Once rightly said by Sir Edmund Hillary, “It’s not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves", holds true in many of our life experiences. Recently, we sat down with HPE sales leader Kevin Freymeyer, who shared his story behind an incredible personal feat: his trek to Mount Everest. Not only did Kevin's journey personally impact him, it also broadened his perspective on addressing key opportunities and challenges as an HPE OEM leader.
Kevin underwent an incredible feat at Mount Everest; the Everest Base Camp Trek. This involved a 13-day trek to Everest Base Camp, reaching 17,500 ft, for an overnight stay which culminated in an 80-mile round trip adventure through the Himalayas. Below are some of the highlights from our recent conversation with Kevin:
1. What inspired you to embark on such a tough, rocky journey?
I am always drawn towards the beauty, power and magnitude of mountains. I wanted to climb the mountain, especially Mount Everest. There's something about the Everest, a certain appeal, and the grandeur, which I am always fascinated towards. The Everest has been calling me, I always wanted to climb on the top and see what's below me.
2. What kind of hardships did you face during the journey?
The adventure was very tough, it wasn't what I was expecting. I got sick during the journey, which I didn't think of initially. I took medicines to stay fit, but the weather and altitude were crazy. It wasn't just me. Others, during the journey, fell sick too. It was very challenging and not as easy as it looked.
3. Can you relate to these challenges in both your personal and professional life?
This journey taught me a lot. We often have a plan for everything in life, but sometimes these plans don't work. Sometimes, we don't plan certain things in life, yet we are pushed under challenges. What I learned was to work under tough challenges and hardships that are unexpected, to adapt to certain difficult situations.
4. On representing HPE OEM Solutions during your journey:
I have always been very proud of what I do and where I work. Hence, I thought I could represent the same pride at such a height. It's also a message to our clients and customers that we can go to the top of the world for them.
5. How did the journey help you shape into a better professional or a leader?
All hardships I faced in my life have taught me perseverance - the notion of resolution and determination. My journey to the mountains has made me realized that you do such adventures for your team. As a leader, it is important to know how to lead a team, which I learned during this journey.
6. On key takeaways:
You should do something that pushes you out of your comfort zone. It's easy to do something within one's comfort level, which is no fun. But, when you challenge yourself to something more difficult; you plan for it, train for it and eventually will succeed.
Kevin is representative of many of the passionate, bold leaders within the HPE OEM Solutions program who have taken on a number of personal and professional opportunities to drive success. Want to learn more from one of these leaders? Reach out here today.
Audrey Cox
Hewlett Packard Enterprise
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