jobs, Apple, and the business of technology. Nothing had prepared me for this experience. Osmosis, passion and a little magic had come together to bring the entire organization into harmony. Steve’s passion had spilled all the way down to me– a simple Product Specialist working in one of the hundreds of Apple retail stores.
I spent two and half years there, and every shift I worked was a learning experience. I learned about retail. I learned how to relate deeply to the customers I was responsible for helping. I consistently met and exceeded “business metrics”. And as long as I was committed to my work, Apple was committed to me.
I took many lessons with me when I left Apple. I’ll never forget my time there. It’s clear to me now the effect that Steve Jobs had on every single member of this organism. It really is “in our DNA”.
The truth is, nobody can replace Steve Jobs, and nobody needs to.
