Crazy John's Leaves Too Early
John Ilhan's sudden death today – aged 42 -- will have its biggest impact on his wife and four young children. Crazy John's, the $175 million mobile phone company he started in 1991 and its 630-plus employees will move on in a matter of weeks or a few months. But the millions in assets cannot compensate the family.
His business success is without question. Crazy John's was ranked 261 on the BRW list of Top-500 Private Companies in late 2007.
Ilhan presented an inspiring text book success story. Immigrating to Australia aged 3 with his family from Turkey, a moderate Muslim, establishing a successful business in a cut throat industry, healthy outlook, family man, and even taking on of the big cats (Telstra) for a $70 million legal fight. But today the clock stopped for him and for his family.
In an BRW article (Oct '07) he was quoted as saying: "I don't call it work, the challenge turns me on." Indeed it did. But observers would hope he had also maintained a reasonable Life-Work Balance.
Every business owner who reads the news today will reflect on where they are with WLB (Work-Life Balance) and if their families agree with it. Is it just an expression, anaspiration, a goal to have "one day", or even a "thing" we plan to do next year when we have more time.
One easy test would be to consider if what we plan to do in the next 12 months might be different if they were to be our last 12 months of living.
The one guarantee we have is this: the clock WILL stop before we are ready – and without much notice.
Print Version 
Send to a Friend « go back
