boomboombrands.com Big Thinkers: Bob

BOB

We met Bob for the first time when he was the CFO of Drugstore.com. He was clearly one of the smartest, focused and passionate people we had ever met!! Then he came to Cranium and we found he was FUN too! Bob is an amazing athlete, and a natural, whether it is trail running the Dipsea Race, wakeboarding, being the quarterback, even playing soccer on the boomboom soccer team, he exceeds at every sport he tries. Well ok, he is better with his hands than his feet :) What has been amazing to watch is his eclectic aptitude and passionate pursuit to whatever he turns his hand to professionally as well. Bob gets to the bottom of how a business works and what the secret to success is, faster than anyone we have seen, then he rallies and leads us to that success. But it's with his family that his star shines brightest and is an inspiration to us all.

What's Now

Bob has spent the summer consulting and spending time with his crew, as well as exploring a bunch of options for his next chapter.

What's Next

He is going to find that next thing for him to lead to greatness. Learn that perfect pasta dish, coach his kids teams to be the best they can be and hopefully get back out on the boomboom soccer team :)

BOB WEARS G-HAWK

1. Think Big: Share your dream in 50 words or less.

I want to do it all! I want to be a chef, an athlete,

write a book, coach football, live in Italy, speak Japanese,

be an entrepreneur, become an artist, serve in government,

run a nonprofit, land a backroll off the heal-side wake…

yes, the list goes on and on. But most of all, I

want to be a loving father and husband, loyal friend,

insightful mentor and a helpful stranger.

2. What did your mom think you would be?

I had a great love of sports growing up, and was less

interested in academics. She was always supportive of my

athletic interests, but I think she worried, and hoped

I would be able to find something in the sporting arena that

would pay the bills, or that I would hit the books. I think I

surprised her quite a bit the day I told her I was

going into finance. In fact, I think we were

both surprised that day.

3. When people say “you can’t do that”, how do you respond?

I think a person can accomplish whatever they

want. They just need real desire, a thoughtful plan, some

motivational support (positive or negative), a relentless

work ethic, and the right attitude. They also need to

leave their fears at the door.

4. Why do you do what you do?

I like to understand how things work (from the bottom up),

and I like to problem solve. I have found that being

in finance I have access to tools and intelligence that can

offer clear insights regarding the true levers of any business

(how it makes money), helping you not only identify risks or

problems, but also solve them.

5. What has been the best moment and the worst moment so far?

Besides marrying my wife and the birth of our three kids,

earning Pacific-10 All-Conference rowing

honors in college was a big deal, because it

represented a symbol of discipline and dedication among

a peer group for which I have great respect. It also repre-

sented the accomplishment of a dream sought after since

elementary school.

I am also proud of being the 13th employee of

drugstore.com, and being a critical part of the

executive management team that grew the business

to over $400M in sales over 9 years.

The toughest moment for me was the passing of my father.

Loosing a parent can be a very lonely and

humbling experience as you suddenly find that

anchor in your family missing, and you must now press on

and become that anchor yourself.

6. Planes, Trains or Automobiles - what’s your favorite
mode of transportation?

My favorite mode of transportation would be flying by

cape, but I have not developed those super powers… yet.

Until then, my preference is automobile, and ideally via the

Audi R8 (I think I like it because it was featured in the Iron

Man movie, and I like anything that has to do

with super heroes:).