A cherished analyst relations colleague, Noreen Theede, passed away recently. Her humor, intellect, focus and enthusiasm are well known among analysts and PR/AR pro’s working in the networks and telecom sector since the early 90s.

I met Noreen during a whirlwind stint at Novell. We left the company around the same time. Shortly after, Noreen was the first person to invite me to leave the corporate life and work as a self-employed AR consultant. She thought we’d make a great team as an analyst relations agency. She was right, of course. My life demanded a different career choice at that time. I regret that lost opportunity to this day. Not because of the money, but because I would have loved working with Noreen. She was a peer, a mentor, a friend.

As you can tell, I’ve been thinking about Noreen today. I’ve also been thinking about my mother, who passed away a year ago today. I’ve been thinking about how each of them changed me by becoming part of my life. Each of them made a difference in the way I see the world, make sense of the world and deal with the world. Each inspired me to think better of myself. And to laugh more often. And to fight the good fight.

In the end, that’s the only kind of influence that really matters.