Meet Robert L. Kay

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Robert L. Kay. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Robert L. below.

Hi Robert L., appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?

My resilience comes from two places for very different reasons.

The first: my Dad. He joined the 82nd Airborne Rangers to fight in WWII, leaving high school before graduating. When the war was over the only job he could get was sweeping the floor in a machine shop. Without a high school diploma he worked his way up, becoming a machinist and ultimately leading contracts administration for a company that made parts for every aircraft that flew in the US in the 50’s and 60’s. My Dad never let anything stop him from pursuing his dreams. He went back and got his high school diploma when he was 55. No matter what life threw at him, he always had a smile and a way to get through.

The second: my wife. I was lucky to meet her in high school and marry her right after graduation. For 45 years I was the luckiest man alive. We put each other though college and then worked together for 36 years. She was instrumental in founding and running our companies that remain viable today.

One day we got some terrible news: she was diagnosed with stage IV breast cancer. Within 6 months the cancer and medical system had killed her.

I watched her go through chemo and slowly succumb to the cancer. Near the end we had a conversation in which she gave me her pixy like smile one last time and reflected on our time together. She did her best to reassure me and made me promise to carry on and take care of the family and the people at work who stood by us through that ordeal. Two days later she passed away.

Pat never gave up, up to the end she worked to help make things continue on. She never complained, she never sunk into any kind of self pity or sorrow. She dealt with the pain and the inevitable end she knew was coming.

What makes me resilient? Pat and my Dad never gave up. They never wanted pity nor for anyone to feel sorry for them. They gave of themselves and made sacrifices for others.

What makes me resilient? My family that stuck with me though those ordeals. The Team at work that not only stuck with me but gave of themselves to help. The friends that said nothing but gave me a hug, a nod and made me smile.

What makes me resilient? I give back to the community by mentoring at our local schools and colleges. Their smiles and what I learn from them. Dedicating my remaining career to build machines that anyone can use to help see contamination in our foods, cosmetics and more as a way to prevent cancer.

I am resilient because of the example of courage, determination and resilience that Pat and my Dad had. They never gave up no matter how hard life got. They changed, learned new things, they adapted. They worked to leave behind good things for those around them.

What would it say about me if I gave up just because life knocked me down to the ground? Failure is not getting back up after getting knocked to the ground.

I can’t say out loud what Pat would say to me if I didn’t get back up.

Semper Fi.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I was born an engineer. Built radios and computers on my own. Right out of college I got to work on what was the world’s first working optical data disc system. Went on to work on military ordinance systems (think guided missiles and RF fuses and more).

Leaving the military stuff behind for philosophical reasons, we started our product development firm, Pat taught me marketing and I taught her engineering. We got to work on ejection seat systems (life saving stuff!), blood analyzers, 3D camera systems, ink jet printers, stem cell processors, robotic arms and more. We got to work with all the large US based medical companies, HP, Kodak, Teledyne, Amgen and more.

2019 we had started a 2nd company, a Robotics company. When Pat soon after passed away, my daughter assumed her responsibilities and we pivoted the robotics company to become a life science company. Our goal now for that company is to rebrand and develop an instrument to help everyday people see the unseen contaminants in foods and cosmetics. It’s exciting because this could be something that helps trace down the sources of cancer and potentially prevents cancer.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Never forget: the Team you create is your most valuable asset. Hire people you can trust, get rid of the ones you can’t. The name on the building will mean something because of them. If it’s all about you it will be one helluva uphill battle.

Never forget: the Team will be the mirror image of it’s management. Want a Team that you can trust? That you can make “no look” passes too? Want people who can think for themselves and innovate? Behave like a leader. Set the high bar by your actions. Leave your temper tantrums and ego at home. Not at work.

At least 3 times some serious crap will hit the fan. Always have a Plan B and be ready to pull the trigger on it when it is needed. That includes a plan, cash, assets, contacts, a network, whatever you can leverage.

We’ve all got limited resources, time, energy, focus etc – so if you had to choose between going all in on your strengths or working on areas where you aren’t as strong, what would you choose?

If you wait until everything is perfect, you will never win.

As a kid I was often bullied by bigger kids. It took a while but I realized that the way to look at it was that they taught me was all the areas where I was weak.

So I took up weight lifting, gymnastics and football. No, I didn’t become the strongest and certainly not the best fighter. But I did learn how to take a punch and how to give one.

I learned from others more about people and why they did what they do. No, I wasn’t good enough to become a psychiatrist. What I could do is manipulate some bullies to prevent violence without capitulating.

Did I learn how to be perfect in stopping bullies? Not a chance. Did I make sure I could give as good as I got? Hell yes.

The same is true in business. If you think you have to be perfect and don’t take action until you feel perfect, you’ve already lost. George Patton said it best: a good plan vigorously executed today is better than having a perfect plan tomorrow.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.eliteeng.com
• Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/robert-l-kay-a141ba10