Wellesley

I arrive in Boston Wednesday for a beautiful Indian Summer making me wonder why I packed myself for winter. I am here for meetings and to see friends, like Todd and has family - pictured. Instead, yesterday I spend battling for my name as a reseller captures the 'orenstein' URL and it takes hours to get things right. On the one hand, these online databases efficient and when things work, a God send. On the other, when they ain't, there is sometimes no customer support. This is what I find with domain name hosting. Well, the good news seems to be that, for now, I am back online and blogging away which, I hope, for some of you, a good thing.. on the Internet, nobody can hear you scream ..


So Todd I have known since 1990 from 'the mighty First Boston' when we shared hours of misery and toil in the trenches of Wall Street on the 39th floor of PAZ. Todd notes aptly that it was, indeed, "like war" and we have the hilarity to prove it - our stories from then as raw as yesterday and seem to only get better as our lives more routine. Today, Todd a practioner at a prestigeous investment firm and his office views from the top floor of Boston a testimony - there is the Charles river weaving its way into the brilliant orange/yellow/mauve sunset with the city's back-bay surrounding us. There was never a doubt that Todd would be here - from Wharton Underground (not an Ivy League, really, I tell him) to First Boston then HBS and now. It has always been up, and great for me to enjoy his ride from afar. Todd is one of those thoughtful guys whose success driven by interest - not bank. He loves describing his work and his deals come alive with humour, strategy and positioning - a good case study with equal entertainment combine to make a powerful telling. Last we saw Todd and his wife Marci in London when they celebrated his 4-0 and we had a night on the town. Good times.


One of Todd's companies Dunkin Donuts which I learn the most successful coffee chain on the East Coast. McDonald's, for instance, has one store per 25,000 people in the US which is considered "saturation"; Dunkin Donuts has one per 8,000. While there is no Dunkin Donuts in California, yet, the state the largest buyer of their coffee beans (mostly via online) in the United States - go figure. It is these out-of-store sales that make this, and similar franchises, a good investment. Sonnet and I should know since we ship Peet's from across the globe. Coffee is a drug, after all, and what a great thing to build your business around.