Mark's Blog
March 22, 2020
17 Hard Things You Have To Do To Be A Great Leader
I don’t know the origin of these 17 items, but they ring true for me. A colleague sent them to me. As I typed them into this post, I teared up. I ran a company for 16 years, growing from 1 employee to 500 employees. Each of the items brought back the the memories of… Read More
July 9, 2018
The “I Can Quit Truck” is Calling
The “I Can Quit Truck”, a shiny black Ford pickup, was only 30 feet from me, just across the street where I had stopped to rest after biking up a steep hill. Two fellow Ironman hopefuls were loading their bikes into the bed of the truck. They were done. I was pretty much done too,… Read More
February 14, 2015
I am them, they are me
Black, White Sunni, Shiite Rich, Poor We all laugh We all cry We all bleed I am them, they are me Gay, Straight Christian, Muslim Native, Immigrant We all dream We all falter We all die I am them, they are me Hate Less Love More I am those people By Mark Fackler February 14,… Read More
July 13, 2011
Conquering the Fear of Asking
In my mid-twenties, I developed a motto for my life that was “face your fear.” Over the years, after much self-reflection and many conversations with my wife, I changed this motto to “identify your fears and break through them.” This motto seems more appropriate, for facing your fear is great, but moving past your fear… Read More
January 24, 2011
Tattoos on the Heart
I just finished reading a wonderful book called “Tattoos on the Heart” written by Gregory Boyle (Father Greg), a Jesuit priest and the founder of Homeboy Industries in Los Angeles, CA. Father Greg has been working with gang members in the LA area since the late 1980’s. His book is filled with many inspirational and heart wrenching… Read More
May 6, 2010
The Fackler Five
These are some conclusions about running a business that I have come to after 19 years in Vistage and working with hundreds of CEOs. 1) If you are worried about an action that has to be taken, you have already waited too long so do it now. 2) Partnerships are tough. Consider owning the business… Read More