A couple of months ago, I chatted with CEO of InCrowd, Janet Kosloff about her enthusiasm for playing poker, which led her to organize seminars for women entrepreneurs. During that chat, Kosloff came out with four takeaways to be good at both poker and business, including “Know what hands to play and when.”
Since the interests of the Boston entrepreneurial community are so diverse, this time an opportunity to explore the same gray area between business and another peculiar interest presented itself during my chat with Don Peck, CFO at WiTricity.
Based in Watertown, MA, WiTricity is an MIT spinoff that, as the company’s name states clearly, works in the field of wireless electricity. “Do you have an electric toothbrush?” Peck asked me (I do). “That’s wireless electricity; you take your toothbrush and you put it in a holder, and next time [...] it’s already charged.”
By leveraging the principle of magnetic resonance, the company enables a series of technologies that allows devices to charge over a distance without precise alignment between the transmitter and receiver. Applications range from the smartphone to the electric vehicles industry.
In addition to closing the books at the company, Peck is also an accomplished classical singer. For 27 years, he’s been performing with the Tanglewood Festival Chorus, the official chorus of the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
Based on his experience both as a CFO and as a performer, here’s Don’s advice to be good at both business and classical singing:
1. Look the part
"As a singer and a performer, what you learn early on is that people hear with their eyes,” Peck said. Of course, your skills are crucial, but you also have to look the part, look confident and in control. And the same piece of advice is valid in business, for example, in the case of a meeting with analysts, board members or potential investors. “What you wear, how competent you look and how well you convey your message is vitally important,” Peck said.
2. Be Collaborative
“Business and music-making are both what I call team sports,” Peck said. As a performer, he relies on talented instrument players. As a CFO, he relies on engineers and executives. The overall result, both of the show and the company, will be better when people play to their strengths.
3. Face Challenges With Confidence
Mastering a new piece may be a daunting task for performers. “But I know from experience that with time and with practice, eventually, this piece will become a familiar friend to me,” Peck said. According to him, the same happens in business, especially in technology. “You gotta have the confidence that with time and patience, you’ll certainly get there.”
