Celebrating 10 Years Without a Tie

I wasn’t sure where the question was coming from but as we’re getting ready to launch his latest startup perhaps he was warming me up for some role at the launch.

While ties have been very selectively used in the US West Coast dominated IT world here in Australia they are still in mainstream business use.  From the age of 17 when I started work as a junior accountant with Peat Marwick Mitchell & Co (as KPMG was known then) I’ve worn ties for many work days.  My formative business years were all in ties.

Jumping from KPMG to Apple Computer was my first real relief.  On ‘Casual Fridays’ we could leave our ties behind.  Of course I seldom wore a tie when I then jumped into my first startup MudMaps  – an outdoor 4WD travel company.  I made it a branding point to visit business clients in ‘bush gear’.

Anyway I pondered my client’s question a few more minutes, and worked it backwards in time.

And then the answer came to me.  It really was 2005 when I last wore a tie!

10 years without a tie!

How good is that.

Awful things really.  And they really should be put into the bin and forgotten.

So, tonight I think I’ll clean out the back of the wardrobe, throwing some old ties into the bin and then have a celebratory beer to congratulate myself for 10 years without a tie.

The Last Picture of Me in a Tie Above:

The picture above was 10 years ago at the launch of our startup Decipher Technologies in Parliament House, Canberra.  From the left is my Chairman, Sir Frank Moore; the Federal Tourism Minister Fran Bailey, myself, and lastly Michael Pascoe, Journalist and MC.