There are many wonderful things about running an international business, and there are many challenges and heartbreaks. In this edition I want to call attention to the courage of our team in and from Ukraine. These individuals have been some of the finest I have worked with as team members, and they are also courageous and resourceful in times of crisis.

Recently HFS Research published an article that highlighted how our Ukrainian team is navigating the many crises that have arisen as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. This isn’t an article we sought out — it was driven by genuine interest by HFS, and a willingness to share on our part.

Facts on the ground have changed since the interview, and out of respect for our team’s privacy I’ll not comment on current locations and conditions, other than to say that I continue to be overwhelmingly proud of them, and the hard choices they’ve made and the way our team has helped support each other. And I am so grateful that they are, as of last report, safe.

Whether it is well known or understood, very large multinational companies have whole teams of people working on how to help and evacuate families of their employees from Ukraine. I hope that this article by HFS gives everyone a window into what this looks like as a small organization:

Francis has not felt it has been his place to tell his team what choices they should make; they are likely to have much more relevant data (and context) than he has. His role has been to provide support for his team’s options-whether helping with the short-term cost of finding new accommodations or working out where individuals may wish to live into the mid-term and beyond.

Thank you to David Cushman for authoring this piece and lending words to the cause.

It is all-too-common for people to opine on difficult outcomes with “it isn’t personal, it’s just business.” But of course, business is about people — and in my view, it is definitely personal. You hope never to confront a situation like this, but the only thing we can do is to attempt to address the very personal and human challenges.

All of our work supporting our Ukrainian team is a work in progress — and we continue to rely on their advice and context to make good decisions. We chose to share our approach and feelings on the subject because, frankly, we’re hoping it will help others to support their own teams, and to continue to support Ukraine by hiring the people of Ukraine wherever they live. We just need to live up to the example that they are setting for us.

There are many ways to help families in Ukraine, this is just one of them.

One more thing… Electric Vehicle Conversions…

On a lighter note.. the world of electric vehicles is evolving quickly. Adoption is increasing, production is increasing, and it seems our electrified future is all but certain. However, the consumer choice in electric vehicles is still lacking. And car lovers are often missing the artistry of not just classic cars, but also of recently manufactured vehicles. One of the most exciting developments is the electrification of classic cars, offering aficionados the chance to drive a faster, more reliable version of a classic — all while retiring all the future CO2 emissions that that vehicle might have produced.

I’m proud of my friend Marc Davis and his company in Austin — Moment Motors — they have been early to the line, an innovator in the space, and their love and passion for cars shines through in this video by Bloomberg’s “#MADE series:

I am hoping there will be a nice convertible electric conversion in my future, preferably one with that Moment Motors touch. Quite a few of my friends have converted one of their classics to electric with Moment Motors, and every one of them sounds like an enthusiastic kid the first time they got a new bike. I love it.

I think this is an amazing example of up cycling and re-use. How better to lower our impact on the environment than to re-use these moving pieces of art, and make them practical for the next 20 years.