Colin Jordan, Director of Corporate Communications (aka Head of PR) at Egnyte, a company that provides businesses (including Red Bull, IKEA, and Buzzfeed) with collaboration and management solutions, handles everything from social media strategy to executive communication.
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While he is not busy drafting press releases, Colin competes on a softball team, plays hockey, and is part of a pick-up basketball league. Colin recently moved to Arizona and commutes back to the Bay Area every few weeks. Not having to deal with Bay Area traffic saved Colin a little bit of time to answer the Proust questions today.
What would you otherwise be doing right now?
Either a sports agent or a lawyer. One of my strong points is negotiation and being argumentative. The lawyer path would probably have led me to the intersection of legal and sports management.
Your main fault?
Stubbornness. I see things a certain way, and I often find it difficult to relinquish something of the things I like about my idea or my vision.
The quality you most desire in a tweet?
Aesthetically pleasing. I cannot stand when someone starts a tweet with a #hashtag or a ton of hashtags in the middle of the tweet.
Your idea of misery?
Bay area traffic and unnecessary meetings.
What do you appreciate the most in your friends?
Their honesty and transparency.
Your chief characteristic
Passion. Everything that I do whether it is work, my softball team, weightlifting, my diet; I put 100 percent into it.
What skill do you wish you possessed?
Empathy. Being able to put myself in other people’s shoes and understand that not everybody has the drive that I do, the interests that I do, or the same thought process that I do.
Your most impactful book?
Tools of Titans by Tim Ferriss. It’s basically a huge selection of thoughts, tools, characteristics, and lessons from really successful people, whether it is an athlete, an investor or a businessman.
What defines success?
Making an impact on those around you, on the business that you are working for, or your family.
When is confidence lost?
When people that are closest to you are disappointed.
What virtues do others have that you don’t?
I have a colleague who is amazing in terms of organization, reporting, planning, and everything. She had a spreadsheet and a document for everything. I, on the other hand, have a pretty good memory but in terms of actually having things down on paper, organization and just reporting, that’s something that I wish I was better at.
What’s the biggest problem tech is failing to solve?
Creating solutions for the masses. We are so hyper-focused on solving problems that face a small segment of people. Tech needs to do a better job addressing areas outside of our own world.
Editorial note: Answers have been edited for brevity and clarity.
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