Name: Jared Lauber
Hometown: Lafayette, CA
Circle Start Date: August 2018
What do you do when you’re not running a Ben Franklin Circle?
I’m an audit executive at a technology company and a father of two little ladies (ages nine and eleven). My job affords me the opportunity to travel throughout the world to places like Argentina, Mexico, Brazil, Spain, France, India, China, Germany, Dubai, and England – whew, and more. I love to travel and it’s exciting to constantly meet new people and learn about new cultures. Most of my downtime is spent in the kitchen, by the pool, playing with my girls, reading a good book, or going to my local gym (and I, like most, need more of that last one).
What attracted you to the Circles?
I discovered BFCs when I was exploring ways to improve and rebalance my life. The BFC mantra spoke to me – I believe in the power of the individual, and the ability to change the world by changing one’s own life. BFC allows our group to learn from our collective experiences using the thirteen virtues. A better me is a good father, brother, neighbor, and boss. I also like that they are nonpartisan. Rather than debating, our Circle agreed that we are here to support one another’s growth. It has been a very positive way to connect, especially in this polarized environment.
Tell us a little about the composition of your group?
The group was chosen based on a common thread – they’re awesome people. More specifically our BFC’ers are open, positive, and make good life choices. From those three concepts, I made a list of people that I’d met in different places: people from the neighborhood, the local bar, the gym, former work colleagues, etc. I started with a list of fifteen potential people and ended up with a dedicated group of eight. Our BFC includes a Russian immigrant and privacy expert, an investment banker, a CEO, CFO, General Counsel, and several business and civic leaders. We range in age from 35 to 70, are an equal balance of men and women and interestingly, include three Ohioans (like myself) living in California.
Which virtue means the most to you personally and why?
So, just like Michael Bolton’s portfolio of hits, I kinda like them all (bonus for getting this reference). I have found the order of Franklin’s virtues to be important. Initially, we didn’t really want to start with temperance. At first, it seemed like a bit of a killjoy with all the makings of a “you shall not” session. However, after careful thought, using the materials provided by BFC, and talking with each other, we came away with a very different perspective on what that virtue means.
What is the last commitment you made to yourself? How’s it going?
Creating space in my life for silence- quiet time to reflect and not react to all of the many inputs and stimuli around us has been difficult, but it may be my most rewarding commitment so far. I ride the train to work and in those 35 minutes I put down my phone, turn off the music and simply think.
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