Eric Hanson

There’s an incredible potential in each of the companies I work with every day. Some succeed and some fail, and each of my clients will struggle in their own ways to figure it all out. It’s gratifying to be a partner with my clients and to be there providing the key guidance they need to get to the next step down the road.

Daily Reads: The New York Times, the Marketplace podcast and Twitter keep me up to date on a day-to-day basis. I’m a huge fan of Michael Lewis’s books (Moneyball and Liar’s Poker, in particular), and my favorite recent book is Super Sushi Ramen Express by Michael Booth. 

Off the Clock: I have three kids, so they keep me very busy. I spend my free time outdoors (running, hiking, skiing and camping), coaching little league and struggling to get my kids to try new and interesting foods.

Favorite App: Waze and podcasts get me through my commute every day.

Funny Story: I had a math teacher in high school who I really enjoyed. He had just come out to the Seattle area from his finance job in New York, which we all assumed was primarily motivated at taking some time to get outdoors and away from the craziness of the banker lifestyle. He was a great mentor and a tireless worker. We set up our school’s ultimate Frisbee team together and he taught me pre-calculus in his free time. He kept a side hustle to make ends meet, and (frankly) he wasn’t my most prepared teacher on a day-in day-out basis. So it was a surprise to see him leave after a year to focus on the side hustle. It was a little book store, which he started with a few buddies from New York. That book store turned out to be Amazon, and Amazon is now the world’s biggest internet retailer.  

For me, it was amazing to see the front edge of that mix of talent, hard work, timing and persistence all come together and make something special. None of us students recognized what we were seeing when it was happening, but I always look for it when I’m meeting with new clients.