I was in Halifax, Nova Scotia to attend the annual meeting of the Canadian Council of Grocery Distributors and show off Zoompass – Canada’s mobile commerce platform. Having grown up in Halifax, I was a natural person to be asked to help escort Guy Kawasaki from his hotel to the convention centre where he was giving the closing speech.
Simple task right? “Meet in the lobby. Show him the way (walk 2 blocks). Don’t be late.”
If that was so simple, how did I end up spending the next 14 hours with him and then wind-up in a private jet on a late night ride to Toronto with him and a major captain of Canadian industry?
…We met in the lobby at the appointed time – and we chatted as we made our way across the street. Helping him get around, he didn’t seem comfortable, but I figured he might be getting in the zone for his speech. If you’ve read Guy’s post on the day, you’ll know that he gave a great speech. Huge energy, really got everyone going, and he received a standing ovation – the whole shebang.
But he descended from the stage looking a little…grey. Turns out he’d been experiencing chest pains all morning and hadn’t said a thing. He told me that he thought he’d overdone it in the gym the previous evening, but he was a bit worried it could be something more. All I could think was “This guy better not die here – that will not look good.”
So we decide to swing by the hospital. While Guy gets processed, he asks me to duck outside and call his wife: tell her it’s probably nothing, but he won’t be home in time for dinner. She’s understandably a bit un-nerved, and it is then that she asks me to “Tell him that I love him”…. and now I start to worry. This is a serious sentiment to deliver to someone. He had to get better, I did not want to have to call her with worse news.
So I spent the next ~5 hours or so sitting in the room with him. I had wanted to get a chance to get to know him a little, but this was a bit…awkward. I think I saw more of Guy in 7 hours than most people see in 7 years…and let’s just say I wish that I was in as good physical shape as he is. What do you say to a guy you respect but who you’ve only just met in real life? “Hope you’re not dying of a heart attack man. Cuz otherwise, you know, it looks like you take care of yourself eh? Bummer.” ??
The whole time, Guy is being really unassuming, really down-to-earth, trying to joke with people, and set everyone at ease. In the end, the doctor came in to tell us that Guy’s heart is fine – but bizarrely enough, he’s got pneumonia! That explains the constricting weight he’s felt on his chest. She prescribes some antibiotics for the rest of the week, and I kid you not, Guy’s (ultra polite) response was “So can I play hockey tomorrow?”
And then I join the Guy Kawasaki whirlwind for a few hours. Recently revived from his deathbed, he starts cracking all kinds of jokes and now wants to tour the Nova Scotian Crystal factory! They’re long closed by this time but Rod McCulloch and the team re-open to showcase their production line and to sell us a couple of pieces. Yes, Guy Kawasaki insists on paying full price. Guy showed an incredible genuine interest in and appreciation for people he met throughout the day.

Getting the tour from Rod at Nova Scotian Crystal
We throw down a quick bite to eat and bounced around some jokes and thoughts. (Yes I asked him about working for Steve Jobs at Apple.) I could see that Guy reflects the total drive and dedication to projects that Jobs is known for… but also a great respect for people, and a sense of his place. When asked what he does, Guy’s answer was just that he “helps run a website, does some tech investing, gives some speeches -smile – and play a lot of hockey!”

Guy repacking (he makes an art form out of packing lightly, takes it very seriously)
We spoke about “trolls” – people building their own “fame” in social media circles on his name. He shrugged, “At least they know me. It’s better than being ignored.” I probed about his use of social media – his response mirrored my thinking since our last encounter: “I use social media for what I want. Other people use it how they want. There aren’t any rules. In general I think I help people get stuff done.” His interest in supporting people and spreading the word is pretty infectious.
Just when I thought the day couldn’t get any more bizarre, I got an email saying that we had to dash to the airport. We’d missed our flights while sitting in the emergency department, but a great Canadian businessman had graciously offered us seats on his plane heading to Toronto.
So when I thought I’d be sitting in the airport lounge trying to beg my way home stand-by, I find myself sitting on a plane talking with these two great guys – real business leaders – talking about our favourite technology, gadgets and snowboarding…AND getting lectures by them on the importance of daily exercise. Neither one of them look their age, and I think they could take me in a fight, so I guess I’m hitting the elliptical tonight.
For the record – if you get a chance to choose between reading the Macworld article test-driving the iPad, and having Guy guide you through his personal iPad… choose the latter! (and yes, I did add my contact info into his Address Book when he wasn’t looking!)