Upward and Onward...

Several years ago, I was introduced to Academy Award  Winning Director Keith Merrill.  He has since become somewhat of a mentor to me on various projects, for which I am grateful.  We have corresponded over the years, and on most of Keith's emails, he closes with the signature "Upward and Onward..."  I find myself often thinking about the meaning of this simple yet profound phrase.  This past week, the meaning became a little clearer.

Zach Batty, who is known to many of our clients as the accounting/invoicing/billing guru of Three Coin Productions has "closed the books" on his involvement here.  He is venturing out on his own, flexing his entrepreneurial muscles in several other areas where his passion lies.  And we wish him the best of luck.

When Zach started with Three Coin, we were a small but hopeful company, in a shared office, with a shared desk.  He came on as a full partner, taking a great risk.  Immediately Zach's efforts were noticed.  Three Coin became incorporated, hired several employees, expanded our freelance base, and brought key services in-house including high-end encoding and DVD duplication.  Many of our clients have come to us through Zach's efforts, including PGP Software, PureWorks, Knowledge Gain, Little Playdates, and the LDS Church.

Zach made key contributions to in-house projects as well, helping to secure distribution for "The HearSay Game," advancing online sales of the "How to Establish" series, developing the BOMS Film Festival, Trade the Market, Trivia Maniacs, and several others.

More personally, Zach has been the silent support behind Three Coin's feature film, "Scout Camp."  He has been an ear for my ideas, a champion behind my successes, and a net to catch my failures.  I have counted on his dedication to our daily operations from our office in Draper.  I have enjoyed having him on shoots, in diverse locations, sharing memorable production experiences.  At one time we got trapped inside a single-bed motel room in Miami.  It was awkward not only for Zach and I, but more so for the third guy on the crew, who was also sharing the room.  On another shoot, Zach and I were almost kicked out of the Ritz Carlton in Aruba, for trying to surf with the pool mats.  In a third occasion, a client offered Zach an itty bitty taste of a  jabeñero pepper, "the hottest thing on the planet...to be eaten in very tiny amounts, only by very manly men," according to the client.  Zach smiled, then took a massive jabeñero and chomped it right down, sending the client into sheer panic.  Without ever breaking a sweat, or missing a beat, Zach quietly stated, "hmm, not bad," and calmly took a sip of water.  The client, like many others, gained immediate respect for Zach.

From the moment Zach and I partnered in Three Coin, I have seen him exert great efforts to move the company higher and take to take us forward.  Because of Zach, I have a better understanding of Keith Merrill's signature phrase.  Though he has left Three Coin, there is no doubt that Zach will continue to take his next ventures "Upward and Onward."

Go get 'em, Bro.