KWAME

I spotted a 2019 Aston Martin DB11 this afternoon. That thing was gorgeous and the sighting brought to mind one of my favorite hobbies as a child. I was obsessed with cars and knowing as many details as possible about every car on the road.

I would spend hours online studying their specifications. Then, I would quiz myself while riding around with my parents. I would order brochures of my favorite cars from the auto makers. My all-time favorite brochure was for a concept car Cadillac unveiled in the late 90s – the Cadillac Evoq. That car shaped much of how Cadillacs look like now.

I even convinced my mom to purchase AutoCAD so I could figure out how to design my own cars. Unfortunately, I never quite figured out how to make the designs I wanted.

I’m not nearly as into cars anymore, but the practice of finding and retaining as much information as possible on things that capture my attention has stayed with me and been one of the most important keys to my career.

What from your childhood has proved to be a key part of what makes you good at what you do now?