“Never give up on the road. True happiness awaits.”
How a personal friendship with the Grateful Dead’s Big Steve Parish shaped my "road crew" blueprint for leading Northstar Digital Design.
“Never give up on the road. True happiness awaits.”
Years ago, Big Steve Parish legendary road manager for the Grateful Dead and Jerry Garcia’s right-hand man wrote those words in my copy of his book. Having gratefully spent plenty of time swapping stories and sharing flowers with Big Steve, those words always stuck with me.
But lately, I’ve been thinking about what “the road” means in a professional context.
At Northstar Digital Design our “road” is the creative process. It’s navigating the unknowns of technology, solving complex design problems, and building a business from the ground up. It isn’t always a straight line, and it’s rarely easy.
But Big Steve and the Dead crew taught me a vital lesson about leadership: True success belongs to the misfits and creatives who refuse to quit on each other. You look out for the family, you adapt to the breakdowns, and you keep moving forward.
As a leader, that’s my blueprint. We stay on the road, we trust the process, and we find fulfillment in the work we build together.
Love is real, Not Fade Away ❤️⚡️💙