We recently had the chance to connect with Thom Singer and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Thom, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: When was the last time you felt true joy?
At Christmas my wife and I went to London to visit our oldest daughter and son-in-law (who have lived in London for the past year). We were joined by our youngest and her long-term boyfriend. While we only were all together for one day (the older kid and her husband are adventure travelers and were off on an adventure, leaving us their condo for free lodging for a week)…. but being together for just the one day with all four kids (the girls and their significant others, whom we adore) was full of joy
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I am a professional speaker and the CEO at the Austin Technology Council. I have lived in Austin since 1991 and have seen all the changes. While some complain about the massive growth, I have found it fascinating to be part of a city and business community that has gone through so many changes.
As a professional speaker I have been educating audiences on the power of human connections for long term business success for nearly 20 years. I speak to companies, associations, law firms, etc… My keynote is not called “Human Interaction (H.I.) in an AI Driven World”. I am a huge fan of all our technological advances, but AI and other tech tools cannot replace the trust we build between people when we share experiences. Too may people look for shortcuts, and then wonder in the long run while they do not get the levels of opportunities that come to people who are engaged in community, collaboration, and conversations.
As CEO at the Austin Technology Council for the past three years I was hired to reinvent the organization as it looks to the future of tech in Austin. This has been no easy task, and I am 3 years into a 5 year plan. But with massive growth, it brings other organizations, and makes it harder to find and engaged the next generation of tech leaders who care about the city and what to do more than make money… but want to impact the future. ATC was founded in 1991 and has had several eras and iterations. But in our current fast changing world, there has never been a more important time for community. In 2024 ATC introduced (or reintroduced) the Austin Tech Hall of Fame and First Time Founder Award. The idea is to celebrate the past, be present in now, and look to the future.
I believe the best days of our tech community are ahead of us, but caution that we cannot take it for granted. When asked why one of my board members volunteers and financially supports ATC, this young tech leader said “If not me, then who?”. That is the mark of a leader.
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
As a child I wanted to be an actor, writer, artist, etc… But my 8th grade advanced English teacher told me, in front of the whole class that my dreams of being a writer were misplaced, as my spelling and grammar were not good enough. Those words hurt and I began to leave my creative outlets behind. The funny part is that this teacher was clearly not a visionary….as she did not forsee spell check on other tech tools that can clean up writing mistakes. Over many years I learned not to take advice from those who think small, but it took several decades to get past her killing my dreams.
I think the world and our society likes to put labels on people and yet I am learning that we are all complex and who we are in our soul is not black and white. And even if someone doesn’t have the talent to be a full time artist or performer.. .there are still outlets where they can exercise their passion and fill their hearts.
What’s something you changed your mind about after failing hard?
I have had an eclectic but good career, but during the pandemic my speaking business fell apart (due to no live meetings) and my role at ATC had many issues I had to deal with that I was not prepared for when I was offered the job. This, coupled with other life issues, lead me to a mental health episode that lasted for a few years. I hid the severity of it from most people, but was given the advice from a close friend to go find a therapist. Being of my generation, I felt I should just suck it up and push through the rough times. But this friend was right, and I changed my mind about why there is a time and place to ask for help.
While I would not wish a mental health issue on anyone, having gone through a few years of very dark times and a loss of self awareness and confidence, I now see that all people have issues and seeking help is a good idea when you need it. Asking for help is about more than therapy, it is about understanding yourself and admitting that you are not perfect. While I wish I had never had this rough patch in my life, I think I am a better person because of the experince.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
I have come to know that I am not money motivated, and fame/recognition is not important anymore. I think my closest friends know that what really matters to me is experiences with people I know, like, and trust. As many people, I have been burned by phoney friends and people who social climber (takers). But those people taught me that the people who are “forever friends” matter more than anything. When we raised our kids we had a family slogan “tickets – not trinkets”, which meant most of our Christmas present and birthday present budget when to trips not toys. Having traveled the world with our family and several close friends are the experiences I will cherish the most when I reach the end of my life. Not a job title or an award. It is all about people.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
When my life comes to an end, I hope people will say “He was a nice guy”. There are many people who run around saying “nice guys finish last”…. then by their metric I hope I am last. I do not believe nice is a bad thing in life or business. People like to morph the word to make some point, but the people how belittle “nice” are often simply selfish asshats. One person I worked with for a short time cautioned me. They said “People say you are nice. Do not let that be your reputation. You can be “kind”… .but nice is not success”. At the time I was shocked, but I came to learn that nobody thought this person was nice. The opposite was the reputation from nearly everyone. And I have heard others teach that nice is wrong. In my life I will double down on my nice is the way I want to be. I am not money motivated, and I do not discredit people who are money motivated. But they will not discredit me either. I hope people think I am nice.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://thomsinger.com …. and https://austintechnologycouncil.org
- Instagram: @thomsinger
- Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/thomsinger
- Twitter: @thomsinger
