alexandrafleur

I received three handwritten pages in the mail from my uncle (Ukrainian side of the family, mother’s brother) about the Husaruks. It was an albeit brief, yet fascinating history covering bits from  the 9th century past 1812.

THE HUMOROUS
When my namesake, Alexandra, (great-grandmother) was being courted by Dometij Bulsonowski, Mr. Bulsonowski had the misfortune of speaking Russian in front of her wildly impulsive and nationalistic (Ukrainian) father. He chased Dometij around with an axe! As my uncle so eloquently put it: “the animosity was soon forgotten over a few glasses of vodka.”

HUSARUK: where’d that  name come from?
The progenitor of the Husaruk line was simply lost. Yes, lost. He was a Hungarian serving in the Napoleonic army in the disastrous 1812 retreat from Russia. He got lost and wandered into Ukraine, and apparently, into the arms of a lovely (I added the “lovely” part) woman.

THE HORRIBLE
Mania: exiled to Kazahkstan by Stalin
Alexander, Chief Admiral of the Black Sea Fleet: executed by Stalin
Andrij: executed in Siberia
Hetman Vyhovsky: nobleman, politician, illustrious mid-17th century leader, fiercely devoted to the Ukrainian cause: executed in Moscow
Volodymyr, grandfather: exiled to Grosrosen concentration camp. Was freed by American troops!  I had the privilege of getting to know him when I was a child.

THE INTERESTING
Engineer: Ignatij, great grand-son of the “lost” Hungarian, was a self-made, renown engineer of roads and bridges.  Died penniless.
Knighted: the Original Husaruk: served at the Viennese Court of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Knighted. Charge of the Royal Stables.
Nobility title: axe-wielding Dometij’s ancestors, the Bulsonowski’s were given a nobility title by Ivan the Terrible.
Original Bulsonowski: was a Mongol Tartar.
9th Century Vikings were the beginning of one of the oldest families in Ukraine, and my ancestors: the Vyhovsky family.

Wondering about the sombrero?  That’s dad’s side, and another entry for another day.

The next day Moses sat to work with the company, and the people (universties, corporate attorneys, investors, prospective investors, business development workers, marketers, bloggers, tweeters, corporate accountants, advisors, directors and programmers) stood around Moses from morning till evening. When Moses’ Board of Director, Jethro, saw all he was doing for the company, he said, “What is this that you are doing for all these people? Why do you sit alone, and the people stand around you form morning till evening?” And Moses said to his director, “Because the people come to me to inquire of the company; the universities need demos and pricing, they want to beta test and buy our product; the corporate attorneys need decisions on stock options and term sheets; investors need pitch decks and demos and business plans; the bus-dev team needs to herd the universities down the pipeline; the marketers need to send the message to the universities; when they each need something, they come to me and I decide, I direct, I make known the vision and purpose of the company and its goals.” Moses’ director said to him, “What you are doing is not good. You and the people with you will certainly wear yourselves out, for the thing is too heavy for you. You are not able to do it alone. Now listen to my voice; I will give you advice, and God be with you! Look for able executives who fear God, love technology, who are trustworthy and want to invest.  Place executives over the finances, the corporate structure, the business development, the marketing, the bloggers and tweeters and programming, and let them do their job. So it will be easier for you, and they will bear the burden with you. If you do this, God will direct you, you will be able to endure, and this company also, and your users and universities and market will grow with you.

A friend of mine, a brilliant woman CEO, has just started on the first leg of a whole new venture: fighting breast cancer. To that challenge she brings the same moxie, the same determination and attitude that has helped her grow her video gaming company. It got me thinking about the hundreds of entrepreneurs I’ve met.  Behind the outward appearance of how sexy or cool being the founder or CEO of a tech company can appear, entrepreneurship is is a testing ground, fraught with unrelenting hurdles that challenge our courage, determination, passion and hope. I spoke to one CEO who developed an online application for the movie industry, infusing technology into a laborious process that was once done by hand. It was truly a much-needed solution to a big problem. Like any other founder, he weathered the difficulties of starting the company, pushed to develop the technology and was poised to launch the application… when the writer’s strike hit Hollywood. Years of struggle and in one day, all bets are off. I laughed, “Why can’t things just be a straight-shot?” I asked him. “Why is this road always so dramatic?” (Think Abraham Lincoln) Why are all stories of success infused with absurd ironies, impossible plot-twists and impossible mountains to climb? Because there is no triumph without pain. A hero doesn’t exist sans challenge and life is not life without tribulation.  There’s colicky babies, lost jobs, foreclosed houses, spousal infidelity, expensive divorces, economic downturns, cancer, surgery, devastating losses, no sleep, broken cars, the dog crapped on the couch, the cat threw up on the counter, fractured relationships, lost wages, and the entrepreneur says: “I think this is a great time to start a business!” In life we can’t avoid a**-kicking challenges, but we can certainly decide how we face them.

Like momma with 6 newborn, hungry crying babies and only two tits.