Aaron Hurst Day was instituted by Taproot’s most recent Board Chair, Steve Kirmse, on the occasion of Aaron’s goodbye party last June. For 13 years, Aaron was synonymous with Taproot, and Steve’s decision to create Aaron Hurst Day ensures that no matter how far we go or what incredible things we do, we remember and honor his legacy.
And what a legacy it is! Any random sampling of Aaron acquaintances will turn up some familiar Hurst accolades and traits, among them snazzy socks, a keen design sensibility, deep caring for his team, a sly sense of humor, and his lifelong struggle to master the social hug.
But what I most value about Aaron, personally and professionally, is his eagerness to tackle wildly big goals. Those goals brought challenges to the organization every day, but at Taproot, we like tackling the big things! I don’t have much of a poker face, and our office is mainly glass, so whenever something particularly crazy-seeming came through from Aaron, he knew how I felt about it, just by looking in my direction. But over the years my “what! no!” face was more often a “hmm” face, because I knew that what seemed crazy at first might only take a little exploration and a lot of determination to turn into our next big thing.
So today I’m celebrating Aaron Hurst Day in the best way I know how: inspiring my team to do the impossible. Cheers, Aaron, and may we all have the chance to stretch beyond our limits in such socktacular splendor, every day.
