What did you enjoy the most at your job at AT&T as Network Systems Engineering Director?
The Engineering Directors assignment involved a period when there was significant change taking place in technology and on a global level. My position as Engineering Director afforded me the opportunity to not only be a participant, but I was able to allow many others to engage as active participants as telecommunications technology was transitioning from electronic to digital. We were all directly engaged in the early stages of ushering in expanded usage of the internet, digital transmissions and most notably todays smart phones.
How was Lin Hart and Associates born? How has it grown over the years?
Following my retirement from AT&T, in 1995 I started my own business, Lin Hart & Associates. After transitioning from my role as a corporate executive, the business provided me with a platform to share my experience as a leader with significant background in business change & transformation. The company provided leadership coaching and professional speaking services to Fortune 500 clients. I retired for the 2 nd time, closing the business in 2008.
Where do you live now? I now reside in Chesterfield, MO. How do you like the city?
It’s a pleasant Mid-West town, which my wife and I enjoy. However. as a native of Maryland, I will always be an East Coast guy at heart.
How has your relationship with Reginald been? Unfortunately, Reginald passed away in 1993. What is your fondest memory of Reginald as your roommate?
Becoming a close friend of Reginald represented a significant turning point in my life. My most indelible memory of him was the way in which he viewed life and opportunity. Where others may have viewed life as a raging stampede of unpredictable and uncontrollable events, Reginald saw life as a wild stampede of possibilities. His task was to find and harness that one stallion (opportunity) that would allow him to a reach a well thought, strategic goal. Always the opportunist and keen observer, that approach allowed Reginald F. Lewis to become the richest African-American of his lifetime. While I never amassed the fortune, I would later begin looking at the world and thinking of opportunity in the same way.
Did you read when you were young?
As a youthful sports fanatic, most of my reading consisted of sports books and news. I was also a big reader of the daily newspaper.
Which was your favorite book?
My favorite book was “The Death of a Salesman.” by Arthur Miller.
How and why did you decide to write ‘Reginald F. Lewis Before TLC Beatrice’?
Throughout my years in business, I had always shared a few details of my friendship with Reginald during speeches and meetings. It wasn’t until his mother and his wife suggested the idea of me writing a book that I decided to undertake the task.
Has Reginald’s family read the book, "Reginald F. Lewis Before TLC Beatrice: The Young Man Before The Billion-Dollar Empire."?
Yes. What has been their review? The family reviews have been very positive, which has made the entire experience very rewarding for me. Would you ever like to write fiction? I’ve long admired fiction writers, but writing fiction has never been a goal of mine. If yes, which genre? N/A
Have your children read all your books? Yes. How did your wife and children react to your decision of being an author?
My wife and family have reacted very favorably to my writing and my decision to be an author. They have been my biggest supporters.
If you had the power to bring any fictional character from any book or movie or TV series to life, who would it be and why?
It would be Miss Jane Pitman, the main character in the fictional “Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman.” I believe her assessment of the current state of affairs of race relations in the United States, contrasted to those of her 100-year lifetime from Civil War to Civil Rights, would make for an interesting conversation.
What kind of research did you have to do for your first book?
Researching my book was one of the fun aspects of getting the book written. I was always a meticulous record keeper, so I was able to use many of my old records, newspaper clippings, documents, photos. Etc. Having the opportunity to reconnect with friends and associates from the past made the task even more enjoyable.
What's the strangest thing you have ever had to research online for your book?
In the book, I write about the unfortunate circumstances that led to the murder of a childhood friend. The incident happened many years ago. Finding the pathway to the information, required using the internet to dig through old articles in my hometown newspaper. It was the assistance of my niece that eventually led me to the records associated with the crime.
How much have you grown as a person since the release of your first book?
That’s a thought- provoking question for someone my age. Personally, writing this book has been both gratifying and rewarding. As an older person, I’ve had the opportunity to meet and speak with many young readers whose life experiences have been quite different than mine. Paying very close attention in those conversations has helped me to shape my perspective of what’s taking place around me today, especially among those young people.
On a typical Friday night, what would you be doing?
I’m likely to be out to dinner with my wife, attending a movie or closeted away in my home office engaged in any number of computer related projects.
Which is the next book you are working on?
During my 13 years on the professional speaker circuit, my topic area of expertise was “Leadership and Change.” If I decide to undertake another writing project, it will be on one or both of those topics.
What is the most difficult thing about writing biographies?
Finding the right subject. The person’s life story must be so compelling that you are literally driven to write and share it with readers.
