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The post

22 March 2017.

Jude Bolton walks into the Domo APAC offices emulating the infamous 'Money Moon'.

Celebrity Contact

I first met Jude when I joined Domo.

At the time, I didn't know who he was. I never followed AFL.

The thing about not knowing someone's celebrity is there's no judgement, no bias.

You get to build the relationship on merit, on the time spent.

Over the years I've got to know Jude, and he's one of the most resilient, competitive people I've ever met. That's got nothing to do with his on-field record with the Sydney Swans.

I had just started my career in software. Jude, after a decorated sporting career with the Swans, had done the same.

Relentless

I got to see in real life the mindset of somebody who competed at the most elite level.

Never gives up.
Always positive.
Always wanting to work, live and learn.

Celebrity can open doors, but you need the performance to create it.

That was the interesting observation with Jude. He worked tirelessly to get meetings and open doors, and he pushed everyone a little further than they thought they couldn't go further.

I've stayed in contact with Jude over the years and seen sides most people aren't privy to.

There's a level of humility you can't explain until you see it.

When people say a celebrity is a nice guy, they usually don't know. The persona on media is vastly different to the person you see when the cameras and lights are off.

Jude's not like that. What you see is what you get. An amazingly humble, caring, tenacious and resilient human being. When you're around him, you want to elevate to his level.

Life Change

Domo was one of the most interesting, and challenging, times of my career. I came into software at 40, not knowing the vernacular or the mindset.

There were times I wanted to quit. Times I thought things were unfair.

I'm sure Jude had the same. The difference was he kept going, whereas I'd have my little hissy fit and sook.

Last Friday night I received an SMS from Jude (screenshot in the comments). A photo from that day in March 2017..

It came at a time I needed a bit of a pep-me-up.

I realise there's people around you still thinking of you, even when you don't hear from them. And maybe, I made an impact him? shrug

The benefit of working with someone like Jude isn't that I know somebody famous. It's that I know somebody who never gives up.

More recently, Jude has been through some personal challenges with his wife's health. Thank God they've come through the other side. Another testament to how he deals with things.

The resilience. The attitude. I think that runs through the Bolton family.

It's been a blessing to call him my friend.