Acknowledgments

I grew up in a family of boys living in a neighborhood of boys. Our lives revolved around the rhythm of three seasons: baseball, basketball, and football. Like many boys, we were not all that emotionally or socially intelligent. What I learned about connection and the emotions that increase connection, such as love and affection, came primarily from my devoted mother, Dorothy Hufstedler. Mom, for your loving influence and example, I am immensely grateful.

As an adult, I got caught up in the pursuit of money, power, and status, and that drive increasingly crowded out relationships. It was only later in life that I learned (the hard way) that we are hardwired to connect. I thank God, my family, and friends for saving me from myself.

To Katie Stallard, my best friend, wife, and colleague, and our daughters, Sarah and Elizabeth, each of you has had a profound effect on me when it comes to experiencing and understanding connection and healing from the damage of disconnection. I am so blessed and grateful that we are a family and that our extended family is deeply connected. I’m also grateful to our son-in-law, Jeremie Fagnan, and for how welcoming the Fagnan family has been to us. During the writing of this second edition, our first grandchild, Peyton Elizabeth, was born to Sarah and Jeremie.

To God and my church family, thank you for being and modeling connection. To my men’s Bible study, I’m so thankful that we are connected by going through life together and being there for one another during the joys and challenges.

Finally, thank you to the many individuals who have helped make Connection Culture possible or contributed their talents to making it better. At E Pluribus Partners and Connection Culture Group, thank you Katie Stallard, Todd Hall, Jason Pankau, and Katie Russell. Katie Stallard is an exemplar of connection and character. She is my sounding board, editor, and encourager. Todd has taken our work to a new level with his wisdom, insight, research, and vision for sharing our work online. Jason and I have been friends working together for more than 15 years. He is a source of wisdom and someone I can always count on. Katie Russell contributed to the manuscript while ably leading our communications and social media efforts. Along with Jason, Carolyn Dewing-Hommes was instrumental in the early days of putting language around the core elements of a connection culture.

At the Association for Talent Development, I would especially like to thank Ryan Changcoco, who leads ATD’s Management Community of Practice and has been an advocate for Connection Culture. Melissa Jones, our editor at ATD Press for both editions; Kathryn Stafford, the developmental editor for this edition; and Hannah Sternberg, the copy editor for this edition, went above and beyond to make the book even better. I would also like to thank others at ATD who’ve supported our work, including Kristen Fyfe-Mills, Tim Ito, and Lisa Spinelli.

Many people at TCU have supported and contributed to our work, including Victor Boschini, Ellen Broom, Yohna Chambers, Dee Dodson, Johny Garner, Angela Kaufman, Suzy Lockwood, Mariam MacGregor, Dianna McFarland, Sheri Miller, Jean Mrasek, Ron Pitcock, the late Karyn Purvis, Jim Riddlesperger, Chris Sawyer, Dana Sweatman, Tracy Syler-Jones, Dan Williams, Paul Witt, and Linda Wolszon.

Robin Wolfson of the Robin Wolfson Agency, our agent for speaking engagements, is the best, and we’re grateful for her.

Finally, thank you to the many family, friends, and others who contributed ideas, feedback, or other support for Connection Culture, including Erika Andersen, Kare Anderson, Mary Jo Asmus, Howard and Lynn Behar, Jeff Benner, Ty Bennett, Hillary Bercovici, Jim Blasingame, Wally Bock, Jeff Boss, Ralph Brandt, Rich Brandt, Jim and Martha Brangenberg, David Brinkerhoff, Rob and Beth Bull, David Burkus, Kathy Caprino, Karen Christensen, Vernon and Connie Clark, Peter Clayton, Tom Cole, Randy Conley, Jack Covert, Bryan Crawford, Ian Cron, Mike and Jeannie Cunnion, Holly Dahlman, Steve Daniel, James daSilva, Joe and Lucille D’Auria, Robbie de Villiers, Craig Diamond, Mitch Dickey, Nowell Donovan, Michael Ebaugh, Kevin Eikenberry, Brian Ellis, Homer Erekson, Rosanna Fahy, George Faller, Pat Farnack, Kyle Farris, Lorri Freifeld, Stewart Friedman, D. Theodore George, Phil Gerbyshak, Seth Godin, Marshall Goldsmith, Charles Good, Denise Griffitts, Lisa Haneberg, John and Bunny Harrison, Nathan Hart, Mary Held, Doug Hensch, Frances Hesselbein, Trevor Hightower, William J. Holstein, Russ Hufstedler, Matt Hultquist, Prakash Idnani, Nathan Ives, Justine Jannucci, Liz Kanoy, Guy Kawasaki, Rod Keffer, David Kelly, Angela Killian, Riley Kiltz, Alexander Kjerulf, Raj Kottamasu, Jeremie Kubicek, Jennifer Labin, Paul LaRue, Terry and Leslie Laughren, Jim Lemler, Kate Levine, Chip Lewis, Mark Linsz, Chad Littlefield, Thomas Loarie, Ann Louden, Katherine Love, Lucille Maddalena, Chris Mader, Drew Marshall, Roger Martin, Rob and Tammy Mathes, Dan McCarthy, Shawn McEvoy, Michael McKinney, Denise McMahan, Dwayne Melancon, Paul and Lisa Michalski, Morgan Mitchell, Blake Morgan, Cecile Morgan, Jay Morris, Robert Morris, Amanda Nickerson, Ryan Niemiec, Don Pape, Joon and Ann Park, John Pearson, Colton Perry, Gordon Peters, Katherine McIntire Peters, Jon Peters, Karla Peters-Van Havel, Becky Powell-Schwartz, Henry and Barbara Price, Kelsey Rogers, Francis Rose, Bruce Rosenstein, Jon Rugg, David Russell, George Ryerson, Zane Safrit, Robbie Samuels, Tim Sanders, John Saunders, Roy Saunderson, Rosa Say, Beth Schelske, Aaron Schleicher, Dylan Schleicher, Glenn Schiraldi, Tara Seager, Terrence Seamon, Rajesh Setty, Ken Shelton, Joshua Simpson, Andrzej and Karolina Skiba, Joe Stallard, Susan Stamm, Michael Bungay Stanier, Dave Summers, Greg Sumpter, Rich Tanaka, Greg Thomas, Mark Thompson, Bob Tiede, Michelle Tillis-Lederman, Khiem and Vicki Ting, Roger Trapp, Linda Tucker, Wayne Turmel, Joe Tye, Katy Tynan, Brenda Vallieu, Tony Vlahos, Jim Ware, Jenny Watkins, Randal Weidenaar, Alana Weiss, Paul White, Charlie Whitney, Drew Williams, Chris Winters, Guy Wisinski, Sean Witty, Stephen Woessner, Tom Woeste, Kitty Wooley, Heather Wright, Janis Yadiny, Don Yaeger, John Young, Susan Zeidman, and David Zinger.