Name: Dave Norman Sweet. Yep, my real name is DAVE, NOT David. In fact, I’m one of only two “plain Dave’s” I’ve ever met.
Age: 59
Title: President of automätik
Married/Single: Married to Kathy for 36+ years.
Kids: Johnny, 32 – he’s married to Criselda, they have 4.5-year-old boy-girl twins and live in Phoenix.Jayna,23 – she’s married to Kyle and hey live in Newhall, CA.
City you live in: Paradise Valley
A typical day in my life includes…
wow! I don’t know if I ever have a “typical” day! Often, I’m traveling to and from the worldwide cities of our major clients for meetings and strategy sessions. Depending on the season, I can be found collaborating with our amazing team on proprietary courseware, RFP responses, sold project execution strategies, or project-related budgets. But for sure, every day is full of email and text messages with clients, colleagues and team members.
I was born…
in a little town in Northeast Ohio called Salem. We joke that the zip code for Salem is “E.I.E.I.O.” I got my BSBA from THE Ohio State University. That’s where I met my bride (Kathy).
My favorite thing about Arizona…
honestly, I LOVE the sunshine. In fact, I’m pretty sure I have a melatonin deficiency so the sunshine actually helps keep me rolling.
I’m listening to…
the “Chill/Chillout” genre a lot while I’m working. But one song that I currently really enjoy listening to is “Breathe” by EMBRZ.
My family…
is truly incredible. While we’ve certainly had challenges in our lives we never let those challenges get in the way of our LOVE for each other. Honestly, the older I get the better WE get.
If I could have dinner with anyone, it would be… T
today, I’d say Larry Fitzgerald. We met him the summer before his rookie year at an Anquan Boldin charity function and I’d love to hear more about his incredible journey over the subsequent years. He was just a kid when we met and now he’s grown into an amazing (and incredibly gifted) young man. I’m proud to live in the same city as Larry. He’s a class act.
One thing I cannot live without…
is Peanut Butter. Just about every day starts with a small spoon of Jiffy Extra Crunchy.
When I was younger, I wanted to be…
an entrepreneur – from the time I was a little kid. I sold honey door-to-door in grade school. I had a paper route. I made custom t-shirts and signage. I played in a working band. I was always looking for ways to earn some extra cash. However, I was also fascinated by art and design, so when I started college I thought I was going to be an architect. But after one quarter of Physics, I shifted to business/marketing and have stayed in that lane for the rest of my life. Fortunately, I still get to scratch my “design itch” with myriad art and building projects.
I’m inspired by…
virtuosity. I absolutely LOVE to see and experience genius and excellence in just about anything. Musicians, artists, authors, designers, engineers, speakers, facilitators, event execution, customer service – anything done really well fires me up.
The one person who motivates me is…
my wife Kathy. Her unwavering love for me and devotion to our life together helps keep me grounded and focused on continuing to build our future.
If I could change anything in the world, it would be…
to make us – whoever and wherever we are – UNIFIED. If we could figure out how to become “ONE”, I guarantee lots of good would result.
The perfect day would be…
one that includes lots of sunshine and quality time with my bride.
My first job was…
this would be illegal today, but the summer before my eighth grade, I worked for a small construction company. Mostly, we repaired hot tar roofs. It was HARD and stinky labor.
My favorite escape…
is visiting a town called Cambria, CA. It’s a beautiful oceanside spot with a thriving little downtown full of great restaurants and local merchants. When Kathy and I really need some “space,” this is the place we head to.
My life…
has been extraordinarily blessed. In addition to a phenomenal wife, family, and company, we have experienced far more than we could have ever asked for or imagined. Even our greatest challenges have resulted in astonishing personal and/or professional growth. Therefore, if I die tomorrow, I will leave this earth with absolutely no regrets. I am “good.”
I’m currently working on…
a book about customer service with our daughter Jayna. My life has been wrought with customer service “case studies,” so this book has been a work in progress for almost 30 years. We are very close to having a completed manuscript and it’s full of really compelling and provocative content. We can’t wait to share it soon.
Always…
take the high road.
Never…
give up on anyone. Miracles happen every day (I’m living proof of that).
Favorite Quote…
“When you lose, don’t lose the lesson.”
Biggest Dream…
getting our book published andhaving the opportunity to share some of the concepts with a world that just doesn’t seem to typically “get” customer service.
My Pet Peeve(s)…
listening to people who use lots of “filler words.” And, people who stop at the end of on-ramps.
