40 Year Journey of JDA  

It’s hard to believe that 40 years have passed since I started JDA.  I often think back to a Brian Tracy training I went to back in the mid 80‘s.  He said something that has stuck with me ever since – “ it’s not the millions you make that’s important; it’s who you become in the process.”

As I reflect back on my career and business, I often think about how this singular statement has influenced me and shaped a lot of what I did as a person and what we did as a company.  I also look at other people who have influenced me - friends, business competitors, associates in trade associations, trainers, mentors, role models, wife, and kids.  There are also those whom I have impacted – employees, people we directly placed, job seekers, seminar attendees, client companies, and those that are part of our charity works.

The trade groups I participated in were instrumental in my meeting people and the ongoing relationships that ensued, included finding my wife Cindy at DPMA/AITP back in the early 80's.  She was hot and in charge of a committee that would be good for business; what more could I have asked for?  So, I volunteered to help her, and 30+ years later the rest is history.  Some of my best friends are/were my competitors, and we helped each other grow ourselves and develop our respective businesses while promoting the industry for the greater good.  There are at least a half dozen people I have been close with for more than 25-30 years: trainers / mentors / role models for the business, marriage, family, and life in general.  These are individuals who have helped shape me and helped keep me grounded.  

My personal spiritual development practices include giving the first hour of the day to the Lord for prayer, spiritual reading, and reflecting on the blessings that I have as well as those who need help.  I remember once in an elevator at my office someone asking me why I am always in such a good mood.  My answer was – what’s the choice?  Yes, it is a choice.  When you start the day and focus on how blessed you are and not on what you do or don’t have, it changes both your perspective and that of those around you.        

Regarding my commitment to give back:  several people have asked me, “Why do you give so much of your time, talents, and treasure?”  I remind them that paying it forward is "part of the deal" – much is expected from those who have much, and still more is expected from those that have more.

I remember one event in particular when our boys were young (4 and 6), and Cindy was one of the volunteers at The Lighthouse of Houston, a wonderful organization dedicated to serving the visually impaired and blind.  Over the years, JDA had sponsored several events for The Lighthouse including a Christmas party for about 150 of their clients.  Cindy made, in our little kitchen, dinner to feed about 200 people and the JDA staff served as elves helping set up, clean up, serving, and whatever else was needed.  As the clients came through the food line, our son Vinnie (6) on his own would escort those who were alone and describe what was on the table.  WOW!  Can you imagine standing in front of a beautiful buffet, not being able to see it and having a little boy serve you?  Now, that was moving!  After dinner the kids went outside because we had a piñata; when the piñata broke, the kids scrambled to pick up the candy.   My son Michael (4) gave his candy to one of the client’s boys and said to me, “Dad, we have so much at home; I'll let him have it.”  WOW; how he gets it!  We also had our staff dress up as Santa and helpers, giving out toys and gifts to all who were there.  What a great event, and what a difference it made to my family and team!  For some of my team, this was the first charitable event they ever participated in.  That day, we all learned – and had reinforced – that “it’s not about us,” and we all got so much out of it.

Back when my boys were young, a dear friend of mine, Estelle, told me that the beauty of owning a business is that you get to pick the 60 hours a week you work.  As the boys were growing up, I quickly realized that you can always make more money but you cannot get more time.  So, make sure that you enjoy the journey; you only have one shot at it. 

With that in mind, I was fortunate and didn’t miss too many of their events, including extracurricular activities, field trips, concerts, plays, etc.  I also had the pleasure and joy of having them work in the family business, doing different activities around the office.  Vinnie, being the “brainiac” that he was, was quickly bored with the routine, so we had him develop some reporting and database tools.  Interestingly, Vinnie is now a data scientist working with NLP and A/I. 

Michael, being more social, started out sharpening pencils and stocking the fridge.  He then moved into a research position, and eventually headed up our info/sec practice.  I cannot tell you how proud I was, taking him out to visit clients or participate in events.  Well, Michael is now following his dream.  He studied hard, passed the CFA [Certified Financial Analyst] exam, and is now a research analyst for a money management firm.  

Over the last 40 years, I have had about 200 people work in my office.  For a lot of them, this was their first office and sales position.  What I heard consistently from my alumni is their appreciation for the life skills that they learned.  The things they hated the most had the greatest impact, such as writing out their goals and project plans – not only for business but life in general; knowing where you want to go, making a plan to get there, and having accountabilities along the way.  It works!  Another assignment they found challenging: read 2 books and create a team presentation.  Granted, the books were easy to read but thought-provoking: Green Eggs and Ham, and Oh, the Places You’ll Go!, both written by Dr. Seuss.  There are some very good life lessons in those books.

In regard to the thousands of people we have placed over the years: hearing the stories of how we impacted or changed their lives makes you feel really good about what you are doing.  I remember being out with a client for lunch and running into someone I had placed years ago.  She asked me if I remembered her.  I immediately did not recognize her by sight, but when Alice told me who she was, of course I remembered!  She reminded me of how I had encouraged her for weeks to leave her position at Compaq and go to one of our consulting clients – and how resistant she was.  Well, 10 years after taking the position, she was now a Senior Vice President managing a national practice with about 200 people under her, and this was the best move she ever made.  Now, that was a great live testimonial that I could not have planned any better.

I had lunch a couple weeks ago with a friend of mine, the first Asian Indian I ever met.  I placed Asai at HL&P in 1982.  He retired after 35 years with that company, after a long and diverse career there.  35 years is our company “longevity placement” record and one that most likely will not be broken.

For the last 30 years, I have been an SME [“subject matter expert”] speaker at trade groups, universities, conferences, and job ministries.  I have spoken about industry trends, compensation, hiring, interviewing, and job search strategies.  We have even hosted in our JDA office space workshops for those in transition.   I often get pulled aside by individuals who have been in one of my sessions and thanked for my insight and how it has helped them, whether it be to land a new position, negotiate a better compensation package, or hire a stellar candidate.

For the last 25 years, we have published our annual Houston IT Hiring and Compensation Report and given this information to our clients and candidates.  A couple years back, I was talking to a CIO we had placed; she told me how she had used our compensation and retention reports to get herself and staff a 20 percent one- time compensation adjustment.  I’m sure that had a positive impact on her, her staff, and the company’s retention.

So, again and most importantly:  it’s not about the millions you make that's important – but the person you become and the lives you impact.  I have truly been blessed.

James Del Monte
President