Desmond John
I am blown away by the memory of this week's guest. Desmond John has an ability to recall stories about people and place that fills me with admiration. I find myself wondering how he does this. And my conversation with him gave me a few hints.
We sat in one of his favourite places: a lounge area at The Commons co-working space in Melbourne's QV building. It overlooks the always active intersection of Bourke and La Trobe streets. As we sit I find an unexpected calmness watching people go about their day in the city.
As I listen to Des, what comes through is his genuine curiosity and interest in people. He remembers all the details of the times we had spent together, even though they were close to 10 years ago. Details I have to admit I had forgotten.
And his knowledge of the history of Melbourne and his ability to weave a story about them is wonderfully engaging. Although I am less of a city fan that I used to be, I wanted to hear more about this city we both grew up in and call home.
One of the ways Des is bringing his knowledge of people and place together is in his important (although unofficial) role of being a key connector within Melbourne's start-up ecosystem. You can read more about the tours and events Des is part of by following him on LinkedIn.
This is the first episode back for the podcast after a long hiatus. I am grateful to Des for taking the step to be my first guest in some time. It was wonderful to be chatting to someone with such warmth. And it felt so good to be back doing this thing I enjoy so much.
If you like this episode, you may also enjoy listening to Garry Williams and Shree Rubinstein, two other great connectors within Melbourne's start-up ecosystem.
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